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What counts as CPD?
Recognising that you are the best person to assess the value of an activity to your professional development, LI is not prescriptive about the types of activity that count as CPD. However, nothing should be reported as CPD unless you have personally learnt from it.
When considering whether an activity counts as CPD, you should initially refer back to your CPD goals to see whether it will help your development objectives.
We also understand that you may come across unexpected opportunities for CPD that you had not planned for when setting your goals at the beginning of the year. These can be recorded if you believe that they will improve your competence, but you should explain this in your CPD record and you update it accordingly. The following provides some examples of different types and methods of professional development activity:
- Any formal or published written work such as articles, proposals, project plans or tenders
- Attendance at seminars, conferences or briefings, whether free or paid for, online, streamed or attended in person
- Delivering lectures and tutorials
- LI activities of a technical or professional nature
- Peer-to-peer discussions (this can include 1-1s with peers discussing topics of relevance)
- Peer-to-peer mentoring (either mentoring someone else or being mentored yourself)
- Private study of relevant journals, newsletters, articles, briefing papers and practice notes
- Research you have conducted on relevant topics
- Study, whether on courses leading to a qualification, short academic courses, open or distance learning, individual study or attending lectures
- Work-based development, including background reading, research or preparation to tackle a new area of work; visiting landscape projects, supporting colleagues or mentoring students
We recommend that you explore a mix of different types and methods of professional development activity to give you a more well-rounded learning experience. If your CPD record shows a very high proportion of one particular mode of activity, you should explain why.
