CPD: Continuing Professional Development updated July 2008
ANNUAL REPORTING OF YOUR CPD MORE INFORMATION below
All AILA Registered Landscape Architects are now required to report on their CPD as part of their annual renewals. This must be completed before (or as part of) the annual renewals this year (2008). These were due mid 2008. The invoices for the fees were sent out in May with payments due to be paid in July 2008.
The breadth of practice within landscape architecture is very diverse with individuals having professional practice across a wide range of interests and disciplines. Because of this diversity, members need to seek out relevant continuing professional development through a range of providers and via a range of means.
While a very limited amount of CPD is provided through AILA talks series and seminar programs, members need to plan to access a variety of sources for their CPD opportunities. This includes other industry and professional associations, online training (both formal and informal) as well as new research undertaken in preparation for project work.
So yes, CPD is part of your day to day practice - any time you research new materials, new products, visit a site to see what someone else did, go online to research and to seek out a different solution to a challenge, contact a colleague to seek new information - the list goes on - and all of those are one point per hour.
Members in more regional areas are advised to seek out relevant CPD opportunities that may be available through partner and allied organisations and professional bodies. The same difficulties in getting to AILA specific events are often experienced by many metropolitan members, so this is why members are advised to think about your specialist areas and to seek a range of CPD opportunities in your own fields of interest. Another option that is growing in practices, is for the firms to combine resources and to arrange some in-house CPD for staff across a couple of practices.
The method of calculating CPD points has not changed all that much. The AILA CPD system has been in place for many years. The real changes are that all Registered members report annually, the categories have been clarified and the reporting can now be done online (do it now!).
In short, if the CPD is formally assessed learning, the chances are that it is worth two points per hour. If it is the more passive and unassessed (attendance at events, talks, research etc), then chances are that it is worth one point per hour. (please check the categories in the GUIDE).
So yes research in a new area of practice does count towards your points - but not the project itself. Yes CPD travel to visit overseas sites does count - just not all the holiday times associated with the travel.
Yes attendance at a UDIA or PIA or RAIA or other association conferences does count if it is relevant to your practice.
Yes reading magazines for focused research, rather than just casual catching up with the news, does count. See the GUIDES for a lot more.
All Registered members need to report a minimum of 30 points per annum.
Note: CPD points are only valid for the financial year in which they are gained.
So for the last year, you are reporting on activities and points earned between July 2007 till June 2008. And now start planning for this year, 2008 - 2009 and for the subsequent report in June/July 2009.
That is: The points to be reported by end of June this year (2008), must be on CPD activities undertaken within this financial year (July 2007 – June 2008).
The CPD report must be submitted before the payment of annual fees. Any fees received before the report will held over (pending receipt of the CPD report) but not recorded as being paid.
The AILA conducts an annual random audit of CPD. If contacted, a member may be requested to produce evidence of the CPD undertaken and/or evidence of the CPD planning. We ask that you keep records and any receipts. (You may also need these if legally challenged by outside agencies.)
A special reminder: The CPD points are linked to your specialist areas of professional interest, not just the AILA events. Members should go online and download the GUIDES. Chances are you are already undertaking more than enough CPD, as would be expected of an active professional landscape architect. The change for most members will be the ten minutes it takes to go online and complete the report (before you pay your fees this year).
A note about using the online reporting. Please do not press the submit button until the report indicates that you have accumulated the minimum 30 points - then press submit. You only need to report once each year, not as you do each individual activity.
>>> Membership and CPD: reflecting changes in 2007 and 2008
>>> More on the 2007 - 2008 membership changes
>>> Definition of Landscape Architecture
