Continuing Professional Development - Essay Example

Continuing Professional Development Continuing Professional Development Several scholars have come with differentdefinitions of CPD since the construction industry in UK. According to Friedman et al. 2000, Continuous Professional Development is maintenance, broadening and improvement of skills and knowledge, and advancement of individual qualities that are necessary for carrying out technical and professional duties throughout the working life of an individual. According to this definition, several purposes of CPD can be seen: i.e. CPD is mainly concerned with skills and knowledge maintenance. Currently, this could be summed up as keeping one’s competencies i.e. being updated. Also, Continuous Professional Development broadens and improves skills and knowledge with the intention of supporting professional development in future. As it can be seen, CPD increases personal qualities needed to perform technical and professional duties; such individual qualities as may be required to meet the two purposes mentioned above (Sadler-Smith, 2009) Continuous Professional development was mainly chosen since it did provide a clear difference between practice and education. CPD was proposed as more public and formal way of putting together what experts did informally in their daily working lives. Characteristics of CPD process i. It should be a documented process ii. It should include both formal and informal learning process iii. It should help one set developmental objectives and goals iv. Should be self directed, self driven and not from the employer v. CPD should be directed towards learning from experience, reflective learning and review Nevertheless, the objectives of Continues Professional Development included: to make the professionals take up their new roles, to better the ethical and personal capabilities of professionals and to advance professionals’ capacity to develop their scientific and technical knowledge and to make sure that professionals have fulfilled their duties or tasks and responsibilities. It also offers support on career advancement to new employers or to other diverse practices Key principles of CPD It is a continuous process applying throughout the entire life of the practitioner Currently, it is impossible for one to do all the learning at the beginning of the career then spend the rest of the working life in what has been learned. Since Tesco is living in an information age, technology is changing on how things are done and there is a need for a continuous assessment for better service delivery (Friedman, 2000). Every individual is concerned for his/her personal development A person can get what he or she wants if they choose so. It is some times difficult to give a priority to our own needs, but it is possible if we lift our heads above our parapet. CPD therefore reminds us not only to dream about our future but also to take towards making our dreams to be real. There is no need of standing around a photocopier discussing with a lot of envy other people’s promotion. We should make it our ambition to create opportunities and apply for our ideal job, enroll for part time classes, taking up an initiative in developing our own skills. Individuals must decide in their own the learning needs and how to achieve them We all have distinctive paths towards our destiny. Family, friends and colleagues may walk along with us on the way but they cannot life on our behalf. Several people are in careers that were decided by family and schoolmates rather than their own choices. A professional makes a choice on their work and their employer. A times consciously, and sometimes unconsciously and can alter- if they need to (Johns, 2000). Looking at CPD can assist us to be conscious that we continuously make choices and to appreciate the range of available options The targets of learning should be articulated clearly and must reflect the needs of clients and employers as well as the goals of individual practitioners. Even if we limited source of formal employment, we have to think in a portfolio manner-create our own portfolio of skills, knowledge and experience which can be transformed into new opportunities. There are several perspectives to this. First and foremost, you can see yourself adding value to employers. Secondly, you can develop the mission and purpose of your life. The difference between these two can be somehow illusory-especially if you start with the purpose in life-since people chase after their dreams tend to add value everywhere they go (Eraut, 2008). Thirdly, you can look at yourself as being on transit with various attractive stopping stations (clients or employers) where you take a break then you continue. You may not be certain about your destination- what a matter is the developing and moving forward. Fourthly, CPD may not necessarily mean that we have to do everything unique- instead it may assist us to have a different view on what we are doing. Reflective practitioner A reflective practitioner is a person who looks back at regular intervals at the kind of work he/she has done, and the work process, and put into consideration on how he/she can make necessary improvements. In this case, the practitioners are not happy on the current standards on what they are doing; they want to better the way they are doing things so as to become better people in the future. In any organization, the practitioners do not believe in the saying that if something is not broken, and then don’t fix it (McDonough, 2004). As in the case of Tesco Company, practitioners are engaged in an on-going cycle of self-evaluation and self- observation so as to appreciate their own actions and reactions they prompt in themselves and those of other employees. The main aim is not actually to address a definite question or problem defined at the beginning, but to make observation and generally improve practice on an ongoing basis. Here, the practitioners frame the problem of the situation and define the features to which they will address, the manner in which they will try to make changes on it. In this process, the practitioners will identify the ends to be pursued and the means to be used (Schon, 2006). During a Continuing Professional Development, there are various reflections that are engaged by practitioners within the organization Dialogic reflection-this is a relatively less intensive approach involving discourse with self so as to explore a particular incident or event. This kind of reflection involves reconsidering judgments and decisions made and motives for these. As compared with other forms of reflection, this approach is embedded in constructivism where it calls for an individual to reconsider their own personal view. Although this is a vital first step in Tesco, and may increase the sense of pride and level of level of confidence, awareness in itself does not lead to improvement of the situation (TAMKIN, 2009). Critical reflection-this is an effort to accounting for the wider historic, political and cultural values in outlining practical problems so as to get a solution. This process can be taken as the difference between whether an individual repeats same thing for a number of times gaining more knowledge at one behavior, or learns from experience in a manner that he or she is effectively or cognitively changed (Todd, 2008). Critical reflection enables transformational learning that can be experienced gradually or from an unexpected or dire incident and change the way people perceive themselves and the entire world. Models of reflection practitioner Reflective Cycle According to this model, the practitioner is encouraged to think about various aspects of a certain event or situation, to make an evaluation and come up with an action plan to deal with such a situation should it arise once again. It aids an individual to consider how they respond and think within a given situation and offer insight into practice and self. This model is illustrated in the figure as shown below. Model for Structured Reflection This model focuses on revealing and making clear the kind of knowledge used in organizational practice. It can also be used in analyzing general reflection or critical incident on experience or more complicated decisions. The model suggests that in addition to guided reflection individuals should make use of reflective diary since reflecting on, noting, and sharing such experiences leads to better understanding than by reflection alone. The model also requires one to look on a situation which comprises of paying attention and focusing to your emotions and thoughts. It offers an advice of looking out of the situation and putting down description of the situation basing on the five sources of knowledge for which each one has its own cue number (Costa, 2007). Limitations of Self-Reflection Self-reflection has not been without critiques. Literature is full with examples of reflection enhancing features of professional teaching practice. However, it has been suggested that apart from assisting personal development and expanding knowledge, taking part in reflection may be a restrictive experience (Johns, 2000). It has been suggested that reflection calls for a higher level of objectivity and detachment which is a risk from self-deception. Some of the concerns raised are that there may be much that an individual may keep from oneself either consciously or otherwise, and some of the hidden information about oneself about own process may be unexplored and remain unknown. Some other critiques have also questioned the benefit of a procedure that limits a person’s authority, knowledge and ability and promotes insecurity and anxiety Importance of CPD to Tesco Company The concept of CPD is not a new phenomenon in organizations like Tesco therefore its importance cannot be over emphasized. Professionals who intend to be effective in all the fields must realize the importance of improved skills, new knowledge and development of personal qualities (E, 2001). In reality CPD is basically part of good part of as professional practice. However, what is new is the greater relevance and importance of CPD to the success of the professionals. The following are some of the reasons for the growth of CPD Competence The average knowledge gained as a result of taking a university degree is estimated to have a lifespan of about four years. Although this varies according to various disciplines, it does highlight the continuous need of maintaining an active interest in being updated with the changing legislation, technology and procedures of operation. Tesco Professionals therefore need to acquire new skills and knowledge so as to meet the increasing managerial responsibility in their places of work. Consumerism The advancement of a more wealthy consumer society has led to a more sophisticated and informed public. The effects of the growth of the informed society is that they have a lot of expectations and demand higher level of service delivery and care from professional advisors than before. The skills acquired initially during earlier trainings may not be enough to make a staff to be competitive. Legislation Professionals are currently faced with a lot of risks form claims of negligence that before. Professional indemnity insurance premium has considerably increased in the recent time. CPD may not at all reduce the claims of professional indemnity, nevertheless, if cynics have worries concerning the cost of CPD such claims may assist in emphasizing the costs of ignorance. Emerging evidence shows that insurance companies may be willing to slightly reduce the professional indemnity if at all a well structured CPD program is availed to staff (P, 2005) Standards Key role played by professional bodies is to maintain standards of competence within an organization. CPD plays an important role in the communication of set standards and to ensure that specified standards and procedures are complied with in the Company Quality management system The relevance of CPD within organizations has been increased by the continuous emphasis on ethos and quality management systems therefore education and training are the key pillars of quality and investment in people Competitiveness The current recession has put much emphasis on the modern competitiveness of business. Whether in the privatized public or private sector, the competitiveness of the market has to be partly of fully be focused on technological innovation and the customer care. For it to be effective, it demands huge investments in development of people skills (Tamkin, 2009). Continuing Professional Development and professional Competence Development The recent emphasis on Continuous Professional Development on compliance monitoring and measurement of output, although important, cannot put much emphasis on the need of improving the performance as the output of the process (Friedman, 2000). The figure below illustrates the relationship between continuous professional development and the four stages during the competence development from the unconscious level of incompetence to conscious competent level. According to the above diagram, CPD in man instances primarily focuses on creating a link between stage 2 and 3 i.e. between unconscious and conscious competence. Nonetheless, it may not in actual sense lead to enhance performance due to the following reasons. First and foremost, the first analysis of the need of Continuing Professional Development may have not been accurate where it is not focused on the actual need. Secondly, the use of CPD (usually in the form of attendance at a training program) is not applicable in a working environment in a structured and planned manner (Campbell, 2001). As an effect, CPD will not meet its actual need and will be seen as an interesting but not necessary element of professional life (Eraut, 2008). In order to overcome these challenges, further research is needed in the following three areas The first is the development of process of reviewing, for instance career planning and performance appraisal reviews as part of Continuing Professional Development and the development of competence models that asses business/professional capability at usual stages of career development. The next is the broadening of structured Continuing Professional Development to include opportunities of structured development in addition to structured training. This difference between informal and formal modes of learning has been illustrated in the figure above. Lastly, a more clear evaluation of the aims of Continuing Professional Development and the personal/professional need to which the CPD is related and the way in which it is going to be assessed (Ndege, 2012) Conclusion All the professionals must become accustomed to an environment in which they are working. A commitment to Continuing Professional Development is very important to a professional’s work in his/her entire life. According to Epstein (2002), the idea of continuous learning which is inherent in CPD must encourage professionals in order to see CPD as an ongoing development process whereby it can be fulfilled by a flexible and balanced range of informal and formal learning activities. In addition, Tesco should come up with personal CPD plans which emphasizes on the future learning goals, and ensure that CPD activities are primarily concerned with the production of increased performance rather being only concerned with input level of CPD (Sadler-Smith, 2009). Therefore, there is an increasing emphasis on the importance of CPD on making a review of personal abilities and developing structured plans of action to develop new and existing skills. The outlined processes provides a starting point for the professionals to evaluate and improve their existing approaches to Continuing Professional Development (McDonough, 2004) Bibliography Campbell, B. a. G. M., 2001. Continuing competence: An Ontario nursing regulatory programme. Nursing Administration , Volume 25, pp. 22-30.. Costa, A. F. V. H., 2007. Continuing medical education in Europe: Towards a harmonized System. European Journal of Cancer 46, no. , Volume 13, pp. 2340-2343. E., W., 2001. 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