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Other volumes in this series:
Volume1 Technologies and markets J. J. Verschuur
Volume2 The business of electronic product development F. Monds
Volume3 The marketing of technology C. G. Ryan
Volume4 Marketing for engineers J. S. Bayliss
Volume5 Microcomputers and marketing decisions L. A. Williams
Volume6 Management for engineers D. L. Johnston
Volume7 Perspectives on project management R. N. G. Burbridge
Volume8 Business for engineers B. Twiss
Volume9 Exploitable UK research for manufacturing industry G. Bryan
(Editor)
Volume 10 Design and wealth creation K. K. Schwarz
Volume 11 Integration and management of technology for manufacturing
E. H. Robson, H. M. Ryan and D. Wilcock (Editors)
Volume 12 Winning through retreat E. W. S. Ashton
Volume 13 Interconnected manufacturing systems H. Nicholson
Volume 14 Software engineering for technical managers R. J. Mitchell
(Editor)
Volume 15 Forecasting for technologists and engineers B. C. Twiss
Volume 16 Intellectual property for engineers V. Irish
Volume 17 How to communicate in business D. J. Silk
Volume 18 Designing businesses: how to develop and lead a high technology
company G. Young
CONTINUING
PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
a practical approach

Managing your CPD as a

professional engineer

John Lorriman

The Institution of Electrical Engineers

Published by: The Institution of Electrical Engineers, London,
United Kingdom

© 1997: The Institution of Electrical Engineers

This publication is copyright under the Berne Convention and the

Universal Copyright Convention. All rights reserved. Apart from any fair
dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or
review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988,
this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any forms or
by any means, only with the prior permission in writing of the publishers,
or in the case of reprographic reproduction in accordance with the terms
of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency. Inquiries
concerning reproduction outside those terms should be sent to the
publishers at the undermentioned address:

The Institution of Electrical Engineers,

Michael Faraday House,
Six Hills Way, Stevenage,
Herts. SG1 2AY, United Kingdom

While the author and the publishers believe that the information and
guidance given in this work is correct, all parties must rely upon their own.
skill and judgment when making use of it. Neither the author nor the
publishers assume any liability to anyone for any loss or damage caused
by any error or omission in the work, whether such error or omission is
the result of hegigencs or any other cause. Any and all such liability is
disclaimed.

The moral right of the author to be identified as author of this work has
been asserted by him/her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act 1988.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A CIP catalogue record for this book

is available from the British Library

ISBN 0 85296 903 1

Printed in England by Redwood Books, Trowbridge

:LEEDS METROPOLITAN
UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
 Contents

Page
Foreword xiii

1 What is continuing professional development? 1

1.1. Ask yourself what you mean by CPD 1
1.2 Defining CPD 2
1.3. How much of your potential are you using now? Ze
1.4 How good have your learning processes been? 3.
1.5 How much more of your potential could be released in
future? 4
1.6 Committing yourself to CPD 5
1.7. Maximising the learning process 6

2 Getting it all into context—managing your CPD 8

Zz.) Lorriman’s Windows 8
2.2 Managing your own CPD uv
2.3 Management = coaching 12
2.4 The learning organisation 14

3 The responsibility of the individual 16

3.1 Some key steps to take 17
2.Y-1 Sally Martin—instrument engineer,
Shell Refinery, Stanlow 18
3.1.2 John Hawkins, CEng—consultant 19
3.1.3. Mark Meffan, CEng—project manager,
Sir Alexander Gibbs & Partners 20
3.1.4 Aileen Aulds—senior communications and
electronics officer, Metropolitan Police Service 21
3.1.5 Bob Hawkins—development manager,
ICL, Manchester 22
1.6 Raiya Fells—regulatory and certification
co-ordinator, Alba project, Chevron UK Ltd 22
vi Continuing professional development: a practical approach

er Dr Richard Pike, CEng—director general,

Institution of Mechanical Engineers ao
3.1.8. Alan Robson—factory manager,
Boots Pharmaceuticals a
3.1.9 Peter Bell, CEng—entrepreneur a
3.1.10 Francis Frampton—jack of all trades 25
3.1.11 Diane Davey, IEng—assistant secretary, Institution
of Mechanical Incorporated Engineers 26
3.1.12 Christopher Davies, CEng—managing director,
Industrial & Municipal Engineering Services Ltd 27
3.1.13 Isabelle Jenkins—Royal Bank of Scotland 28
3.1.14 Bill Hoult—chartered surveyor 28
3.1.15 Clare Gallagher, CEng—personnel manager,
Zeneca 30
3.1.16 Dr Wonne Barton, MBE, CEng—head of gas
sales and commercial negotiations, British Gas
Exploration & Production ft
3.1.17 David Mason, CEng—managing director,
Mason Communications 32
3.1.18 Neil Hardiman, IEng 33
az Summary 34

4 How to identify your key competencies 35

4.1. What is a competence? 36
4.2. Identifying your key competencies 38
ao Levels of competencies 41
4.4 Authorising persons 42
4.5 Subcompetencies and elements 44
4.6 The link with appraisals 45
4.7 Safety and quality 47
4.8 Job descriptions versus competency descriptions 48
4.9 National Vocational Qualifications 49
4.10 Summary D2

5 Designing and using personal development plans 53

oil Me-charts ie)
5.2 | What are personal development plans? 5D
Dd The story of PDR and the career manager—two of
the first national PDPs D7
5.4 Starting to design your own PDP 63
5.5 How widely are PDPs used—and in what context? 65
5.6 Competence and commitment 67
5.6.1 Short Brothers focus on the future 68
5.6.2 Thames Water Utilities—
an individual’s viewpoint 69
 Contents vii

5.6.3. PDPs in a safety context 69

5.6.4 Professional development for physicists 70
5.6.5 Foundrymen launch CPD record yi
5.6.6 CPD commitment in Hong Kong a
5.6.7. Plumbing for CPD hd
5.6.8 Putting energy into CPD 72
5.7. Some further ideas 73
5.8 Keep your CV up to date 77
5.9 And if redundancy should hit you... 77
5.10 Summary 78

Creating the right learning opportunities 80

6.1 The organisation as a learning environment 80
6.1.1 Food for thought at Courtaulds Engineering 82
6.1.2 Building on success at Bechtel 83
6.1.3. Investing in people—the prime resource 84
6.1.4 A powerful approach to CPD 86
6.1.5 Moving towards a learning organisation
in Hong Kong 87
6.1.6 Genesis at Harland & Wolff 88
6.1.7. Going to town with the institutions 89
6.1.8 Claro Precision Engineering | 90
Ae BAA—continuous improvement takes off o2
6.1.10 Using CPD to move into the first rank a2
6.1.11 Gillian Sturke, CEng—engineering specialist,
Northern Telecom Europe, Basildon 96
6.2 Summary 97
How to use mentoring and coaching as part of your CPD 98
7.1. What is coaching? 99
7.2. What is mentoring 100
7.3 Coaching/mentoring is about lighting candles 104
7.4 The key competencies of a coach/mentor 106
7.5 The cycle of success 110
7.6 The change model 114
re Comfort/stretch/ panic js rs
7.8 Linking to appraisals 119
7.9 Summary 119
How to make the best use of software for CPD 120
8.1 Developing your keyboard skills 121
8.2 Using databases for your CPD 122
8.3. Using spreadsheets for your CPD 123
8.4 Using CD-ROMs for your CPD 124
viii Continuing professional development: a practical approach

8.5 Groupware—the most exciting learning medium

for the future 125
8.5.1 People are organisms
8.5.2 Using groupware for CPD
8.6 Using personal development plan software
8.7 Have you really valued your organisation or personal
assets?
8.8 CPD using the Internet
&9 Looking to the future
8.10 Learning as a two way process

9 How to make the best use of distance and open learning

Opening up learning in GPT
Opening up learning in BT
Well proven methods
Possible delivery media
04.1 Printed paper
9.4.2 Audio cassettes
9.4.3. Video cassettes
9.4.4 | Computer-based delivery
9.5 Choosing an open or distance learning course
9.6 Using open and distance learning
07 Distance learning and the IEE
Oa INSPEC
9.7.2 » o*Electroniesietters’
Fa: The Open University
oo Reading—the most underutilised source of CPD
90 And how about writing?

10 The role of the universities and other providers 156

10.1 Motorola University—a catalyst for change through
continuous learning 156
10.2 A partnership—the Warwick Manufacturing Group 159
10.3 CPD—providing a flexible workforce 159
10.4 The Continuing Professional Development Award
Scheme 161
10.5 TEAM is launched 162
10.6 Powering CPD—a modular solution 162
10.7 IGDS schemes hit quarter century—and arrive in
Oxford 163
10.8 Mechatronics or bust 164
10.9 Rehabilitation engineering through CPD 166
10.10 Building on law 167
10.11 Forensic engineering at Glasgow University 168
10.12 CPD—insuring against disaster 169
 Contents ix

10.13 Eutech—a long and distinguished heritage in CPD 170

10.14 Summary 171
11 The role of the professional institutions 173
11.1 A four way partnership vT.
11.1.1 The IEE CPD scheme 178
11.1.2 CPD and the Law Society 181
11.1.3. CPD in the Institute of Chartered Accountants
in England and Wales 183
11.1.4 The right prescription for CPD 184
11.1.5 A healthy approach to CPD 186
11.1.6 CPD for personnel and training professionals 189
11.1.7 Managing to improve CPD 189
11.1.8 Insuring for the future 190
11.1.9 The Institution of Mining and Metallurgy 192
11.1.10 Mining the benefits of CPD 193
11.1.11 Mechanicals launch CPD 194
11.1.12 Joint BCS-IDPM initiative for the information
technology industry {95
11.1.13 A civil approach to CPD 196
11.2. CPD and the future 197
11.3. Summary 198

12 The international dimension 199

12.1 The International Association for Continuing
Engineering Education 199
Rae SEF] 201
tee -FEANI 202
12.3.1 The FEANI code of conduct 204
12.4 The European Union Directive 205
fe, ELI 206
12.6 Removing the wall 207
12.6.1 Mandatory CPD in the USA 208
12.6.2 CPD down under 209
12.6.3. South Africa—CPD opportunities beckon 210
12.7 How do your CPD experiences balance? Zk2
12.8 Some final thoughts 213

References 216

Index 217
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 List of figures

Figure 1.1 Cumulative development of your competencies

Figure 2.1 Lorriman’s windows
Figure 2.2 Current reality/vision model 10
Figure 2.3 The quality circle i
Figure 2.4 The normal western concept of management ile
Figure 2.5 The concept of upside down management 14
Figure 4.1 The link between knowledge, skills, attitude and
competencies 37
Figure 4.2 Some examples of active verbs to be used for
competency descriptions oY
Figure 4.3 An example of the author’s key competencies using
Knowledge Associates’ PDP on Notes software 40
Figure 4.4 An example of lists of competencies identified as
about to expire by Knowledge Associates’ PDP
on Notes software 43
Figure 4.5 An example of some of the author’s
subcompetencies 45
Figure 4.6 Some of the author’s subcompetencies divided in
turn into elements 46
Figure 4.7 Appraisals—the three factors 47
Figure 4.8 Fleming’s Left Hand Rule for motors 48
Figure 4.9 The link between success and competencies 49
Figure 4.10 An example of NVQ-speak—quoted as Appendix 1
of the Engineering Council’s ‘Competence and
commitment’ discussion document 51
Figure 5.1 The author’s me-chart 54
Figure 5.2 Some examples of the possible contents of your
personal development plan 56
Figure 5.3 Some different examples of personal development
plans 56
Figure 5.4 The IEE’s PDR 58
Figure 5.5 A sample section of the IEE’s PDR oo
Figure 5.6 An example section from the Engineering Council’s
‘Career manager’ 60
 Xli Continuing professional development: a practical approach

Figure 5.7 A sample screen from the Institution of Electronics and

Electrical Incorporated Engineers’ ‘Record of
professional development’ software oo!-
Figure 5.8 The need for horizontal experience and promotion
in flatter structures aD
. Figure 6.1 Is your training soundly based? 81
Figure 6.2 The changing skills mix in the Rank Xerox Technical
Centre 04
Figure 6.3 A screenshot from the Xerox Assessment of
Competencies Tool 95
Figure 7.1 The coaching spectrum 99
Figure 7.2 Balancing the management style 103
Figure 7.3 Where are conversations held? 104
Figure 7.4 The difference between councelling and coaching 105
Figure 7.5 The key competencies of a coach 106
Figure 7.6 The cycle of success 110
Figure 7.7 An example of a well completed PDR sheet 113
Figure 7.8 The change model ; id3
Figure 7.9 The effect of forcing change 116
Figure 7.10 Balance between perceived difficulty and ability 118
Figure 8.1 We prefer to work in organic environments since
we are all organisms ourselves. Changes in each
part affect-the whole and vice versa 126
Figure 8.2 The Knowledge Associates PDP on Notes
administration screen 128
Figure 8.3 The Knowledge Associates PDP on Notes main
user screen 129
Figure 8.4 The Knowledge Associates PDP on Notes off the
job training screen 130
Figure 8.5 The Knowledge Associates PDP on Notes
curriculum vitae screen 132
Figure 8.6 The Knowledge Associates PDP on Notes
intellectual capital reports screen 154
Figure 10.1 The four key needs targeted by the Continuing
Professional Development Award Scheme 161
Figure 11.1 The four way partnership in CPD 77
Figure 11.2 Range of activities which a professional institution
can provide 178
Figure Tact How do your local, national and international
CPD experiences balance? 212
 Foreword

This book came about as a result of many years of personal commit-

ment to continuing professional development. The reason I feel so
strongly about the topic is because I have observed so many engineers
in so many organisations being misutilised and underutilised.
Engineering can be the most exciting career in the world, and in
such an environment CPD should be no problem at all. Sadly, all too
often it is not as prevalent as I would like it to be. So what has gone
wrong?
For a start, individual engineers tend to look to others to structure
both their career and learning. A key message in this book is that each
one of us needs to take personal responsibility for our own
competence and career development—and to a very high degree, as
well as continually.
Another message is that organisations need to redefine the role of
managers in a fundamental way if CPD is to be successful. It needs to
be accepted that the prime role of amanager is to coach and develop
his or her staff. And that is, frankly, a fundamental challenge in most
organisations.
Thirdly, the providers of CPD need to rethink their approach, so
that the learners are best able to relate their learning to specific
competence and career development objectives.
Fourthly, the professional institutions need to do as much as possible
to learn from each other’s successes and good ideas. They face many
exciting challenges, such as how to make best use of the Internet,
groupware and software for personal development plans.
This book is aimed at readers from all four groups—individuals,
organisations, providers and professional institutions. CPD needs to
involve all four continually, each interlinked and mutually supportive,
and the contribution from each group is covered as far as possible in
each chapter. Therefore, from whichever perspective you read this
book, please bear in mind the contribution you can either receive
from, or even better give to, the other three groups. At the end of each
chapter, think about the learning you may have had from that chapter
in as broad a context as possible.
 Foreword xiv

Finally, CPD has to be driven very much at an individual level. So

how about asking yourself at the end of the day the following three
questions:
e what went well?
¢ how could it have gone better?
~e@ what did I learn?

Good luck—and | hope you enjoy reading this book. In any event,
please send your comments, as well as your own CPD experiences, to
me either care of the IEE’s professional development manager or on
the Internet at Jlorriman @[Link].

John Lorriman
 Chapter I
What is continuing
professional development?

You own the world’s most powerful computer—your brain’

I am starting to write this book in an aircraft, 37 550 feet above China,

on my way to spend two weeks in Hong Kong doing training
accreditation visits for the Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE). Is
this part of my continuing professional development (CPD)? Not half!
CPD can have many different dimensions—limited only by your
imagination—ranging from the sort of experience described above, to
reading a book or an article. What matters is that:
@ you use a variety of methods for your CPD;
e these methods are complementary and give you good all round
personal and technical development,
e@ whatever approaches you use, they actually work for you;
e you find that your CPD is fun!
This book is aimed at helping you to structure, target and develop
your CPD much more effectively. But at the start we need to be clear
about what CPD actually is!

1.1 Ask yourself what you mean by CPD

As I sit on this aircraft, I find that the person sitting next to me is an

electronics engineer, working for a very successful American software
company in Ireland. Previously she worked for a major electronics
company based in Holland, and I decide to ask her what she considers
CPD to be about. Here are some of her thoughts:
@ it is about letting people do the work—it is about trust;
@ it is about changing jobs and challenging yourself;
e you need to learn from your mistakes as well as your successes;
 2 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

e there is a need to maximise the ability of organisations to change

and to keep up with the Japanese;
e CPD must be about maximising the learning process.
Why not take a sheet of paper and, using the format below, write down
your own ideas about what CPD is and what it might be about in the
future? Alternatively, how about creating a software document with
this format on your PC and then updating it as new thoughts occur?

What CPD means to me| What my CPD might be about in the future

1.2 Defining CPD

It may be helpful to see whether one or two definitions help to clarify

your thoughts about what CPD actually means to you.
A definition of CPD which has generally been accepted by The
Engineering Council’s member institutions is:
‘The systematic maintenance, improvement and broadening of
knowledge and skill, and the development of personal qualities
necessary for the execution of professional and technical duties
throughout the practitioner’s working life.’

On the other hand, you may like a much simpler definition, which I
rather prefer myself: ‘Steal ideas shamelessly.’
This definition, at least, has the advantages that it is short and
memorable, as well as concentrating the mind on the need to
maximise the ways in which we obtain new ideas from others. One
recent redefinition of this is: “Steal ideas with pride’!

1.3 How much of your potential are you using now?

Ask yourself this question: ‘How much of my inherent potential have I

used up to now?’ Is the answer in your case high or low? For many
people it is as low as twenty per cent.
‘ What, then, might be the level of your potential release? How many
ideas have you had during your life which have not come to fruition?
Which career development aims have you had that are still unrealised?
What skills do you have that you really want to develop further? Which
new skills do you want to develop? f.
 What is continuing professional development? 3

Take a clean sheet of paper and write down your ideas. Ask yourself
whether you are really satisfied with your career so far. How could you
raise your future potential? What are the real barriers which stop you
from doing this? How many of these barriers are really in your mind?
Your brain is almost certainly the most complex structure on earth—
and maybe in the universe. It has some 30 billion neurons, or nerve
cells, which link together in thousands of different ways—so have a
high regard for the almost unlimited potential which this gives you.
On the other hand, respect its need for rest; the term powernapping
is becoming fashionable these days. Powernapping is the habit which
many people, including Richard Branson of Virgin, many IBM
managers and senior executives across America and Asia-Pacific
countries, are adopting of taking a few moments during the working
day to rest the brain by switching off completely. Professor
Jim Horne,
director of the Sleep Research Laboratory at Loughborough
University, says: ‘We have a natural disposition to sleep twice a day. All
over the world people are programmed to sleep twice: a short sleep in
the middle of the day and a major sleep at night.’ I have adopted this
approach for very many years and find that it is an excellent way of not
only unwinding and refreshing my brain, particularly at the end of a
working day, but also bringing out many new ideas of which I had only
been half aware previously.

1.4 How good have your learning processes been?

There are many different ways in which you can develop your CPD—
sometimes from learning from your successes and sometimes from
learning from your mistakes.
Use Figure 1.1 to draw a chart showing how your learning has
developed your competence over the course of your career, starting
with the early years immediately after you obtained your initial
qualification. The vertical axis shows the progression of your career
over time, with the start at the bottom. To the right draw a line
showing how your cumulative competencies have developed as a result
of positive experiences and successes, while to the left of the vertical
axis draw a line showing how your learning and competencies have
developed from the mistakes that you have made and any negative
experiences which you might have had.
With hindsight, could you have developed your skills and knowledge
even faster? In my own case, I realised two years after I had graduated
4 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

time

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cumulative development cumulative development

of your competencies as of your competencies as
a result of negative a result of positive
experiences and failures experiences and successes

Figure 1.1 Cumulative development of your competencies

that I had basically had one year’s experience repeated twice, rather
than two years of useful personal and professional development.
Have you learnt more from your successes or your failures? If the
amount of learning from your failures has been small, then have you
taken enough risks in your career or have you been over cautious?
Give some time now to thinking through these issues. Ideally, sit
down for an hour or two with a colleague, your mentor (if you have
one), or a friend and discuss your thoughts on these issues.

1.5 How much more of your potential could be released in

future?

Professor Charles Handy has suggested that, by the time we die, most of
us have released no more than twenty to twenty five per cent of our
inherent potential. What would we, our organisations, our countries
and even the world look like if that could be raised to thirty five, fifty or
even ninety per cent, he asks?
 What is continuing professional development? 5

A survey conducted by MORI on behalf of management consultants

Proudfoots in August 1996 showed that only sixteen per cent of UK
company directors feel that they are making the best use of their
employees. This figure suggests that even the most senior managers in
UK industry recognise that much more needs to be done to release
employee potential, but ultimately the real responsibility for doing so
must rest with each individual.
In order to release more of your inherent potential, you need to
think about a number of issues, such as:

e how much of your real potential have you realised so far?

e@ what would you really like to do with the rest of your life?
e@ what barriers stand in the way of realising these dreams for your
future?
e how can you begin to take steps to maximise the likelihood that
these dreams will become reality?
‘Too many people fail to understand that the major barriers to
achieving what they really want lie in their own mind. Lack of self
confidence or lack of determination are much more usually the
reasons for under achieving than any failure on the part of managers,
employers and so on. On the other hand, as we will see in the next
chapter, both managers and employers have a key role to play in
helping individuals to realise their ambitions, but the starting point
has to be in the minds and imaginations of each one of those
individuals.

1.6 Committing yourself to CPD

Think about the implications of the three words of CPD.

Continuing means that you need to commit yourself to a lifelong
learning process. Achieving your initial professional qualification is
just the start of the process of self development.
Here in Hong Kong I have now finished the first week of the
Institution of Electrical Engineers’ training accreditation visits. On
one of them, we were returning on a company ferry from an accredita-
tion visit to Hong Kong Electric, based on Lamma Island just off Hong
Kong. Our guide, a young graduate who is now a safety and training
engineer, explained that he was going on to an evening class at Hong
Kong Polytechnic University as part of a three-year evening MSc that
he is doing at his own expense three evenings a week. Furthermore, he
remarked that perhaps thirty per cent of the 200 or so people
 6 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

travelling with us on the company ferry back to Hong Kong were going
on to evening courses that night, almost all at their own expense.
Over the weekend we took a ferry to Lantau Island, where the new _
airport is being built. At the ferry terminal there was a rack filled with
leaflets about self improvement, and education and training courses,
_which young people were queuing up to pick up and read.
How continuing, therefore, is your commitment to your self
development? Can you and your organisation compete with the
energy and commitment shown here in Hong Kong?
Professional implies that you will take an approach to your self
development which will merit the respect of your fellow professionals.
You need to analyse, perhaps, just how professionally you have
developed your competencies and your career so far. Have you, for
example, participated actively in your institution? Have you taken the
trouble to read your institution’s publications and found as many
other ways as possible of keeping up to date?
The European Union has estimated that two-thirds of the tech-
nologies which will be invented by the year 2000 had not been
invented in 1990, and yet three out of four people working at the
beginning of the 1990s would still be active by the end of the decade.
In many areas it has been estimated that twenty per cent of an
engineer’s knowledge becomes obsolete each year.
How fast is your knowledge becoming outdated? What can you do to
keep it up to date? And what could you do to pass on your expertise to
help others to keep updated?
The word development should cause you to ponder on the shape of
the graph you drew in Figure 1.1. How effective has your development
been so far? How could it be made better—much better—in the
future? What help do you need? What do you need to do? How can
others help your

i Maximising the learning process

By now you should have asked yourselfa lot of questions. In some cases
you will already have answers with which you are comfortable. In
others you will need more time to think through the issues which have
been raised.
It is likely, however, that you have made some notes on your
thoughts, and possibly on your discussions with others. Keep these
filed safely because they are the start, if you do not already have one,
of a personal development plan. If you already have such a document,
then use it to collate and collect your conclusions and commitment to
 What is continuing professional development? 7

future action. If you do not have a personal development plan yet,

then we will look at different ways of producing one in Chapter 5.
The key question, however, to finish with in this chapter is this:‘How
can I maximise my learning process?’
If you are learning as fast as possible, then you will be becoming
more competent that much faster. If you are at the forefront of your
particular area of expertise, then one way or another you will be
rewarded, whether by a salary increase, by job satisfaction, by better
career progression or by enhanced respect from your colleagues. And
that is what continuing professional development is really all ty |
 Chapter 2
Getting it all into context—
managing your CPD

‘Whether you think you can—or whether you think you can’t —
you are probably nght!—Henry Ford

/There are three key elements in successful CPD—whether from an

individual or an organisational point of view.
First, there must be a missionary zeal by each and every individual for
their self development. This must be based on a clear understanding
of their key competencies, and all their learning must be directly
linked to maximising the speed with which they develop these
competencies. They need to use personal development plans (PDPs)
and to have a clear idea of how they will develop their future career.
Secondly, organisations must redefine the role of their managers, so
that coaching and developing staff is the most important activity. This
must be the basis on which managers are appointed, trained,
developed, appraised, rewarded and promoted.
Thirdly, the organisation must be a learning organisation. This
means two important things: that the organisation maximises its
learning processes and that its value system is cohesive. For example,
will managers be committed to coaching and developing their staff if
they are not predominantly rewarded and promoted on the basis of
their ability and success in doing this?

2.1 Lorriman’s Windows

In my view, each of the three factors above is a window of

opportunity—which with complete immodesty I have called
Lorriman’s Windows. These are shown diagrammatically in Figure 2.1.
My argument is that if any one of these three factors is missing, then
an organisation will have difficulty in becoming, or staying, world class.
And if your organisation does not aim to be world class, then it should
 Getting it all into context—managing your CPD 9

the learning organisation the company

teamwork
the value system
learning processes

the coach the manager

the missionary
the individual

Figure 2.1 Lorriman’s Windows

question why it is in business at all, because sooner or later another

competitor will put all three windows in place.
Managing your CPD, therefore, implies that you choose to work for an
organisation which does indeed recognise the importance of each and
every one of these three windows. But the most important starting point
of all is that you recognise your own responsibility in all this.

2.2 Managing your own CPD

Far too many individuals look to others for the development of their
CPD, whether in terms of their competencies or their careers.
For example, the larger the employer, the more there seems to be a
tendency to look to the training department or personnel department to
provide CPD. But this culture of dependency is very damaging, because
it shifts the responsibility from the individual to the organisation. And yet
no approach to CPD can work unless each and every individual in an
organisation is totally committed to their own self developmentye-*""
At the very least this requires a commitment to structuring and
recording your own learning activities, and some degree of targeting of
your career development. We will look in Chapter 5 at how you can
develop and use your own personal development plan in order to do this.
In Chapter | you started asking yourself some important questions.
One of the most important, perhaps, is to ask yourself about the
10 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

life purpose

Figure 2.2 Current reality/vision model

visions you have—those unfulfilled, or half-fulfilled, dreams. Figure

2.2 illustrates the link between the current reality of where you are
now, and the vision you have for your future.
For many, if not most, of us, our visions are far too limited, and we
are almost all able to realise far greater things. By talking your
ambitions through with a mentor, coach or friend you are likely to
become more aware of these ambitions. By verbalising them, you will
feel more confident and committed to achieving them.
These ambitions can be short term. In one instance a senior
manager decided that his great ambition was to achieve an Advanced
Driver’s licence. Until then he had assumed that he was far too busy to
find the time to study for this qualification but, after using his personal
development plan to analyse that this was a key unrealised ambition,
he talked things over with his secretary. They agreed that he would
leave the office each Thursday afternoon at 4.30 p.m. precisely in
order that he could attend the advanced driver course. He was so
committed to this that he even decided to miss the annual Christmas
cocktail party given by his company chairman, which normally all
senior managers would attend as part of their status in the company.
As a result of being able to achieve this long-held dream, this senior
manager felt able to give even more energy to the company than he
had before. This is a good illustration of how finding a better balance
to your life can also provide good returns to your organisation.
When Dr. W. Edwards Deming, the great American quality expert,
first went to Japan in the early 1950s, he drew a picture on the
whitewashed wall of the room where he ran his first training sessions.
 Getting it all into context—managing your CPD 11

He drew the picture shown in Figure 2.3, which he described at the

time as a quality circle. Although this is not the same concept of quality
circles as was developed extensively later by the Japanese, Deming was
making the point that people can only give of their best at work if they
can balance the effort and satisfaction there with that at home, and
vice versa. A problem either at work or at home affects the other part
of the quality circle. Unfortunately, this concept is one that the
Japanese soon forgot; one major problem in Japan is the very long
hours that employees are expected to give to their companies and the
great sacrifice expected to their home lives. Despite Japan’s enormous
industrial success, this does not detract from the fundamental truth in
Dr. Deming’s argument. Japan might have been even more successful
if it had listened to this point, although by listening very carefully to
Deming’s other principles (which the USA did not) Japan has come to
represent the epitome of high quality.

work

home

Figure 2.3 The quality circle

How, therefore, can you balance your life better in terms of your
efforts at work and your family, hobby, commitments and interests?
The answers to this question are all important parts of finding out your
real ambitions.
It may be, too, that your ambitions are very long term and even seem
ridiculously far fetched, but these ambitions may well be much easier to
achieve than you might think. If you have a clear understanding of
where you wish to get to, then very often all the factors you need for
success somehow begin to fall into place. Jimmy Carter, for example,
had the opportunity to meet one or two US presidents and decided that
12 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

he was at least as able as them to be president of the United States—and

eventually was! Similarly, Bill Clinton met President Kennedy when he
was young and set his sights, too, on becoming president.
W. Edwards Deming, whom we have just mentioned as an eminent
authority on quality, begin his working life as a janitor employed by his
university.

2.3 Management = coaching

One of the questions I have been most frequently asked when

recruiting students and graduates over the years has been: ‘How can I
become a manager?’.
Since many of you will also have, or have had, this ambition,
consider an alternative question:
‘What do you mean by the word manager’.
Take a sheet of paper and write down some words which describe
the key responsibilities of a manager. Think back, if you already have
some experience of work, of the main criticisms that you have made of
your own managers. Was it their inability to develop your abilities and
career as much as you would have wished? Is this ability to develop
staff, therefore, not the most important role of a manager?
In Figure 2.4 we can see the organisation pyramid as it is usually
shown in organisation charts. The managing director sits at the top,
with the production, clerical, development, marketing, etc., staff at the
bottom. As the introduction to my book, ‘Japan’s winning margins—
management, training and education’ [1] says in its preface:
‘On 11 February 1981 I attended a prestige lecture entitled ‘Marketing,
management, and motivation’ given to the Institution of Electrical
Engineers by Akio Morita, chairman of Sony. “Peter Drucker,” he said,
“recently wrote that he is unable to understand whyJapanese industry is
so successful. In particular, he seems puzzled by the fact that, in
comparison with their North American and European equivalents,
Japanese managers appear so unimpressive when you meet them. Peter
Drucker’s problem is this: he does not understand what management is
about. In Japan a manager’s role is very simple; it is to develop the skills
of his staff so that they can find better ways of satisfying the customers.”
‘At that moment began my fascination with Japan. For many years I had
been frustrated by the incompetent man management in British
industry. None of the many training courses I had attended seemed to
provide any real acluhony Here it seemed to meexighs be the beginnings
of a set of answers.’
 Getting it all into context—managing your CPD 13

Cate
penraite ite
Figure 2.4
UE rea ly
The normal western concept of management

In Japan, when a manager or supervisor manages to coach and

develop one of his staff so well that that person is promoted to a more
senior position than the manager himself, there is a special ceremony.
The guest of honour is not the person promoted, but rather the
manager who has demonstrated the epitome of good Japanese
management.
The secret of Japan’s successes is that, on average, it has the most
competent employees in the world. And this is because the prime role
of a manager in a Japanese company is the development of his staff.
This ability to coach and develop is the primary skill required for
someone to be considered for appointment to a supervisory or
management post. Furthermore, it is on the basis of further
developing these coaching skills that the initial training of managers is
based. Even more importantly, it is the key criterion used to determine
how a manager should be appraised, rewarded and promoted. Ask
yourself whether your organisation thinks—and, more importantly,
behaves—in this way?
If, then, the key skill that you will need as a manager is that of
coaching, how can you develop and enhance this skill? First, both you
and your organisation need to value this skill. Secondly, Chapter 7 will
provide you with practical advice on how to develop it even further.
14. Continuing professional development: a practical approach

2.4 The learning organisation

As Figure 2.4 illustrates, the normal way in which an organisation chart -
is shown is with the chief executive at the top and the lowest ranking
employees at the bottom. But that is not the way in which Akio Morita
described the organisation of Sony and other Japanese companies
when he gave that lecture to the IEE in February 1981.
Instead, Figure 2.5 shows the way in which a Japanese organisation
works. The most important people to the organisation are actually
outside it—the clients and customers. The prime role of the organisa-
tion is then to become a learning organisation—with the major aim of
developing the most competent people possible in order to satisfy the
clients. In fact, one way in which Japanese organisations have been
described is as learning machines—and indeed this description is
ften applied by the Japanese themselves.
Competence development of individuals is, then, seen as being an
integral part of the organisation’s strategy, and not as an add-on. The

customers

C).Cae
feoolewsulans
One
managing director

Figure 2.5 The concept of upside down management

 Getting it all into context—managing your CPD 15

career development of employees is similarly seen as both long term

and integrated. For example, it is common in British organisations to
find that the directors and chief executive have had narrow areas of
experience throughout their careers. Not so in a Japanese company;
invariably the top people will have had a highly systematic career
progression so that, over a period of many years, they will have
obtained detailed practical experience of all aspects of their
organisation’s business. They are then in a far better position to make
the best strategic decisions—which on the whole most Japanese
companies do far better than their British competitors.
Nothing, however, stops any organisation anywhere in the world
applying these simple principles, and becoming world class. Nothing,
perhaps, except the narrowmindedness and stupidity of their directors
and chief executive!
As the quote by Henry Ford at the beginning of the chapter
indicates, success is to a large degree dependent on your frame of
mind. Achieving your aims, including becoming world class, is all
about believing that you can do it.
 Chapter 3
The responsibility of the individual

‘No-one knows what he can’t do until he tres —Publilius Syrius, 42 BC

As Publilius Syrius noted two millenia ago, most of us are limited in our
careers much more by the barriers in our minds than by any external
barriers. And yet how many of us, at some stage or other, blame our
bosses or our company for limiting our career development?
The hard, but highly stimulating, fact is that we all need to think
through very clearly what it is that we want to do in our lives—and then
go for it! You will be amazed, almost certainly, by how things then fall
into place.
In my own case, I set myself the ridiculous ambition of becoming the
world’s greatest expert in CPD. Sitting there in Coventry, surrounded
by some rather mediocre company management, it might have
seemed a pretty crazy objective to many. There were some things that
I did when the opportunity arose, such as becoming chairman of the
IEE’s career development (now professional development) commit-
tee, joining the International Association for Continuing Engineering
Education and becoming a Council and Executive Committee
member and then Chairman of its Professional Development
Committee, and speaking at many conferences around the world.
My really big opportunity, however, came through the highly painful
process of being tipped out of my then company by a new boss who
simply did not want me in his team—which after even 27 years’ loyal
service can and will increasingly happen to many of us. After what I had
considered to be a highly successful career in the company, this was
extremely difficult to adjust to—even if it did cost the company concern-
ed a large sum of money in compensation! But with hindsight, I realised
that I had long wanted to move into the world of consultancy and to own
my own business. I had, however, neither sat down and really thought
through what I wanted to do, nor had the courage to make the jump.
By taking the opportunity of setting up my own consultancy
business, I found enormous satisfaction in a number of new areas. For
a start I persuaded The Engineering Council to let me author
 The responsibility of the individual 17

‘Continuing professional development—the practical guide to good

practice’, designed as a very pickupable and easy to read guide to CPD,
and to give me a contract to edit ‘CPD Link’, its CPD newsletter.
I also obtained contracts from both Oxford University Press and
McGraw-Hill to co-author two management books[1,2]. In addition, I
obtained consultancy work in various areas of CPD, including running
workshops in Hong Kong at the invitation of the IEE’s Hong Kong
Centre. Then, in 1996, I was asked to go out to Hong Kong to help the
Hong Kong Institution of Engineers to launch its CPD scheme.
Now, with a very clear idea of how I want to develop my future
career, I increasingly find that things fall into place surprisingly fast.
With hindsight, being forced to leave my relatively comfortable job in
a major company was the best possible thing that could have
happened to me, despite the great pain and worry at the time.
I feel it is worth relating the above story of what happened to me
because I increasingly come across more and more people in
engineering who find themselves in very similar situations to the one
in which I found myself. Realising it might well happen to you is also
a strong motivator for placing great emphasis on your CPD.
The simple message, therefore, is that you should ask yourself how
you want to develop your career:
e@ over the next year;
e over the next five years;
e over the next ten years.
What opportunities are really open to you that you have not properly
identified? What would you do if your boss told you tomorrow that you
are no longer needed in his team? What are your strengths? Who
might be interested in making best use of them? What is the real value
of the experience that you have had up to now?
Two books which you may well find it well worth reading are both by
Professor Charles Handy: “The age of unreason’[3] and “The empty
raincoat’[4]. These emphasise the need to develop a personal
portfolio of competencies and to be aware of the possibility of having
several different jobs at any one time in one’s career.

3.1 Some key steps to take

There are a number of key steps that you need to take to maximise
your continuing personal development. These will be described in
more detail in future chapters, but some of them are:
18 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

e structure your competence development to maximise the benefits

from learning activities;
e develop a clear understanding, in order to do this, of key.
competencies;
@ use a personal development plan to achieve this;
e find a mentor, not just for initial structured formation training, but
for the rest of your career. This mentor might change over the
course of time, but should be independent of your managers. Later
on in your career you, in turn, should mentor one or more other
people;
@ maximise every opportunity to learn. This not only means linking
such learning to one’s own key competencies and career objectives
but, just as importantly, maximising ways of sharing such learning
with others. If you do this, others will trust and respect you—and in
return they will be prepared to share their learning with you;
e develop as wide a network of contacts as possible.

Now, as a way of demonstrating the opportunities for CPD that might

be open to you, let us look at a number of case studies of individuals
(previously featured in ‘CPD Link’).

3.1.1 Sally Martin—instrument engineer, Shell Refinery, Stanlow

‘When Ijoined Shell as a graduate in 1987 I often felt frustrated by
the constraints imposed by the IEE’s structured training
requirements. At the time I wanted to remain longer in each
department to see the projects through, but my mentor insisted that
I stuck to the programme. It has only been during the last two years
that I have seen the real merits of this. First, the job rotation provided
me with broad technical experience, secondly, it gave me the time to
get an overview of the company and, thirdly, I developed a very
significant network; this was enhanced by a 16 week technical training
course in Holland which forced me to spend time with a range of
different people.
‘Learning is not only about knowing the answers, but also about
knowing where to get them. It is very useful, for example, to have the
telephone numbers of people to contact when you have problems.
‘Shell has given me many superb opportunities for learning,
including the chance to spend six months commissioning a new
catalytic cracker, as part of a commissioning team, early on in my career.
It was a high profile, fast moving, high responsibility job and gave me
 The responsibility of the individual 19

the chance to learn more in a short period of time than I will probably
ever be able to again. Other opportunities have included helping with
graduate recruitment interviews, working in the personnel department
for one day a week on two major projects, giving talks in schools and
editing a company newsletter.
‘The company has worked very hard with me to identify my ultimate
career goals. As a result I feel that I am managing my career and am
in control of it. It is a very structured approach, just like my initial IEE
training.
“My ambitions are managerial, rather than technical. One by-
product of moving around is that you learn to deal with people. Too
many technical people in this country are not trained to be managers,
but nevertheless end up in management without having learned to
deal with people. One of the key things I have learnt is that being an
engineer is much more than being a technical expert./

3.1.2 John Hawkins, CEng—consultant

‘CPD has for me been a bridge between two careers—thirty plus years
working for a multinational company, and running my own consult-
ancy coaching and mentoring senior people in industry, healthcare
and the professions.
‘With Alcan Aluminium, based in the UK, I started in sales
development on new product and process management, later setting
up the first marketing department after spending time getting my
MBA in Switzerland.
‘I went into general management, first in consumer and packaging,
then in speciality products and finally in aerospace and defence
materials. As divisional managing director, and part of Alcan’s
management team, takeovers, startups and turnarounds were the
norm. Inevitably there were many rationalisations, plant closures and
redundancies. Whatever satisfaction we obtained from the bottom line
profit, growth in exports, etc., I rated equally important the growth
and development of the people coming up through the organisation.
A coaching style of management meant it was exceptional to let go a
senior manager whose job had disappeared, or who proved to be a
square peg. More often, through career development, a new slot—
maybe a totally new direction—was found to the advantage of the
individual and the organisation.
‘I had served on the continuing education and training (CET)
committees of The Engineering Council and the Institute of Metals, so
I was happy to organise production of promotional material for the
20 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

launch of The Engineering Council’s CPD programme, notably

‘CPD—the practical guide to good practice’.
‘Acting as specialist advisor to the House of Commons Select
Committee—Trade and Industry (reporting on the competitiveness of ”
UK manufacturing industry), and tutoring manufacturing strategy for
the Open Business School MBA, enables me to take a view of best
practice in the UK for people development. I am convinced of the
importance of developing a culture which encourages self-
improvement for all employees, and recognising the mutual benefits
of such an attitude—namely the importance of CPD.
‘Today an individual with a lifetime career with one employer is an
endangered species. More often that hard to get job will be a short-
term contract—expecting you to assume self-employed status, taking
care of your own tax, insurance and. pension.
‘So it only makes sense to take charge of your own career
development.’

3.1.3 Mark Meffan, CEng—project manager, Sir Alexander

Gibbs & Partners
‘T originally joined the Property Services Agency as a civil engineering
graduate and followed the Institution of Civil Engineers’ training
scheme. This provided a very proactive approach to my training needs.
There was a nice balance between meeting the company’s needs and
my own, as I was fully consulted on where I wanted to take my career
through appraisals.
‘Since my interest was mainly on the management side, I took on
more demanding management positions, as well as attending a series
of management courses. In 1991 I spent six months in the Falklands
in charge of building a new road from the airport at Mount Pleasant
through to Goose Green. This gave me the opportunity to be self
sufficient and the chance to learn by experimentation. We were living
well out in the sticks, ten miles from the nearest habitation; I had to
keep my team fed, warmed and even entertained in the evening.
‘Before I took redundancy from the PSA in April 1993, I had
become a part-time tutor on the Science and Engineering Research
Council’s graduate school programme, tutoring groups of ten for
three weeks. I continued this while I was looking for a new job—a task
which I approached by producing a structured programme of how I
would contact organisations to apply for jobs.
‘I joined Sir Alexander Gibbs in September 1993 and went on a
number of very useful orientation courses. I have now achieved a
 The responsibility of the individual 21

balance in my experience between the theoretical and the practical

and am able to realise my career ambitions as a project manager.’

3.1.4 Aileen Aulds—senior communications and TC

officer, Metropolitan Police Service
‘T graduated in 1983 with an honours degree in physics from Leicester
University. At the time jobs in technology were difficult to find, so I
spent three years as a chain sales floor manager. This experience of
people management certainly helped me at the interview for the
Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) two year graduate engineer
training scheme, which Ijoined in 1986.
/On completion of training, I was assigned to the X25 wide area data
network planning section. I was surrounded by many experienced
people, particularly incorporated engineers, and to me an important
aspect of CPD is obtaining inputs from everyone around. This was
extremely useful as I came from a nonengineering background/
‘With a view to improving my technical expertise, in 1989 I
requested, and was granted, day release to study for an MSc in
information systems engineering at South Bank Polytechnic, which
inevitably involved a great deal of work in my own time. During my
second year on the course, I was one of 13 engineers selected to
participate in a management development programme being run by
The Industrial Society on behalf of MPS. This consisted of a series of
training seminars, discussions and in-company projects over a period
of nine months. I gained a lot of confidence, particularly from being
able to discuss my ideas with others in the privacy of the seminar room.
‘The experience of overlapping these two courses plus day to day
work demands was invaluable. It was a time management and
organisational exercise, putting me under a lot of pressure. There was
always something to do on the train!
‘Recently I was promoted to senior engineer in charge of the local
area networks projects section, which provides all local area network
data communication requirements for the MPS. To keep up to date, I
keep an eye on the technical press and publications relevant to my
field, while being selective about what to read in detail.
‘T will be using one of the IEE’s professional development records to
help me to structure my learning even more effectively. I use all the
contacts I have available to increase my rate of learning and I believe
that everyone needs to be aware of their own development needs and
be prepared to drive their own training. That is what CPD should
really be about.’
22 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

3.1.5 Bob Hawkins—development manager, ICL, Manchester

‘I started a masters degree in business management at Manchester
Business School in 1989. This was a very intensive course, with 55
days of residential periods split into six full weeks and six long
weekends spread over the first 15 months. There were assignments
all the way through.
‘I had to study for ten to 15 hours per week over the two years
duration, and I also tried to spend time reading newspapers. It is also
important to read around the subject, not just text books, but also
business publications, for example ‘The Economist’ and ‘The Harvard
business review’.
In a functional organisation you can get a narrow view of the world.
I did this course to prepare for the future by getting a general business
education and training, and this has given me more rounded skills and
awareness.
‘T think it is important that people manage their own development
and do not expect their employers to do it for them. Within ICL,
however, there is considerable support for personal development,
which is very important for those undertaking such a task. )

3.1.6 Rawya Fells—vregulatory and certification co-ordinator, Alba

Project, Chevron UK Ltd
‘In October 1991 I became one of 20 full time quality coaches in
Chevron.
‘My advice to anyone wanting to develop their career is to broaden
their horizons in terms of supervisory experience, contracts, planning,
budgets and cost control through small project engineering
assignments where possible. Chevron provides an average of five to
seven days of off the job training each year. |
‘Tam an associate of the Institute of Metals, and this has been very
useful as a vehicle for eventual chartered status. Their technical
publications are also very good.
‘Iam keen to help women to develop their careers in engineering.
Thirteen per cent of the staffin supervisory and professional grades in
Chevron UK are women. When Iwas in Aberdeen I helped the SATRO
by giving talks in schools to 11-14 year old pupils about careers in
engineering.’
 The responsibility of the individual 23

3.1.4 Dr Richard Pike, CEng—divector general, Institution of

Mechanical Engineers |
‘Continuing professional development involves regularly taking stock
of one’s career to date, and planning the acquisition of skills and
qualifications to achieve future ambitions. This will involve a range of
programmes from company-specific training to the development of
more general attributes that make one more transferable or
promotable within or across industries, with the balance depending
on economic cicumstances, job security and the challenge of new
opportunities.
‘I began my career with BP, and adopted a practice of annually
revising my curriculum vitae to put achievements, experience and
priorities into perspective. Wherever possible, major investigations
and reviews were summarised into reports, which ultimately formed
the basis of my submission for achieving corporate membership of two
major engineering institutions.
‘With both the boom and the uncertainty of the oil and
petrochemical industry in the period 1968-93, I sought to maximise
my experience and qualifications, and altogether held technical and
commercial positions in ten different locations in the UK and Japan,
achieving qualifications in four foreign languages, and being in the
fortunate position to obtain CEng, FIMechE, FIChemE, FInstPet to
add to my academically-based MA, PhD. My most recent positions
include manager technical, Sullom Voe Terminal, Shetland and
president, BP Chemicals, Japan.
Y By early 1993 I recognised the risks of being in an industry in possible
long-term decline, and resigned from BP to become director general of
the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. I would like to think that my
experience and attention to CPD were contributory factors in my
appointment and the support which I have received since.

3.1.8 Alan Robson—factory manager, Boots Pharmaceuticals

‘After starting my career as a mechanical technician apprentice with
Vickers, I then did a mechanical engineering degree and joined Boots
in 1978 as a graduate engineer.
‘T have held a variety of positions in the company, including
production engineer, project engineer, factory engineer, works
engineer, engineering manager and chief engineer; in the last
instance I was responsible for production facilities at a number of sites
across the country.
24 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

‘Six months ago I had a complete functional career change, moving

to be factory manager in the company’s largest factory; this has 500
staff and outputs over £100 million of products each year.
‘During my career I have had to make major capital decisions. I
therefore did the certified diploma in accounting and finance, as well
as various courses at Ashridge and Henley. I also read up a lot on
general management issues such as in the IMechE literature and “The
Harvard business review’.
‘I have chaired events for the IMechE, as well as taking a wide
interest in the development of young engineers. I am now a principal
industrial mentor, mentoring four undergraduates and graduates.’

3.1.9 Peter Bell, CEng—entrepreneur

‘Many of our great 19th century engineers became famous because
they were entrepreneurs. Although we live in a very different cultural
and business climate today, I believe that there are equally great
opportunities for engineers to become entrepreneurs in manufactur-
ing, product design and development and engineering consultancy.
Indeed, a knowledge and experience of engineering, coupled with
continuing professional development, is an ideal background for the
would-be entrepreneur.
‘Looking back on my own career over the past 40 years, I have
progressed from the drawing board to engineering management in a
variety of jobs in different industries, with three years overseas. I joined
the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in my early 30s, becoming a
fellow in my early 40s, but at the age of 44, became redundant, following
a takeover. Being an individualist, this provided the opportunity and the
motivation to take the plunge as an entrepreneur. Recognising the need
for further training in business management, I used part of my severance
pay to acquire a knowledge of accountancy and marketing at a leading
mamagement school. Through various contacts, I then found a niche in
the motor accessory business which, in turn, led me to design several
protected products to fill some of the gaps that I saw in the marketplace.
‘I started manufacturing and, despite various crises including three-
day weeks and power and fuel shortages, my company, Bell Products,
achieved a turnover in excess of £2 million. Later I established a
second, equally successful, business for manufacturing display
packaging. More recently, I have established a classic car restoration
business and become chairman of a small electronics firm.
‘My engineering training and broad experience provided me with
an innovative approach to problems, confidence in dealing with
 The responsibility of the individual 25

people and a clear aim in setting and achieving targets. Admittedly, a

lot of hard work is involved in creating and running a successful
business, and determination and an element of luck certainly play
their part.
suggest that those engineers in mid career who may find
themselves faced with a lack of opportunity for advancement, job
frustration or redundancy should look upon this as a window of
opportunity to become an engineering entrepreneur. In my
experience, this will provide a challenging and exciting career
offering tremendous satisfaction in creating employment for other
people. If you are manufacturing your own products, you will have the
added thrill of seeing these products on sale, perhaps on a worldwide
basis. You will also make a positive contribution to the rejuvenation of
the wealth creating sector. Being your own boss undoubtedly has other
attractions, of course, in terms of financial rewards, status,
opportunities for travel, meeting interesting people, influencing
affairs, etc.
‘The time to start thinking about this is now. By taking a positive
approach to CPD, both technically a managerially, you will be well
prepared when the opportunity arises.’

3.1.10 Francis Frampton—jack of all trades

‘My multidisciplinary interest in engineering caused me to join three
rather different professional institutions—the Institution of
Engineering Designers, the Institution of Agricultural Engineers and
the Institute of Data Processing Managers.
‘In 1954 I started a new nursery, but no firm would make a
glasshouse to my specification. So I got out my Oxford University Air
Squadron maths and physics books and designed and built my own. It
reduced the cost of aluminium glasshouses by a third. Although I was
a horticulturist, I eventually built up a multimillion pound metal
bashing factory and construction firm, building glasshouses from
Canada to Israel. One unique botanic garden project was described in
the finale of an eight part architectural series on TV as ‘the finest
example in Britain of the use of modern materials in the creation of
an environment’.
‘I was gazumped in a family share deal and left horticulture
abruptly! So I worked as a consultant in a huge organisation on design
and procurement within tight quality constraints. I gave a presentation
on ‘How theJapanese gain competitive advantage when making motor
cars’ and am now applying their techniques to other industries.
26 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

‘One client supplies emergency spares to superyachts worldwide. He

has more than doubled the proportion who receive deliveries within
three hours of the minimum theoretical time. Without extra staff, he
also doubled his turnover and trebled his profit last year.
‘IT am working with the CEO of a county Training and Enterprise
Council on an autumn programme aimed at helping firms to become
world class manufacturers. Yet another project is aimed at helping a
small industry to become world class; when I tell the staff that my role
is to help them gradually become world class, their eyes light up!
‘I believe I bring honest ignorance and a fresh mind to problems,
maximising each individual’s potential in increasing competitiveness.
How many of us, I wonder, ever really achieve our full potential?’

3.1.11 Diane Davy, IEng—assistant secretary, Institution of

Mechanical Incorporated Engineers
‘I have become very committed to CPD and the use of a personal
development planning document because I have used the process and
it has worked for me.
‘I believe that practising CPD enables you to take control of your
own future in a subtle way. Despite the accelerating rate of change
around us, it is all too easy to remain static in your skills—and thus lose
control of your own self development. CPD lets you take charge and
perceive possibilities by looking forward, so that you develop the skills
to suit each envisaged scenario; then you are hopefully not left behind.
‘I originally trained in electromechanical switchgear and small
mechanisms. Then I took a career break to have my family, but was
determined to return to the engineering career that I loved. I had
difficulty finding the part-time work that I wanted, but was eventually
lucky enough to get a job as a laboratory assistant, in materials testing,
in a research laboratory. Over ten years my working hours gradually
increased to full time, including spending half my time in each of two
departments. Nevertheless I became bored and wanted the stimulus of
something more challenging.
‘I then moved to work at The Engineering Council for five years.
With the change in my working environment I desperately felt the
need to upgrade my skills. I therefore spent time one weekend
completing one of The Engineering Council’s career manager
documents. I found that this both highlighted areas of shortfall in my
skills and, surprisingly, gave me more confidence in the skills that I
already had. I still regularly fill in my career manager, keeping a record
of my personal development.
 The responsibility of the individual 27

‘A year ago I moved to my present job where I have found it

immensely valuable to redo the career manager self analysis. One of
my tasks has been to launch the Institution’s CPD record book which
aims to combine the best features of such documents from The
Engineering Council and other institutions. This is now selling steadily
and will surely benefit our Institutions’ members every bit as much as
I have benefited from using such a document for the past six years.’

3.1.12 Christopher Davies, CEng—managing director, Industrial

& Municipal Engineering Services Ltd
‘I see CPD as being about a need to obtain broad experience. In my
case, this has been largely overseas and, unfortunately, I find great
difficulty these days in recruiting contract engineers with the necessary
breadth of international experience.
‘Setting out as a regular naval officer, and being invalided out rather
early in this career, I became a civil engineer via a spell on the factory
floor in the aircraft industry, Cambridge University and service in a
firm of London-based consulting engineers.
‘There is no doubt that, in this branch of engineering, one must be
happy and confident operating alone. I was lucky to have appoint-
ments in the Middle East, Far East, briefly behind the Iron Curtain and
in Latin America. All were interesting and valuable experiences, but
probably the most unusual was being in Cuba up to, and during, the
Castro revolution. Our client was the Bank of Cuba and when the head
of the bank resigned in exasperation, Che Guevara was appointed in
his place and therefore became my boss! He also showed unfailing
courtesy and good manners in all my contacts with him.
‘By the late 1960s I had gone private, and had developed a design
and build business in water and public health engineering. The
Arabian Gulf proved to be the best stamping ground—it has been now
for over 28 years—bringing government and oil company work.
‘I became more mechanically and electrically orientated, with an
interest in the pathogenic side of the public health work, as well, and
by 1990 the company was getting work from the UK water utilities.
‘I had a very interesting spell in the 1980s in Paraguay on
secondment to the UK’s Overseas Development Administration,
advising on pollution control generally and helping with the
preliminary drafting of the technical elements of legislation for
dealing with the problems arising from tanneries and abattoirs.
‘Today, over normal retirement age, I am back in a consulting and
advisory role, but still very active and acting, among other duties, as
28 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

the European director for a firm of Australian international

consulting engineers, with which I have worked on a number of
occasions over the last 25 years. :
‘I don’t see the work load lessening very much, but it will no longer
include the hassle inevitably associated with contracting.’

3.1.13 Isabelle Jenkins—Royal Bank of Scotland

‘T joined the bank’s information technology department with an MEng
in electrical engineering with business studies from Imperial College,
London, and looked to use both my technical and business skills.
‘Like every member of staff within the technology department, I
draw up an individual development plan (IDP) with my manager. This
is negotiated and revised during the year, so that you look at both your
current job and where you want your career to go and identify the
skills needed. You then draw up a plan to develop those skills; this
involves far more than simply identifying courses, but also includes
targeting the specific broadening experience needed. This may
include work shadowing, open learning or external courses. Some of
this is carried out in work time and some outside work. New initiatives,
such as monthly talks by members of staff, from both inside and
outside technology, are being pioneered. These tend to be informal
and interesting sessions when one can build up a picture of the bank’s
business as a whole.
‘As part of my IDP for this year, my team and | are participating in a
management game where we are running a manufacturing company
and have to make decisions on costing, production and competitive
strategy. This, in turn, should enable us to gain a better understanding
of the pressures experienced by our customers.
‘Last year the bank also let me take six weeks off to work as a
volunteer for a conservation charity in Indonesia, where I was a staff
assistant on an expedition of 50 people in the rainforest, and also
worked at an orang-utan rehabilitation centre. This experience
enabled me to develop both my interpersonal and leadership skills,
and to bring these benefits into myjob.’

3.1.14 Bill Hoult—chartered surveyor

‘Most professional organisations now require some form of evidence
of CPD from members and it is usually quite a small amount each year.
‘My own main professional institute, the Royal Institute of Chartered
Surveyors, requires evidence of at least 60 hours in a three-year
period—a quite ludicrously small amount, and one must doubt the
 The responsibility of the individual 29

ability of any professional who claims that he or she is unable to meet

such a target.
‘I have kept a record of all my CPD over the last three or four years
for my own professional interest since the RICS requires it to be
earned on an hourly basis.
‘What do I include? The following:
1 Formal training courses, and if a CPD certificate is available then I
take it. If I am involved in the presentation, then I add additional
time to allow for my own preparation (which is basically structured
study). Last year, for example, I gave a number of seminars to NHS
estates on fire code documents for the Institute of Hospital
Engineers (IHE) and as a result joined the IHE as a fellow.
2 Meetings where, for example, the approach to a particular project
is discussed with fellow professionals of the same or a different
discipline. (In my view, this is the most effective CPD of all.)
3 Private study, provided that it is in a structured sense. (In my case,
recently coming to terms with the construction design and
management regulations and related approved codes of practice.)
Technical exhibitions, health and safety, fire, security, etc.
In-house presentations.
OU Presentations
aD on business administration (bookkeeping, market-
ing, etc.). These may seem unrelated, but successful running of a
business is all part of professional competence.
7 Management presentations such as ‘The Disney experience’ or a
lecture on ‘Gestalt’ (a management philosophy). These are, of
course, directly related to item six.
8 Iam acouncillor fora local authority, and as part of that duty I hear
presentations on such subjects as planning applications, the
proposed local plan for the area, installation of cable networks, etc.,
all of which I add to my CPD records. I would point out that most
Council meetings where these presentations are made are open to
the public free of charge.
9 Recently there was a series of programmes on the television on
architecture; I missed all of them, but would have included them in
my CPD if viewed.
10 More contentiously, I would add visits to such exhibitions as the
visitor centre at Sellafield and the Channel Tunnel exhibition.
These keep one abreast of the latest developments in technology.
‘I normally keep some literature relating to the subject even when
CPD certificates are available.
‘In short, I reject the narrow view of continuing professional
30 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

development that says it must relate to my specific work or indeed

profession. Unfortunately, this narrow view has been compounded by
some institutions who appear to be insisting on points systems backed _
up by certificates to be issued only by accredited training
organisations. This approach ignores the experience obtainable in the
wider world of information and is short sighted. (lry getting a CPD
certificate out of the BBC!)
‘Obviously taking the wider view, as I do, means that my CPD is easily
in credit, so any questionable experience may be disregarded without
loss. It also alerts one to the value of the differing resources available to
us in the wider world of information and encourages the use of them.’

3.1.15 Clare Gallagher, CEng—personnel manager, Zeneca

‘My really powerful learning experiences have come about when I have
been thrown in at the deep end. For example, after graduating in
mechanical engineering, I was appointed as a technical support
engineer. In some respects it was a painful experience, but I was able to
learn quickly. Later as an operations manager in the early 1980s I was
fulfilling a role new to the company, combining production and
engineering into one. I certainly learnt a lot from that. I was managing
a plant which had to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, on a
continuous basis; there were technical challenges with many interlinked
processes and the management of people on different shifts.
‘Then I went to Brazil for two years, where my work included
implementing a quality system. Some of my staff only spoke Brazilian
Portuguese, so I had to learn to speak that language fast!
‘In my present job I have been able to support the strong emphasis
in the company on mentoring, coaching, on the job experience,
professional competencies and personal development plans. We have
a ‘Guide for mentors’ which is widely used, as well as mentoring
workshops to keep everyone up to date with current thinking. The
focus is on the coaching role between line managers and individuals.
We are currently running coaching skills workshops to continue to
build people’s skills in this key area; we are starting with the managers,
but plan to go much further, giving employees the skills to coach
others in the organisation. We have also built on the considerable
work on identifying individuals’ key competencies that we did when we
were ICI. In addition, everyone has a personal development plan as
part of their personal review form, and this is reviewed informally on
a regular basis and formally once a year.
‘It is vitally important for everyone to carry on learning as they go,
 The responsibility of the individual 31

otherwise the world will pass them by. The company needs to provide
strong support, but it must be driven by individuals who take
responsibility for their own ie

3.1.16 Dr Yvonne Barton, MBE, CEng—head ofgas sales and

commercial negotiations, British Gas Exploration & Production
‘My current job involves me in gas production operations as far and
wide as Thailand, Trinidad, Tunisia and Teeside. In addition, I also head
the company’s acquisition strategy in Europe and South America,
applying my engineering discipline to the financial world. Gas
marketing requires a complete knowledge of the technical side, and one
of my roles has involved leading a marketing campaign for a two trillion
cubic feet gas field to be sold to the major energy companies.
Throughout my roles I have retained my involvement in corporate
finance. World energy markets are changing every day; in particular, the
former Soviet Union has opened up and my trip to Moscow this year was
a fascinating insight into the world’s biggest energy company.
‘My advice to all engineers, therefore, is to see CPD as giving the
broadest possible expertise for dealing with the widest range of
challenges which may be encountered.
‘When, after research at Cambridge, I joined BP for my first job, the
company had a civil engineering department which got involved in all
aspects of marine construction, including site surveys, design, installation
and research. It is an indication of how things have changed in the oil
industry that such a department would now be regarded as a luxury, but
it was a wonderful place for a young engineer to start and an opportunity
to see the world. On site at the Wytch Farm Oil Field, gaining the
necessary wet wellingtons experience for my chartered status, I grew
fascinated by exploration, and saw that, whereas the names may have
been different, the equations were just the same. My background in
computer simulation enabled me to be posted to the reservoir
engineering department, studying oil and gas flows through
underground reservoirs. A posting to Aberdeen ensued—on the Magnus
Field—where I was doing a special research project testing well
productivity offshore. This job included protracted periods offshore and
long helicopter flights to the most northerly platform in the UK; all
sailors knit, so this was a golden opportunity to run up a few jumpers.
‘Networking with landbound friends down south, essential when
offshore, I heard of a new opportunity at British Gas. Following
privatisation and the removal of its oil assets to form Enterprise Oil,
British Gas had made a number of acquisitions internationally and
32 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

needed people with overseas oil experience. I became head of mergers

and acquisitions, which involved running a large multidisciplinary
team covering international law, corporate finance, taxation,
marketing, geology and the other technical sciences.
‘As an engineer I have had the mathematical ability to understand
the tasks ahead; as an energy specialist I have been able to direct and
motivate the various elements towards a common goal—project team
leadership.
‘If I can attribute my success to any key factors, then there are two in
particular. First, being prepared to take up any challenge which came
along. And, second, being determined to prove people wrong when
they have told me that I could not do something!’

3.1.17 David Mason, CEng—managing director, Mason

Communications
‘I formed Mason Communications in December 1992, together with
three fellow directors. We started with 12 people and now have a team
of over 70, of whom 15 are chartered engineers. We are an indepen-
dent telecommunications, IT and security consultancy providing
strategic planning, system design and project management services.
Our customers are presently in the UK, USA, Spain, Hungary, France
and Sierra Leone.
‘As a team of directors, we have always placed great emphasis on the
importance of professional team training and this was the driving
force behind the development of our graduate training scheme and
our successful accreditation by the IEE in 1994.
‘In the rapidly changing technology and business environment in
which we operate, it is vital to the success of our business that we
continually train and develop our staff, because they are our best asset.
We do this by regularly reviewing the training needs of our people and
enceuraging them to come forward with their own ideas on their future
development. Having identified the needs, we use a mixture of internal
and external training, together with on the job training, to achieve the
objectives. We are sponsoring two people on part time business studies
degrees, one person on a part time MBA and two of our engineers, who
want to achieve chartered status, on Open University courses. In
addition, all four directors are about to start the Institute of Directors’
diploma course.
‘We are participating in the Investors in People scheme and in
addition, our quality assurance system is accredited by the BSI to BS
EN ISO 9001.
 The responsibility of the individual 33

‘One of the most powerful learning experiences earlier in my career

was working in project management, where I learnt about the
commercial and financial aspects of business, controlling programmes
and leading teams of people. These skills were invaluable additions to
my engineering background. Later I ran a business within a larger
business, with overall responsibility for profits, satisfying clients and
obtaining new business. After setting up my own business three years
ago, I faced new challenges such as recruiting new staff and building
the team. We are developing new alliances and opening new offices; as
part of this we are taking part in the DTI’s Initiative Europe scheme
and I have therefore been learning a new language for the past year.
‘I believe that CPD is not only important to the individual, but is also
vital to the success of companies in today’s rapidly changing business
environment.’

3.1.18 Neil Hardiman, [Eng

‘What should be eligible for CPD points? Engineering, management
and related formal courses, evening lectures, plant visits? Yes—it is
clear that these should qualify, but what of private study? Some
institutions allow this to be claimed towards CPD, but others do not.
‘In my view, private study must be part of one’s CPD. Time spent
studying a relevant book, television programme, British Standard or
professional journal on an engineering or related subject is likely to be of
as much value as attending a lecture or course, and probably far cheaper
and more convenient. While a lecture, in my experience, is often a good
introduction to a subject, the real learning comes in further private study.
‘You may enjoy good health, have some or all of the costs of your
courses paid, and a job and an income. I did too when, at 29 years of
age, illness devastated my health and forced me to give up work in
1992; it simplified my career plan to the single word ‘postponed’.
‘Thanks to my Institution’s (Plant Engineers) continuing professional
development scheme, institution lectures and visits, local libraries,
television and radio, and private study at all hours of the day and night, I
now know more about engineering, and something about management.
‘But how can I show that I have conducted this private study? On
average I find that I need to produce at least one page of typed notes
per hour of study, as a future source of reference, which my Institution
has accepted as evidence of my record of CPD.
‘CPD has been invaluable to me. It has relieved the boredom and
frustration of illness, provided essential mental stimulation and a
verified record of CPD for any interested future employer.’
34 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

3.2 Summary

I hope that you have found some useful ideas for your own use by -
reading these case studies.
Take a bit of time now to sit down with the sheets of paper and ideas
that you have already put together as a result of reading the book so
far. Review them and see how any ideas from these case studies might
change or develop some of those plans.
I have deliberately included two entrepreneurial examples. In both
cases, like my own, circumstances caused the individuals involved to
leave secure employment with a large organisation, and in both cases
this led to even greater opportunities. So, for any of you who have
either already been made redundant—or who might fall victim to the
new boss syndrome—or who might at some future date find these or
similar events happening to them—things need be nothing like as
bleak as you might first think.
As I am finalising the draft of this book, there is news of the death
of Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle at the age of 89. He was probably
the greatest aeroengineer of the 20th century. When he had his
moment of triumph on May 15 1941 when the jet propelled Gloster-
Whittle E28/39 flew successfully for the first time from Cranwell, it was
the result of overcoming years of obstruction from the authorities, as
well as lack of funding for, and lack of faith in, his brilliant ideas. We
can all learn from his great tenacity in the face of adversity. So often,
great triumphs can arise for each of us if we have the courage and
staying power to see our individual visions to their fulfilment.
The final case study is, however, perhaps the most inspiring. Bad
health can strike any of us at any age. Would we rise to the challenge
as well as Neil Hardiman has done and use CPD to cope with the
problems? And for those of us fortunate enough not to have been so
challenged, what are we doing to recognise the great advantages that
we already have—such as good health—and to use those as a
foundation for really challenging the world with our inherent
abilities?
 Chapter 4
How to identify your key
competencies

‘More new knowledge has been produced in the last 30 years than in the
previous 5000’—Peter Large, author of ‘The micro revolution revisited’

Wherever we are in engineering, we hardly need reminding of the

extraordinary pace at which new knowledge and expertise is being
produced around the world. It is all too easy to feel overwhelmed by it
and to be tempted to abandon the effort of keeping up. Instead,
surely, we should all be enormously excited by the opportunities that
it opens up to us. How can we handle this accelerating change? James
Appleberry, president of the American Association of State Colleges
and Universities, for example, said at the First World Lifelong
Learning Conference in Rome in November 1994 that ‘one of our
former US presidential cabinet members projected that by the year
2020 information will double every 73 days’.
ne important way in which we can maintain our sanity, and
structure our learning and career development effectively, is to have a
very clear idea of our key competencies. Once we have done this, we
can then concentrate on ensuring that we seek out new knowledge
which maintains, raises and broadens these competencies. Otherwise,
there is a danger that we are shooting blindly and randomly in our
efforts to keep up to date. We can then review our competence
development regularly, with a daily review of what we have learnt and
how that relates to our key competencies and a review over the past
few months and years to see what progress we have made. We can also
structure our future competence and career development that much
more effectively, including deciding how to take advantage of
opportunities as they occur.
Even apparent personal disasters like redundancy and being evicted
by a new boss become very much more manageable if you have a clear
understanding of your key competencies. For a start, you will be much
better placed to ensure that you move your career in the best possible
36 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

direction. And in addition, if you are applying for another job, you are
far more likely to impress a potential employer if you have a clear
understanding of the key skills which you can bring to a new-
organisation; this is even more true if you can show a personal
development planner that you have used to structure, record and target
your competence development. Employers who know what is good for
them will be looking very closely at both the learning processes and
learning potential of interviewees. It is a great mistake, particularly in a
fast changing environment, to look only at the existing abilities of a
potential recruit—a mistake all too commonly made; it is far more
important, as Japanese companies do, for example, to consider the
ability of a potential recruit to learn and develop as fast as possible.
Maintaining a personal development plan centred around your key
competencies and your learning processes will almost certainly give you
an important advantage over other candidates for a job.
The next chapter will show you how to develop and use a personal
development plan but first, in this chapter, we will look at what a key
competence is and how you should go about identifying your own set
of competencies.

4.1 What is a competence?

The definition of a competence which I like is: “A competence is an

asset of an individual who only loans it to the employer.’
This puts the ownership of the competence very firmly on the
shoulders of the individual. Only you can really maintain and develop
your own set of competencies, but how do you go about identifying
and describing them?
There is an important distinction to be made between a
competence—which is something you can do—and a knowledge. One
way in which we can look at the link between these two is by looking at _
Figure 4.1. The three important elements are:
e knowledge;
e skills;
e attitude.
As Figure 4.1 shows, knowledge is linked to our academic ability. You
can test your own, or someone else’s, knowledge by asking them to
write down what they know about the subject in question. Knowledge
can be accumulated from formal tuition, such as school, university or
a course. It can also be accumulated through day to day experience.
 How to identify your key competencies 37

.
academic competencies

management

Figure 4.1 The link between knowledge, skills, attitude and competencies

Skills are rather different. You cannot usually test someone’s skills by
asking them to write things down, unless they have a specific writing
skill. You would test someone’s skill by asking them to do it. Only by
observing the successful performance of the task would you be
reassured of competence. Imagine the furore there would be if a
major rail accident was investigated, and the manager in charge of the
person who turned out to be responsible for the accident said that the
only evidence available beforehand that that person was competent
was that he had written excellent essays about his skills. You only pass
your driving test, for example, by showing an expert that you can
actually drive safely, not solely by an academic written test.
/The link between skills and competencies may be described as: ‘A
competence is the efficient, effective and proper application of skills
“based_on appropriate knowledge.’
~~ The third element in Figure 4.1 is attitude. It is only by having an
_ appropriately positive attitude that skills can be efficiently, effectively
\ and properly applied. No matter how good an individual’s knowledge
 Lf

38 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

_and how impressive their skills, you would be unwise to employ them
or use their expertise unless you were reasonably confident about their
attitude. Figure 4.1 links attitude to management because it is often-
the case that someone’s approach to their work is strongly influenced
by the ability of the organisation’s management to provide motivation.
I certainly remember a number of times in my own career when I did
a less than perfect job because I was thoroughly disillusioned by either
my own manager’s, or the company management’s, approach to me or
my value system. On the other hand I can also remember many
occasions on which I excelled, sometimes to a degree way above my
expectations, when my manager inspired me in various ways.
In summary, therefore, knowledge, skills and attitude are different
and distinct entities, but it is important that all three are present and
interlinked. Skills must be underpinned by appropriate knowledge;
for example, to pass your driving test in the UK, you not only need to
show that you can drive safely by doing it in the presence of a driving
examiner, but you also have to answer correctly some questions about
the Highway Code.

4.2 Identifying your key competencies

In order to describe a key competence, you need to construct a

sentence with an active verb, in other words a verb which describes an
action. Some examples of these are shown in Figure 4.2.
Now make a first attempt at identifying those competencies which
you believe are key to your present job. There should be at least half a
dozen or so, and a maximum of 30. The lower the number that you
can identify as being critical to your job, the better. You will need to
closely and constantly monitor how you are maintaining, developing
and broadening these competencies, which you will find very much
easier with a small number.
Of course, we can all fill sheets of paper with lists of competencies,
particularly if we are trying to impress others! But how many of these, you
need to ask yourself, are really key. For example, if you are a secretary or
a telephone salesperson, then your telephone skills may be critical. For
most engineers, however, telephone skills, while important, are likely to
be much less important than technical skills such as designing a product,
or management skills such as coaching and developing staff.
It will take you some careful thought, and maybe a fair bit of time,
to decide which your key competencies are. In order to mee them,
try asking yourself the following type of questions: a
 How to identify your key competencies 39

operate
identify
procure control

maintain plan
monitor

specify
design
evaluate unprove

report
select
contract

negotiate

recruit :
organise
x

Figure 4.2 Some examples of active verbs to be used for competency descriptions

@ what was the key competence that I was using the last time I had to
make an important decision, and the time before that, and so on?
e which competencies do I need to use in order to meet my appraisal
objectives this year?
e if Iwere to be promoted, and had to select someone else to fill my
present job, what are the vital skills that I would insist on when
selecting my successor?
e in what areas do I regularly find myself being consulted by others
inside or outside this organisation?
In each case, when you have identified a likely key competence, write
it down using an active verb (such as those in Figure 4.2). However, do
not write a sentence which uses the word ‘knows’. For example: ‘I
know how a fork-lift truck works’ does not describe a competence. The
verb to ‘know’ is clearly associated with a knowledge, not competence.
After all, the sentence could mean that you could describe the way to
drive and operate a fork-lift truck. Alternatively, it could mean that you
can write a detailed manual on how to build or maintain a fork-lift
truck. On the other hand, sentences like: ‘I am able to maintain a fork-
lift truck’, ‘I am able to design a fork-lift truck’ are much more specific
about what it is that you can do.
40 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

PDP on Notes {ADMIN} - 8. User\C. Key Competencies - Lotus Notes

Knowledger #
D001 Director
4 Competencies
My
; b COMO01 Making presentations (6,6, Gordon Williams, No Review)
q & My Competencies > COM002 Writing Skills (5, 5,Ron Young No Review)
: » COMO04 Press Relations (3, 4, Ginny Handley, 01/12/96)
3 * Help > FACO001 Using Facility software (2,3, Ron Young, 01/01/97)
€ Retum b KW0001 UsingSpreadsheets (2,3, Ron Young, 01/01/97)
> KWw0002 Using Word Processing packages (3, 4, Ron Young, 0102/97)
> KW0003 Using Presentation Graphics and Graphics packages (3,4 Ron
> KW0004 UsingDatabases (2,3, Ron Young 01/01/97)
KW0006 Using theIntemet/WWW (1,2, Ron Young 01/09/96, #)
KW0007 BasicLotusNotes (2,3, Ron Young, 01/09/96, #)
KW0008 Using the Personal Knowledge Manager (2,3, Ron Young 01
b KW0009 Using Personal Development Planner(PDPs) (4,6, Ron Yo
b KW0010 Using Desktop Publishing packages (2, 3, Ron Young, 01/0247
LANOOL Using Lotus Notes for Language Training (1,2, Ron Young, 91
b MANO01 Coaching (3, 4, Gordon Williams, 01/05/96, ##)
b MANO002 Facilitating (3, 4, Gordon Williams, 01/04/96, ##)

cK
SLUR BANS
Figure 4.3 An example of the author’s key competencies using Knowledge Associates’
PDP on Notes software
In my own case, for comparison, I have identified around 30 key com-
petencies, some of which are shown in Figure 4.3. (The meaning of the
data in the brackets to the right will be explained later in this chapter.)
In some instances, as you will see, I have used a sentence, such as
‘using word processing packages’. In other cases I have just used a one
word verb such as ‘facilitating’. Make it as easy as possible for yourself,
as long you are clear about what you are describing. Test each key
competence description you write down by asking yourself: ‘If a
complete stranger came in, could I use this key competence descrip-
tion to explain in simple terms what the competence is about?’
One approach [Link] use is to divide your key competencies into
two categories: a

e technical key competencies—such as designing, marketing,

manufacturing, using software, etc.
e nontechnical key competencies—for example, coaching and
developing staff, interpersonal skills and the ability to make
presentations.
You should ideally have a balance between these two sorts of
competence. If you either have none, or only one or two, in either of
 How to identify your key competencies 41
‘

these two categories, then ask yourself whether the balance is right in
your case. Is there anything you should do to improve that balance?
Figure 4.3 includes other aspects of key competencies with levels,
the name of the person who has agreed these levels and review dates.
Therefore, let us now look at these aspects of the subject.

4.3 Levels of competencies

One of the frequent mistakes made is to assume that competencies are

binary—in other words that someone either does or does not have a
particular competence. But is the world really like that?
When we first start to develop a competence, our first efforts are
usually less than perfect. With practice we improve our performance,
but may well need support or supervision until we have mastered the
skill concerned. Eventually we are so adept at it that we can safely
perform the competence on our own. With yet more practice and
experience, we become so competent that we are able to pass our skill
on to others and tutor them through the learning cycle.
These stages in progression of competence can be translated into
various levels. The framework that I prefer myself is:
Level 1: is aware of the key competence standard required;
Level 2: can frequently achieve the required standard of key
competence;
Level 3; can consistently achieve the required level of key
competence;
Level 4: can develop others in the key competence;
Level 5: can take corrective strategic action to redefine the key
competence if necessary;
Level 6: is world class.
One of the reasons that I particularly like this framework is because it
includes a level of competence which recognises the importance of
passing skills on to others. After all, learning in any organisation needs
to be a two way process. Those who know or can do, need to pass their
knowledge and skills on to those who need to know or do.
Another reason for my own preference for this framework is that it
also recognises that changing technology and situations may require a
review of the definition and relevance of the competency. Only a real
expert in the area is properly qualified to undertake such a review, and
again I therefore believe this needs to be recognised in the framework
as Level 5.
 42 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

There are, however, many other frameworks that you can use.
Toyota, for example, use a competence level system of:
Level 1: ‘I have no knowledge at all’;
_ Level 2: ‘1 can perform the work only under the detailed instructions
of senior engineers’;
Level 3: ‘TY can perform the work under the guidance of an assistant
manager or senior engineer’;
Level 4: ‘I have technical ability and knowledge to a certain degree,
and can perform the work by myself’;
Level 5: ‘T have enough technical ability and knowledge, and have the
ability to make improvements’.
Take a little time now to design a competence level system of your own.
It does not need to have five levels; it can have as few or as many as you
like, but keeping it simple has obvious advantages.
Now return to the key competencies that you decided on for
yourself. Assign each one of them the level that you think is
appropriate, giving careful thought to the justification for the level
which you assign. Think through a number of occasions when you
have used that particular key competence. How did your confidence
and success in using it relate to the level which you propose to assign?

4.4 Authorising persons

You may well need some form of quality assurance for your key
competencies; the need for this will depend on the circumstances.
If you are self employed, for example, you may consider it perfectly
adequate to certify yourself. At the other end of the spectrum I have,
for example, done consultancy work for a major railway company
using competencies as the basis for licensing employees for loss critical
jobs; in this case we had to devise a very rigorous system for ensuring
that, as far as is reasonable, employees are certified as having a
minimum level of competence before they are allowed to perform loss
critical tasks.
The more critical the competence, the more important it is to have
a rigorous system of ensuring that an individual is correctly assessed.
However, the cost of doing this will be correspondingly greater, so a
balance needs to be struck.
In my experience, for most professional engineering competencies,
it is perfectly adequate to arrange for one or two, experts to make a
judgement, based on their knowledge of an individual, on that
|
 How to identify your key competencies 43

individual’s level for any particular competence. This is, in other

words, a system of peer review. The software shown in Figure 4.3 shows
the name of the person who has agreed with each of my levels of key
competence.
There is, however, one other very important factor to take into
account. Just because I am judged competent now, does not mean that I
will remain competent at that level for ever more. I may raise my level of
competence over time through greater practice and experience. Equally,
if I do not use the competence, or keep it updated as a result of new
technology or circumstances, it may well reduce. It is therefore important
that my competencies are regularly reviewed. Again, the frequency with
which this needs to be done must be a matter of professional judgement,
but the software shown in Figure 4.3 enables variable dates for review to
be entered. One # sign appears on the right of the data in the brackets if
the current date is within 30 days of the review date, and two # signs
appear if the review date has already passed.
One of the great advantages of using software for personal
development plans in this way is that the appropriate people (such as
the individuals concerned, their managers, mentors, coaches, etc.)
can be alerted if review dates are either imminent or passed. Figure 4.4

30/08/96
i © Key Competencies
ea Brian Reynolds (CCMGOL Making presentations }
Imminent 4& Brian Reynotds (COMBG3 TV/Video Conferencing)
Expired a Brian Reynolds (INETUL Intemet Techmcal Consulting)
4k Brian Reynolds (KW0004 Using Databases}
Sub Competencies see
Es Brian Reynolds (KW0005 Casing an Organiser) 2 sole

Imminent Es Brisn Reynolds (KWOO007 Easic usage of Lotus Notes)

Expired ES Busn Reynolds (LNADGL Deveicping Notes Applications te LI (¥.
dx Brisn Reynolds (LNSAO1 Administrating Notes Syatems to Lt WIR
# Elements
ie Brian Reynolds (LNTOO1 Using Notes (Techn:cal Uses) (¥3))
Imminent E hel Brian Reynolds (THMO001 Sharing Information ead Knowledge)
at Brian Reynolds (T0003 Putting the Team Before Seif)
Y 01/09/96
* Darren Hodges (MAN004 Consulting}
John Lorriman (KW0006 Using the Internet/WWW)
es

Figure 4.4 An example of lists of competencies identified as about to expire by

Knowledge Associates’ PDP on Notes software
44 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

shows a typical example. Clearly from the point of view of providing

quality assurance on the ongoing validity of competencies, software
has a vital role to play. :
In Figure 4.3 the software shows both the current level of
competence (the first figure in the brackets) and the target level of
competence (the second figure in the brackets). One of the main
purposes of personal development plan software is to enhance the
learning process. By targeting the learning to specific improvements
in competencies, the learning can be much better focused. As we will
also see in Chapter 8, another key role of such software is to link
learning experiences directly to competencies and thus to monitor
whether they are being maintained, broadened and improved. This
requires a partnership between individuals and their managers, as well
as any other key players, such as mentors, coaches, the organisation,
training providers, etc. Software should only be used as a tool to
enable them all to maximise their respective contributions.

4.5 Subcompetencies and elements

The descriptions you will have chosen earlier in this chapter for your
key competencies will necessarily have been rather broad. Now is the
time to think through the subcompetencies into which each of your
key competencies can be divided.
I show an example in Figure 4.5 from my own PDP software of the
subcompetencies which I have used for myself for my ‘Making
presentations’ key competence. Again, you will see that it has exactly
the same format as the key competence screen shown in Figure 4.3,
with subcompetence current levels, target levels, authorising person
and review dates.
So now spend a little time looking through each of your key
competencies and breaking them down into as many subcompetencies
as you think necessary. Assign each of these with a level of
competence.
In turn, each subcompetence can be subdivided into a number of
elements (of course this process could go on ad infinitum, but a
system of key competencies, subcompetencies and elements should be
quite sufficient for most purposes). Figure 4.6 shows how my own
‘Making presentations—formally to major conferences’ sub-
competence is in turn divided into a number of elements. Note that
you do not necessarily need to have any or many elements within any
subcompetence, or to break any key competencies down into
 How to identify your key competencies 45

PDP ‘on Notes {ADMIN} - 8. User\C: Key Competencies - Lotus Notes

Knowledger ¢
My Competencies ¥ Lorriman, John D001 Director

wv COMO001 Making presentations (6,6, Gordon Williams, No Review)

# My Competencies b 001 Informallyto small groups (6, 6, Gordon Williams, No Review )3%
b 002 Formally to small groups (6, 6, Gordon Williams, No Review) =
# Help b 003 Formally tolarge groups (6,6, Gordon Williams, No Review)
® Retum b 004 Formally to major conferences (6,6, Gordon Williams, No Revi
b COM002 Writing Skills (5,5, Ron Young No Review)
a COM004 Press Relations (3, 4, Ginny Handley, 01/12/96)
b FACO001 Ven softwere (2,3, Dinh the01/01/97)
:

KW0003 Using Presentation Graphics aiid Graphics ee ~G, 4, Ron

KW0004 UsingDatabases (2,3, Ron Young 01/01/97)
KW0006 Using the Intemet(WWW (1,2, Ron Young, 01/09/96, #)
KW0007 BasicLotusNotes (2,3, Ron Young, 01/09/96, #)
Kwo00s Using the Personal Knowledge Manager (2,3, Ron Young 01

Figure 4.5 An example of some of the author's subcompetencies

subcompetencies. Just develop a system which suits you or your

organisation.
Now assign to each of your elements a level of competence.

4.6 The link with appraisals

In my experience most organisations have appraisal systems. Equally, in

my experience, almost none of them are very effective. For example, at
the US Society for Human Resource Management conference in 1995,
Professor Jerry Harvey from George Washington University told
delegates that there was ‘not a single study’ suggesting that appraisals
boost performance. ‘Those doing it don’t want to. Those having it done
to them don’t want it,’ he said. So what has gone wrong?
Most appraisals are based on the management by objectives
principles advocated by the American management guru Peter
Drucker. He believes, quite correctly, that every employee should have
clear targets agreed with their managers against which their perform-
ance is reviewed. The meetings at which such targets are reviewed, and
new targets set, have become known as appraisal meetings.
46 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

DP. on Notes adel 8. User\C. Key Competencies - Lotus Notes

1Knowledger #
Siar Caiebanatad ~ Lorriman, John DOO1 Director
3 ia COM001 Meking presentations (6, 6, Gordon Williams, No Review)
& My Competencies E > 001 Informally to small groups (6, 6, Gordon Williams, No Review)
> 002 Formallytosmall groups (6, 6, Gordon Williams, No Review)
{© Help E > 003 Formally
to larg (6,6, Gordon Williams, No Review
| © Retum 3
3 8 001 Using aflip chart (2,3, Gordon Williams, 01/07/96, ##)
002 Using an overhead projector (6, 6, Gordon Williams,No
003 Speaking clearly (6, 6, Gordon Williams, No Review)
004 Structuring presentations effectively (6,6, Gordon
005 Resource of slides/anecdotes, etc. (6,6, Gordon Willi
COMO002 WaitingSkils (5,5, Ron Young, No Review)
COMO004 Press Relations (3, 4, Ginny Handley, 01/12/96)
FAC001 Using Facility software (2,3, Ron Young, 01/01/97)
KW0001 UsingSpreadsheets (2,3, Ron Young 01/01/97)
KW0002 Using Word Processing packages (3, 4, Ron Young 01/02/97)
KW20003 Using Presentation aia and Graphics packages (3,4 Ron

Figure 4.6 Some of the author’s subcompetencies divided in turn into elements

In my view the reason that most appraisal systems do not work very
well is that they tend to concentrate largely on the targets themselves.
I believe that appraisals should actually be about three factors, as
shown in Figure 4.7:
e job performance;
e@ competence development;
e career development.
I draw an analogy with Fleming’s Left Hand Rule for motors, as shown
in Figure 4.8. Analogies can be drawn between:
e job performance and force;
@ competence development and current;
e career development and flux.
The only reason why a motor turns, after all, is because there is an
ongoing current flowing within a flux which creates a force, as every
school pupil knows. So why should anyone expect an improvement in an
individual’s job performance unless there are corresponding improve-
ments in the competence development and career development?
 How to identify your key competencies 47

career
development

job
performance

competence
development
Figure 4.7 Appraisals—the three factors

The only way, I argue, in which appraisals can operate effectively is

if they are closely linked to ongoing competence development and
career development. Thus, identifying your key competencies,
subcompetencies and elements, and those of your staff, is an essential
starting point for any appraisal system to work.
Do please note that word, ongoing. It is not enough to identify your
competencies at a point in time and leave it at that. You must continually
monitor how these competencies are being maintained, improved and
broadened. You can use appraisals, personal development plans and
coaching and mentoring skills to enable this to happen, and this process
will be covered in more detail in future chapters.

4.7 Safety and quality

There seems to me to be a very simple link between an organisation’s
success and competencies, as shown in Figure 4.9.
The only way in which an organisation is likely to get customer
satisfaction is by providing quality in every aspect of its business. If an
48 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

organisation can provide quality which is superior to that of its

competitors, then in most circumstances it can charge a premium
price—and that is the road to commercial success and wealth for the.
employees.

magnetic
flux

current
Figure 4.8 Fleming's Left-Hand Rule for motors

In order to get the best quality throughout the organisation, every

employee must be as competent as possible. Just as importantly, these
competencies must be enhanced in every possible way.
An important subset of quality is safety. Safety is a form of quality
where a failure is likely to mean that people are injured or even killed.
But the principles are identical. Again, emphasis on competencies is
essential.

4.8 Job descriptions versus competency descriptions

One of the management tools developed since the 1960s has been the
idea of giving each employee a job description. The argument was that
each employee should have their area of responsibility clearly defined.
Unfortunately, such thinking is rather restrictive. It fails to take into
account the range of abilities that each individual has which they do
not actually use in their current job, but which might nevertheless be
 How to identify your key competencies 49

of value to their organisation. Nor does it take into account the need
which most people have to develop their competencies gradually over
a period of perhaps several years; this is much more difficult to achieve
if the emphasis is largely on existing responsibilities and
competencies, rather than on those needed by the individual and the
organisation in the future.

Customer satisfaction

Quality

Skills
Figure 4.9 The link between success and competencies

One of the benefits from the PDP software shown earlier in this
chapter is that it can also be used as a competencies database. Organisa-
tions can then move from job descriptions to competency descriptions.
They can employ people in a much more flexible way, increasing their
job satisfaction, and also do some sensible staff planning, looking at the
‘current stocks of competencies in the organisation and anticipating how
these need to change over the next few years.

4.9 National Vocational Qualifications

In the early 1980s the UK found that there was a plethora of examin-
ing bodies: City & Guilds, TEC, BEC, RSA, etc. The Government,
therefore, set up a Commission of Enquiry, as the British are all too
fond of doing when there is a problem, under Sir Oscar de Ville.
When this produced a report in 1986, it in effect concluded that it
was politically too difficult to amalgamate these various overlapping
50 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

examination bodies (which in my view was a serious mistake) and

instead suggested that a competence-based system should be
introduced. The argument was that both employers and examining
bodies should use a framework of competencies and that these should
measure in some objective way the actual performance of individuals,
rather than concentrating on the results of academic exams.
This was an argument which convinced the Government, and the
National Council for Vocational Qualifications (NCVQ) was set up in
1986. During the late 1980s and early 1990s a horrific bureaucracy was
spawned—vast numbers of lead bodies to devise sets of competencies
for every sector of industry, commerce and government, etc., which
anyone could think of, with all too little co-ordination between them.
The language devised by the NCVQ, which introduced National
Vocational Qualifications to the unsuspecting British public, was
almost designed to confuse: key roles, units, elements, performance
criteria, range indicators and underpinning knowledge and under-
standing (see Figure 4.10 for an example). I well remember the
training director of a highly regarded large industrial company asking
me to explain to him in 1991 what NVQs were all about. Even by the
end of 1995, a survey of employers by the Institute of Employment
Studies showed that more than half of those questioned were not
interested in using NVQs.
Amongst the mistakes made by the NCVQ was the failure to
recognise the important need to underpin competencies with the
necessary knowledge, a mistake which was put right in the early 1990s.
However, NVQs are still all too often awarded for life, and I believe
that this needs to be changed. In addition, the system assumes that
competencies are binary and there is no standard system in place for
levels of competence, although again there are signs that the NCVQ is
beginning to recognise that this must happen.
Having made these criticisms of NVQs, I nevertheless recognise that
the objective of identifying the competence of everyone within a
national system is a valid and important one. The Engineering
Council, the IEE and most other institutions, as well as most
employers, strongly support the NCVQ’s objectives and, in any case,
NVQs are politically here to stay in the UK. In places such as Australia
and Hong Kong, a modified approach to NVQs is developing and
many other countries may also adopt this approach.
My advice, therefore, is that you use the framework described earlier
in this chapter to suit your own needs. If those needs encourage you
to link into NVQs, then almost certainly you will find the NVQ system
 How to identify your key competencies 51

Key Role: E51. Evaluate and report on the quality of engineering equipment,
systems and services.

Unit ES1.1. Evaluate the design and construction of engineering equipment,

systems and services.
Element: ES1.1.1 Verify the compliance of designs and prototypes with
specifications.
Performance Criteria:
Identification of compliance is made against agreed standards.
Identification obtains and draws upon all relevant information and details.
Identification of compliance is accurate and makes a balanced judgement
over all pertinent factors.
. Identification is justified with valid, reliable and sufficient supporting evidence.
. The timing and nature of further investigations needed to resolve difficulties in
forming clear judgements of compliance are cost-effective and agreed by all
parties.
Negotiation and discussions are conducted in a manner that maintains
goodwill and co-operation.
Decisions are communicated in good time and to the right people for action.
. Additional specialist information is obtained where necessary.

Range indicators:
Verification relates to: plans; intended manufacturing processes; intended
materials; intended quality assurance procedures.
Standards and specifications: national; international; organisational.
Negotiation relates to: standards to be applied; information made available and
required; further investigation in the event of difficulties.
Factors affecting judgement of compliance: technical details; timescales;
manufacturing/operating/maintenance context.
Designs and prototypes: mechanical; electrical; structural, fluid; dynamic.

Underpinning knowledge and understanding

Principles and methods relating to: design, construction, installation and
operation of engineering equipment, systems and services.
Data relating to: standards applied.

Figure 4.10 An example of NVQ-speak—quoted as Appendix I of the Engineering

Council’s ‘Competence and commitment’ discussion document
sufficiently flexible to give you some form of national certification, if
that is what you want. Be prepared, however, for possible battles with
bureaucrats who insist that you use their jargon. This will be an
excellent test of your diplomacy, patience and self control—so see it
positively and try to find some sort of sensible compromise with the
NVQ experts; success (or even failure) will in any case provide you
with interesting material to put in your personal development plan, as
part of the recording of your own self development.
52 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

4.10 Summary

Competencies are critical to the success of individuals, organisations

and even nations. Japan has long had an excellent and detailed
approach to maximising the competencies of individuals in every
possible way, and many Western companies, such as Motorola, have
achieved outstanding success using the same approach.
Use this chapter to start identifying your own set of competencies
and then start thinking about how you would like to see these develop
in years to come.
A well regarded book that is worth reading to understand the
strategic implications of competencies in terms of an organisation’s
success or failure in the marketplace is ‘Competing for the future—
breakthrough strategies for seizing control of your industry and cre-
ating the markets of tomorrow’ by Gary Hamel and C. K. Prahalad[5].
As Figure 2.1 shows, it is the total context of CPD which matters.
Aspects such as the roles of coaches and mentors, as well as the means
which an organisation uses to maximise its learning processes, will be
covered in more detail in later chapters. At the heart of Figure 2.1,
however, is the commitment of each and every individual in an
organisation to their self development using personal development
plans, and it is this subject which we will look at in some detail in the
next chapter.
 Chapter 5
Designing and using personal
development plans

‘We will move through life accumulating portfolios of competencies and

intelligences, portfolios which should start, but not finish, at school’-—
Professor Charles Handy

By reading this book so far you should by now have accumulated quite
a number of ideas and documents, such as the competencies set which
you identified in the last chapter.
Lay all these out on a table top and see if there is any overall theme.
Ask yourself which seem important, and might require immediate
action, as well as which are really better classified as longer-term
strategies and dreams.
In this chapter we will look at different approaches to designing
personal development plans. You can then decide, depending on
whether you are looking at this subject as an individual, a company or
a professional institution, on the benefits of either using an existing
design or designing your own based on the ideas described.

5.1 Me-charts

Two of the key lessons that I have learnt over the years are that:
1 Learning is much more effective if it is fun.
2 Learning using some form of graphics is much more likely to be
both meaningful and memorable.
One of the ways, therefore, in which I often open up the workshops
that Irun on the subject of CPD is by asking the delegates to take a flip
chart each and draw a me-chart. This is a pictorial representation of
you as a complete person and is quite a good way to start—by thinking
through the elements of your life that really matter to you. You need
to see yourself in the round. For example:
54 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

what is the range of your activities at work?

what are your hobbies?
what are your values and most important beliefs?
who are the immediate members of your family and how do they see
themselves as supporting your CPD?

Figure 5.1 The author’s me-chart

 Designing and using personal development plans 55

I attach my own me-chart as Figure 5.1. In the centre is a heart,

inscribed ‘IEE’, since so many of my activities and so much of my
learning seems to centre around the Institution. Apart from this book
for the IEE publishing arm, my IEE activities have led over the years to
strong links with The Engineering Council. I have responsibility for
the IEE’s links between the centre in development in Belarus and the
South East Midland Centre, and have chaired both the South
Midlands and South East Midland Centres of the Institution. Looking
at my me-chart clockwise from the bottom right, the book shows that
this is my third major publication. The two match people represent my
wife Jill and myself partnering each other through life. The map of the
world shows my commitment to and strong links with the
International Association for Continuing Engineering Education
(IACEE), of which I am a Council and Executive Committee member,
and where I chair the professional development working group.
Around the world my main interests centre at present on the UK and
Turkey, where I do a lot of consultancy, on Hong Kong, which I see as
the gateway to China and on Japan. At the top of the me-chart is a
computer showing my commitment to developing software versions of
PDPs based on DataEase for Windows and Lotus Notes software.
So that is me in a nutshell. The chart lets me sit back and decide
whether this is really where I want to be at this stage of my career (it
is!) and think through which parts of my CPD should be given the
greatest priority in the future, both in the short term and in the long
term.
Now draw your own me-chart and share it with someone else—
maybe a friend, your partner, your manager, a colleague, a coach or a
mentor. By discussing it with that person, and thinking about their
reactions and questions, you will be that much better placed to start
devising a structured document which you can call your personal
development plan.

5.2 What are personal development plans?

As Professor Charles Handy says in the quote at the beginning of this
chapter, we will all increasingly need to have some form of portfolio of
our learning, achievements and career aims. Many pupils have left
British schools for a number of years now with documents called
National Records of Achievement, which are just such portfolios
developed by the pupils to show potential employers their
56 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

Development
Plans

Figure 5.2. Some examples of the possible contents ofyour personal development plan

achievements in the round—not only their academic achievements,

but also all their other interests, successes and objectives in life.
Such a portfolio makes a lot of sense, not only when leaving school but
throughout our lives. The names of such portfolios vary; consultancy
work I did for Abbey National led to the introduction in that
organisation of what they called a personal development file, while the
one I helped the IEE to develop is called the professional development
record. Call it whatever you or your organisation wishes, but my own
preference is for the term personal development plan, or PDP for short.

Figure 5.3 Some different examples of personal development plans

 Designing and using personal development plans 57

To me the first word, personal, is very important because this shows very
clearly where the ownership lies—with the individuals themselves.
Figure 5.2, reproduced from The Engineering Council’s ‘CPD—the
practical guide to good practice’, shows some of the wide range of
contents that you might wish to include in your own PDP. The style, size
and format of a PDP can vary enormously, with some examples shown in
Figure 5.3, reproduced from the same Engineering Council publication.

5.3 The story of the PDR and the career manager—two of

the first national PDPs

In June 1986 The Engineering Council published a report entitled ‘A

call to action—continuing education and training for engineers and
technicians’. At that time what is now generally called CPD was usually
referred to as continuing education and training (CET). As the
foreword to the report from Sir Francis Tombs, Chairman of The
Engineering Council, said:
‘This report is about action to achieve a radical change in attitude
towards improved CET in British industry and commerce by employers
and individual engineers and technicians. It is also about action by
others with a major role to play: by the professional institutions, by
providers of CET, by the Government, by training boards and
associations, by trade unions and, of course, by The Engineering
Council. We want less exhortation and more achievement. This booklet
shows how you can help.’
One of the suggestions for achieving these aims was that:
‘The Engineering Council wishes to encourage the recording of
continuing education and training by all engineers and technicians in
personal record log books.’ [6]

At the time I was a member of the IEE’s career development

committee and I suggested that we should develop such a document
for IEE members.
The document that I designed together with members of the IEE
staff was named the ‘Professional development record’ (PDR). It is
shown in Figure 5.4 and has ten sections covering:
e education;
e employment;
e career objectives (long term);
@ career aims (short to medium term);
58 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

THE INSTITUTION
OF ELECTRICAL
ENGINEERS

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT RECORD

Introduction

The Institution firmly believes that engineers should take advantage of every opportunity to increase
and improve their knowledge. To do this itis essential to recognise the great variety of activities that
can contribute to this knowledge and helpful to keep a record of progress made

The IEE’s Career Development Committee has prepared this record book which will serve as a
medium for members to build up a profile of their development, both professional and personal. It
will fulfil a number of purposes

— - If you are still in, or starting. your Formation Training period, it will serve as an invaluable
aid to record your progress

ba It will help you examine your own Career Development objectives, and identify means of
achieving these by providing some structure and quidelines

* To record those experiences which should assist you with your Career Development
TRAINING
FORMATION
STRUCTURED
3 To give you a better idea of the methods considered suitable by the Institution for your
Career Development and to prepare you for Corporate Membership

. To help plan Continuing Education and Training throughout your life

The Institution provides many facilities to assist members and others in these tasks; these include:
LEARNING
ON-THE-JOB
> evening meetings at Savoy Place in London and in the Centres throughout the country

= the books and journals published by the Institution

& distance learning material

TRAINING
£ conferences, vacation schools, colloquia, seminars and short courses OFF-THE-JOB

a the Library

< Membership Advisers in each of the Centres and Industrial Representatives in many large
companies
ACTIVITIES
PROFESSIONAL
You should review and update your record at regular intervals. This will vary section by section;
whilst it may be appropriate to update your Structured Formation Training and On-the-job records
as frequently as once a week, other sections may only need review on a monthly or quarterly basis,

In offering guidance, the text draws on advice given in the Institution's Professional Brief on Career
Development, a copy of which is included. This publication offers many ideas, not only as to what
comprises career development, but how your progress can be measured. It is strongly
recommended that you read it prior to commencement of this record and at regular intervals
thereafter

An engineer's record will always be his or her own personal property and he or she will be the prime
beneficiary of it. However, most will recognise both the need to involve others, colleagues and
superiors, in its development and the benefits of so doing. We hope that you will come to see this PERSONAL
DOCUMENTS
document as a vital adjunct to. if not taking the place of, your curriculum vitae

Figure 5.4 The IEE’s PDR

9 structured formation training;

@ learning on the job;
ae training off the job;
e professional activities;
& community activities;
e personal development.
 Designing and using personal development plans 59

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT RECORD STRUCTURED FORMATION TRAINING

Your initial Formation Training, normally of 2 years dura- Guidance Notes

tion, should be recorded in this section. The layout is ap-
Proved by the IEE’s Training Department which will accept * Under “Aims” give the reasons for your going into
the completed document in support of applications for 8 particular Department or Section.
assessment of training.
“Objectives” should describe what you expect to
lf your company already operates a registered training gain from this particular aspect of your training.
scheme, it will assign you a Training Tutor (who must be
a Chartered Engineer), and register your training with the * — At the end of each training activity record what you
IEE, Otherwise follow the guidance given in booklet M5 feel you have gained in the column
“Training Requirements for Corporate Membership” “Reporv/Assessment”’

Once you have completed your Structured Formation * The “Training Elements” are described and coded in
Training you should continue to record all new activities the M5 booklet.
undertaken in the section “Learning-On-The-Job”
Ensure each entry is initialled by your Training Tutor.
Copies of your record of Structured Formation Training
may be used in conjunction with the Form XIT when ap-
plying to the IEE for the assessment of your training, Pages
1 and 4 plus the Declaration of the Form XIT must still be
completed.

STRUCTURED
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT RECORD FORMATION TRAINING

Description Training Training

Aims/Objectives Report/Assessment Elements Tutor's
Initials

Figure 5.5 A sample section of the IEE’s PDR

Figure 5.5 shows an example of a section from the PDR. You will see
that the design was deliberately extremely simple; brief instructions,
together with some simple guidance notes on the divider opposite
each section, and a very simple design to each page.
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 Designing and using personal development plans 61

In designing the PDR we looked at a number of such documents

which were being used, including one used by the Institution of
Mechanical Engineers. We also kept in close touch with The
Engineering Council and the then senior executive, CPD, Bernard
Dawkins, who was designing and piloting a career management
document which they called ‘The career manager’.
‘The career manager’ was very much designed to structure one’s
career and contained the following sections:
Section 1: Identifying career development needs
Area 1: Your present job
Area 2: Future roles
Area 3: Professional and personal development
Key development aims
Section 2: Career action planning
Activity 1: Proposed development actions
Activity 2: Employer review
Activity 3: Advice/counselling
Activity 4: Career action plan
Section 3: Recording achievement
Part 1: Record of CET development activities
Part 2: Career record
An example section from ‘The career manager’ is shown in Figure 5.6.
In contrast, the IKE’s PDR was designed to be rather broader. Its
purpose is to act as a record of learning right from the start of an
engineer’s career and integrates, for example, with the Institution’s
documentation for recording accredited training, with space for
mentors to put their initials and comments at the end of each period
of formalised training. I have always argued that IEE members should
continue using a PDR throughout their careers, and maybe even after
they retire; jokingly I have suggested some might even want theirs
buried with them!
The PDR was piloted by some 200 volunteers at GEC Tele-
communications (where I was controller of training at the time) and
by a rather smaller number at the IBA and the Electricity Council.
After it had been in use for some months I sent out a questionnaire to
the GEC Telecommunications participants. The comments included:
‘Listing areas of training and experience gives a positive feeling of
achievement.’
62 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

‘It has allowed me to see at a glance what jobs and training I have been
involved with, which puts the work in perspective. It helps in considering
future career development.’
‘I have positively targeted some career goals. Collation of papers and
relevant material into one comprehensive file has been useful.’

I was also involved in helping Chris Senior, Bernard Dawkins’ succes-

sor at The Engineering Council, to pilot “The career manager’ at GPT;
this was a small part of a pilot which used a total of 63 organisations
involving over 1000 individual engineers and technicians. The report
on this pilot was published by The Engineering Council in March
1991[7]; some of the comments by individuals using it were:
‘Allows me to plan my career in a consultative way.’
‘Acted as a catalyst for ideas and action.’
‘Sets your sights further into the future.’

In addition, the report said that:

‘Over 80 % of participants found the document was useful/very useful
in identifying and planning their CET.’

‘The career manager’ has continued to be used by quite a number of

organisations since.
In contrast, the IEE’s PDR was launched commercially in October
1987 at a price of around £15. By December 1990, 5000 had been sold,
with the ten thousandth sale being achieved in December 1992 and
sales passing 15 000 in 1995. In 1997 a Java-based PDR on Disk was
launched, developed by Knowledge Associates.
For several years the Institution of Electronics and Electrical
Incorporated Engineers (IEEIE) used the PDR under licence from the
IEE, until in 1992 the organisation launched its own ‘Record of
professional development’ (RPD) which it sold to members for a similar
price to the IEE’s PDR, and a free copy of which was given to all new
students joining. The RPD was then made available to the Institution’s 27
000 members free of charge in the form of a computer disk compatible
with all Windows 3.x software, to which there was a very positive response.
A sample screen is shown in Figure 5.7. Further details can be obtained
from the IEEIE’s CPD department via e-mail at: ieeie@[Link].
In 1993 the Institution of Mechanical Engineers replaced its own
personal planner with the IEE’s PDR, and in 1995 the Institution of
Biological Engineers started using the PDR under licence. Several
companies, including my own GPT at the time, tailored the PDR to
their own requirements in agreement with the IEE.
 Designing and using personal development plans 63

oad Write -“[Link]

Eile Edit Find Character Paragraph Document Help
> IEEIE Record of Professional Development <

Long Tern Career Aims SS

BS
SN
RS
Short Term Objectives BS

4
Education
.BSS
\
Formation Training N

SS
SS
Courses Attended

Poye 1 SESSION
d EES

Figure 5.7 A sample screen from the Institution of Electronics and Electrical
Incorporated Engineers’ ‘Record of professional development’ software

5.4 Starting to design your own PDP

You now have sufficient background and ideas, I hope, to start
designing your own PDP.
If you are reading this chapter as an individual, then my advice is to
start with something simple, perhaps designing a few master sheets in
a loose-leaf folder. You will find out whether or not it is a good design
for you very simply—by using it. Alternatively you might decide to
spend a little money and buy a proprietary PDP, such as the IEE’s PDR
or the PDP software described in the previous chapter. If you are a
member of the IEE or IMechE you may wish to use the PDP on the
Web software described in Chapter 8 (page 135). Either way, discipline
yourself to put in entries as regularly as possible—at least once a week
and ideally once a day.
On the other hand, you may be reading this chapter from an
organisational point of view and wish to develop a corporate approach
to PDPs. In that case, my strong advice is that you need to involve the
participants as much as possible at every stage in the decision to use
PDPs, the design, the context, the launch, etc. The one failure I had
in this area was when I had such success with the IEE’s PDR that I
persuaded my personnel colleagues in GPT to issue copies to all 200
to 300 technicians and graduates joining the company one year. Even
though they were all briefed on the document, many never even
64 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

started using it; the British simply do not like being told what to do.
Very significantly, those people who did use their PDR regularly were
generally the ones whose managers showed both interest and
support—which is where my concept for Figure 2.1 originated.
In contrast, in a number of organisations where I have worked since
as a consultant, by using a group of enthusiasts to help me to design
and launch a PDP designed to meet the specific needs of their
organisation, the document has spread far more quickly than anyone
expected. In one organisation, for example, 1000 copies of the new
PDP were printed for a pilot; the pilot never took place because word
of the new document was spread by the internal enthusiasts who had
designed it, and managers were soon telephoning the management
development manager asking for copies. Stock was exhausted before a
controlled pilot could be done. In another organisation, it was
originally planned that one department would pilot the new PDP for
three months, another three would follow on in the next three months
and the other 20 departments thereafter; in practice many people
from these other 20 departments were soon demanding to be involved
as soon as possible and the pilot thus turned into a full-scale launch,
by popular demand, very quickly.
Never forget that the context in which PDPs are used is vitally
important to their success. Remember the three factors in Figure 2.1:
e individuals with a missionary zeal towards their self development,
using PDPs;
@ managers who see their most important role as coaching and
developing their staff;
@ organisations which both reward managers who do develop their
staff effectively and which ensure that every opportunity is taken to
maximise learning within the organisation.
One set of questions that individuals might like to include in their
PDPs and ask themselves after every learning event is:
@ what did I do?
e@ what did I learn?
e how might I apply this, now or in the future?
When you are considering a job move, you might include the
following three questions in your PDP analysis of whether or not it is
the right career step for you:
@ is it going to be interesting?
e are they people I can work with?
e@ am I going to enjoy myself?
 Designing and using personal development plans 65

As an organisation, you might design corporate PDPs in such a way

that they encourage teams or groups of employees to ask these three
questions:
@ what has gone well from which we can learn?
e@ what has not gone well which we can improve in future?
e what issues, ideas and concerns do we have?

In other words, see the PDP as acting as a focus for both individual and
corporate learning. By learning faster than the opposition, you will not
only survive, but may well become number one in your field in the
world.

5.5 How widely are PDPs used—and in what context?

The 1992 Engineering Council survey showed that nearly three

quarters of engineers undertook some form of CPD activity.
However, despite an increase in the level of CPD undertaken during
the previous three years, a huge majority, well over eighty per cent, felt
that there was room for improvement in their own professional
development schemes. Another key concern was that only one in four
survey participants had plans for improving their own CPD.
In 1993, a survey of 4500 members of the Institution of Civil
Engineers concerning CPD produced a 36.7 % response, demon-
strating the interest in this topic. The results showed general support
for CPD and in particular that:
e more should be done by employers to provide CPD opportunities;
e the Institution of Civil Engineers should do more to advertise and
promote CPD;
e more information is sought as to what constitutes CPD;
@ urgent action is needed to provide opportunities for distance
learning;
e the recession and consequential shortages of time and money have
been the principal causes of the reduction in CPD activity;
e action should be taken to help members to keep themselves up to
date;
@ special attention should be paid to the needs of specific groups,
including overseas members, women returning to work, the
unemployed, older members and associate members.
Some of the key findings were that:
66 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

e only twenty per cent had a written personal development plan of

any description;
e under thirty per cent were given any sort of formal company
performance appraisal,
e only thirty five per cent had access to a formal organisation system
for the identification of training needs; }
e just fifty two per cent of UK based members and thirty eight per cent
of overseas members had undertaken any formal training during
the past 12 months.
Two comments from the respondents were:
‘It is good to see a policy on CPD being developed for ongoing training.
Keep up the good work.’
‘CPD is essential to the development of our profession and should be
actively encouraged by the Institution.’

Alan Davis and Mike Fox, regional CPD managers for The Engineer-
ing Council in the South West at the time, carried out their own
regional survey of the attitude to CPD among Engineering Council
registrants in 1993. A random sample of 6.5 % of the registrants in the
region were sent a questionnaire, of which thirty four per cent were
returned.
Some of the key results were:
e younger registrants formulate development plans to a greater
extent than older ones, mostly via employer initiated schemes, and
overall an encouraging seventy four per cent were identifying their
learning needs;
e CPD activities were reported as taking over 160 hours per person
per annum;
e about sixty per cent of registrants up to the age of 54 years said that
they were willing to increase their annual investment in their CPD
by 100 hours per annum;
e over seventy per cent of the sample reported positively on the value
of their CPD activities to their companies;
@ over sixty per cent said that they were keeping a formal record of
their development activities.
A 1993 survey of 500 corporate members (of whom 174 replied) of the
Institute of Highway Incorporated Engineers (IHIE) showed:
e half of the respondents had some form of personal development
plan forming part of an organised scheme;
 Designing and using personal development plans 67

[Link] forty two per cent of the under-30s had no plan—not

even ‘in their heads’;
e one-third had access to a formal Sa dcalGta system and had
discussed CPD with their employer during the last 12 months;
e half of the members had undertaken no formal training in the last
12 months;
e nearly two-thirds said that there were areas where they had been
unable to increase their competence in spite ofa desire to do so; the
reasons included:
cost (employer) 28 %
time (personal) 20 %
no suitable opportunities 21 %
no personal motivation 5%
@ computers and management were the main subjects named as
requiring help;
e half of the respondents did not record their CPD—not even in a
running CV, although all had been sent an IHIE personal record.
Overall there was an overwhelming desire by members to undertake
CPD but this was thwarted by a lack of interest by employers, lack of
funds to finance training and insufficient time.
The context in which PDPs are implemented is therefore vitally
important.

[5.6 Competence and commitment

In January 1995 The Engineering Council published a_ policy

statement document, presenting proposals for a new system of
engineering formation and registration, and entitled ‘Competence
and commitment’[8]. Among its proposals were that registration
should require engineers and technicians to demonstrate and
maintain both:
e the competence to perform their professional work to the necessary
standards;
e the commitment to maintain that competence, to work within
professional codes, and to participate actively in the profession.
It is proposed that competence will be developed in three parts:
foundation learning, specialist learning and competence in
employment against the background of clearly defined occupational
68 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

standards.
To be assured of commitment, The Engineering Council will
require that candidates seeking registration maintain, and submit for
audit on request:

e action plans and log books, showing how a profile of competence is

being maintained and developed, as technology and work roles
change;
e portfolios of work showing how the codes of conduct and the risk
and environment codes have been applied and conflicts resolved;
e contact with professional colleagues in learned society activities,
mentoring of new entrants and other professional work for the
public good. /
To enhance the profile of UK-based European engineers, it is
proposed that candidates for the Eur Ing title will, at some time in the
future, be required to fulfil the FEANI expectation of fluency in a
European language other than the mother tongue. The normal
requirement will be language competence to NVQ Level 3, based on
the language lead body standards.
While it will take time to debate and action, where agreed, these
proposals, it is clear that the engineering profession is moving inexorably
towards requiring that all technicians and professional engineers
maintain some form of PDP which acts as the focus for their CPD.
Let us therefore now look at an example of a company which has
successfully implemented PDPs, taking note of the context in which it
did so.

5.6.1 Short Brothers focus on the future

Short Brothers plc, the Belfast based aerospace company, launched a
major new initiative—Focus 2000—in 1993 in which there were three
key elements:
e value in people;
e customer focus;
e best cost producer.

In the value in people element, continuing professional development

was seen as a major contributor in increasing business performance
through the process of continuous learning. All of the company’s
employees were encouraged to maintain a personal development file
which would enable them to keep an up to date record of their
learning achievements and to monitor their individual personal
 Designing and using personal development plans 69

development plan.
Training committees were established with a key purpose of co-
ordinating the identification, design and implementation of the
training requirements of each business team which were then directly
linked to key company business objectives. Each employee was then
encouraged to take ownership of his own development and to
participate in regular progress reviews.
Next, let us look at CPD and the use of a PDP, from an individual’s view-
point, again taking careful note of the context in which it is taking place.

5.6.2 Thames Water Utilities—an individual’s viewpoint

Terry Sweeney, a Project Design Engineer with Thames Water Utilities,
describes his use of aPDP within the context in his company as follows:
‘My department is increasingly involved in producing in-house designs
of tender specifications, which were previously subcontracted. As part of
the ongoing CPD provided to respond to this and other challenges, the
company organises a series of in-house seminars run by our own senior
staff. These take place for one day every two months on average, with in
excess of ten subject specialists at each. .
‘I attended a career development course run by consultants eight
months ago. We looked at the organisation’s values, examined what we
would like to do in the future and prepared an action plan. I also read
a lot—for example the ‘IKE Review’, the business section of ‘The Times’
etc. On average I estimate that I spend about two hours each week on
my self development.
‘The structure of the company’s CPD continuous improvement log
emphasises the need to keep up to date with current—and possible
future—developments in one’s own field. It acts as an effective
replacement and further development guide for me since qualifying—
which in itself required me to keep a log of my learning. And that’s the
key—continuous learning and improvement, not just formal training.’

5.6.3 PDPs in a safety context

One important context in which PDPs can be valuable is in the area of
safety. Here, therefore, is an excellent example.
The Institution of Railway Signal Engineers launched its new
licensing scheme on 25 January 1994, with Sir Anthony Hidden as the
guest speaker. (Sir Anthony chaired the investigation into the
Clapham Junction Railway Accident in December 1988.) The scheme
introduced a system for the licensing of competencies for safety-
critical and safety-related tasks in the railway industry.
70 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

In his speech at the launch, Sir Anthony said:

‘Today is a day to look forward. Anything which has the effect of ©
improving the standard of expertise in, and management of, railway
signalling must be applauded as a good thing, and thus I warmly
welcome the inauguration of this licensing system.’

Participants in the scheme are required to maintain a continuing

professional development folder and licensing scheme logbook as
proof of their continuing employment on licensable work. This record
of the competent use of skills will be reviewed when licences are due
for renewal, and will also assist railway industry employers to satisfy the
work authorisation requirements contained in the Railway (Safety
Critical Work) Regulations, which came into force on | April 1994.
Already 30 activities in design, installation, testing and maintenance
have been identified for licensing in signalling and telecommunica-
tions. Employers of licensable staff are now able to register with the
scheme, and they will receive copies of competence assessment check-
lists to use in the workplace assessment of their employees, prior to
formal assessment by an IRSE approved assessing agent.
The CPD folder has an important role to play in both ensuring that
these licensed competencies are maintained and in planning the
licensee’s career development. In addition, the document provides
employers with a verified record of a prospective employee’s
capabilities and achievements.
This is an example of an institution using a PDP primarily for the
purpose of improving public safety. However, let us look at five
institutions using PDPs for broader CPD purposes.

5.6.4 Professional development for physicists.

The Institute of Physics (IOP) is now operating a professional develop-
ment scheme, consisting of a two year training period followed by a
further two years for consolidation during which experience is
acquired. The objective is to increase and enhance the business and
organisational skills of the participant, in addition to developing the
relevant technical knowledge required by the job.
For every participant, a mentor is appointed who will provide advice
and guidance. The mentor is a representative of the Institute of
Physics and is, ideally, an employee within the same organisation as the
participant. It is the mentor’s role to assess the participant’s
 Designing and using personal development plans 71

performance against the professional requirements of the Institute.

Initially the participant and mentor construct a career development
plan, with the agreement of the employer, which is approved by the
IOP. This plan identifies the broad objectives to be achieved to meet
the employer’s training and development needs, as well as the
Institute’s requirements for professional qualifications.
Each participant is issued with a professional development record
(PDR) book. This remains the property of the participant and
contains personal details, academic qualifications and achievements
and, as the scheme progresses, a validated record of the training and
experience acquired. This book also forms the basis of CPD as the
participant's career develops.
The final assessment, which leads to the award of CPhys and full
membership of the Institute, is based on the mentor’s report,
examination of the PDR and an interview. Some participants will also
be eligible for chartered engineer (CEng) status.

5.6.5 Foundrymen launch CPD record

The Institute of British Foundrymen launched a new CPD Record
Book in 1994 which is being issued to its members. This is part of a
policy of encouraging members to undertake a minimum of 35 hours
of CPD per year.
Members are encouraged to have their CPD record books
authenticated and to return them with their annual subscriptions to
the Institute. These will then be validated by the Institute, which will
issue certificates to those meeting the minimum CPD requirement.

5.6.6 CPD commitment in Hong Kong

The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE) introduced a new
record of continuing professional development in 1994, as part of a
policy requiring a minimum of 45 hours a year CPD up to the stage of
full membership. Thereafter, the individual’s CPD record is taken into
account when considering any application for fellowship.
The format of CPD activities can include, among other possibilities:
e courses, lectures, seminars and workshops;
e industrial attachments and visits.

Individuals use the new record of CPD document to record these

activities, which need to be endorsed by an engineering supervisor or
a responsible person.
72 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

5.6.7 Plumbing for CPD

The Institute of Plumbing provides all members with a small piece of
plastic on which they commit themselves to:
e perform professionally, competently and responsibly;
e safeguard the public interest in matters of health and safety;
e comply with all relevant laws, regulations and standards;
e broaden, improve and maintain their skills, knowledge and
personal qualities;
e uphold the dignity, standing and reputation of the Institute of Plumb-
ing and the plumbing mechanical engineering services industry.
To assist members with meeting their CPD commitment, a new system
involving authorised CPD providers (AP) has being introduced. These
may be individual lecturers/trainers who will present their subject at
venues to suit a particular audience. Alternatively, a college or
company with an acceptable training centre and staff can be approved
as an AP. In each case, course content is assessed and all details
entered in an Institute of Plumbing CPD directory.
CPD Record Cards have also been issued to all Institute members
and the Institute hopes that many members will exceed the 20 hour
CPD recommended minimum per annum. Fellows and members who
are registered as [Eng or EngTech with The Engineering Council have
an additional responsibility in maintaining a record of their progress.
One aspect in which plumbers have every incentive to engage in
CPD is where gas is involved; here statutory regulation applies. As from
1 October 1995 all new CORGI (The Council for Registered Gas
Installers) approved plumbers have had to be qualified according to
the relevant criteria. As from 1 April 1998 all existing operatives will
have to meet the same requirements. Approved code of practice
courses dealing with standards of training in safe gas installation have
consequently been in great demand.

5.6.8 Putting energy into CPD

The Institute of Energy published its policy statement on CPD in 1995
and has produced a career management planner. This planner assists in:

e identifying career needs;

e planning future development;
e recording and monitoring progress.
As the Institute is a small one with around 5000 members and a staff
of eight, much of the work in preparing the statement and producing
 Designing and using personal development plans ‘73

the planner fell to the Institute’s professional development group. In

carrying out its work it had to bear in mind that its recommendations
should be clear, simple and require the minimum of administration in
terms of time and money.
The group took very much into account the policy statements of
other institutions and The Engineering Council, and its planner is
largely based on that originally developed by The Engineering
Council.
The Institute of Energy has decided on 35 hours a year as a
reasonable minimum attendance on CPD activities. Although it has
decided not to make CPD compulsory, members applying for transfer
to higher grades will be expected to show evidence of participation in
CPD activities. The Institute strongly supports CPD in principle and will
continue to encourage members to develop the right attitude of mind.

5.7 Some further ideas

In this chapter we have looked at various ways and various contexts in

which PDPs have been designed, used and put into an effective
context. We have looked at PDPs from an individual, organisational
and institution point of view.
So here are a few more points for you to think about:
@ are you one of the many young engineers that I frequently meet who
have found that their companies have forced them into a
specialisation? What do you really want from your future career? How
can you change the situation to achieve your ambitions? How can you
use your PDP to analyse the possibilities? Can you, for example, use
some of the ideas in Chapter 7 about coaching upwards to persuade
your manager to give you the broader experience which you need?
Or should you be looking for another job?
e how good are you at reading, writing, understanding and speaking
foreign languages? Should this be an important part of your PDP
self analysis? It is certainly likely to become an important criteria for
achieving Eur Ing status and, in any case, it makes good business
sense for companies to have a wide range of employees fluent in
other languages if they have international ambitions;
e how much networking do you do? Zeneca is an example of a highly
successful organisation which encourages every graduate to network
as much as possible right from day one. The company even goes to
great lengths to produce a detailed guide to the expertise across the
74 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

company, including contacts with special knowledge and areas of

knowhow and expertise, supported by the telephone numbers and
sites of everyone concerned. You might think of including a section
on the network of contacts which you have established as part of
your PDP, and adding to this over time;
e do some cash planning. Many well-known politicians, such as
Michael Heseltine, made it a key part of their life plan to
accumulate a cash mountain early in their careers, which then
allowed them to enter politics with no worries about the financial
consequences. If, as it has been for me, your ambition is to move
towards setting up your own company, then you will need to plan
very carefully how you will put together the funding required. Build
these plans, together with careful monitoring of the way in which
your wealth is developing, into your PDP;
e plan for the unexpected. When Barings, the UK’s oldest merchant
bank, went belly up on 26 February 1995 as a result of massive losses
in derivatives in its Singapore office, that day’s copy of “The Sunday
Times’ ironically carried a job advertisement for deputy head of
internal audit—a bit late perhaps! How prepared are you for the
totally unexpected? This might range from a new boss pointing you
out of the company to a headhunter telephoning you about a
prestige appointment. The best way to be prepared is by keeping
your curriculum vitae up to date, by constantly monitoring the
development of your competencies and by a regular review of your
long-term career objectives;
e do not underestimate the importance of your interests away from
work. In one organisation in which I have introduced PDPs on a
consultancy basis, I included a section on ‘the balance in my life’. As
often as not, even senior managers turned to this section first when
they were initially introduced to the PDP;
e what could you do to encourage the next generation to follow you
into engineering? Could you help by giving talks in schools or
becoming a Neighbourhood Engineer? In particular, if you are
female, could you do more to persuade female school pupils to
consider engineering as a career?
e could you become more involved in community activities, for
example by volunteering to become a school governor or entering
local politics? Nissan in the UK was experimenting in 1995 with
providing community work for its employees, starting with a pilot
group of 200, encouraging them to work in external organisations
including charities and the civil service; the idea was to tackle the
 Designing and using personal development plans '75

(os)|

CR OO
Figure 5.8
Cg
On Onc,
The need for horizontal experience and promotion in flatter structures

problem of blockages to upward career movement created by

delayering and to explore ways of creating more employment;
® organisations are increasingly delayering and moving to flatter
structures, looking to employ staff who are multifunctional. Give
careful consideration, therefore, to the need for horizontal
promotion—see Figure 5.8. Too many ambitious people suffer a
rude, and often terminal, shock to their career when they are
promoted vertically too fast. You will need to develop a wide range
of competencies at the initial stages of your career if you are to be
able to make the best decisions, either managerially or technically,
later in your career. Actively plan and seek horizontal broadening of
your career; this may be by moving to a new job at the same level or
it might be by experiencing a wide range of activities and functions
within your existing job;
e{ organisations would do well to move away from job descriptions,
which are restrictive and short term in their inherent concept, and
towards competency descriptions for all employees. This will give
much greater flexibility, allowing everyone to contribute to the
organisation’s objectives, and also provide greatly enhanced job
satisfaction. In addition, it is likely to provide ongoing broadening
experience—or horizontal promotion—for everyone. PDPs then
become a vitally important way of maximising the development of
all employees within such a fluid and sophisticated organisation. )
e if you intend to have a career break to have a family, then use your
PDP to plan how you will keep up to date during the time you are
away from work. Will you want to go back to full-time work, want
part-time work, wish to job share, work from home, or set up your
own business, etc?
76 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

e recognise that of the 2.7 million companies in the UK, only 9000—a
third of one per cent—employ more than 200 people. By contrast,
96 % of companies have fewer than 20 staff, and two-thirds of all
businesses consist of just one or two people. Indeed, between 1989 and
1991 businesses with fewer than 20 employees created nearly half a
million new jobs, while the larger firms saw their workforces decline.
Therefore, see your career possibilities in as wide a context as possible,
not necessarily restricting your experience to the larger companies.
@ organisations are increasingly moving away from employing all the
expertise which they need. For a large number of reasons, such as the
costs of overheads and flexibility, there is a widespread move towards
virtual organisations—these are ones where most of the work is
subcontracted out to experts, sometimes on a long-term basis and
sometimes on an interim or temporary basis. This is happening in
every area of organisations, including in research and development.
(The OECD basic science and technology statistics show that the ratio
of external to internal funding of research and development has been
increasing by two to three per cent each year in the 1990s.) Professor
Charles Handy has predicted that by the start of the next century less
than half of the industrial world’s workforce will be in full-time jobs. In
addition, there are now more and more people, myself included, who
much prefer the freedom of working on their own terms with a variety
of organisations. Those who do will then find, I am sure, that they will
need portfolios of areas of expertise to show potential clients what they
are able to offer; this is likely to be in the form of a curriculum vitae,
areas of expertise (a competence set), previous clients for whom you
have worked, etc. The easiest way in which you will be able to do this, I
believe, is by using a PDP in the form of software which can easily be
electronic mailed or faxed to potential clients. Some of the options
have been described in the previous chapter and more will be said
about these exciting possibilities in Chapter 8;
e the use of software for PDPs is certainly something which I strongly
recommend. You can, for example:
—link learning experiences directly to your competence set;
—monitor your learning to ensure that there is a balance between
your short-term and long-term, and technical and nontechnical
learning;
—use the powerful reporting facilities to monitor how much time
you are spending on learning, whether you are obtaining
learning linked to all of your key competencies, and so on;
—use the software as a skills database in an organisation.
 Designing and using personal development plans 77

5.8 Keep your CV up to date

You never know when your curriculum vitae (CV) may turn out to be
useful, so keep an updated version as part of your PDP. In many cases
people can now expect to have eight or more employers during their
working lives, so be prepared for the unexpected—either from a
positive or negative point of view.
There are many different possible formats, but the one I prefer and
have used successfully on many occasions has the following structure:
e a front sheet with my name, qualifications, age, marital status,
address, telephone number and fax number. These basic details are
then followed, for the rest of the front sheet, by a one sentence
summary of my background and a number of bullet points giving
my special strengths;
e@ a second page with basic details of my career in reverse order,
particularly highlighting my successes in each job;
e a third page with details of my education, fellowships, etc., profes-
sional activities, publications and personal interests and activities.
Keep your CV to the shortest length possible. No potential employer
likes to wade through pages of details. The only purpose of a CV is to
hook the potential employer into wanting to meet you, and you will do
that most successfully if you produce a short punchy CV, backed up by
a tailored one page covering letter explaining why you are a highly
suitable and well-qualified candidate for the job.

5.9 And if redundancy should hit you...

More and more professional engineers are unfortunately experienc-

ing the pain of forced separation from their employers.
First, do not panic. If you have followed the principles outlined in
this book, then you are in an eminently good position to take full
advantage of the opportunities now open to you. Think carefully
about what you would really like to do next in your career. Write these
thoughts down in your PDP and discuss them with other people,
probably starting with your family.
If you decide to apply for another full-time job, then do not just apply
for advertised vacancies in the national and professional press; also use
the network of contacts that you will have identified in your PDP. Ask this
network of contacts for any ideas on job opportunities in the area you are
looking for, rather than embarrassing them by directly asking for a job.
78 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

Then try to speak to the right person in the organisation to which you
wish to apply. Use your people contact skills to establish a rapport over
the telephone with the secretary of the person that you wish to meet-
Remember, you are using and developing your marketing skills to sell
yourself—and few things can surely be more important than that!
The IEE provides a job location service with the aim of assisting
unemployed members in the UK to locate suitable employment. The
IEE also provides seminars on the subject of seeking a new job.
Contact the career development manager of your own institution to
see what advice and support might be provided.
Think about whether you are prepared to offer your skills on a
temporary basis, thus reducing the commitment and risk for your
potential employer until you are better known.
Tailor your CV and covering letter very carefully, taking several
hours if necessary to adapt both to the specific requirements of the job
for which you are applying.
Above all, see all this as a challenge which is an important part of
your CPD. Believe in yourself and let everyone else know that you do
too. And avoid any feelings of bitterness; think positively and
recognise that you are, sadly, simply in a position in which increasing
numbers of other people are inevitably also finding themselves.
Remember that redundancy is now so common that a lot of the
managers who might interview you for a possible position with their
company may well have been through the same experience
themselves!

5.10 Summary

It is very much in the interests of both individuals and organisations

that a high priority is given to CPD. A survey by the Institute of
Management in March 1995[9] showed that, although the majority of
managers feel that they are on top of their daily tasks, many fail to
devote sufficient time to long-term strategic planning and their own
personal development needs. As the report noted, this short-term
emphasis is potentially damaging both to UK competitiveness and to
the careers of individuals.
The best possible way, and indeed I argue the only effective way, to
plan and structure your CPD is with the use of a personal development
plan. I hope that by reading this chapter you and your organisation are
now well on the way to feeling comfortable with using such a
document widely and regularly.
 Designing and using personal development plans 79

But, in addition, as this book has constantly emphasised, the context

is vitally important to successful CPD, including the use of PDPs.
Perhaps the most important context of all is the role of managers as
coaches, as well as the use of mentors, and this will be the topic of
Chapter 7.
 Chapter 6 F
Creating the right learning
opportunities.

‘Total quality begins and ends with training’—Professor Kaoru Ishikawa

I confess to a great admiration for the Japanese approach to training.

The emphasis in Japanese companies is very much on learning on the
job, with managers predominantly performing the role of coaches. In
contrast, the American approach tends to be one of throwing money
at the issue, using expensive off the job training, with managers
encouraged to behave in a macho way.
I much prefer the Japanese concept, not least because Japanese
companies have generally been much more successful than American—
or indeed western—ones as a whole. The clear lesson, I believe very
strongly, is that every possible opportunity has to be taken to maximise
learning opportunitiesin an organisation. As in Japanese companies, we
have to learn that time given to structured and shared learning is much
more important than spending money on training.
Professor Kaoru Ishikawa, the late Japanese guru on quality, was
really expressing the concept shown in Figure 4.9 in his quote at the
beginning of this chapter. Customer satisfaction can only come from
having the best possible quality in everything, that your organisation
does. And the only way to have the best quality is to have the most
skilled (competent) people throughout the organisation. If you can
provide better quality than your competitors, then you can charge a
premium price—and that is the road to riches. Training therefore
pays—and pays well!
This chapter contains many examples which may inspire you and
your organisation to develop even better ways of learning.

6.1 The organisation as a learning environment

Potential learning from formal training courses is often much less

valuable than it might be. The reason is simply that the environment at
 Creating the right learning opportunities 81

formal training

informal learning

Figure 6.1 _—_Is your training soundly based?

the workplace is not supportive of learning and the course itself is either
not properly identified by the manager for its relevance to the employee
or is not effectively followed up. As Figure 6.1 illustrates in very simple
terms, formal and expensive training will only work effectively if it is
based on a commitment throughout an organisation to maximising day
to day learning. Therefore now ask yourself, both in terms of your
organisation and for yourself: ‘Is my training soundly based?’
In addition to the individual and management commitment to
learning, as many ways as possible must be sought for learning and
spreading expertise within the organisation. Every opportunity must
be taken to pass knowledge and skills around within the company,
whether verbally or written, one to one or in groups. Time has to be
allocated to this activity, for this is the only way in which most
organisations will successfully utilise the inherent talent and knowhow
within, which gives them their commercial advantage over their
competitors.
The failure of most organisations to maximise the use of their own
experience and knowhow for growing and developing is because they
fail to give priority to two key elements. These are:
1 Time—for example, one hour each week for each employee.
2 Structure—learning activities must be planned and controlled.
Some examples of useful practical activities which I strongly
recommend are:
lunchtime/evening/worktime seminars;
team group meetings;
presentations to staff after attending training courses;
a brief summary document circulated with key information/
lessons/action after a training activity;
summary sheets of activities and learning from the previous week
presented and circulated to colleagues;
82 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

planned distribution of documentation;

short-term secondments and projects;
work shadowing;
mentoring.
An example of the very effective use of just one of these, summary
sheets of activities and learning from the previous week presented and
circulated to colleagues, comes from an engineer who was seconded
from a British company’s research laboratories to Toshiba in Japan for
six months. He described how every Monday morning each member
of his team of 12 engineers had to summarise on a single sheet of
paper everything which he had done and learnt during the previous
week. He had just five minutes to explain this to a group meeting of
all his colleagues and these sheets were then pinned up on the wall for
everyone to refer to during the coming week. Thus, by the end of the
first hour of work each week, every member of the team was fully up
to speed on everything done and learnt by the whole team. Those who
argue that Japan is so culturally different that there is nothing which
the West can learn from it are closing their minds to some very simple
lessons and techniques, such as this one, which any organisation can
easily implement at very little cost.
In summary, for CPD to be as effective as possible:
e time must be committed in a structured way;
e money must be committed in an organised, planned and controlled
manner;
e there must be organisational and individual visions of the future.
Let us therefore look at a series of case studies to see how a number of
organisations, in different ways, have maximised their organisational
learning.

6.1.1 Food for thought at Courtaulds Engineering

Courtaulds Engineering in Coventry has obtained considerable
benefit from organising regular lunchtime seminars for its technical
staff—typically for 20 to 30 people at each session. Lasting from one
and a half to two hours, these have proved to be an economical and
successful way of training and updating engineers and technicians in
specific engineering topics.
Many of the seminars have been presented by technical
representatives from outside the company—including suppliers,
 Creating the right learning opportunities 83

contractors and consultants. The topics have included noise, safety,

equipment technology (such as boilers) and pressure systems
regulations for the mechanical engineers. Electrical engineers have
had seminars on subjects including variable speed drive systems,
circuit breakers and aspects of the IEE Regulations, while the
instrumentation engineers have had sessions in areas as diverse as
ultrasonic level measurement and batch software. The process
engineers also have their own regular programme of lunchtime
seminars and the civil engineers and architects will soon be doing the
same. Some lectures are also provided by Courtaulds’ own experts.
The company is also improving its design expertise through the use of
the Institution of Chemical Engineers’ video training courses.
Tim Harrison, principal engineer, says: “We are using state of the art
technology, so what better way is there of keeping our staff updated
than inviting our suppliers to provide these seminars? There are also
benefits to the suppliers in improving their understanding of what our
needs are as customers.’ Roger Burley, senior manager, engineering,
adds: ‘Engineering is not only about knowing the technology; it is also
very important to know where to go for an answer and what to ask.
These regular sessions help to extend our engineers’ networks.’
‘In addition,’ says Frank Passey, chief engineer, electrical, ‘by participa-
ting in these lunchtime seminars presented by external experts, they also
experience a variety of techniques, helping them to make better quality
presentations themselves. This is particularly beneficial to our graduate
trainees. We also often require our engineers to make a presentation to
their colleagues on returning from any formal training course.’
Other approaches used by Courtaulds to develop its technical staff
include a training centre, providing open learning facilities including
PC software and languages.

6.1.2 Building on success at Bechtel

Bechtel, with over 21 000 professional staff operating in more than 135
countries, is consistently ranked among the world’s leading
professional and construction organisations.
In the UK office there is strong support for CPD and involvement
with professional institutions. For example, the company pays institu-
tion membership fees and there is a level of seniority above which
technical employees cannot rise unless they are chartered engineers.
The company’s commitment to CPD includes:
e individual career development plans;
@ a technical track mentor programme for technical specialists;
84 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

e skills matrices;
e regular and wide-ranging in-company lecture and seminar
programmes;
@ overseas placements for many staff;
e providing experience and training in the UK over an extended
period for engineers from Russia and Oman prior to opening up
offices in those countries;
e recording and monitoring the precise numbers of fellows and
members of professional institutions.
Riley Bechtel, president of Bechtel Group, Inc., says: ‘Bechtel has a
firm belief in the development of its employees. We are committed to
training and development and follow a policy of promotion from
within.’
As part of this policy, staff have the opportunity to study for the
Bechtel Business Certificate, which teaches general management and
business skills. This is run in conjunction with Middlesex University
and successful completion can lead to exemption from the first year of
the university’s three year part-time MBA course.
Bechtel has been in the UK since 1952 and provides a full range of
engineering, procurement, construction and project management
services to the power, civil, petroleum, chemical and mining industries
throughout Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Southwest Asia.
The company has been involved in some of the world’s most
challenging engineering and construction projects: supporting fire-
fighting operations and the reconstruction of Kuwait’s oil producing
facilities following the Gulf War; assisting Eurotunnel in the
management of the Channel Tunnel project, one of the world’s largest
construction undertakings; development of Qatar’s North Field, the
world’s largest nonassociated gas field.
In recognition of its significant contribution to the export of UK
goods and services, Bechtel was awarded The Queen’s Award for
Export Achievement 1994. This was Bechtel’s second award in four
years, having won it for the first time in 1991.

6.1.3 Investing in people—the prime resource

Oscar Faber TPA (OFTPA) was the first consultancy in the
construction industry to be awarded the title Investor in People (IiP),
which includes requirements for effective CPD.
liP is a national standard implemented locally by Training and
Enterprise Councils (TECs) in England and Wales, and Local
 Creating the right learning opportunities 85

Enterprise Companies (LECs) in Scotland. An organisation wishing to

gain liP accreditation contacts its local TEC or LEC, which provides
advice on how the company’s CPD measures up against the standard.
In some cases there may be some additional support in the form of
consultancy to help with the preparation of an action plan. The
company must also make a formal commitment to work towards the
standard. When the organisation is ready, the TEC’s assessors carry out
a detailed investigation of what the organisation actually does to
develop its employees.
In the case of OFTPA, the company already had all the necessary
elements in place; these included:
identification of individual and group learning needs;
an annual programme for training;
an appraisal system;
planned learning, both on and off the job;
assistance in obtaining qualifications;
monitoring and evaluating training in the context of business
objectives;
communicating with all staff (and not just to them);
promoting a learning culture;
e procedures for staff development as part of the quality assurance
system.
However, it was felt necessary to send out a questionnaire to all staff to
assess their perception of what actually happened. Nigel Lloyd, staff
development manager, said: “The feedback proved to be a real eye
opener for us and enabled us not only to address the weaknesses which
were identified, but also to strengthen our other evaluation processes.’
‘Our commitment to staff development has shown many tangible
benefits, most importantly in staff retention and in increased
professionalism and flexibility,’ says Richard Brown, assistant managing
director. ‘We have also worked with the Management Charter Initiative
and Department of Employment on introducing the new national
standards of management into our performance appraisals.’
The increasing number of organisations achieving IiP status ranges
from, for example, Foster Wheeler, with 2400 employees, to the
Institution of Chemical Engineers with 84 staff. Each is awarded a
plaque, is allowed to call itself an Investor in People and becomes
entitled to use the distinctive IiP laurel garland logo on all stationery
and publicity. Normally accreditation lasts for up to three years.
86 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

6.1.4 A powerful approach to CPD

A powerful commitment by the senior management to developing staff
at all levels has led to major benefits at National Power’s Ironbridge
power station.
The challenges provided by privatisation in 1992 initiated a review of
the skills across the business. Senior management decided to adopt a
major programme of training aimed at developing multiskilled employ-
ees, with the objective of empowering people throughout the organisa-
tion. Not only has the skills base been raised significantly, but responsi-
bility is now delegated to the lowest practicable level. At the same time,
the number of levels on the site has been reduced to four: the station
manager, first line team leaders, foremen/supervisors and operators.
The benefits have included an overall increase in profitability of sixty
one per cent, with productivity per employee up by 111%. Better
efficiency in converting fuel to energy has resulted in savings of £550 000
a year and the plant has 95.18 % availability, compared to 89.97 % before
the training. Furthermore, Ironbridge has set a new National Power
safety record by clocking up 1000 days without a lost-time accident on the
site.
The philosophy behind all this has been to raise quality levels by
expanding knowledge across the site. Where specialist expertise is
identified in particular employees, they are given off-line training in
trainer skills. Their challenge then is to cascade that knowhow across
the site to all those who will benefit. For example, 17 new information
technology systems and programmes were cascaded in this way. In
addition, supervisors have been encouraged to train for the National
Examining Board for Supervisory Management certificate, which has
now been achieved by over 250 staff across National Power; this
involves residential courses, distance learning and work-related
projects over 12-15 months.
Bill Yorke, ash and dust foreman, for example, is being fully
empowered to enable him to run a self-sufficient team which can
operate in its own right. This involves him in taking over a number of
new areas of responsibility. ‘It is beneficial to both the station and
ourselves as life becomes far easier when all responsibilities are under
one roof,’ says Bill, who joined Ironbridge as a mechanical fitter 25
years ago. ‘Because I am involved so closely in the area, I can see just
where the money can best be spent, and perhaps other areas where it
doesn’t need spending. I will also be able to look very closely at specific
jobs and see if there are other ways of doing them just as effectively but
for less money.’
 Creating the right learning opportunities 87

180 employees are now registered on National Vocational

Qualification programmes of assessment. Operators are being given
craft skills, with the craftsmen and fitters in turn being cross trained
into new skills, including those of the operators. Those in functions
such as engineering, logistics, finance, environmental services and
human resources are developing a service culture, based on a detailed
skills analysis, backed up by structured training plans.
Not surprisingly, Ironbridge power station won one of the 59
National Training Awards for employers in 1993. In addition, it won
commendation from the Management Charter Initiative. The station
has also been working towards Investors in People accreditation.

6.1.5 Moving towards a learning organisation in Hong Kong

In Hong Kong the 1990s have been characterised as turbulent years
with companies facing a rapidly changing social, economic and
political environment. This level of change is likely to escalate as Hong
Kong heads into an increasingly uncertain future and a company’s
ability to deal with this dynamism is likely to be the chief arbiter of its
success. In order to maintain and improve its high level of service to
the Hong Kong community, the Mass Transit Railway Corporation
(MTRC) believes that the key to long-term success is the creation of a
learning culture.
The MTRC adopted a competency-based approach to staff manage-
ment in 1990 to facilitate a culture of continuous improvement. The
company developed a structured way of describing behaviour in the
organisation, looking at the added value of managers and providing a
common language for integrating both strategic and operational level
personnel and business plans. The competencies critical for success at
three different levels in management were agreed and, early in 1994,
extended to supervisory levels.
A combination of objective and empirical methods was used to
identify the key competencies critical for the success of the
organisation. These methods included using structured computerised
questionnaires, the repertory grid method and the critical incident
technique (where managers are asked to identify the significant
competencies which they have used in a number of different situa-
tions). Recognising the dynamic nature of Hong Kong, these key
competencies are regularly reviewed.
Use of these key management competencies starts at the recruit-
ment stage, ensuring that individuals are a best fit for their jobs. They
are also integrated into the appraisal and performance management
88 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

system, and used in designing training and development programmes.

This has allowed the MTRC to reward those whose competencies best
meet its business needs and to maximise its investment in its
employees. It also provides a framework with which to identify the
quality of the staff resources currently available, as well as to plan
staffing needs over the next five years.
Assessment centres are used to assess groups of managers for
possible promotion using well qualified observers in an off the job
setting. The assessment tools used include tests, questionnaires and
behavioural simulations.
The MTRC believes that organisational performance can only be
improved by the commitment of individual managers to their own self
development. Therefore all managers are encouraged, but not forced,
to participate in the two-day assessment events. By the end of 1993, 19
executive managers (63 %), 59 senior managers (92 %) and 76 junior
managers (33 %) had already attended these centres.
The assessment feedback report is discussed by the participant’s
manager, the observer, the participant and a development adviser,
whose role is to advise on the appropriate next steps. The adviser
continues to review progress with the participant until a development
plan has been implemented, offering individually tailored advice and
support at every stage.
However, responsibility for implementing the development plan
rests firmly with the individual, supported by the line manager who
carries out a final review approximately a year after the date of the
assessment.
The MTRC believes firmly that CPD is the key to its future success.
In 1994 the concept of competency was cascaded down to supervisory
levels and a detailed analysis of the technical competency needs was
also made.
A,database has been set up to monitor all the data from the
evaluations made at the recruitment stage, the annual appraisal and
the assessment of potential at the development centres. All this is used
for manpower and succession planning to support the organisation’s
future business plans.

6.1.6 Genesis at Harland & Wolff

In 1989, after privatisation, Harland & Wolff (H&W) in Belfast signed
a two part agreement with Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI)—a design
package for tankers and a technical assistance programme. As part of
this agreement there has been open exchange of information,
 Creating the right learning opportunities 89

including that about personnel, training and development, as well as

productivity rates.
KHI, for example, obtains a significant productivity improvement
from its employees every year, even before any money is invested, by
the approach to initial training and CPD. H&W’s objective is to
establish a continuous improvement environment and expect this to
take four or five years. The objective is to be world class, with a clear
vision and set of clear values. Project Genesis was launched to remodel
all job roles in the company.
H&W staff have shadowed managers and directors in KHI at all
levels and modelled their organisational structure on that of their
partner company. So far, 160 H&W staff have worked with KHI in
Japan for one to five weeks and some KHI staff have worked at H&W.
George Spence, general manager of productivity development, is in
charge of the Genesis programme. He says: ‘We believe that a most
important aspect is the role of middle managers, who provide the key
link between the front line operations and senior management. We
have therefore introduced development centres for general foremen
and managers, based on assessing the key competencies required for
their roles.’
The emphasis one year might be on team working and team
building, while the next year the emphasis will move on to the
development of the skills of coaching. Team leaders are responsible
for developing the skills matrix in their area, with this information
prominently displayed as part of a visual factory concept. Visitors can
immediately see what the problems are, what is being done about
them and how successfully.
In some areas, such as computer aided design, H&W is ahead of
KHI. Over the period 1989 to 1993, productivity at H&W improved by
fifty per cent, with another forty five per cent improvement by the end
of 1994. All processes in the company are benchmarked against the
KHI equivalent time and every effort is made to equal or better them.
Recently Masaaki Imai, the Japanese quality expert, visited H&W
and commented on how impressed he was by the housekeeping
standards, which he judged to be higher than in some European
aircraft companies.

6.1.7 Going to town with the institutions

Lewisham Borough Council is facing new challenges as a result of
compulsory competitive tendering; by 1996 ninety per cent of all work
done in engineering in local authorities had to be put out to open
90 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

tender. As a result of past commitment to training, the council sees

itself as being in a particularly strong position to meet these
challenges. ;
With the support of John Coach, the borough engineer, a new
position of technical training officer was created in 1989, filled byJohn
Maher. He established a policy of updating the expertise of the 48
engineering staff by:
e introducing a comprehensive training programme;
e@ encouraging all staff to join either the Institution of Civil Engineers
(ICE) or the Institute of Highway Incorporated Engineers (IHIE).
A new training agreement with the engineering staff was drawn up and
launched in May 1993, with presentations by Eric Jenkins from the ICE
and Judith Walker from the IHIE. This followed a comprehensive
training needs analysis based on interviews with all members of staff
and their managers. A prime consideration was the improvement of
customer service.
All engineering employees now became entitled
.to one day of
training per week up to December 1993. A comprehensive
programme of courses was scheduled throughout the year, which any
engineering employee could apply to attend. These ranged from a
two-hour session on ‘Dealing with customers’ to a two-day course on
‘ICE conditions of contract’. To maximise the effectiveness, the
programme included:
e acomplete set of course notes for each session;
e up to half of each in-house course devoted to dealing with actual
problems encountered in the workplace;
e job shadowing;
e provision of a library of books, publications, video and audio tapes.

6.1.8 Claro Precision Engineering

The Engineering Council has published a number of case studies
showing how organisations have benefited from CPD and Investors in
People (IiP). One of these case studies describes Claro Precision
Engineering Ltd, with 34 employees.
Located in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, the company was
formed in 1978 with three working directors and a company secretary.
The 14 000 sq ft factory is now equipped with CNC machining centres,
turning centres and milling machines to provide a machining,
assembly and toolmaking service on a subcontract basis. Claro has a
particular expertise in producing tooling for medical implants.
 Creating the right learning opportunities 91

The company is fully committed to a total quality management philoso-

phy and its quality system is registered to BS5750 part 2/ISO9002.
Within a short time of setting up in business, Claro had established
itself as a company with a good reputation for the delivery of a quality
product which met the customer’s specification. The demand for
products rose steadily, but the directors were conscious of a poor
financial return which showed few signs of improving. An initial
investigation revealed that, although the product that left the factory
would meet the customer’s requirements, rework and error correction
prior to acceptance for despatch was excessive. Existing management
controls had failed to reveal these shortcomings and it was evident,
too, that junior managers lacked the techniques necessary for
management. The company’s policy of internal promotion had not
been accompanied by appropriate training and development. The
Training Agency was contacted and a consultant brought in. (This
developed into strong links with the North Yorkshire Training and
Enterprise Council when it was formed in 1991.)
Every employee, including the directors, was given appropriate
training covering a wide range of skills. It was found, for example, that
the simplest of measuring and monitoring systems, if applied
consistently by staff trained in their use, would bring substantial
improvements—including a five-fold reduction in rework. The
concept of simultaneous engineering was also introduced, with
consultation between designers and production staff. Employees now
had a wider range of skills resulting in a flexibility which allowed them
to assist in all parts of the manufacturing process.
Turnover increased by twenty three per cent in 1993, with improve-
ments in profitability, in spite of an unfavourable economic climate.
There has since been a substantial increase in orders in hand and a
twenty per cent improvement in on-time deliveries. Production costs
have dropped through the improved control of the budget and a
reduction in overtime working. The costs of cutting tools fell by fifteen
per cent, and the cost of consumables fell by almost fifty per cent.
Claro was among the first companies to be awarded IiP status in the
engineering sector in the UK. Howard Chadwick, Claro’s managing
director, says: ‘Without this investment in training Claro would have
suffered a declining share of the market which, along with our rising
costs of production, might well have brought about the demise of the
company, despite the acknowledged success of our products in
engineering terms. Instead, Claro is very much in business and having
to face up to a new problem—demand beginning to outstrip
production capacity. Even here the problem is being tackled by staff
92 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

who have identified improvements which will increase capacity

without prejudicing the cost of production. A few years ago such
practical and innovative thinking would not have been possible.’

6.1.9 BAA—continuous improvement takes off

BAA, which operates seven airports in the UK and has extensive
international interests, has the mission to ‘make BAA the most
successful airport company in the world’. This means:
e always focusing on customers’ needs and safety (over 500 000 pas-
sengers are interviewed annually and their views steer continuous
improvements of all aspects of the business) ;
e seeking continuous improvement in the cost and quality of its
SErVICeS;
e enabling all employees to give of their best.
Change is fundamental to BAA’s business, with a daily investment of
well over £1 million. But, as Graham Matthews, project services
director, says: ‘Despite our success as a company, we still have many
opportunities to explore in our quest to reach the standards which we
believe are possible. For example, UK contractors are often only thirty
five per cent productive, and we know that construction costs can be
reduced significantly. Our continuous improvement (CI) programme
is aimed atjust these sorts of issues.’
This continuous improvement of the project process was initiated in
May 1994 and led to a launch of new initiatives throughout the
company in 1996. In parallel with this, a research programme in
conjunction with Reading University and Warwick Manufacturing
Group, is developing a world class project process, which will be
adopted by the company following rigorous trials and testing. These
two parts of the CI programme will be accompanied by a substantial
training programme aimed not only at BAA’s internal project
management and engineering staff, but also at consultants,
contractors and suppliers. The three key issues for BAA in this quest
for world class standards are:
e construction processes in the UK are often as backward as processes
in the UK motor industry used to be;
e the UK construction industry does not provide the same level of
value for its customers as other industries or construction in some
other countries;
e because BAA has such large purchasing power, there is an ideal
opportunity to create lasting change.
 Creating the right learning opportunities 93

Training for change

BAA has already run a series of internal training seminars to create
heightened awareness of the change programme and to identify the
key issues involved.
A detailed skills and needs analysis has been undertaken throughout
the company, which has identified three key areas for those involved
in construction projects:
e technical;
e business skills;
@ interpersonal skills.
‘A detailed training programme for BAA project management staff is
being introduced,’ says Graham Matthews, ‘and at the same time we are
developing an induction and training programme for our preferred
suppliers. It is only by working with our suppliers to develop their
products and services that we will be able to make the improvements
that we need to make to achieve world class standards. We will be setting
measurable targets and objectives for performance improvements.
‘Our internal training will be largely based on interactive workshops.
Management of design, for example, will be about looking at real life
design issues and finding examples of good and bad design.’

Ensuring effective follow up

BAA is very conscious of the danger that much of this investment in
training for change will not be followed up effectively.
Therefore, there will be considerable emphasis on training line
managers to be effective coaches and mentors of their staff. In
addition, staff will be encouraged to attend refresher courses to
maintain the momentum of the programme.

6.1.10 Using CPD to move into the first rank

Rank Xerox Technical Centre (RXTC) in Welwyn Garden City has
some 1000 high quality staff supporting a worldwide high technology
business with a £3.5 billion annual turnover. The company’s total
commitment to improving even further both its customer and
employee satisfaction is led by Dr. Guy Rabbat, executive director, who
says: ‘We have a very clear five-year vision—to build a virtual
organisation. By the turn of the century our 1000 employees will be
supported by another 5000 virtual employees. Other organisations sell
equipment; we sell our people’s skills and knowledge.’
94 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

A key part of Rank Xerox’s vision is to form alliances with value

added reseller partners (VARPs), enabling partnerships between Rank
Xerox’s technologies and skills and those of the VARPs.
The four corporate priorities in the company are:
constantly monitoring and measuring the satisfaction of customers;
using a wide variety of measures to evaluate employee satisfaction;
maximising the return on its assets;
increasing market share.
For the last three years the company has placed considerable emphasis
on identifying the technical competencies required of each employee.
Strategic thought has also been given to forecasting the migration of
skills mix which will be required over the next five years, as is shown in
Figure 6.2. To support employees in enhancing their existing skills and
developing new ones, a wide range of sophisticated and innovative
learning tools and technologies has been developed; these include
competency, career development and job vacancies Looks computer
based training and open learning.
‘We are living in a culture of rapid technological change—moving
from Rank Xerox the reprographics company to Rank Xerox the docu-
ment company,’ says John Green, manager of training and development.
‘We must have multiskilled, multitasked teams, which have to be both
adaptive and innovative.’ The company has developed a competence
dictionary of 435 competencies, each defined at five levels of proficiency,
and is mapping these competencies to business performance.
To this end RXTC has developed a competency-based analysis tool—

Education and languages

Project management

Software

Design

Hardware

1995 2000

Figure 6.2 The changing skills mix in the Rank Xerox Technical Centre
 Creating the right learning opportunities 95

Job Title: (IREEISS"m [=|

14

7 $ i

10
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oe

‘ss
o°

My

—
\

Training Priorities ee | 7~ Ho Training

|
a
ie
aA
by Role 0 eee aes Low Priority
Medium Priority
High Priority
Essential

Account
Planning Coaching
Skills
[Link]
gets Peripherals
Account
Identificat Language
Skills
Presentation
Skills
ONC Sales Specialist Technical/Product
K
Customer
Engagement Customer
Relationsh
PlatformsConnectivity
Hardware /Hetw
Application
Softwar

* Identifies areas of greatest need

* Promotes focused investment of training budgets
Figure 6.3 A screenshot from the Xerox Assessment of Competencies Tool

the Xerox Assessment of Competencies Tool, an example screen of

which is shown in Figure 6.3. This allows continual monitoring of
progress against the criteria critical to the successful performance ofa
role. Individual results can also be collated with other results to
identify and prioritise both individual and group development needs.
‘We believe strongly in empowerment and constant CPD for every-
one, says Dr. Guy Rabbat. ‘Our managers are appraised in particular
on the basis of how well they develop their staff. Any manager failing
to do this well would not remain with us for long.’ All employees
attend a highly successful employeeship one-day event, designed to
help them to release even more of their potential and ideas to support
the company. ‘We are now moving from empowerment to self-directed
workgroups and then on to self-managed workgroups,’ adds Dr.
Rabbat.
Employee satisfaction is closely monitored. This has risen from forty
nine per cent expressing satisfaction with the company in 1992 to
seventy seven per cent in 1995; this compares with a national UK norm
96 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

of fifty two per cent. In addition, ninety four per cent of the training
provided is shown to meet the prescribed competencies. All managers
are appraised on their staff development skills and on the percentage
completion of identified staff training.
This rising success in developing employees is mirrored in rising
customer Satisfaction, market share and company efficiency. The level
of customer satisfaction rose from sixty per cent in 1992 to eighty-
seven per cent in 1995, with market share increasing from 54.9 % to
83.1 %. Return on assets has also risen by fifty per cent.
All this is overseen by an employee steering committee which, as one
of its activities, encourages all employees to find themselves a mentor.
In addition many imaginative means are used to communicate with
employees. Everywhere in the organisation there are large colour
monitors displaying a continually changing menu of information on
everything from job opportunities to sales successes. These are
supported by many other means of obtaining instant communication
with employees, ranging from internal e-mail to Lotus Notes and the
Internet, as well as a range of in-company magazines.
There are thus many ways in which there can be benefits from
investment in CPD. We will look, finally, at one individual’s viewpoint.

6.1.11 Gillian Sturke, CEng—engineering specialist, Northern

Telecom Europe, Basildon
‘Career development was very far from my thoughts when I responded
to an appeal for female engineers to work as role models in local
schools. Having recently become an MIEE and registered as a CEng I
felt that my professional development was progressing well.
‘As part of a liaison scheme between industry and schools being
promoted by the Essex Education Authority, I spent as many
afternoons as my business commitments allowed at a local primary
school working with groups from a class of eight and nine year olds.
The aim of my visits, as part of one of the topics, was to introduce the
children to electricity and simple circuits. There were also broader
aims—to increase their awareness of life outside the narrow confines
of the classroom and to bring a new perspective to technology lessons,
a subject which few primary teachers are trained to teach.
‘As well as finding the project rewarding and enjoyable, I was
surprised to find how much ofa challenge it proved. It made me see a
whole new side to the communication of ideas, as well as making me
review my own specialisation.
‘I hope that my experiences will improve my ability to communicate
 Creating the right learning opportunities 97

ideas and concepts, especially to audiences with less technical

knowledge than my own, and in the motivation of my team and
direction of my projects.’

6.2 Summary
There are, then, clearly a multitude of ways of sharing learning across
an organisation and of developing your competencies and career as an
individual.
Now take another look at your PDP and see if there are any ideas in
this chapter which you want to build into either your own or your
organisation’s development plan.
 Chapter 7
How to use mentoring and coaching
as part of your CPD

Everyone has a lit of a natural coach within them’—Frank Dick, former

director of coaching, British Athletics Federation
‘We must view people not as bottles to be filled, but as candles to be it —
Robert H. Schaffer

I keep returning to Figure 2.1 and emphasising the importance of all

three factors being in place for effective continuing professional
development to take place. In the middle of this figure lies the
concept of the manager as a coach; this role, I believe, is the glue
which holds CPD together in any organisation.
In this chapter we will look at what this word coaching really means
and how it relates to counselling and mentoring. How do you become
a good and effective coach or mentor? Do you need to be qualified as
a psychologist? What are the key competencies required? What is the
link with appraisalsP How can you make best use of coaches and
mentors as a vital part of your CPD?
Let us start by looking at the word coaching and see how it links to
the word management, particularly since it is my strong view that most
organisations in the West have a quite erroneous idea of what manage-
ment is all about.
The importance of this chapter is that coaching/mentoring is a
universal skill. Even if you are not a mentor yourself, you should really
find yourself a mentor as a key part of your CPD, so it will help
considerably to be able to recognise the attributes of an effective
mentor. Furthermore everyone, whether a coach/mentor or not in
any formal sense, can use the approaches described here to persuade
others of the merits of their ideas—whether it be their own staff, their
colleagues, their boss or even their spouse!
Coaching/mentoring is the most important competence required
not only of a manager in particular, but in addition of everyone
involved in CPD.
 How to use mentoring and coaching as part of your CPD 99

7.1 What is coaching?

All too often, coaching is seen as an activity performed by someone
who is an expert in a skill and who shows another person how to
perform better at that skill. I do indeed know people who use their
considerable business experience, for example, to coach individuals so
that their performance is improved. However, I also know many
people who very effectively and successfully coach people in areas of
expertise in which they, the coaches, have little or no experience.
To explain this apparent anomaly, let us see the balances in the roles
of a coach as shown in Figure 7.1. You will see that the coaching
spectrum includes, at one end, putting things into people, like skills,
knowledge and experience—which is probably the way you have seen
coaching up to now. At the other end, however, it is also extremely
effective at pulling things out of people, such as their potential, their
commitment and their expertise.
In most organisations in which I have worked as either an employee
or a consultant, the only real expertise that was needed to make it a
world class winner was within the organisation itself. The amount of
specialist knowledge needed from outside has usually been relatively

‘putting things ‘pulling things

into people.’ out of people.’

skills potential

knowledge commitment

experience expertise

ES

coach does most of the:

talking listening
(high control) (low control)

Figure 7.1 The coaching spectrum

100 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

little. The problem in most cases, however, in the majority of non-

Japanese organisations at least, has been that expertise has not been
effectively shared internally. Similarly, most individuals already have
many years of experience in their area of specialist interest; despite
this, all too often they have difficulty in pulling this expertise together
in a way which maximises their own potential.
In both cases, then, of organisations and individuals, the need is for
some external support or stimulus to help to focus and direct the
expertise already available within. Words which readily describe this
external supportive activity include coaching, facilitating and
mentoring. As Figure 7.1 indicates, the spectrum for the coach,
facilitator or mentor ranges from the coach doing most of the talking
(retaining high control of the discussion), to the coach doing most of
the listening (giving the control of the discussion, to a large extent, to
the person being coached).
Too much of management activity, in my experience, is on the left
of this spectrum. How many managers, after all, do you know who are
good listeners? Probably all too few. And do you respond better to
managers who tell you what to do, or to those who listen to your ideas?
Assuming that you agree that listening is extremely important in a
manager’s set of key competencies, then we have a good starting point
for deciding on the skills required of a good coach.

7.2, What is mentoring?

Mentoring differs from coaching in two key respects:
1 The mentor needs to be more experienced in the areas of expertise
concerned than the individual being mentored.
2 The mentor should not, generally speaking, be in a line
management position above the person whom they are mentoring.
This is both because that person needs to be able to confide in the
mentor to a degree which is usually difficult to achieve with one’s
own manager, and also because it provides a secondary source of
advice, which can be seen as independent.

The usual context in which I am involved with mentors is in my

activities with the professional institutions. Most, if not all, institutions
insist that for a training scheme for young technicians or engineers to
be accredited, each trainee must have a mentor. The definition that I
use of mentoring is: ‘The use of experienced employees to accelerate
the learning and development of those less experienced.
 How to use mentoring and coaching as part ofyour CPD 101

Some of the key roles of mentors in their relationships with the

individuals being mentored are to:
e facilitate professional development;
@ provide positive influence;
e influence colleagues to provide and maximise learning opportunities;
e share experience;
e provide feedback.
However, it is increasingly being realised that mentoring is not just a
role that is important at the beginning of someone’s career. Rather it
is highly desirable that we have one or more mentors throughout our
careers, and mentoring is therefore an extremely important aspect of
CPD. I myself have had two or three mentors at any one time,
including one at present who is the vice-president of the Japan Society
for Engineering Education.
It is worth emphasising that mentoring is not just highly beneficial
to those being mentored; it is also very valuable CPD for the mentor.
Benefits to the mentor include, for example:
e satisfaction in playing a key role in someone else’s development,
e self development through learning how to be a more effective
mentor;
e influencing successors;
e developing new perspectives through being challenged by, and
challenging, those being mentored.
The sorts of factors that you should take into account in choosing
mentors include their:
e background experience;
e interpersonal skills;
@ motivation to succeed in the role;
@ interest in helping less experienced colleagues.
Give some thought now, therefore, to whether, if you are not already
one, you might not become a mentor as part of your own CPD. In
addition, how might you find yourself a mentor? Mentoring is being
recognised increasingly as a key part of CPD, both for the mentors and
the people whom they are mentoring.

What is management?
Disillusion with the way in which organisations are run has been a
problem for a long time. In the last century Mark Twain, the American
writer and humourist, said:
102. Continuing professional development: a practical approach

‘If work were so great, the rich would have hogged it long ago.’

More recently, the American quality expert Phil Crosby wrote in his
book ‘Quality is free’:
‘I worked for the company for 12 years before I realised managers were
there to help me. Before that I thought they were a punishment from
God.’
In Chapter 2, I described hearing the chairman of Sony, Akio Morita,
speaking in 1981 at the IEE and criticising Peter Drucker for not
understanding what management is all about. ‘In Japan a manager’s
role is very simple; it is to develop the skills of his staff so that they can
find better ways of satisfying the customers,’ said Morita. That was the
first time that it had occurred to me that management was really all
about coaching and developing staff. So novel does this appear in the
West that I have yet to come across any MBA course (and I have
obtained the brochures of every MBA course run in the UK recently)
which makes any mention of the skill of coaching in its brochure.
And yet I have still to meet anyone who disagrees with Akio Morita’s
view of management as predominantly being about the skill of
coaching. Nor, in many presentations in many countries around the
world, have I met anyone who disagrees with the concept that
organisations should look like the one in Figure 2.5 and not like the
one in Figure 2.4.
Indeed, one of the most successful business books in the 1990s,
‘Reengineering the corporation’, points out that:
‘While a manager can typically supervise only about seven people, he or
she can coach close to thirty.’[10]

Unfortunately the authors failed to realise the prime importance of

this statement and are thus apparently still puzzled as to why seventy
per cent of business process reengineering initiatives fail; it is because
the processes of Figure 2.1 are not in place—and above all because
managers are not behaving as coaches.
I have been doing a consultancy project in Turkey with a colleague,
Gordon Williams, managing director of Gestalt Consultants. In essence
the consultancy assignment is aimed at enhancing the coaching style of
management, which has enabled this company to be the best in its class
in the world. Part of our work has been coaching the management on a
one to one basis, and encouraging these directors, managers and
supervisors to coach their staff in turn also on a one to one basis. The
objective of this is to release as much potential and as many ideas from
all employees as possible. In one case thé maintenance supervisor had
 How to use mentoring and coaching as part ofyour CPD 103

command coaching
& &
control support

VEN
Figure 7.2 Balancing the management style

been challenged by the production director to reduce the time taken

for changing two large reaction vessels from 18 days to 12 days. By
coaching each of his team on a one to one basis and obtaining their
ideas and commitment, the maintenance supervisor succeeded in
completing the task in just six days, which was subsequently further
reduced to just three and a half. This is one of many such experiences
that I have had of the enormous power of coaching.
It must be emphasised, however, that it is not always appropriate for
managers to act as coaches the whole time. As Figure 7.2 illustrates,
there is a range of management behaviour between command and
control on the one hand, and coaching and facilitating on the other,
and a balance is needed between the two. There are unquestionably
times when managers must behave in command and control mode—
for example when safety is important and clear rules must be specified
and action taken if anyone transgresses them.
If you are a manager or supervisor, take a little time now to ask
yourself how much time you spend at each end of this range of
management behaviours. List the types of situation in which you have
been commanding and controlling, and those in which you have been
coaching and facilitating. What does this analysis tell you about your
management behaviour?
In my experience, most managers generally fail to behave as coaches
for much, if any, of their time for one very simple reason. They have
never been effectively coached themselves and therefore do not
understand its extraordinary power. They therefore give coaching
neither the importance nor the priority that it deserves. They do not
feel themselves to have the competence to coach their staff, and they
do not feel committed to coaching. This chapter is therefore aimed at
making you feel very much at home with the concepts and giving you
the confidence to develop your skills in this area.
As Frank Dick was quoted as saying at the beginning of the chapter,
everyone is a natural coach to some degree. One of the barriers in my
104 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

own mind used to be the idea that I needed a formal qualification in

psychology to be able to coach others. I now know from direct
personal experience that that is quite untrue. Indeed, in all my
experience I have never yet met anyone who is not, to some degree or
another, a natural coach. On the other hand, we can all become better
at coaching—and the best way to do this is to constantly practise the
skill and to obtain as much feedback as possible.
If coaching is indeed the prime, although not the only, skill required
of a manager, then mentoring can be seen as a subset of that prime
skill. A mentor uses much the same skills as a coach, but with the
important difference noted earlier; specialist knowledge about the
area in which you are coaching is not required, whereas in mentoring
the opposite is generally true. For example, the IEE insists that anyone
mentoring someone on an IEE accredited training scheme should be
a chartered engineer.

7.3 Coaching/mentoring is about lighting candles

As the other quote at the beginning of this chapter suggested, we can
see the people we are coaching or mentoring as being ‘like candles to
be lit, rather than as bottles to be filled’.
One context in which this might be considered is shown in Figure 7.3.
Spend a few moments and think through where in the four quadrants
your recent discussions with others at work have been. Have they been
looking at problems or opportunities, at the past or the future?
You will no doubt have marked a range of crosses mentally in the
four quadrants. If you have many in the top right hand box, then you

future

problems opportunities

past

Figure 7.3 Where are conversations held?

Mark the area of the model in which your recent conversations have
taken place
 How to use mentoring and coaching as part of your CPD 105

are either illustrating that you are a natural coach or else you are
fortunate enough to have colleagues or a manager who have the right
approach.
Lighting candles is about encouraging others to think positively
about the future. Coaching and mentoring are very much about
helping people to focus their plans on future opportunities. In
contrast, the other word used frequently in this area is counselling,
which is also an important skill. Generally speaking, the role of a
counsellor is to help people to overcome problems and tends to be
about events in the past. As Figure 7.4 shows, there is therefore an
important difference between counselling on the one hand, and
coaching and mentoring on the other. Clearly, there is some overlap
between them; for example, sometimes in order to help someone to
focus on the future, you need to help them to come to terms with, or
learn from, the past. But a key skill in coaching and mentoring is this
ability to focus on the future. In all three cases—counselling, coaching
and mentoring—the range of skills required is very similar, but the
contexts tend to be different.
It is also important to realise the very wide range of situations in
which coaching can be valuable. You can coach your staff at work, for
example. But you can also coach your boss; indeed, the most dramatic
payoff that I have encountered, when working as a consultant helping
organisations to develop their skills in coaching, came within half an
hour of the end of one of my workshops when one of the delegates
coached his boss so successfully that there was a Canadian $1 million
payoff within three weeks—a story which I will tell later in this chapter.

future

coaching

opportunities
problems
st
counselling

past

Figure 7.4 The difference between counselling and coaching

106 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

Equally, you can coach your colleagues. Or you can use the skills of
coaching to sell your ideas or products inside or outside your
organisation.
You can coach groups. And you can coach yourself, which I
frequently do when I have a problem or an opportunity.

7.4 The key competencies of a coach/mentor

You might like to take a sheet of paper and write down the key
competencies which you believe to be the most important for a
coach/mentor.
Those I and my colleagues have found to be particularly important
are shown in Figure 7.5. This list is, of course, not exhaustive, and the
skills required will depend to some degree on the particular context.
You may wish to change the list for yourself as your experience of
coaching/mentoring others develops.
The most important skill of a coach/mentor is the ability to listen
actively. Listen very carefully to what the other person is saying. But do
much more than that. Hear how they are saying it. What does their
intonation tell you—the pitch, pace, tone and volume of the words

active listening
questioning skills
giving praise and recognition
rapport building
Creating trust
being nonjudgemental
being candid and challenging
ability to work from the other person’s agenda
giving encouragement and support
focusing on future opportunities
getting to the point
observation skills
being objective rather than subjective

Figure 7.5 The key competencies of a coach

 How to use mentoring and coaching as part of your CPD 107

that they speak? Watch their face carefully and note the micro-
movements of their facial muscles. What is happening to their eyes?
Observe their body posture. What can you deduce from their body
movements? Are they relaxed, with their arms in a comfortable
position, or are they nervous or defensive with arms folded, etc.?
Next, concentrate on asking the right questions. Engineers tend to
ask questions starting with what...? This is an excellent type of
question, obviously, but do note that it is very task oriented. In
addition, you need to ask process questions, often starting with how...?
The danger here is that engineers, by concentrating too much on tasks
and not giving enough attention to the processes required to achieve
them, often fail to meet their objectives. On the other hand, by
concentrating on getting the processes right, you will often find that
the tasks almost look after themselves. Therefore, when coaching or
mentoring, do put plenty of emphasis on exploring with the other
person how they either went about solving a problem or plan to do so
in the future. What could they have done better with hindsight? Where
might they take the project next or find the information they need?
When will they implement their plan?
Two bits of advice which I find are generally useful are:
e try to avoid using the why... ? type of questions. These tend to make
the other person rather defensive and to invite self-justificatory
answers. Rephrase them by asking, for example, ‘How did that
happen?’ etc.;
@ one measure of success that you can use as a coach or mentor is to
observe how much of the time you are talking in relation to how
much time the other person speaks. All too often, when running
workshops in this area, the delegates all agree that listening is
important, but when they then actually start practising their
coaching skills on a one to one basis with a colleague, they find that
they are not only speaking themselves for most of the time, but,
even worse, telling the other person exactly how to solve their
problems. Bad habits die hard, so concentrate on this important
skill of active listening. By asking the right questions, and steering
the other person towards finding the right or best solution for
themselves, the effect will usually be very much more powerful than
if you revert to the command and control style of management.
You might also find it valuable at the end of meetings with your
colleagues or your staff to ask the question: ‘How did you feel about
that meeting?’ This is a very good process question, and the feedback
will help you to become ever better at your process skills.
108 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

Work through the list of other key competencies of a coach from

Figure 7.5 and ask yourself how good you are at them.
Do you give sufficient praise and recognition? I remember some
years ago accompanying one of our company employees who had just
won the Young Woman Engineer of the Year award back from the high
profile national presentation and asking her how things were going
back at work. ‘You know,’ she told me, ‘in all the years that I have
worked for this company, no-one has ever thanked me for anything
that I have ever done.’ Sadly, I keep hearing too many similar stories,
so do please remember to thank your staff, colleagues, boss, clients,
etc., when appropriate. As they say, praise does wonders for the sense
of hearing.
Do you establish the best possible rapport with people, for example
by noting their body language and emulating it subtly? Do you create
a situation over time in which people can readily trust you and can you
force yourself to be nonjudgemental, so that other people can explore
their own worlds of opportunity, success and failure under your expert
coaching?
Can you judge the right time to be candid and challeniadls to the
other person?
Do you take as your starting point, when coaching, what the other
person wants to be the starting point, rather than forcing your own
agenda down their throat? What do they really want to talk about?
What are their real concerns at the moment? You can usually only find
the answers to these questions by asking them!
Do you give the right encouragement and support when they need
it, and can you help them to focus appropriately on the future
opportunities open to them?
Do you get to the point reasonably quickly when coaching or
mentoring, and do you use your observation skills of the type of
language they use, the pallor of their complexion and the nature of
their body language?
Can you encourage them to be objective in their analysis of
situations and can you be objective in helping them?
Finally, two other bits of advice. First, do not be afraid of silence. If
the other person lapses into silence, you may well have asked an
extremely effective question, and they may need a little time to think
through their response. If they stop to think and look
upwards/sideways/downwards this is often a sign that you have asked
something which is causing them to think very carefully. Secondly, if
you consider that it really will help the other person to offer your own
 How to use mentoring and coaching as part of your CPD 109

view or solution, preface it by asking their permission to do so, for

example, by asking: ‘Do you mind if I offer you an idea?’ This helps
the person to move their mindset into a situation where they are open
to your ideas.
Now rate yourself in terms of your current level of competence
against each of the key competencies listed below:
Current level of competence
poor excellent
active listening 1 2 3 4 5 6
questioning skills 1 2 3 4 5 6
giving praise/recognition 1 2 3 e: 3) 6
rapport building 1 2 3 a 5 6
creating trust 1 2 3 4 a 6
being nonjudgemental 1 r- 2 4 5 6
being candid and 1 2 s 4 5 6
challenging
ability to work from the 1 yi i Ae pant
other person’s agenda
giving encouragementand 1 2 3 3 5 6
support
focusing on future 1 2 3 +t 5 6
opportunities
getting to the point 1 2 3 4 5 6
observation skills 1 : 3 4 5
being objective rather than 1 re ) 4 5
subjective
Now ask yourself which of these key competencies you wish to
concentrate on improving. Furthermore, ask yourself how you will
know that you have improved. What will your measures of success be?
It is important to note that these coaching skills need not be
restricted to formal coaching or mentoring sessions. You can make use
of them informally in your day to day interactions with others,
including over the telephone and when passing them in corridors, etc.
Now look back at the work that you have done in designing and
filling in your PDP. Amend and develop your PDP in the light of the
110 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

self analysis which you have just done on your coaching key
competencies and write in the targets for self improvement on which
you wish to concentrate.

7.5 The cycle of success

We will now look at the first of three very simple models of human
behaviour which you will almost certainly find useful in coaching or
mentoring others.
The cycle of success illustrated in Figure 7.6 shows the complete
cycle which we need to go through in order to complete a task or
achieve an objective successfully. It is another example of the way in
which it is important to look at things from a process point of view.
Going through the cycle may take a matter of minutes or may take
several years. In every case, however, you will need to have an idea,
create a plan to implement it, and decide to implement it. Some ideas
never get beyond this point, for whatever reason!
On the other hand, the value of many engineers is in their ability to
generate new ideas. When I was in Hong Kong for the IEE on a
training accreditation visit, I was told a very interesting story by the
director of a very well respected international engineering company.
He explained how a recently deceased senior member of the company
had been kept on the payroll prior to his death despite having suffered
a stroke and being significantly incapacitated. The company
continued to pay him a high salary on the basis that he had the much
valued ability to come up with just one brilliant new idea each year.

create/decide/initiate new idea

review
acknowledge
-implement/start
give feedback
celebrate

complete/finish

Figure 7.6 The cycle of success

 How to use mentoring and coaching as part ofyour CPD 111

In the cycle of success, having made the definite decision to go ahead

with a project, there will then come a time when you press the button and
the implementation actually starts. It may be surprising sometimes how
easy it is to become a little stuck at this point. One of my own favourite
devices for avoiding making a critical telephone call, for example, is to go
and make a cup of coffee. Or you may be tempted to double check
everything before you start, or to seek approval or advice from yet more
people. The role of a coach is to help the other person to understand
where they are on the cycle of success, to see what the barriers are to
moving a project around it and to find ways of moving around the cycle
faster. See it as being rather like a flywheel; the faster it spins, the easier it
is to keep up the momentum of your activities.
The next stage in the cycle is to complete or finish the project. Here
engineers are notorious for seeking ever greater perfection in a
design before they agree that it is complete. Too many companies
have been bankrupted by such engineers, since no design is ever
perfect other than in terms of being fit for the purpose intended; the
urgent need may be to get the product in a good quality state, but
maybe not fully developed, to the marketplace. Mentors have a very
important role here in helping young engineers, fresh out of
university, to understand the complexities and trade offs necessary in
finalising a design or project.
Another key reason why people tend to fall down at this point in the
cycle is because they are afraid of being judged; once they announce
that the project is complete, then their manager or their peers may
quite possibly judge them to have failed. Much better, some people
think, to postpone the evil day when this might happen. Your role as a
coach/mentor is to check whether this, or any other reason for failing
to complete a project at the earliest opportunity, is a hindrance.
Yet another possible problem may be that the person concerned lacks
the necessary skills at the right level. Again, by asking the right questions
and by being aware of the full range of that person’s competencies and
career objectives, you should be able to coach them as effectively as
possible. How much of their PDP they are prepared to share with you is,
of course, their prerogative; even if they wish to keep their PDP
confidential to themselves, they will be much better able to respond in
the most effective way to your coaching questions if they have used their
PDP to analyse their competences and career objectives.
The next stage in the cycle—reviewing, acknowledging, giving
feedback and celebrating—is critical, because all too often,
particularly in task-driven engineering organisations, the pressure is to
112 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

move straight to the start of another task once one is complete. This is
bad practice for a number of reasons:
@ it is exhausting to move straight from completion back to start; ~
@ it is very important to review how the project went, decide on what
might have gone even better and consider how to apply the lessons
learned to future projects (both for yourself and for others), etc.;
e you need to acknowledge success and give yourself, and others,
credit for the achievements;
e it is highly appropriate to celebrate successes and give yourself the
extra energy to start and complete the next task even better and
even faster.
Therefore, as a coach or mentor, do ensure that this stage in the cycle
is not overlooked.
Now take a little time to identify two or three projects on which you
are currently working. Where are you at present on this cycle of
success? What is the next step? What are the potential barriers and
how might they be overcome?
In the case of mentors, it is very important, I believe, to base the
mentoring sessions around the PDP or logbook used by the person being
mentored. Ensure that at the front of the document there is a copy of the
overall training programme for the two years, for example if it is an IEE
accredited training scheme. This is the first step in the cycle, ensuring
that you both have a clear overview of the training plan. Does it cover all
the areas or elements required by the institution, by the company and by
the trainee? For each training experience, both on the job and off the
job, ensure that there are clear written and agreed objectives before-
hand, identifying the elements of the training scheme which this
particular training experience should satisfy. At the end of each training
session, ensure that the trainee reviews and writes up the experience in
his or her PDP; as the Mentor, you should then discuss this, clearly
identifying which elements of the training programme have been
successfully completed and where there are still gaps to be plugged—and
how. Write your comments in the PDP or logbook as a record for the
future—of what has been successfully learnt, or possibly misunderstood;
treat the PDP as a learning document with an audit trail of the learning
process. Put your initials in the PDP as part of this audit trail and date
them. An example of a well completed IEE PDR sheet is shown in Figure
7.7. (One benefit of the IEE system is that at the end of their two-year
training experience, graduates can simply photocopy the relevant
section of their PDR—the ones called ‘Structured formation training’—
and send it off as the key part of their end of training XIT form, thus
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114 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

saving a lot of time and effort filling in the details of their training and
obtaining their mentors’ signatures.)
And do not forget the celebrations! ,
Use of the cycle of success by both mentors and those being
mentored using a PDP to focus the learning is a good example of
applying the overall concept of Figure 2.1 effectively. It is also the basis
on which all institution initial training schemes are based, and they
work very well, forming an excellent start to young people’s careers.
However, the danger is that things do not then continue in the way in
which they started. CPD is a lifelong learning concept and the
principles which work well at the start of a career should apply for the
rest of one’s career as well. Therefore, do ensure that part of your CPD
consists of finding yourself one or more mentors, as well as yourself
becoming a mentor to one or more other people.

7.6 The change model

The change model is one which is universally powerful to anyone in
any situation where they are trying to persuade others, quite apart
from its use in coaching and mentoring.
When you are in fact coaching or mentoring someone, whether in a
formal situation or informally, you will frequently find that they are
having to face up to some sort of change. Alternatively, you may be
helping someone else who needs to persuade a colleague, a client,
their boss, or whoever, to change. As we all know, most people are
rather conservative at heart and persuading them to change can be
extremely difficult.
Here, therefore, is another very simple model, the change model,
which has been widely used and valued. It is shown in Figure 7.8 and
has two axes; on one axis are the past and the future, while on the
other are the internal and external dimensions of a situation.
Ask yourself what is likely to go through your mind if someone
suddenly suggests a change to you, such as having to move your office.
It is highly probable that you will seek an anchor in the past and see it
as some sort of exernal threat. It is also quite likely that your initial
reaction will be one of denial—denial that the change is either required
or possible. This change model was originally developed for counsellors
who were helping clients to overcome traumas, such as the loss of a
parent. The initial reaction for most of us faced with the news of a
parent’s death is to deny that it is possible. That just seems to be the way
 How to use mentoring and coaching as part ofyour CPD 115

external
denial commitment

future

resistance exploration

internal

Figure 7.8 The change model

our minds work, and the value of the change model is that it helps
ourselves and others to understand better how to deal with change.
Faced, then, with change, we need to recognise the importance of
giving people the time to absorb the news or implications. In the case of
bad or difficult news they may need the time to grieve. For less traumatic
news of something new happening, it still requires time to internalise the
new idea or concept. One example I remember from long ago was my A-
level physics master—an excellent teacher—who always introduced a
brief outline during the last five minutes of a physics lesson of the
concepts which he was going to teach us in the next day’s lesson. His
theory was that we then ‘vottled’ (a word he invented, but which never
made it into the Oxford English Dictionary) the new concepts overnight
and were better able to understand the next day’s lesson quickly. With
hindsight I now realise that he was in effect using the change model.
In addition to giving people the time to get to grips with the change,
you may also need to be quite firm in making it clear to them that the
change is inevitable and will happen. You might suggest ways in which
they might handle the change or explain what is expected of them.
Given time, most people will then internalise the need or
inevitability for the change to occur. At this point, it is likely that they
will create some form of resistance, and your role as a coach is to ask
questions which steer them through this resistance. Ask them, for
example, how they feel about the change. Try to bring their views and
116 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

feelings out into the open. Acknowledge their feelings about the
change and show empathy.
If all goes well, they will then begin to cease hanging on to the past
and status quo, and will begin to explore the possibilities. Ask them

the possibilities and opportunities which might open up for them as a

result of the change. Be as supportive as possible and encourage them
to target specific objectives. Help them to decide on the key issues and
the next steps which need to be taken. Have regular planning sessions
with them to plan and review the progress on these specific steps.
Explore the sort of new experience or training which they might need.
Eventually, all being well, you will have coached them into becoming
committed to the change. Give them as much encouragement and
credit as possible, and celebrate successful use of the change model!
Also start discussing with them the longer-term objectives which now
need to be targeted.
Again, like the cycle of success, this is very much an example of
how placing emphasis on the process by which change is achieved is
far more likely to lead to success than pure concentration on the task
itself would be likely to do. The classic failure to implement change
successfully is as a result of forcing change too fast, as shown in
Figure 7.9. Far too many managers and engineers try to move from
the denial quadrant straight into the commitment quadrant, with the
result that people react strongly and negatively and move into the
resistance quadrant, shifting them out of there is then very much

external
denial commitment

future

resistance exploration

internal

Figure 7.9 The effect offorcing change

 How to use mentoring and coaching as part ofyour CPD 117

more difficult than if the change had been handled more effectively
in the first place.
An interesting example of the successful use of this change model,
referred to earlier in this chapter, was with a client where I was
providing consultancy support as part of a culture change process. A
colleague and I were running a workshop on coaching and, as part of
the discussion around the change model, one of the delegates
explained that he had been having a problem persuading his boss to
send him to Canada to follow through some problems with a sub-
contractor. He said that every time he raised the question of going to
Canada with his boss, the discussion turned rapidly into a
confrontation. This delegate, who was a very senior manager, decided
to use this challenge as the practice coaching exercise following the
explanation of the change model. As it happened, he had a meeting
with his boss just half an hour after the end of the workshop. He used
the meeting to raise the Canadian issue again, but this time was less
confrontational, and mentally used the change model. He gave his
boss time to internalise the need to take the issue up directly with the
contractor (denial). By asking appropriate questions he discovered
that much of his boss’s opposition to him going to Canada was the
time it would take (resistance). He therefore suggested that he flew
out there over a weekend to minimise the time he was away, and in
return his boss started exploring the possibility that while out there,
another problem could be resolved with another contractor
(exploration). The net result was that, twenty minutes after the
meeting started, this senior manager came out of his boss’s office,
literally skipping in the air (celebration!), saying: ‘I’m going to
Canada!’. Three weeks later he returned from Canada with a $1
million cheque from the contractor—an excellent example of the
potential benefits of upwards coaching!
Note that this manager was in no formal sense mentoring his boss.
He was, however, informally coaching him—with very powerful results!

7.7 Comfort/stretch/panic

As a coach or mentor one of your roles is probably to raise the game

of the other person. Another useful littke model to have in mind
around this purpose is Figure 7.10.
The two axes here are a person’s perceived ability to achieve a task,
and the perceived difficulty they see themselves facing. Low difficulty
118 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

easy zone
difficulty
perceived

perceived ability

Figure 7.10 Balance between perceived difficulty and ability

and high ability clearly makes the task easy. Greater difficulty, but
reasonable ability makes it a comfortable objective. Greater difficulty
still and rather less perceived ability creates a situation in which
someone becomes stretched. If the perceived difficulty rises even
further, with the perceived ability becoming less, then a stage will be
reached at which panic starts to take over.
The value of keeping this model in your mind when coaching or
mentoring is that you can check where the other person is in the
spectrum. Ideally they should spend as much time as possible in the
stretch zone. At one end, they might have too many easy or
comfortable tasks, where they learn very little and their PDP is likely to
remain blank. At the other end, they will lose some of their self
confidence, not to mention sleep, if they enter the panic zone. One
excellent way, of course, of avoiding entering the panic zone is to
develop the necessary competencies well before the challenges for
which they will be needed have to be faced. Since it may take a long
time—perhaps even several years—to develop these competencies to
the necessary level, it shows the importance of applying the CPD
principles outlined in this book. One important value of a mentor is
 How to use mentoring and coaching as part ofyour CPD 119

to encourage the person whom they are mentoring to take a longer

term view of the need for self development.

7.8 Linking to appraisals

As Figures 4.7 and 4.8 show, most appraisal systems fail to work
because they are not based on continuous competence and career
development.
Mentors and coaches, particularly managers using their
competencies as coaches, have a vital role to play in supporting
employees to develop their competencies in a way which best helps
them, on a continuous basis, to achieve their job performance
targets—and ideally even exceed them.
One interesting development in recent years has been the idea of
upward appraisals, where employees complete appraisal forms each
year giving feedback on their manager’s performance. Usually the
upward appraisal forms from all of a manager’s staff are collated by a
third party—typically from the organisation’s personnel department—
and then fed back to the manager, thus enabling each employee to
give honest views. Often this process is reinforced by a meeting
between the manager and all his staff, facilitated by the third party, to
discuss the feedback. How much more effective, surely, all this would
be if the employees were encouraged to develop their individual and
group upward appraisal skills on a continuous basis, rather than just
once a year.

7.9 Summary
This chapter has been aimed at providing you with ideas and
techniques which you can use to improve your coaching and
mentoring skills. All the evidence is that everyone has natural ability in
this area, but the best way of getting even better is by having the
confidence and commitment to practise and improve these skills on a
regular basis.
The payoff will be very simple, your ability—as Professor Charles
Handy describes it—to raise both your own and other people’s
potential from perhaps twenty per cent to something very much
higher. The rewards are great, the risks are small, so go for it!
 Chapter 8
How to make the best use of
software for CPD

‘One of our former US presidential cabinet members projected that by the year
2020 information will double every 73 days!'—James B. Appleberry,
president, American Association of State Colleges and Universities

The use of software has been referred to a number of times already in

previous chapters. There are so many different ways in which
computers and the associated software are impinging more and more
on our professional and personal lives that anyone who is computer
illiterate will be increasingly handicapped from a career point of view.
Therefore, ensuring that you have at least one personal computer,
and ideally two (an office PC and a laptop) is likely to form a very
important part of your CPD. The amount of hard disk memory that
software requires these days means that it is important to invest in the
largest possible machine which you can afford. I myself have two 66
MHz, 500 Megabyte hard disk office PCs, as well as two laptop PCs.
One of my office PCs has stacker software which increases its hard disk
capacity to 1.2 Gigabytes, and yet it is already eighty per cent full. I
have had to invest in a second laptop PC simply because, after two
years, the 25 MHz speed of my first one proved to be too slow.
Some uses to which you might put your PCs to develop your CPD
are:
e developing your keyboard skills and using wordprocessing
packages, including for writing articles and even books;
e keeping details of all your business, professional and personal
contacts using a database. It is said that President Clinton has kept
a book of the names and addresses of everyone he has met
throughout his career, and that he has used this to advance his
political career. How much easier life would have been for him if he
had been able to keep all this data on a software database!
@ using spreadsheets to keep track of your finances, for example;
 How to make the best use of software for CPD 121

@ accessing information on CD-ROMs;

@ using personal development plan software;
@ using groupware such as Lotus Notes;
@ connecting into the Internet.
Let us now look in more detail at how these applications might all
form part of your CPD.

8.1 Developing your keyboard skills

There are many software packages available to help you to develop

reasonable keyboard skills. Given the amount of use of the keyboard
that you are likely to need to make, it is foolish to stay as a two-finger
typist. For the sake of a few hours of dedicated keyboard skills self
training, you will soon develop the right keyboard technique using all
ten of your fingers and thumbs. The best way, as with any skill, to
improve further is by continual practice. Indeed, if you do not
continually practise this skill, then your competence and confidence
will decrease.
With Windows and Apple software, modern wordprocessing
packages are relatively simple and intuitive to use. Do make the effort
to become reasonably expert at one package. Target the time and
commitment to do this in your PDP and give yourself credit as your
skill level progresses.
Doing your own wordprocessing has enormous advantages. In my
case, for example, in writing this and other books, I can sit down at my
PC terminal whenever it suits me and can easily update and modify the
chapters. I can import diagrams and charts from other software
packages such as Excel, Powerpoint or CorelDraw.
Having my own hardware and software also enables me to produce
my own diagrams for my overhead projector slides. When I write
course notes for the many workshops which I run around the world,
or write articles, newsletters or books, it is very simple to import these
diagrams into the text. I now have approaching 1000 diagrams in my
software and am continually adding to them whenever I have a new
idea or hear or read something interesting. I can access all this
material very easily on my laptop PC when travelling or in meetings. I
can readily access my database to look up names, addresses, telephone
numbers, fax numbers, details of past meetings or conversations on
the telephone.
122. Continuing professional development: a practical approach

So many businesspeople now travel with their laptop PCs in their

briefcases, that at least one major international hotel chain, Marriott, is
designing rooms specifically to deal with this need. According to
Marriott’s brand director Leslie Cappetta, between 25 and 30 per cent
of the business travellers interviewed as part of a survey at US airports
now carry a notebook computer. All too often some physical gymnastics
is required to identify a place where you can plug in your power and
modem leads in your hotel room. In response to this, in 1995 Marriott
signed a partnership with the American telecommunications giant
AT&T and the furniture maker Steelcase to design the hotel room of
the future. Prototypes were due to appear in the USA, London and
Hong Kong over the rest of 1995. Sockets will be built into custom-made
desks which can be moved around the room. Lighting will be improved
to help work with a computer, and high speed data links for
videoconferencing will soon become standard.
This also emphasises the importance of ensuring that your seating
position and the background lighting are suitable whenever you are
using your PCs. There have been many cases reported of people
developing repetitive strain injury, with crippling effects on their
hands, through having adopted inappropriate postures at a keyboard
over a period of time. Other reports suggest that people who make
exclusive use of notebook PCs, with their rather cramped keyboards,
develop pains in their hands, arms, back or shoulders. Do, therefore,
invest in an office PC for your main software work, and ensure that you
are adopting an appropriate typing position. Most keyboard training
packages will give you advice on this; otherwise ensure that you obtain
sound advice from an experienced source—perhaps your secretary!

8.2 Using databases for your CPD

Keeping up to date records on a database of your existing and possible
new contacts can be an enormously powerful way of enhancing your
CPD. As they say, it is not so much what you know, as whom you know,
that matters in your career. Maximise that resource which far too many
people greatly undervalue—your network of contacts.
Very often you face new problems. As Bismarck once remarked:
‘There is no point in learning for yourself if you can learn from others
and avoid the cost of experimentation’

(I accessed this quote, by the way, by looking up a slide which I made

in CorelDraw after hearing a speaker quote it at a conference in
Vienna last year.)
 How to make the best use of software for CPD 123

One of the important uses of personal development plan software

which we will discuss later in this chapter is as a corporate skills
database. In a very similar way, you can use database software to
develop your own sources of expertise to which you can refer when
necessary. People are a very important source of such expertise,
including the way in which they can say: ‘I don’t really know the
answer to that question, but why don’t you try contacting the following
person...?’
Typical details of your personal network which you can enter in your
database are:
name;
address;
telephone number;
fax number;
areas of expertise;
source of information;
date last contacted;
general notes.
Be aware, however, that once you start keeping details of people on a
software database then you need to register this, if you are in the UK,
with the Data Protection Registrar under the legal requirements of the
Data Protection Act.
Other information for which you can use a database might include
details of books and articles which you have read. Alternatively, you
could record these details using personal development plan software.

8.3 Using spreadsheets for your CPD

One way in which I use a spreadsheet is to keep track of the progress

of my savings and investments. I can then take a realistic view of how
much I can afford to invest in developing my consultancy business,
how much time I can afford to spend writing books and articles,
speaking at conferences, etc., and how much time I need to spend on
fee earning consultancy activities. I prefer to live life in the round and
keeping track of how my finances can support me to do that is very
important.
Another use that I made of my spreadsheet software was when in
1994 I was asked to be the prime organiser of a senior industrialists
dinner in the IEE South East Midlands Centre area, which was hosted
124 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

by the IEE’s President and had the IEE’s Secretary and one of the
Deputy Secretaries present, as well as a number of other IEE
secretariat and local centre committee members. The spreadsheet was
invaluable in keeping track of who had been invited, the acceptances,
apologies, names of their secretaries, telephone numbers, etc. The
evening itself, and the groundwork which I needed to do beforehand,
were certainly a very valuable CPD experience for me!

8.4 Using CD-ROMs for your CPD

The next chapter will explain how CD-ROMs could be used as part of
an open learning programme—which might form an important
element in your CPD.
If you can afford the £100 or £200 extra needed to include a CD-
ROM drive as part of your PC, then this will give you experience of
using a technology which is likely to be of increasing benefit to you.
CD-ROMs can store so much data that more and more material is
being packaged and sold in this format.
Increasingly conference delegates, for example, are being given a
copy of the conference proceedings in the form of a CD-ROM instead
of as a set of printed papers.
Providing technical abstracts on CD-ROM is also increasingly
common. To give just one example, the Institute of Marine Engineers
and British Maritime Technology Limited released their ‘Maritime
technology abstracts’ on CD-ROM in 1995. This makes available the
complete contents of each organisation’s bibliographic database on a
single CD-ROM, with the additional benefit of powerful search and
retrieval software. These CDs are available on an annual subscription
with updates every six months. The two databases that comprise the
‘Marine technology abstracts’ contain over 50 000 abstracts, dating
back to 1940, and are drawn from all major engineering publications.
Together they capture the field of marine technology in an extensive
range of bibliographic references including:
marine engine design;
offshore technology;
marine safety;
naval architecture;
pollution from ships;
shipboard management;
computers in the marine industry.
 How to make the best use of software for CPD 125

The CD-ROM’s management software offers users two search

modes—simple or complex. Either of these can be refined using
Boolean operators—AND, OR, NOT—for a more specific response.
All fields in the databases are indexed and abstracts satisfying a
particular enquiry can be found in seconds from any starting point.
The full text of any abstract can then be provided through the rapid
document delivery service, managed by the Institute’s Marine
Information Centre. The CD-ROM also offers a notepad facility for
making notes against records and a bookmark facility for marking
records in order to return to them at a later time.

8.5 Groupware—the most exciting learning medium for

the future

Groupware is a new form of software which has begun to appear since

the late 1980s and is particularly associated with the field of knowledge
management. So what is it?
With most software a problem arises when using parallel copies of
text, databases, spreadsheets, etc. For example, I myself keep, like
many people, copies of these types of software on both my office PCs
and my portable notebook computers. The problem arises if Ido not
update the notebook files from the office PCs before leaving the
office and then add some data to the files on the notebook
computers. I then either have to overwrite one set of files with the
other, losing key data perhaps, or have to laboriously compare the
files and update one set of data or the other.
Now this problem need no longer exist. The most popular and
powerful form of groupware is called Lotus Notes* and uses a process
called replication. In replication two text documents, databases,
spreadsheets, etc., each of which has been separately updated over a
period of time, ‘talk’ to each other. But now, instead of one set
overwriting the other, the two sets add to each other all the data which
they have had entered since they last replicated with one another. For
example, I have written with two other authors a book called ‘Upside
down management—revolutionising management and development
to maximise business success” using Lotus Notes. When one of us was
in Hong Kong and one of the others in Denmark, we could still add

* Lotus Notes is a registered trade mark of Lotus Development Corporation.

126 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

our new chapters to the overall book and both see what the other had
added since the last replication to our respective office PCs from our
notebook computers in our hotel rooms. :
The power of groupware is enormous. It is not only invaluable in the
mobile scenarios described above, it is also extremely powerful as a
shared knowledge and learning technology for organisations of all sizes,
including those with fixed locations. Even a small group of people in a
shared office would find it immensely beneficial. At the large end, one
major organisation, for example, has 65 000 licences for its employees
around the world and uses it for many purposes, including preparing
documents in parallel between offices in different continents and
exchanging information and ideas with clients.
An excellent book which describes Lotus Notes in detail is ‘Using
Lotus Notes 4’[11] published by Que Corporation.

information based
organisations
organised bodies which give orderly
structure to components

structured
VERSUS

aN

Sis basedorgani

g
each part affects i
. yy
the whole affects each part

Figure 8.1 We prefer to work in organic environments since we are all organisms
ourselves. Changes in each part affect the whole and vice versa
 How to make the best use of software for CPD 127

8.5.1 People are organisms

Organisations are generally rather rigid, linear, structured and
information based. In contrast, organisms are flexible, holistic, fluid,
dynamic and knowledge based.
One of the important insights that I have received from Ron Young,
one of my co-authors on the upside down management book, is the
one illustrated in Figure 8.1. As this shows, it is much more natural for
us all to work for organisms, since we are organisms ourselves. In this
way, changes in each part can affect the whole and vice versa. This is
precisely what groupware allows you to do.

8.5.2 Using groupware for CPD

The implications of using Lotus Notes for CPD are enormously exciting.
In many ways, by enabling large numbers of people to learn almost
simultaneously from each other, Lotus Notes breaks the boundaries of
space and time. For example, all the major six management,
consultancy and accounting organisations in the world have copies of
Lotus Notes for a large proportion of their staff. If someone in one of
their Australian offices has a problem or spots a business opportunity,
then he or she can enter that information into one of their Lotus Notes
networks. If a response is not received from an Australian or New
Zealand colleague before the end of the working day, then someone in
the company’s Hong Kong or Singapore office may be able to find a
solution or exploit the business opportunity in some way. European
colleagues, when they start work, may find that their Hong Kong
colleagues have found a solution to a problem which they did not even
realise existed, and they too are able to exploit this. Next, American
colleagues wake up and on starting work they as well are able to
maximise the opportunities initiated by their Australian associate.
Therefore, by the time the Australian wakes up and returns for the next
day’s work, his or her problem or business opportunity may have been
exploited around the rest of the world. If one sees all this learning
through the job itself as a key part of one’s CPD, then the opportunities
for maximising CPD opportunities using groupware are mindboggling!
The simple example given above could perhaps have been dealt with
through the Internet, which we will discuss later in this chapter.
However, Lotus Notes is much more secure (it meets USA Department
of Defence security criteria) and much more powerful in several
respects. The process of replication is not inherent to the Internet, for
example, (although one can link Lotus Notes software across the
128 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

Internet) and one use which organisations make of this Lotus Notes
process is for preparing bid documents in parallel across one or more
continents. IBM was so impressed by the potential of Lotus Notes that
it purchased Lotus Development Corporation for $3.5 billion in June
1995. In January 1996 it released a new and even more powerful
version, Lotus Notes 4, which was even easier to use, had much greater
functionality, including an integral web browser, and—most
importantly of all—reduced the price of a desktop licence from some
$500 to just $50. Up until then just over two million Lotus Notes
licences had been sold; however, IBM’s marketing plans with Lotus
Notes 4 are to increase that user base to 12 million by the end of 1996,
to 20 million by the end of 1997 and to 30 million by the end of 1998.
Above all, using these very powerful forms of software can be
enormously fun—and fun needs to be a key part of our CPD!
Even universities are now beginning to make serious uses of
groupware. New York University, for example, has a virtual college,
based on Lotus Notes, with each student having a PC and a modem,
dialling up the central Notes server for lectures, with interaction with
the tutor and other students being via e-mail.
One of the very significant and powerful aspects of Lotus Notes 4 is
how closely it integrates with the Internet. Its format is very similar, it
includes an integrated web browser and users can have a seamless link
between Lotus Notes 4 and the Internet.
One of my major areas of work is developing means of using
software to improve CPD. My colleague Ron Young and I have
Lotus Notes

Knowledger @ Kowrleage
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Personal Development Planner on Notes
% Competencies Kneetadge @
ACERS
# Templates
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$ Leaming Reports drecontes
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Kerwteige @
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ltd.
All rights reserved

Figure 8.2. The Knowledge Associates PDP on Notes administration screen

 How to make the best use of software for CPD 129

developed personal development plan software based on Lotus

Notes—called PDP on Notes—which we have launched through
Knowledge Associates, the international knowledge management
company. The administration screen is shown in Figure 8.2.

8.6 Using personal development plan software

In Chapter 5 we looked in detail at how you and your organisation

might develop personal development plans (PDPs) and make the best
use of them. At the end of the chapter, I suggested that some very
exciting opportunities are now opening up for using software versions
of PDPs, with the following advantages:

e linking learning experiences directly to your competence set;

@ monitoring your learning to ensure that there is a balance between
your short-term and long-term, and technical and nontechnical
learning;
e using the powerful reporting facilities to monitor how much time
you are spending on learning, whether you are obtaining learning
linked to all of your key competencies, and so on;
e using the software as a skills database in an organisation.

S UserMenu - Navigator - Lotus Noles

ees

Knowledge @ Contents
Associates Off-the-Job Training
: From Information w Knowledge Leaming Experiences
: Personal My Competencies
Development
Planner Personal Objectives

Organisational
Templates

Curnculum Vitae

Figure 8.3 The Knowledge Associates PDP on Notes main user screen
130 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

A major objective of Ron Young and myself has been to make our PDP
software as user friendly as possible. We therefore developed software
which actually looks like a paper-based PDP, as shown in Figure 8.3.
Throughout the PDP on Notes software package, every effort has
been made to enhance its ease of use and simplicity. By making the
users feel that this is their own PDP, their commitment, enjoyment and
satisfaction in using it is enhanced as far as possible. Key parts of the
software include:
1 Asection in which to record off the job training experiences (Figure
8.4). This enables the users to record in turn:

the date of the learning experience;

the time spent on the learning experience;
a description of the learning experience;
how they will benefit from and follow up the learning experience.
They can then tag each learning experience to one of their key
competencies. Within that key competence they can then tag it to
one of the subcompetencies, and then, within the subcompetence,
they can tag the learning experience to a particular element. If they
wish, they can also tag a particular learning experience to more

3, PDP on N tes 8. User\A. off the Job Trai ing - Lotus Notes

Knowledger *
Two quotes from the weekly M: Knowledge Mane 2708/95
| Off the-Job Training Ԥ
CUEA conference on New fron Knowledge Mane 2209/95
48 Off-the-Job IEE Training Committee. Last o: IEE 27/09/95
Training IACEE Executive Committee me IACEE 30/09/95
Knowledge Associates meeting Knowledge Mans 14/10/95
* Retum Knowledge Associates meeting Knowledge Mana 14/10/95
Knowledge Associates meeting Knowledge Mans 14/10/95
IEE Training Committee. IEE 29/11/95
IEE Centres in Development me IEE 18/12/95
Giving launch presentation on ( HKIE 19/01/96
Running a half day Workshop ¢ HKIE 20/01/96
Presentation on PDPs for The B British Council, H 22/01/96
Running full day seminar on CP HKIE 23/01/96
Running Coaching and Compet Hong Kong 24/01/96 KP
EANHK
EK
HH
HAN
AH
We

Figure 8.4 The Knowledge Associates PDP on Notes off the job training screen
 How to make the best use of software for CPD 131

than one key competence, subcompetence and element. This

section provides a vitally important learning audit trail, which
validates each user’s competencies on an ongoing basis.
Users can show whether this learning experience has mainly
benefited their:
e technical/short-term development;
e personal/short-term development;
e technical/long-term development;
e personal/long-term development.
A section in which to record day to day learning experiences. This
offers a screen almost identical to that shown in Figure 8.4.
A screen showing key competencies, subcompetencies and
elements. It is these to which the users tag their off the job training
and day to day learning experiences as described above. A typical
such screen was shown in Chapter 4 in Figure 4.3, including:
e key competencies;
e current and target levels of competence;
e@ the name of the person who has authorised these competencies
and levels;
e the dates on which each competence needs to be reviewed;
e asingle flag if the competence is within 30 days of expiry and two
flags if it has already expired.
A section in which users can record their personal objectives. These
might well include appraisal objectives. It might also be where
individuals target and record their successes in more personal
objectives, such as improving a sporting performance or developing
a hobby.
A set of screens which users can access to see which key
competencies are required for other jobs within their organisations.
In this way, they can see the sorts of gaps which there are between
their existing competencies and those required in jobs that they
might wish to do in the future. This has two important implications:
(i) users can target their career development that much more
effectively;
(ii)it is much more likely that they will be able to focus their
learning activities directly not only on their present jobs, but also
on future jobs. Since the competencies they will eventually need
for senior technical or managerial jobs may well take several
years to develop, the sooner they target this aspect of their
career development the better.
132 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

One very important advantage of using software for PDPs is that you
and your organisation can monitor your skills and career development
much more effectively. Many different types of feedback can be
provided in the form of screen or printed report forms. As every
engineer knows, you only get control in any system when there is
feedback—and this principle is every bit as important in a learning
process as it is anywhere else. Examples of the reports which can be
generated regularly are:
e a detailed view of the organisation’s key competencies, sub-
competencies and elements for each employee;
e alist of the key competencies only of each employee;
e a list of each of the organisation’s key competencies, listing under
each one who in the organisation has that particular competence.
In other words, this can be used as a skills database to search out and
locate employees able to contribute a key competence to solving a
particular problem which the organisation might face. This type of
report can also be used for staff planning, to identify the current
stock of skills in the organisation and compare these to those likely
to be needed in future years. The corporate learning processes can
then be directly focused on bridging the gap, thus maximising the
organisational investment in learning and training;

sang

SS Soar

Knowledge @ Curriculum Vitae

Associates Qualifications - Academic &

Vocational
: : From Information 10 Knowledge
Qualifications - Professional
Personal
Career History
Development
Planner Career Aims
Achieving Balance - Assessment
Achieving Balance - Actions

Figure 8.5 The Knowledge Associates PDP on Notes curriculum vitae screen
 How to make the best use of software for CPD 133

@ reports on the key competencies, subcompetencies and elements

which are either about to expire within the next 30 days, or else
which have already expired;
e a list of all the key competencies, subcompetencies and elements
identified across the organisation.
As Figure 8.5 shows, there is also a curriculum vitae section as an
important part of PDP on Notes. This is also designed in a coaching
style asking, for example, which have been the user’s three most
important learning experiences—and for what reason?

8.7 Have you really valued your organisation or personal

assets?
For how many companies does their share price really reflect the
human capital within them?
Instead, in almost every case, the share price and annual company
report are filled with financial statistics on cash flow, turnover, profits
and capital investment in new equipment. In the future, I confidently
predict, these share prices and company annual reports will show the
total stock of competencies within the organisation, with a value
attached to them. After all, how else does an organisation provide the
customer satisfaction other than in the way illustrated in Figure 4.9—
by underpinning customer satisfaction with quality, which in turn must
be based on competencies? The real bottom line in any organisation
consists of the competencies and commitment of every employee.
Financial analysts will increasingly base their valuation of a
company’s share price on this total stock of skills, plus something
which is even more important—the rate at which the skills base is
growing. Therefore, it will become more and more essential for
organisations to be seen to be using software such as PDP on Notes.
Associated with this, we will see more and more sophisticated
approaches to focusing individual and corporate learning on
increasing this corporate skills base at the fastest possible rate. No
longer will there be an obsession with the financial systems and
controls alone; these will remain important disciplines and measures,
but competence development, directly targeted at improving quality
and customer satisfaction, will become of even higher importance.
Skandia Assurance and Financial Services has attracted much
publicity in this area. Leif Edvinsson, for example, has the job title of
director of intellectual capital and the company has:
134 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

developed a complementary accounting taxonomy for intangible

assets;
incorporated critical success factors as quantifiable ratios; -
measured the speed of competence development and sharing as
intellectual capital ratios;
designed a model to provide a balanced picture of financial and
intellectual capital.
Another organisation developing its thinking in this direction is The
Dow Chemical Company, where Gordon Petrash has the job title of
global director, intellectual asset management. He describes the goal
of knowledge management within the company as being ‘to add value
to the business through the effective accumulation and use of
intellectual capital’.
In PDP on Notes, there is an intellectual capital reports section
(Figure 8.6), which allows the user to measure directly the value of the
company in terms of such parameters as:
the total stock of key competencies in the organisation, measuring
both the number of competencies and their total score, taking into
account the level at which each person’s key competence has been
accredited;
details of who has which key competence at Level 3, the ability to
perform the competence consistently;
details of who has key competencies at world class level.

EKnowledger #
Intellectual Capital
# Individuals

& Corporate
© Corporate Accredited
* World Class

@ Retum

Figure 8.6 The Knowledge Associates PDP on Notes intellectual

capital reports screen
 How to make the best use of software for CPD 135

PDP for Notes also allows organisations to monitor and measure the
competencies of teams of people, which is a very powerful facility for
focusing the CPD of individuals into achieving successes through
teams.
Anyone wishing to try a free limited period version of PDP on Notes
can download it from the Knowledge Associates’ world wide web home
page on [Link]. A Lotus ScreenCam demon-
stration version can also be downloaded.
One other extremely exciting development in Lotus Notes is a
version called Domino, launched in August 1996. This allows access to
Lotus Notes applications over the world wide web. PDP on Notes can
therefore be made accessible to anyone with a web browser, without
the need for those people to have Lotus Notes loaded onto their own
PCs. Professional institutions, in particular, have shown great interest
in PDP on Notes using Domino servers, since they will be able to:
@ provide access to PDP on Notes to all their members who have web
browsers, irrespective of where they are in the world;
e build up a database of the competencies of their members;
e@ observe the development of existing and new competencies
amongst their membership and thus better target their literature,
courses, conferences, evening meetings, etc.;
e build up template competence sets for typical engineering roles, based
on an ongoing analysis of their members’ competencies. This will
allow members to compare their existing competencies with those
typically required in other roles to which they might aspire. They will
thus be able to focus their CPD much more effectively. In addition,
they might well obtain considerably wider perspectives on how they
can broaden their competence development outside their own
discipline; electrical engineers in various disciplines, for example,
could not only look at typical competencies required in other
electrical disciplines, but also in aeronautical engineering, plastics
technology, etc.
In January 1997 the IMechE and the IEE piloted a PDP on the Web.
Active involvement in this also came from the British Computer
Society, the Institute of Materials and the Law Society.

8.8 CPD using the Internet

Few people reading this book will not have heard of the Internet. Its
origins go back to 1969 when the University of Utah, the Stanford
136 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

Research Institute and the University of California at Santa Barbara

and at Los Angeles linked themselves using an experimental computer
network funded by the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) of
the US Department of Defense (DoD). This network was named
ARPAnet and was designed to be sufficiently flexible to withstand a
nuclear strike by having alternative routing options for the software
being exchanged across the system. By 1972, when the network was
made public, 50 universities and research facilities were connected, all
of which were involved in DoD projects.
Towards the end of the 1970s other networks were appearing, some
of which were funded, like ARPAnet, by the US Government, with
others being private.
By the early 1980s these systems started coming together and were
named the Internet, with the explosive growth really occurring in the
early 1990s. No-one knows the total number of users (since no-one
owns the Internet) but it is generally agreed that already tens of
millions of people use it and that the number is Browns by several
million more each month.
The output is equally impressive: in the 18 months up to July 1995,
users created three million pages of information, entertainment and
advertising.
Until the 1990s, the Internet was accessible only to computer experts
who had mastered the Unix operating system and were willing to write
endless command lines in order to reach obscure destinations. The
creation of icon-driven interfaces like Mosaic and Netscape in 1993 by
Marc Andreessen and Eric Bina made it easy for anyone with a mouse
to navigate through a welter of choices.
In order to access the Internet you need a PC with a modem,
preferably of at least 9600 baud—otherwise exchanging data will take
a long time and give you large telephone bills—connected to a
gateway. In general, there are two types of gateway. First, there are
gateways which only give you direct access to the Internet; one
example is Pipex, which is used by IEE staff. Secondly, there are
network providers, the largest of which is CompuServe, to which I am
connected, and which also provide access to the Internet; you can
either use these network providers to exchange electronic messages
(e-mail), files and data with others connected to the network, or you
can use the network to access the Internet.
Everyone on the Internet has an e-mail address, which identifies
them uniquely to the Internet system. My own address is
100524.106@[Link], which tells the Internet computers
 How to make the best use of software for CPD 137

around the world to send my messages to the CompuServe computer

based in the USA. Since there is a CompuServe telephone number at my
local telephone exchange, which connects me to the USA automatically
every time I dial it, I only have to pay local rate telephone charges when
I send and receive Internet messages. The e-mail address of Ken Smith,
the IEE’s career development manager, is ksmith@[Link]. In this case
all the Internet computers know that any messages addressed to Ken
need to be sent to the UKand then to the organisation called ‘iee’. It may
only take minutes for an e-mail to travel from one side of the world to the
other, routed by a series of computers which pass it from one to another,
choosing an alternative routing if necessary. Typically you pay a few
pounds each month. (I actually have a second e-mail address of
jlorriman@[Link], since the IEE has implemented a software system
which arranges that any e-mail sent to this address is automatically
rerouted to my CompuServe e-mail address.)
Much media hype has been written about cyberspace and surfing the
Internet. This really refers to the world wide web, which otherwise is
referred to simply as the web. This was originally developed starting in
1989 at the CERN particle physics laboratory in Geneva by Tim Berners-
Lee and Robert Cailliau, with the purpose of helping scientists to
exchange and share information. The first line mode web browsers
appeared in 1991 allowing users to read pages as well as the cross refer-
ences between pages, often on different web servers. A portable version
of this software was released in the form of freeware in 1992 and by the
end of that year there were just 50 Web servers. The first graphical Web
browsers appeared in 1993, the most successful being Mosaic developed
at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) at the
University of Illinois. By the end of 1993 there were 250 web servers
around the world, rising to over 2000 by the end of 1994. Now, of course,
the growth rate in web servers is exponential, with the total almost
certainly exceeding 100 000 and hundreds being added each day.
A major reason for the success of the world wide web has been what is
called hyper text mark-up language, known as HTML; this allows a single
description of a page to be displayed on a variety of client machines, and
for pages on the web to be annotated with a number of tags which link to
other pages on either the same or different web browsers and which
control the appearance of the file document when viewed on screen
using a web browser. The latest web browsers, such as Mosaic, Netscape
and Microsoft’s Navigator, are very user friendly software packages in the
Windows software environment. One of the very powerful facilities in
HTML is the way in which these tags can be used to define links to
138 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

additional, related, material; this could be text or nontextual (such as

sound, animation, still pictures, etc.), or other Internet sources on other
computers elsewhere in the world. This ability to hop from one computer
to another using a very easy graphical interface is what has caused so
much interest around the world. Such is the rapidly increasing use of the
web that one estimate in 1995 was that all Internet traffic was due to
exceed telephony worldwide by the end of 1996.
Some 70 per cent of all new Internet subscribers are from
companies, despite all the publicity given to individuals surfing the
Internet. Businesses are increasingly using the Internet to exchange
information with customers, suppliers and other contacts. Companies
such as Fiat, General Motors and BMW provide information and
demonstrations of their products on the world wide web. Other
companies, including DEC, use the Internet to invite suppliers to
submit tenders. Almost a third of British companies were connected,
either directly or indirectly, by the end of 1994 according to an in-
depth survey carried out for Pipex.
The American analyst Killen Associates estimates that transactions
on the Internet will reach £380 billion by 1999. For example, the Royal
Bank of Scotland has for some time been running a successful home
banking system.
The number of opportunities that you have to enhance your CPD
using the Internet is endless. You can, for example, browse through
more than 750 000 book titles on the Internet Bookshop. This makes
it possible to find texts when you have only the author’s name or part
of the title. Some 20 British publishers have provided contributions to
this Internet version, including reviews, contents, jacket cover
graphics, author biographies and even, in some cases, complete
chapters. You place your order on screen and have the option of
paying by credit card. All web addresses start with the format
[Link] (http means hyper text transfer protocol) and you can
access the Internet Bookshop at [Link]
The IEE itself has not been slow to become involved. It provides a
wide range of information on the Internet, including details of:

publications;
books;
distance learning materials;
events;
staff information;
board and committee structures;
INSPEC;
 How to make the best use of software for CPD 139

e membership;
e information on CPD.

In 1997 a CPD providers’ database on behalf of many UK engineering

institutions became available through the IEE on the Internet. All
these services can be accessed using a web _ browser,
such as Mosaic, Netscape or Navigator, at the address
[Link] There are well over 1000 pages already
accessible, with many more becoming available all the time. The IEE
web home page has been accessed by Internet users all around the
world. In turn, the IEE’s web pages link to many other sites.
Give thought, as well, to participating in Internet newsgroups, of
which there are over 5000, and each of which is dedicated to a
particular subject.
Be aware, however, of the significant dangers of computer viruses. I
write this only hours after examining the first diskette that I have
encountered with a virus; my wife was alerted to it when she tried to use
this diskette as part of her job in a government agency. It had been
nowhere near any of my machines when, yesterday at a government site,
she put it into a PC running anti-virus software and was warned that it
contained a boot-sector virus (later identified as the very common Form
Virus). I do strongly recommend, therefore, that you use anti-virus
software, particularly of the variety, like Dr Solomon’s Anti-Virus Toolkit
or Norton Anti-Virus, which runs continuously in the background and
which detected my wife’s infected diskette yesterday.
In summary, therefore, the Internet provides some very interesting and
exciting ways to develop your CPD. One final example is at the University
of Southampton, where students on the BSc degree in information
engineering became the first in Britain to study for a degree using the
Internet. They are able to attend lectures and tutorials without ever
setting foot outside their homes, if they so wish. From their terminals they
can download essay assignments and lectures. They can even attend
electronic tutorials in which all the group log on simultaneously and hold
an online discussion. Four days of face to face teaching is included, but
all the rest of the course is over the Internet. The first participants
included eleven mature students at the IBM research centre at Hursley
in Hampshire. It is also possible now to study for an MBA in the
same way, at Southampton Institute, which can be accessed at
[Link] this is a
part-time MBA with the help of online tutors.
If you wish to read more about the Internet, then you would do
well to read the book ‘The Internet for scientists and engineers’ [12]
140 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

by B. J. Thomas. Specifically written for the engineering and

scientific community, this is a concise, thorough and clearly written,
yet entertaining, guide.

8.9 Looking to the future

Are there any limits, one wonders, to the use of software to help
develop one’s CPD? New technology is simultaneously reducing the
size of hardware and increasing the power of both hardware and
software. One prediction that I make is that well before the year 2000
we will all have personal digital assistants (PDAs). These will be
electronic terminals small enough to fit into our pockets, just as
electronic personal organisers do now. However, these PDAs will have
inbuilt modems, cellular communication telephone links and software
for networking, such as Lotus Notes and Internet access software. In
addition, they will have PDP on Notes software loaded. When new
ideas or information come your way, you will be able to enter these not
only into your own PDP software, but also share it instantaneously with
your colleagues around the world. For example, when you attend
conferences in future, instead of sitting there half asleep and
forgetting most of the pearls of wisdom which you hear, you will find
yourself and everyone around you behaving quite differently; you will
all sit there typing furiously into your PDAs and transmitting the new
ideas and information to your colleagues immediately, enabling you
and your company to maximise every possible advantage immediately
from your attendance at that conference.
If this seems in any way a little far fetched, then it is worth noting
that such a system is already being used by police officers in Derbyshire
to handle scene of crime statements. Police officers have been issued
with Apple Newton handheld computers. There is no keyboard; the
officer simply writes the information on a touch-sensitive screen using
a special stylus. The officer fills in a special form which appears on the
screen, with all the relevant questions which need to be asked. The
responses are then transmitted back to the police station over cellular
telephone links for instant action.
My colleague Ron Young suggests that technology might progress
even further than this. He tells me that voice recognition is definitely
a technology which will have a major impact in the future.
Furthermore, since we are all increasingly affected by information
overload, so-called intelligent agents are being developed which act as
 How to make the best use of software for CPD 14)

filters and sorters of information, automatically sorting out items

which the software considers to be important to you on the basis of
previous information that it has acquired about your interests. Perhaps
in the future, if you are extremely busy, you will not necessarily need
to attend a conference yourself; you might instead simply send along
your PDA, loaded with voice recognition and intelligent agent
software, and ask that it is placed on an empty seat at the front!

8.10 Learning as a two way process

Remember, learning has to be a two way process. Only if you are

prepared to go out of your way to share your experience, ideas and
information with others will they do the same for you. The old ways of
keeping information to yourself in the belief that superior knowledge
is power must be ended. Instead, think back over this chapter and
identify those things which you can commit yourself to doing to use
software to maximise that two way flow of experience between yourself
and others. Then write these commitments into your PDP.
 Chapter 9
How to make the best use of distance
and open learning

‘But above all try something —F. D. Roosevelt

One of the most cost effective approaches to CPD can be by using

distance learning. There are many excellent packages available—for
example from the Open University—which for a very reasonable price
provide an effective mix of printed study material, videos, assessment
questions, tutorial support and vacation schools. Indeed, for several
years when I headed training at GEC Telecommunications and GPT
the company was the single largest user of the Open University, with a
few hundred employees each year studying courses at undergraduate,
MSc and MBA levels. One of the reasons why such material can be so
highly cost effective is that employees usually study the material in
their own time, with: the company often paying the course and
summer schools fees in return, sometimes also providing paid leave
for employees to attend the summer schools.
The two terms used in the heading of this chapter are:
(i) distance learning—this is where someone is provided with a
package of materials, such as from the Open University, and
studies at a distance from the course provider.
(ii) open learning—open learning can encompass distance learning,
but also frequently refers to the provision of facilities such as
computers, audio learning facilities and learning libraries.
Employees can usually use such facilities in both company and
their own time.
It is worth noting that these are my definitions. These two terms are
widely used, but ill defined and not even the experts seem to agree on
their meanings!
There are, also, many different ways of using both distance and open
learning. As with every other aspect of CPD, the context is extremely
important. In addition, there is an ongoing convergence between
 How to make the best use of distance and open learning 143

distance and open learning on the one hand, and the approaches
using software described in the previous chapter. In a real sense, for
example, groupware can be seen as an important form of open
learning.
Let us therefore first see how two organisations, which both happen
to be in the communications business, approach open and distance
learning.

9.1 Opening up learning in GPT

‘Anything that you can learn by your own efforts always has a special
value,’ says Peter Harris, GPT’s employee development manager. ‘That
is why the technique of open learning has become so popular. At GPT
people are encouraged to discover things for themselves, because
helping them to develop will improve the company’s business
performance.’
GPT views open learning as a valuable medium for enhancing
employee development. This has resulted in a significant investment
in dedicated facilities, and there are open learning centres on five of
the major sites.
A variety of methods is used to provide instruction. These include:
e@ computer-based training (CBT)—this is the most popular learning
method. The best courses use animated graphics, text, summaries
and questions to present information in a clear and logical way;
@ interactive video (IV)—a video disk player, controlled and
supported by a PC, combines sight, sound and student activity. This
is mostly used to develop the interpersonal skills required of
managers and supervisors;
e@ video, audio and text—these are often combined for maximum
effect, since they complement each other well. Video is ideal for
demonstration, simulation and role play. Audio is the first choice for
language training. Text is explanatory and provides a record for
future reference;
@ practical experiment kits—these usually consist of text supported by
equipment designed to allow practical work.
The materials can be studied either standalone, or used in
conjunction with other methods of training. A particular example of
this is language training where methods used range from intensive,
tutor-led courses backed up by video and audio tapes, right through to
employees learning entirely from video courses.
144 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

Some of the benefits have been:

e meeting training and development needs identified through a

personal development programme; :
used as a cost-effective alternative to external training;
preparation for advanced external training courses;
revision of skills which are a little rusty;
supplementing other training.
In addition to on-site facilities, there is a special relationship with the
Open University (OU). Over 200 employees study OU courses
annually, mainly at post-graduate level. Students study both technical
courses and courses supplied by the Open Business School, and they
are supported by on-site tutorials and materials specially tailored to
the needs of the telecommunications industry.
The cross training of engineers from hardware to software has been
one example of the way in which the relationship with the OU has
directly and positively affected the development of GPT’s business.

9.2 Opening up learning in BT

BT has opened up a new distance learning centre (DLC) as part of its
management training centre at Martlesham.
The DLC has 16 interactive video workstations of which four supply
language training, four are video booths and two are audio. There is
also a room set aside for group learning and discussion.
The wide selection of videos includes over 1000 different titles,
which can be viewed in the centre or taken away for use in the office
or home.
The facilities include over 40 interactive video subjects, divided into
over 70 separate modules; these cover a range of interpersonal skills
and languages. In addition, there are over 100 audio cassettes to
choose from, computer-based training materials and a large selection
of books.
‘One particularly helpful feature of the centre’s resources is that
they come in different media, suitable for people like myself and many
members of our team who travel frequently, says Chris Webbley,
departmental quality manager at Martlesham. ‘So I have borrowed
audio cassettes to make better use of time while driving on the A12,
taken video cassettes to view at home and used the more powerful
features of interactive video at the centre itself. This has helped me in
fulfilling my personal development plan, for example.’
 How to make the best use of distance and open learning 145

Looking to future developments in learning technology, there are

also ten workstations equipped with CD-ROM, enabling employees to
use the greatly enhanced power of interactive multimedia.

9.3 Well proven methods

Both distance and open learning are becoming increasingly popular

methods for CPD. These methods are now well proven and widely
used by staff across a range of industry and commerce.
Some of the advantages to individuals are:
e flexibility of study patterns and location: they can offer learning on
demand, equivalent to just in time training;
e less interruption of work and domestic/family arrangements;
e freedom to work at one’s own pace, in contrast to, for example, an
intensive one-week course;
@ they are likely to be a much more effective means of learning if
properly organised. For example, you can interleave study of a
subject with gaining experience in its application.
Do, however, recognise that the structure of distance learning can vary
widely between different course providers. In some cases there are
rigid requirements on timescales and subjects to be studied. In other
cases, such as with the Open University, programmes are very flexible
in terms of the mix of subjects which can be studied and the duration
of possible study, with standalone modules which can be used without
necessarily intending to obtain any formal qualification.

9.4 Possible delivery media

The distance and open learning materials that you use can consist of
one or several of the following media:
@ printed paper;
@ audio cassettes;
e@ video cassettes;
@ computer-based delivery.
Think carefully about the type of medium which is likely to suit you
best. You may, perhaps, prefer printed materials on the grounds that
these are likely to be the cheapest and easiest to use anywhere, or
possibly you may feel that the high technology involved in using
146 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

computer-based material will be more fun and stimulating. The more

sophisticated the medium, the more expensive it will be to produce, so
the more it is likely to cost you or your employer.
Let us look at each of these types of medium in turn.

9.4.1 Printed paper

Printed paper in the form of workbooks is still the most widely used
open learning medium, either on its own or in combination with other
learning media.
Workbooks usually have spaces for the learner to write notes and
responses to the exercises provided. This approach has the advantage
of great flexibility. These types of workbooks can be used wherever and
whenever convenient. In addition, they give you a permanent record
of the learning experience, including your own responses and ideas.
There is no need for expensive equipment such as computers or video
players to be available to the student.
In general terms, there is much less information on each page of an
open learning workbook than on those of a textbook. There will also
be more frequent exercises to test the understanding of the student. It
is not unusual for three or four hours of study (equivalent to halfa day
of a training course) to be contained in an A4 size workbook 20 to 30
pages long.
Almost all open learning packages contain a printed element, even
where the major medium of learning uses high technology. This
printed element has the great advantage that it can be used as the
student’s personal record of learning, which can be retained. Some
open learning packages extend this concept by adding a workfile,
specially designed to hold additional written work, drawings, charts,
etc., forming part of the exercise work.

9.4.2 Audio cassettes

Audio cassettes can form a very useful supplement to printed
workbooks and other media. They are not usually used as the principal
method of delivering learning, with the major exception of some
language courses.
This medium allows students access to expert views, interviews and
discussions in a far more convenient and interesting manner than could
be achieved in print. One successful open learning pack on an electronic
topic uses audio cassettes to talk students through complex diagrams.
It can be argued that audio cassettes can achieve litthke which could
not be achieved better using video cassettes. Audio cassettes do,
 How to make the best use of distance and open learning 147

however, have one major advantage for the user—they are more
convenient to use. For example, they can be used during car journeys
and, with the popularity of the Walkman type of personal audio player,
can be listened to almost anywhere else.

9.4.3 Video cassettes

Video on VHS cassettes is a popular delivery medium for open
learning. It is almost always used with printed workbooks, which
students retain as a reminder of their learning experiences.
Coupled with exercises in accompanying workbooks, requiring
students to use the ideas being studied, video can provide very
efficient and effective learning experiences. It allows students to view
a wide selection of events which are very difficult to present in other
ways. These can range from viewing dynamic physical processes to
observing the use of communications skills in meetings and interviews.
Many successful open learning packages are based on a combination
of video and workbooks. These packages vary in the role played by the
video element. In some the video is the principal teaching medium
and the workbook supports the material on video. At. the other
extreme, the workbook is the principal teaching medium, with the
video adding illustrations and an occasional change of medium. Both
these extremes, and a range of mixes between them, have been used
successfully. The most important factor is that the videos and
workbooks are designed together to offer an integrated package of
learning.

9.4.4 Computer-based delivery

Computers provide an extremely effective means of delivering formal
learning programmes—as well as providing the many different and
exciting CPD opportunities discussed in the previous chapter. For
example, they are capable of interacting with a student’s responses in a
manner only surpassed by a knowledgeable human tutor. They provide
an ideal medium for implementing the best approaches to open
learning. As one example, a computer-based learning programme not
only allows students to study at their own pace; in addition, by
continually testing their understanding, and responding accordingly, it
can route each student along the most effective learning path.
Modern computers have sufficient power to provide excellent
graphics and video-quality animation to enliven and reinforce learning
messages. Recent developments associated with data storage on CD-
ROM, now holding over 600 megabytes of data, allow soundtracks and
148 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

video to be incorporated into computer-based programmes to produce

so-called multimedia programmes. These multimedia programmes run
on a variety of systems such as multimedia PCs, CD-I and IV (interactive
video). In essence, they all provide the facilities needed for computer
based learning delivery, but vary in the level and quality of additional
features such as video. Although these additional features can greatly
enhance the effectiveness of a learning package, it must be noted that
the quality of the underlying learning programme design is still the
most important factor in a successful package.
The only key disadvantage of computer-based learning delivery is
the high initial costs incurred in designing and programming the
learning packages. This means that there are relatively few packages
aimed at niche markets such as engineering. In addition, there is a
need for a suitable computer system for the user. This latter
disadvantage is unlikely to apply in the case of most engineers these
days, who almost all have access to suitable computers.
The high initial cost has to be measured against the number of
eventual users. For a large number of users, the cost per student can
become relatively low.
Increasingly, we are likely to see the Internet used to deliver high
quality training courses, incorporating high quality graphics, audio
and video.
We are also almost certain to see an explosion in the use of Lotus
Notes Domino servers to deliver such packages over the Internet—
with the advantage to the providers that they will retain control and
security over the material at the same time as using the open access
strength of the Internet. Linking this combined Lotus Notes/Internet
approach with structured access to experts and tutors could in
numerous ways revolutionise how many of us approach CPD. A new
distance learning package, Lotus Notes Learning Space, was launched
by Lotus in 1997 with access available over the World Wide Web as well
as Lotus Notes.

9.5 Choosing an open or distance learning course

One of the advantages of using open or distance learning courses is

that often the study materials are available for inspection before you
need commit yourself to taking the course. You can sample not just the
content, but also the style of presentation. In contrast this is next to
impossible to do with most conventionally presented courses.
 How to make the best use of distance and open learning 149

Dr. Mike Lee, a consultant who has considerable experience of

producing and applying open and distance learning, and who has
been a prime adviser for this chapter, comments:
“Take advantage of the availability of course materials which can be
sampled before deciding on a particular one to study. However, be
careful when comparing open and conventional courses not to be over
critical of the former. By being available for detailed inspection it also
makes itself available for criticism. In contrast there may be relatively
little information on conventional courses. Remember that we all have
a tendency to be optimistic about things of which we know little.
‘Open learning, especially when it includes video or multimedia, is
expensive to produce, and the glossier the presentation the more it
costs. CPD for engineers using open learning is not that large a market,
and producers of such material are unlikely to make an acceptable
profit by spending huge budgets on products aimed at this market.
‘The large markets in this area, in contrast, are often for those qualified
to less than graduate level and this is the area which attracts higher
budgets and offers glossy materials. Most of these materials are fun to
use and offer excellent training to their intended audience, but many
graduates find them simplistic and patronising. This may [Link] not
apply to you, so check them out anyway.’
There are open learning packages aimed specifically at engineers,
such as the IEE’s Management for Engineers series. Courses like these
are pitched at graduate level and are more analytical than the more
basic packages. They were produced on smaller budgets and use much
simpler presentational styles, but they offer excellent learning
opportunities and are highly rated by engineers who have used them.
When he was head of open learning at the GEC Management College,
Dr. Mike Lee set up and monitored courses based on similar packages
in GEC companies. Some 90% of the engineers completing the
courses commented favourably on them and said that they would
choose similar courses for further CPD activity.
Further advice from Dr. Mike Lee is:
‘When choosing open learning, examine packages closely and
remember the old adage of not judging a book by its cover. Good open
learning design does not necessarily result in lots of glossy pictures and
fast action. The most important features are the content, its clarity of
presentation and its suitability for your purposes.
‘If you are abreast of developments in computer technology, you may
be surprised that many so-called multimedia courses drastically
under utilise the potential of the medium. This is largely because
many of these courses were produced some years ago when PCs were
150 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

much less powerful than they are now, and the high cost of
development deters the producers from producing new versions. As
above, judge these courses on their content and their ability to meet _
your needs.

‘Newer multimedia courses make much fuller use of the opportunities

offered by current PCs. One example is [Link] multimedia
programme from the Institute of Physics, designed to help scientists to
make the transition from university courses to working in industry and
to plan their future CPD; this is based on a database of specially
recorded interviews with practising industrial scientists, which users can
browse through according to their particular interests.’

9.6 Using open and distance learning

One of the features of open and distance learning is that it will include
plenty of guidance on how to use your particular pack or course. So
here are some bits of advice on more general ways in which you can
maximise the effectiveness of your studies.
The first point is not to regard open or distance learning as being
separate from other modes of learning. These different modes are
simply different aspects of the totality of learning opportunities open
to you and should be treated as such. There is no reason why you
should choose to study a particular topic either by open learning or
through conventional courses alone. Use open learning with other
means of study to give yourself the best mix.
Open learning gives you freedom to arrange your study time as you
wish. This can be a two-edged sword. On the one hand, this freedom
brings the responsibility for planning your study time such that you
study efficiently and effectively. As a graduate engineer, you are
unlikely to need much advice on how to plan your study time, but the
flexibility of open learning packages tempts users either not to plan in
the first place or to wander from the plan at the first minor distraction.
Aim to avoid falling into these traps. Use your personal development
plan to organise your learning and to capture the key learning points.
You should avoid the loneliness of the long distance learner by
discussing and sharing your learning with appropriate other people. If
you are studying on a major distance learning course such as one with
the Open University, then contact with other students is usually
arranged for you by the course providers using contact groups,
weekend schools, etc. One distance learning MBA now makes use of
the Internet to facilitate contact between geographically separated
 How to make the best use of distance and open learning 151

students. Do not underestimate the importance of these arrangements

and use them as much as possible.
If you are studying a smaller open learning package, then you will
probably have to set such contact groups up yourself. Identify people
who will be interested in what you are doing. These will usually be
people whom you know through work, although a partner or friend
may be a good choice with topics such as communications skills!
One obvious candidate with whom you should regularly discuss your
learning is your manager. She or he should certainly be aware of your
training needs and have a vested interest in you acquiring new skills.
The sort of help a manager is particularly suited to give you is to put
the generic content of the open learning package into the specific
context of your job and your organisation. Another obvious person
who can fulfil these roles is your mentor, if you have one. Even if you
do not need to consult your manager while studying the package (for
example, if you have a mentor with whom you are regularly meeting),
then it is likely to be very important and highly beneficial to both of
you to review your studies with him or her after completing the course.
Another good candidate is someone who has studied the same
package already, or perhaps a different package or course on the same
subject. Approached in the right way (which is likely to include you
letting them know that you do understand that they do not have
unlimited time available), most people are flattered to be asked to
help and are very generous with their time.
Another possibility is that you may be able to find a partner for your
studies. If you know someone in a similar position to you, then they
may be interested in studying the same pack in parallel. This works
particularly well where your joint training needs arise from a joint
work activity where you apply your new skills and knowledge together
to complete a common work objective. This just in time training,
where you have an immediate application for your new skills, is
probably the most effective form of learning.
An extension to the idea of having a study partner is to form a study
group of perhaps five or six people with the same study need. All the
people in the study group can study the same material and meet
regularly to discuss what they have learnt, as well as to carry out group
exercises. If a more experienced person is prepared to act as a
facilitator, then this works even better. This arrangement has worked
successfully in a number of companies and the IEE Management for
Engineers series includes instructions on how such groups operate.
152. Continuing professional development: a practical approach

9.7 Distance learning and the IEE

Let us look now at the very wide range of distance learning
opportunities open to you through one institution, the IEE, as an
example. There are also many other institutions offering such
opportunities, although the IEE is in fact by far the largest.
The IEE first became involved with distance learning by producing
videos of IEE vacation schools (one-week courses run over the summer
at various universities, with a high industrial input) in 1988. This
developed into a formal publishing activity in 1991.
The Institution now provides a wide range of video and computer-
based training packages for engineers’ CPD. These come in the form of:
e high quality modular learning materials for self study;
e additional material for tutored courses.

The advantages of these materials are:

e their cost effectiveness;
e their convenience for study as required;
e the flexible way in which engineers can organise their study time.
There is a wide range of study material available, so one action you
might therefore build into your PDP is to obtain a copy of the IEE
distance learning course portfolio.
Another action you might consider is obtaining a copy of the Institu-
tion’s catalogue of publications and information services. This will
provide you with details of the Institution’s range of books, in addition to:
e the conference programme for that year, as well as details of the
previous year’s published conference proceedings;
e colloquium digests from the previous two years’ colloquia;
e information packs and bibliographies based on the INSPEC
database (to be explained later in this chapter) and the IKE library
collection;
@ wiring regulations and associated trade publications;
e Public Affairs Board publications;
e details of the IEE’s journals and proceedings;
e details of the INSPEC database of science and engineering abstracts
and INSPEC abstracts journals.

97.1 INSPEG
INSPEC was formed by the IEE in 1967, based on the ‘Science
abstracts’ service which had been supplied by the Institution since
 How to make the best use of distance and open learning 153

1898. It is recognised as the leading supplier of services providing

references to published information in the fields of physics,
electronics and computing.
This is an extremely important potential source of distance learning,
in the sense that it enables you to identify sources of reading material
in a wide range of subjects. Reading is undoubtedly the single most
undervalued and underused source of CPD, and a database such as
INSPEC is potentially very valuable.
Although based in the UK, eighty per cent of INSPEC’s sales are
overseas, emphasising the high respect in which it is held. In 1995
INSPEC merged with the former PHYS database and ‘Physics briefs’
abstracts journals. As a result there are over 300 000 records added
each year to the existing total of over 4.75 million. The source of
material for these records is the scientific and technical journals,
conferences and other publications produced throughout the world
in a wide range of languages. The contents of over 4200 journals and
some 2000 published conference proceedings, as well as numerous
books, reports and dissertations are regularly scanned by INSPEC staff
for relevant articles to abstract and index for the database.
There are three journals which contain short summaries of papers
published in the subject areas concerned. These are fairly expensive
(of the order of £1000 to £2000), so they might be viable only for large
organisations to buy.
The cheaper alternative is to access the INSPEC database online
from a number of host systems. Low-cost data communication
networks, or the Internet, give most countries easy access to these
services. All that is needed to search the database interactively is a
password and a terminal which connects the user to the network via
the local telephone system. Alternatively, you may use one of the many
information brokers providing this service, such as the IEE’s technical
information unit. Thousands of organisations worldwide use INSPEC
online to aid their research and development activities, so why not
persuade your organisation to do the same?
Many organisations run their own computer-based information
services using databases produced in house or purchased from
external sources, including from INSPEC tape services.
In addition, INSPEC is available on CD-ROM.
How about checking out, therefore, whether your organisation has
any of these types of information database available. If so, then try to
make regular use of them. If not, then ask whether your organisation
should be persuaded to obtain such databases.
154 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

9.7.2 Electronics letters’

‘Electronics letters’, published 25 times a year, is a prestigious
publication recognised as the leading journal for the fast publication
of short papers in letter form describing research across the whole
spectrum of electronics.
This is also available as an online electronic journal distributed to
subscribers via Internet and dial-up telecommunications networks.

9.8 The Open University

Mention must also be made of the excellent range of courses available
from the Open University. These include:
e an MSc in computing;
e an MSc in manufacturing;
e an MBA in technology.
The first two consist of courses which may be taken as free standing
units or combined to give a postgraduate diploma which may be
converted to an MSc by completing a project and dissertation. The
MBA is a mix of compulsory and optional courses.

9.9 Reading—the most underutilised source of CPD

As stated earlier, it is almost certainly the case that you can make much
greater use of reading to improve your CPD.
Therefore, take some time now to put together a list of the books
and other publications which you have read in the past year or two.
Make this list a part of your PDP. Make a note of the ideas,
information, etc., which each of these books provided for you.
Next, take some time to list the books, journals and so on which you
should be making time to read over the next three months. Make a
note in your PDP of this list and identify:
e where you will obtain these—will you buy them or borrow them
from your local or institution library, for example?
e when you will be able to read them—in the evenings, at weekends,
on the train, on aircraft journeys, or when?
Again, enter all this information in your PDP.
Keep asking yourself questions such as these. Do you, for example,
regularly read your institution journals and keep a record in your PDP
 How to make the best use of distance and open learning 155

of what you have learnt from them? How about reading newspapers
such as ‘The Financial Times’, or journals such as “The Harvard
business review’?

9.10 And how about writing?

So far we have looked in this chapter at many ways in which you can
access information through distance and open learning.
Now ask yourself how much you are contributing yourself to the
world’s sum total of knowledge. Have you ever written any articles, for
example for your company journal, newspaper or newsletter, or for
your institution’s journals?
They also say that ‘there is at least one book in each of us’. Would
you like to write a book at some time? If so, what stops you? You will
probably find that most of the barriers are in your mind—and if you
are sufficiently determined these can be reasonably readily overcome.
So how about finishing this chapter by making a list of the articles
and books you have already written, together with those you target for
yourself in the future—and of course then putting all this information
into your PDP?
 Chapter 10
The role of the universities and
other providers

Tf you think education is expensive, try ignorance’—Derek Bok,

president, Harvard University

It will hopefully have become abundantly clear to you by now that my

strong belief is that CPD can only be effective where there is an
appropriate structure and context.
All too often CPD is seen to be mainly about courses, and
universities and other providers need to be very wary of the dangers of
failing to integrate their courses, consultancy and other undoubted
expertise with the real ongoing needs of their clients)
One of the best examples of how to do this is in Motorola, a
company which believes very strongly in a coaching style of
management and in identifying the key competencies for each
employee.

10.1 Motorola University—a catalyst for change through

continuous learning

Motorola, covering a wide range of products from semiconductors to

mobile telephones, is a highly successful company, with more than
140 000 employees worldwide and annual revenue expanding at over
25 per cent between 1993 and 1995. Part of the reason for this success
has been the company’s adherence to every employee participating in
a minimum of 40 hours of off the job training each year, in addition
to ongoing on the job learning.
A study of Motorola by an outside company shows just how effective
training can be in those plants where the context is right. Where
employees absorbed the relevant quality tools, as well as the associated
process skills, and where senior managers reinforced the learning with
appropriate coaching, there was a $30 return for every dollar invested
 The role of the universities and other providers 157

in training, including the cost of wages paid while employees were

being trained.

Continuous learning linked to raising quality levels

Motorola is committed to providing continuous learning for every
employee. This has been linked to reducing the time taken to design
a new product from between three and seven years down to 18
months. Even more importantly it is linked to the objective of
achieving six sigma standards of quality throughout the company.
Six sigma refers to six standard deviations from a statistical
performance average, equivalent to just 3.4 defects per million. (In
comparison, airlines achieve 6.5 sigma in safety—counting fatalities as
defects—but only 3.5 to 4 sigma in baggage handling. Doctors and
pharmacists achieve an accuracy ofjust under five sigma in writing and
filling prescriptions.)
Motorola aims to achieve a ten-fold improvement in quality every
two years, with total customer satisfaction as the key aim.

The importance of teamwork

Tonnes Funch, director of Motorola University, says: ‘Motorola is

committed to lifelong development. Learning needs to be stimulating
and we involve members of employees’ families if appropriate. Most
importantly, our staff need to know how to work together effectively
and they have people to help coach them. We place a lot of emphasis
on facilitation, counselling and coaching skills. Generally, we have no
supervisors and may have 300 employees reporting into one manager.
There are 53 000 people working in ‘total customer satisfaction’ (TCS)
teams around the world. These TCS teams are cross functional,
problem solving teams, which often include customers and/or
suppliers, and they have learnt how to use each other’s competencies
to solve problems. They are shown how to be open, tolerant and how
to listen. Creativity and innovation are key and employees set
themselves very tough targets—often ones which they think are
impossible, and yet they do achieve them!’

The Motorola University concept

Motorola is committed to being best in class by continually searching

for ways to do things better with an efficient and skilled workforce
second to none in the world. Motorola University is the catalyst for
158 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

making this happen by encouraging and supporting a shared

individual and corporate commitment to continuous learning.
Motorola’s worldwide education and training community is a-
federation—a gathering together of all Motorola training
organisations called Motorola University. Through collaborative joint
venturing, the partners in this federation develop the experience and
expertise to enhance corporate competence by:
e providing visibility to major skill/job shifts and emerging markets;
e leveraging educational assets—human, technical and physical—and
sharing resources;
e improving learning efficiency, eliminating redundancy and
reducing training costs;
e reducing the cycle time of training needs assessment and course
development;
e transferring knowledge through common training platforms.

Auxiliary resources for competency building

Supporting the learning process across Motorola are:
(i) The National Technological University (NT'U)—this instructional
satellite network in the USA delivers courses, provided by leading
universities and other organisations, to Motorola employees
doing masters degrees and other professional studies.
(ii) Motorola University Press—the knowledge and expertise of
Motorola employees, as well as the culture, history and key beliefs
of Motorola, are disseminated via the printed word throughout
the corporation and to customers and suppliers by this publishing
operation.
(ili) Educational and corporate partnerships—partnerships have been
formed with institutions of higher education worldwide, for
example with Edinburgh, Warwick, Cambridge and Erasmus
Universities, the Judge Institute and Compiégne University of
Technology in Europe. Motorola University certifies lecturers
from these many institutions who then deliver courses on the
company’s behalf. Motorola University also provides training to
major suppliers as well as customers in order to maintain the best
supply chain.
In summary, therefore, this is an excellent case study showing how
effective CPD providers can be, both by working in close partnership
with employers and in the right context.
 The role of the universities and other providers 159

10.2 A partnership—the Warwick Manufacturing Group

One university which has built up a considerable reputation

internationally for integrating its expertise to meet the specific needs
of industry is Warwick University.
In 1980 Professor Kumar Battacharyya launched his vision at the
University of a new national centre in the UK for the development of
top-rank engineers and engineering managers. To achieve this vision he
has pioneered many innovative teaching and research methods—with
industrial partnership replacing the traditional academic approach.
His flagship is the Integrated Graduate Development Scheme
(IGDS). This masters degree programme, which has now been adopt-
ed in a number of other universities, is based on ajoint definition of
all aspects by both industrialists and academics. Half of the lectures are
provided by practitioners, mainly in industry, with just the core fifty
per cent coming from Warwick. Not only is there immense flexibility
in developing new material, but another pioneering step was to make
the degree part time, modular and assessed entirely through in-
company assignments and project work.
There are now more than 400 participants sponsored each year by
over 40 manufacturing and service companies. These include Rolls-
Royce, British Airways, British Aerospace, GKN, London Electricity,
Lucas, Raychem, Rover Group and Short Brothers. Awards are available
in engineering business management, design systems, manufacturing
systems or information technology—with all participants tailoring an
individual programme from 50 possible modules.
This has been complemented since the mid 1980s by the Integrated
Manager Development Scheme (IMDS), a similar part time modular
diploma programme which is designed for middle managers, mostly
those without formal qualifications. The success has been such that
there are now as many participants on this scheme as on the IGDS.
Both schemes have now been adopted in Hong Kong, with other
activities growing rapidly throughout the Pacific Rim. These schemes
are also complemented by short awareness programmes for company
board members and other senior executives, as well as a strong applied
research programme—in all cases collaborative with industry.

10.3 CPD—providing a flexible workforce

A rather different example is Wearside College, which initially

developed strong links with one particular employer, Nissan. These
160 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

links have then been considerably expanded to help other employers

in the region.
In March 1984 Nissan Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd decided to-
locate its first European car manufacturing plant in Sunderland.
Establishing motor manufacture in a region with no such previous
experience demanded a radical approach to the skill and training
requirements of the workforce. As a company dedicated to quality
and flexibility, Nissan recognised that technological change would
place increasing demands upon the skills and knowledge of their
maintenance personnel, who needed to be multiskilled. They had to
be able to diagnose problems quickly in systems combining
mechanical, electrical, electronic and software technology and
rectify the fault. Wearside College was approached by Nissan to
develop a multiskilled technical training progamme to meet this new
challenge.
Working together, using an analysis of the company’s skills profile,
both Nissan and the college recognised that traditional methods of
training in single disciplines would not produce the required skills. As
a result a 60:40 broad division between electrical/electronic and
mechanical/production was used in the design of the training
programme. Other essential elements were that it should lead to
nationally recognised qualifications, that it should combine practical
and theoretical elements and that it should form the basis of a CPD
programme for the trainees.
Continuous development programmes are provided for everyone at
Nissan. Technicians completing the multiskilled training programme
have the opportunity to continue their training in higher education.
Open learning facilities are extensive and available to all employees,
with a wide range of learning and training materials.
The success of this major training initiative is such that 24
companies have now identified similar multiskilled training needs and
formed a local consortium with Nissan. Their diverse activities range
from offal processing to adhesive manufacture. This common
approach to a multiskilled workforce is contributing to the growth of
the region and helping to attract inward investment.
A number of schemes are now available on a modular basis from
consortia of universities, employers and training providers. Let us next
look at two such examples.
 The role of the universities and other providers 161

10.4 The Continuing Professional Development Award

Scheme

A consortium of higher education institutes (HEIs), companies and

private training providers has developed the Continuing Professional
Development Award Scheme. This has been in existence for over six
years and is based around quality assurance of courses/programmes
and of the HEIs and organisations providing them.
The scheme aims to meet the four key needs shown in Figure 10.1.
A tariff of 120 hours of CPD, which is gained by accumulating credit
from courses within the scheme, has been set as the point at which an
award is given. For convenience the tariff is divided into six credits,
each of 20 hours, so that even modules as short as ten hours (a half
credit) can be counted. Courses can be in any subject area chosen by
the individual.

RECOGNITION VERSATILITY/
FLEXIBILITY

VARIETY OF
LEARNING QUALITY
OPPORTUNITIES

Figure 10.1 The four key needs targeted by the Continuing Professional Development
Award Scheme
For example; a civil engineer might take a wide range of subjects to
update herself on current issues and develop management related
skills. She could be involved in a contract in Japan. To meet all these
needs, she might decide to take the following modules at a number of
universities and training providers:
e@ management of contracts and projects (two credits);
e civil engineering law and contract procedures (two credits);
@ introduction to Japanese (one credit);
e finance for nonfinancial managers (one credit).
Over 600 people have already participated in the scheme and it was
expected that the numbers would have increased by a factor of ten by
1Sgb,
162 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

10.5 TEAM is launched

The Technology Management Programme (TEAM) was launched in

July 1993. Students may study just one of the 56 modules so far
accredited by the 20 participating universities or take part in the
TEAM masters degree programme—which requires the study of a
minimum of ten modules, plus a major work-based project.
Each module is equivalent to 80 hours of work and usually consists
of 15 hours of precourse work, a 40 hour one week residential course
and 25 hours of post-course work which includes a formal assessment
and usually contains a work-based assignment. Some modules are also
available in distance learning format.
The programme is managed centrally by the JUPITER Consortium
which operates a helpline service.
Other effective approaches to CPD can be seen where a provider
concentrates on one particular specialism, such as in electrical power
engineering and software engineering. These form the basis of our
next three case studies.

10.6 Powering CPD—a modular solution

The electrical supply industry operates the largest and most complex
of all man-made systems. It is a major user of modern technologies
including digital electronics, online plant controllers, expert systems,
optical fibre communications and data acquisition and control
systems. It supports the investigation and exploitation of novel and
environmentally friendly sources of generation, flexible and improved
forms of transmission, economic modes of distribution and efficient
methods of utilisation.
Unfortunately, many universities have abandoned electrical power
engineering in favour of electronics and associated courses, based on
the point of view that information technology is the future and power
is the past. As a result there is now a shortage of well qualified and
experienced electrical power graduates in the UK.
The Manchester Centre for Electrical Energy (MCEE) at the
University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology is now
providing a _ solution—a uniquely structured postgraduate
programme. With a history of providing such courses for industry
stretching back as far as 1957, and an MSc in power engineering since
1962, MCEE has now launched a new modular version. The one and
 The role of the universities and other providers 163

two week modules are each self contained and involve intensive
teaching, tutorial and laboratory work. Modules can be studied
individually as part of an engineer’s mid-career training or can be
accumulated towards an MSc, either full time or part time.
The modules are mainly taught by the 16 members of the MCEE,
but specialist lectures are given by senior engineers from the electricity
supply industry, manufacturing industry, consultancies and from other
universities.
Formal professional institution approval of this scheme has been
given within the new CPD frameworks such as that of the IEE.

10.7 IGDS schemes hit quarter century—and arrive in

Oxford
The Engineering and Technology Programme within the newly
formed Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
(EPSRC), one of the successor bodies to the Science and Engineering
Council (SERC), offers a number of schemes which lead the way in
industrially relevant postgraduate training.
The Integrated Graduate Development Scheme (IGDS), funded by
EPSRC, has been operating since 1979 (see the earlier case study in
this chapter about Warwick University) and there are currently 25
programmes in fields as diverse as manufacturing systems, packaging
technology, aerospace design, environmental engineering and
materials technology.
One of the latest has been initiated by the University of Oxford’s
Department for Continuing Education, with some 20 students starting
in 1993 from IBM’s development laboratory at Hursley Park. This
particular scheme builds on many years of collaboration between IBM
and Oxford University’s computing laboratory, which provides staff as
tutors under the leadership of Dr. Jim Woodcock. The programme
leads to a postgraduate diploma in software engineering with an
optional MSc, and has attracted three types of student:

e those early on in their careers, with at least two years postgraduate

experience looking for a more specialist qualification;
e some who are much more experienced, but want their knowledge
updating;
e anumber who were programmers some two decades ago, have since
moved into other careers and now wish to move back into modern
software development.
164 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

The course is based on the rigorous use of mathematical principles to

produce high quality software efficiently, and requires a certain level
of mathematical competence on entry.
To help prospective students who are perhaps not so confident of
their maths ability, the scheme also includes a pre-course programme
of individually tailored study units aimed at developing these
underpinning mathematical skills. This has proved very popular and
effective.
Five of the six one week modules are run at the IBM Education
Centre, with a sixth residential module at Oxford. Some ten hours of
self study are required before each module, with an assignment taking
about 25 hours in the two weeks following. A portfolio of short reports
must also be prepared by each student identifying at least three areas
where what has been learnt has been, or could be, applied. All this is
reinforced by a project based on work undertaken in the company,
mainly during the last five months of the course, and presented as a
substantial dissertation leading to the award of a ad nt which can
be gained over either one or two years.
There are now two further developments. First, with funding from the
EPSRC, the scheme has been extended to other companies engaged in
software development as from June 1994; these modules are all taught
at Oxford, but otherwise the scheme is the same. Secondly, those
students who have completed the diploma now have the opportunity to
study a further four modules leading to the award of an MSc.
There is one final satisfying aspect of the programme; Dr. John
Axford, who helped to initiate the scheme when heading education at
IBM Hursley, has developed his own career by moving to Oxford
University’s Department for Continuing Education and continues his
involvement with the IGDS programme.

10.8 Mechatronics or bust

It is estimated that eighty per cent of the workforce required in the UK

by the year 2000 is currently employed and that only twenty per cent
of the technology which will have been developed by then is now
currently available. The gap analysis is alarming, particularly where we
review the present capability of our wealth generating industries to
attain world manufacturing standards.
The UK’s industrial workforce has been reduced over the past 25
years by forty three per cent because of:
 The role of the universities and other providers 165

e loss of competitive edge;

e lack of reinvestment of profit into. updating resources by British
industry.
The overall picture of the UK industrial scene is one that is still in
decline and will remain so unless there is a step change in the attitudes
towards education and training by educational institutions and
industry, and a planned reinvestment programme for re-equipping
with state of the art technology. The education, training and
retraining programmes that must be embarked upon in the UK must
relate to the product needs of future world markets. There is every
evidence that these will be of increasing sophistication and
intelligence. Manufacturing companies will require interdisciplinary
engineers and technicians to undertake the R&D, manufacture and
maintenance of these products.
With the availability of micro and nano machining techniques, and
the capability to design in virtual space, products will consist of
complete systems. This will require a workforce trained across
disciplines and in the application of the mechatronic philosophy.
Gwent College of Higher Education, in collaboration with
Innovative Technologies in Education (ITE) Ltd, has set up the Gwent
Mechatronics Development and Training Centre in the UK, which is
one of only six in the world. The CIM centre is part of the total
mechatronics training facilities within the Faculty of Technology.
Accredited training in Siemens PLCs and Autocad, electro-
pneumatics/hydraulics, communications and control supports the
total education and training programmes available in mechatronics.
Engineers and technicians would be well advised to include, within
their individual CPD programmes, training in the mechatronics
philosophy and application. If we do not create a workforce that is
interdisciplinary in nature then we will not create the industries able
to compete in tomorrow’s world markets.
There is now a need for a quantum change in attitudes towards
training by industrialists and the provision of mechatronic-type
education programmes if we are to regain our competitive edge.
There is very little evidence in the UK that this message has been
received or understood.
One of the interests that I have in this case study is that the word
mechatronics was invented in 1964 by Professor Takashi Kenjo, my
Japanese co-author. Takashi has had many books on electric motors
and circuits published in many languages. However, for his first book
published in English by Oxford University Press in 1984 he was told
166 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

that there was no such word as mechatronics in the English language

and had the word refused. These days there are even professors of
mechatronics in universities!

Another important aspect of technology is in the medical field. The

next case study shows how one career move can be into rehabilitation
engineering.

10.9 Rehabilitation engineering through CPD

Rehabilitation engineering is a term used for the application of

engineering principles to the alleviation, as opposed to the treatment,
of disability. Examples include the development of special supportive
seating for people who have to live their lives in chairs, mobility aids
(e.g. wheelchairs), artificial limbs, communication aids, environ-
mental controls and other aids for daily living.
Rehabilitation engineers need a wide range of skills and experience
beyond their basic engineering training. First, they should know about
the medical conditions of their clients so that the aids which they
provide are appropriate. Secondly, they should be sympathetic and
effective communicators, both for understanding and training clients
and for contributing to multidisciplinary consultation with their
clinical colleagues. Thirdly, they should be capable managers because,
with the formation of NHS trusts, their role now includes the setting
up and control of contracts with external suppliers and neighbouring
health districts.
The Centre of Rehabilitation Engineering, CoRE, is part of King’s
College, London, and is funded by the Department of Health to
provide educational underpinning for engineers in the NHS. CoRE
runs part-time courses leading to a college certificate and a diploma.
These recognise the standards laid down in the basic and advanced
training manuals in rehabilitation engineering issued by the
Department of Health and supervised by the Biological Engineering
Society.
‘After many years of steady development, technology in this field has
started to change rapidly, with a lot of new equipment becoming
available,’ says Alan Turner-Smith, senior lecturer at the centre.
‘Pressure of work in the Health Service means staff cannot afford to
take long periods away to adjust to the new standards of practice. So
CPD, available in short courses such as ours, is a highly suitable way of
 The role of the universities and other providers 167

introducing new skills. Many of our students have served in the

National Health Service for a number of years, after qualifying with an
ONC, HNC or HND, and are now keen to raise their professional
standards to match the new demands in modern healthcare. Other
students, including a number with degrees, are converting from other
engineering occupations. Whatever their background, we can identify
those who take up CPD as the people who take their jobs seriously.
‘The certificate course at CoRE involves three one-week residential
units and a one-week clinical placement,’ continues Alan Turner-
Smith. ‘In between, students complete worksheets to follow up study
themes, write up a library assignment and report on a project at their
workplace. A new CAT points scheme is being prepared for 1996,
which will add flexibility to CoRE’s CPD programmes. This will also
link with the rehabilitation engineering option in the University’s MSc
in medical engineering and physics. We are also exploring the
development of NVQs in rehabilitation engineering. With ever more
technical changes on the horizon, CoRE has its own research
programme and has developed strong links with rehabilitation
technology training programmes in other European countries.’
In addition to running these courses and two annual national
conferences for rehabilitation engineers, Alan edits ‘REview’, the
Centre’s newsletter, and has reprinted several articles from ‘CPD link’,
The Engineering Council’s CPD newsletter. He is a member of the
Biological Engineering Society, which has a CPD scheme that is to be
closely modelled on that of the IEE. Alan is himself a physics graduate
who did research into laser physics at Oxford before joining Philips
Research at Redhill. He then developed a number of medical
engineering technologies at the Oxford Orthopaedic Centre prior to
moving to his present job in 1992.

10.10 Building on law

Another specialist area in which engineers might need expertise is that

of law, and one university offering such expertise is Strathclyde.
Strathclyde University Law School offers an evening based
postgraduate course in construction law, which started in January
1995. This is specially designed for professionals working within the
construction industry—as well as practising lawyers.
Diploma students follow the same four module programme as LLM
Law students, except that there is no requirement for a dissertation.
168 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

Each standalone module has one three-hour class per week from 5
p-m. to 8 p.m. over ten weeks, and currently one module is taken per
semester (although it is possible to take two). Assessment is by-
examination at the completion of each module.
This course offers useful CPD to construction professionals as well as
an advanced qualification from a well-respected Law School.

10.11 Forensic engineering at Glasgow University

A postgraduate course at The University of Glasgow introduced, in

September 1995, an imaginative new addition to its CPD training
programme. The innovation of a forensic engineering course created
considerable interest from within the UK, America and Europe.
This pioneering course, which appears to be the first of its type in
the world, was devised by Dr. Colin Goodchild and Dr. John Anderson
in the Faculty of Engineering. They believe that a more structured
approach is necessary for equipping engineers to deal with the steady
increase in legally-constituted enquiries concerning technological
failure. Expert testimony across the spectrum of engineering is central
to the definition of the cause of failure, the conduct of the scientific
investigation and the presentation of results in lay terms.
Forensic engineering is thus defined as the investigation, collection
and analysis of evidence of technological failure, with the expectation
of presenting this evidence in a court of law. In developing the course
it became clear that the topic also attracted interest from the medical,
legal, insurance and loss adjustment professions, as well as from the
fire, accident and emergency organisations. Worldwide interest also
led to broadening of the legal content to include aspects of European
law, reflecting the cross-national aspect of the topic.
The original five day course had twenty delegates, including a lawyer
from Switzerland. It started with structures and procedures in courts of
law, the investigation, collection and presentation of evidence, health
and safety, product liability, and engineering case studies across the
spectrum of engineering. It continued with fatal accident inquiries,
insurance matters, fire, accident and emergency case studies and further
engineering case studies. The first three days then finished with forensic
techniques in photogrammetry, metrology and computer analysis,
quality assurance and forensic engineering in the nuclear industry.
Legal considerations, as well as dealing with press and TV interviews,
were covered in the final two days. Legal instruction in the roles of the
 The role of the universities and other providers 169

lawyer, expert witness, expert testimony and judge culminated in a

practical courtroom workshop dealing with expert witness testimony
in front of a judge.
This course is now expected to continue on a regular basis.
Another specialist area of expertise for engineers with legal
implications is in the water industry, which forms the basis of the next
case study.

10.12 CPD—insuring against disaster

A recent report in the ‘New civil engineer’ tells of ‘disastrous legal
consequences’ and ‘punitive insurance costs’ for civil engineers
adopting a blasé approach towards the issue of CPD. The report
concludes that an alarming degree of ignorance exists over the
Institution of Civil Engineers’ requirements on CPD, despite details
being contained in members’ annual subscription notices. Insurance
firms have subsequently confirmed that personal indemnity cover for
engineers will be more expensive in cases where CPD records are not
up to date. A planned training and assessment programme is the most
appropriate method of avoiding problems with CPD records—such as
that offered by WTi (originally called Water Training International).
Susan Joyce, engineering product manager at WTi’s Millis House
training centre near Derby, comments: ‘CPD benefits individuals and
employers alike. Staff need to keep their technical knowledge up to
date, as well as adding to their skill base. Engineering institutions are
now beginning to insist on CPD records being kept by members; some
organisations are using their quality assurance systems to record that
staff have received appropriate training for the tasks which they
undertake. This applies to all staff regardless of profession or rank.’
CPD is now becoming obligatory for members of many of the
engineering institutions. The number of hours or days varies from one
institution to another, but 20 to 30 hours per year is not uncommon.
To meet this need, WTi has developed a suite of courses, including
one-day specialist events and longer wide-ranging courses. All WTi’s
engineering courses are designed to meet the needs of staff working
in engineering design and management. To keep training events
relevant, realistic and up to date, the company works with a large
number of practising engineers and specialists in the design and
running of courses. It also works very closely with research institutions
to ensure that new information, skills and techniques emanating from
170 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

the latest research are reflected in the content of courses. To

complement this training, WTi has invested in the most state of the art
facilities, including real-time computer access to industry which allows.
valuable simulation opportunities.
The engineering courses offered cover a wide range of topics—
forms of contract, project and contract management, health and
safety, environmental topics, law for nonspecialists, design of water
supply and sewerage systems, personal development and civil,
mechanical and electrical topics. The presenters are a mix of experts
from various sectors of industry. Training exercises form an important
basis for all courses and include the design of a pumping station, a
contractual dispute or a management problem, all based on actual
case material.
CPD is aimed at ensuring that high standards are maintained
throughout the engineering professions. Maintaining records is easier
if a planned, structured course of training is organised—either as an
individual or as part of a team. WTi offers the organisational and
technical expertise to ensure that training is provided at the
appropriate time, and is recorded and registered through the
appropriate channels.

10.13 Eutech—a long and distinguished heritage in CPD

The final case study looks at Eutech, which is part of the multinational
ICI and has adopted a very interesting approach to providing its
expertise on a commercial basis to the world outside ICI.
Eutech Engineering Solutions Limited has been established as a
wholly owned subsidiary of ICI, with the aim of marketing the
company’s considerable engineering experience and expertise. 250
professional technical staff have effectively moved from being an
integral part of one of the UK’s foremost engineering companies to
being part of a relatively small, but highly expert, company marketing
its expertise. This is an interesting example of the way in which
industry is restructuring, with implications for both companies and
individuals.
The human resource at Eutech is tangible evidence of the success of
ICI’s CPD programme over many years. Expertise covers a wide range
of businesses operating in the process, manufacturing and
engineering industries. Staff can provide a comprehensive problem
solving capability across all engineering disciplines.
 The role of the universities and other providers 171

Roy Sallabank, business manager of Eutech’s training operation

says: ‘Eutech has embraced the ICI philosophy of continuous
investment in the development of people. Our staff are practising
engineers in whom ICI has already invested substantial time, money
and resources; Eutech is maintaining that commitment with
comprehensive and ongoing training programmes. In particular, we
are developing the specialist skills of our engineers, focusing on those
areas which are relevant to the needs of our business and which
address the major issues and challenges facing the industry as a whole.
Through Eutech, companies outside ICI can now reap the benefit of
this investment.’
Eutech courses are designed and structured to meet the varying
needs of engineers at different career stages. These include
developing professional competence, maintaining technical
standards and specialist skills. Courses cover a wide number of areas,
including:
safety, health and environment,
project management,
mechanical and materials engineering;
control and electrical engineering;
civil engineering and construction management.
Eutech can supply consultants or training packages which have been
customised to suit specific needs. “This can make a major contribution
to solving the client’s problems and delivering the skills needed by
their business, both now and in the future, by developing the
competence of their engineering resource,’ says Roy Sallabank.
Eutech is therefore now benefiting from the investment in CPD by
ICI over many years.

10.14 Summary

We have looked at a wide range of case studies in this chapter, showing

the extent of opportunities available to most people as part of their
(SPL):
If there is anything more that CPD providers, employers, institutions
and individuals can do to make all this CPD provision even more
effective it will be by:
e introducing simple, but useful, competence frameworks for every
engineer;
172 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

ensuring that all organisations really do adopt a coaching style of

management to fully support the learning process;
making as wide a use of mentors as possible; :
encouraging all individuals to use some form of personal
development plan, ideally using software to directly link learning
experiences to each individual's competence development
programme;
building in some form of ongoing feedback to ensure that all such
formal learning is maximised as far as possible, as well as fully
integrated into each person’s ongoing informal day to day learning.
 Chapter 11
The role of the professional
institutions

‘When you can teach someone else what you have learned, then you really
know that you know!’

The professional institutions in the UK have been formed over the last
century and a half to promote the learning and professionalism of
their members. This implies that those who are more expert in a
particular subject will pass on their expertise to others less expert—
and that in turn these greater experts will benefit by structuring their
knowledge in such a way that it can be passed on to others in the most
effective way possible. The best way, after all, of checking that you
really do have a sound grasp of a subject is to make a presentation or
write a paper on it!
The Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE), the largest of the UK
based professional institutions, was formed in 1871 and now has some
140 000 members in almost every country around the world, It really
is an international institution. Its first president, for example, was Sir
William Siemens, a German who came to the UK in 1843 and founded
an electrical engineering company, called Siemens at the time, which
eventually became part of Associated Electrical Industries (and where
I did my student apprenticeship) and was then taken over in the mid-
1960s by GEC. Sir William Siemens played a key role in developing the
first electric street lighting in the world, as well as the first transatlantic
cable. He married a British wife and became a very distinguished
naturalized British citizen in 1859. One of his brothers founded the
present-day Siemens company in Germany, and another brother
founded a now defunct Siemens company in Russia. Interestingly,
until after the turn of the century the Siemens business in Britain was
larger than that in Germany. When in August 1995 Siemens
announced a £1 billion investment in a new microchip factory in the
UK, they naturally chose to make the public announcement in the
Siemens Room at the IEE!
174 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

One of my responsibilities in the IEE is as the link co-ordinator

between the IEE’s South East Midland Centre in the UK and the IEE’s
centre in development in Belarus. I have also chaired IEE training-
accreditation visits to companies in Hong Kong and Dubai, as well as
in the UK. I can therefore testify personally as to how institution
activities can greatly benefit their members through enhancing
mutual learning internationally.
@aragraph 4 of the IEE’s Royal Charter, for example, says:
‘The objects and purpose for which The Institution of Electrical
Engineers is hereby constituted are to promote the general
advancement of electrical science and engineering and _ their
applications and to facilitate the exchange of information and ideas on
these subjects amongst the members of the Institution and otherwise for
that purpose.)

There are over 40 institutions with their headquarters in the UK, some
even older than the IEE (the Institution of Civil Engineers was
founded in 1818, for example, and the Institution of Mechanical
Engineers in 1847), and numerous equivalents in other countries. In
general, the roles of all these institutions are similar at heart to the
objects and purpose of the IEE described above, although the UK
based institutions and those with similar British ancestry in other
countries also have one other key role: that of determining who is a
fully qualified and experienced technician, incorporated engineer or
professional engineer, allowing the individual to write Eng Tech, IEng
or CEng after his or her name. In contrast, in most countries around
the world, you are a fully recognised technician or engineer by virtue
of your highest academic qualification, albeit that in most cases these
countries have rather longer degree courses than in the UK and many
of them equate to UK masters degree level.
Much argument has taken place over the years on equivalence
between technicians and engineers in these different countries. Across
Europe the engineering profession is represented by the Fédération
Européene d’Associations Nationales d’Ingenieurs (FEANI), which
maintains a register of european engineers who are entitled to put the
prefix Eur Ing before their name.
In the UK the umbrella body for the technician, incorporated
engineer and chartered engineers is The Engineering Council. This
was formed in 1981 on the recommendation of the Finniston
Report[13] on the engineering profession, superseding the Council of
Engineering Institutions which had existed since the 1960s. The
Engineering Council is an independent body authorised by Royal
 The role of the professional institutions 175

Charter to advance education in, and promote the science and

practice of, engineering for the public benefit.
To be more accurate, the Finniston Report recommended the
establishment of an engineering authority as an engine of change,
with statutory registration of engineers, but the government of the day
considered this too centralist and thus The Engineering Council was
born. Its chairman in the 1990s, Sir John Fairclough, initiated a debate
on how it should be reformed, to answer many criticisms of its lack of
effectiveness in raising the public standing of the engineering
profession, and a new organisation to replace it, also named The
Engineering Council, was formed in 1996.
Perhaps it would have been much more satisfactory if the Government
had indeed accepted the Finniston Report proposal for an engineering
authority. This would have included a statutory register of those qualified
and the specification and enforcement of a code of practice to be
observed by registered engineers. Furthermore, Finniston recommend-
ed that ‘The Authority should draw up a code of practice based upon
engineers’ technical competence and continuing fitness to practise, to
which registered engineers would be required to commit themselves and
breach of which would render them liable to deregistration’.
This code of practice, said Finniston, should require the following of
registered engineers:
(a) not to undertake work for which they could not validly claim
competence;
(b) to maintain and develop their competence through participation
in continuing formation programmes;
(c) to maintain their knowledge of, and to observe wherever
appropriate, technical standards, codes of technical practice,
health and safety regulations, and other such requirements;
(d) to participate in and to encourage the formation and professional
development of other engineers.

It is interesting that it in fact took another decade and a half for The
Engineering Council to produce a code of practice for individual
engineers, developed jointly with the engineering institutions and
which is included, for example, in the IEE’s CPD handbook. This
states: “To gain maximum benefit from continuing professional
development it is recommended that individual members adopt the
following code of practice:
1. Prepare a CPD plan. This should include the following:
(a) the knowledge, skills, understanding and attitudes to be
176 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

acquired or developed taking into account the employer’s

business objectives, career intentions, short and long term,
relevant personal interests and the requirements of the-
Institution;
(b) the actions to be taken, with responsibilities and timescale, to
meet the identified needs.
The plan should be developed, where possible, in conjunction with
the employer. Account should be taken of the guidance provided
by the Institution for the preparation of CPD plans and the plan
should be reviewed regularly (at least annually).
2. Record CPD activities and achievements so that progress towards
implementing the plan, and maintaining professional competence,
can be demonstrated. The benefits should be evaluated.
3. Provide the Institution annually with a completed record form of
the CPD that has been undertaken so that this may be formally
recorded and credited.
4. Support the CPD of other staff, and encourage the employer to
support CPD as an integral part of professional life.’
In summary, Chris Senior, senior executive, CPD, at The Engineering
Council, describes the need for CPD to emphasise:

e the responsibility of individual engineers for continuous improve-

ment and development to ensure competence as professionals
throughout their careers;
e the need for development to include a range of technical,
commercial, financial and management subjects;
e the use of a wide range of structured job-related activities, including
courses, distance learning, in-company programmes and _ profes-
sional institution activities.
While it may indeed have taken The Engineering Council some 15
years to implement the Finniston proposal ofa code of practice, there
were many important steps taken during that period, and perhaps a
code of practice only makes sense once many of these initiatives are in
place. For example, The Engineering Council, and Chris Senior in
particular, together with his predecessor Bernard Dawkins, was a
pioneer in introducing the concept of personal development plans in
the UK. It also did much work to organise conferences and provide
reading material to clarify what CPD is all about and what might be
done to improve its quality.
 The role of the professional institutions 177

11.1 A four way partnership

The Engineering Council sees CPD for engineers as being a four way
partnership, as shown diagrammatically in Figure 11.1. This
partnership between individuals, their employers, the professional
institutions and the providers of formal education and _ training
courses is an important one. It should be very clear in every
employee’s mind, and each individual should be given every possible
support by the other three partners.
This chapter is specifically about the role of the professional
institutions, so let us look at the IEE as an example of the very wide
range of professional activities which a professional institution can
provide. These are shown in Figure 11.2; how about taking a bit of
time now to make a note of how many of these you take part in and
benefit from? Which others might be of value to you? When will you
do something specific to enhance the benefit that you can get from
your institution? Write down these conclusions and share your
thoughts and commitment with someone else—perhaps your mentor,
your coach, your manager, or a friend, spouse or partner.

engineers employers

professional providers
institutions

Figure 11.1 The four way partnership in CPD

178 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

Some of the IEE’s many activities:

visits to company plants and sites

conferences
journals
discussion meetings
colloquia
seminars
vacation schools
newsletters
career guidance
professional development record
INSPEC database
books
distance learning

Figure 11.2 Range of activities which a professional institution can provide

11.1.1 The IEE CPD scheme

Increasingly, professional institutions around the world are
introducing CPD schemes for their members. Generally these fall into
one of three categories:
1 Voluntary—the institution member is free to choose whether or not
to participate.
2 Obligatory—members are obliged to update their competencies
through regular CPD by an ethical requirement in the institution’s
code of conduct. Alternatively, several institutions make CPD
obligatory by a byelaw, rule or regulation.
3 Compulsory/mandatory—institution members will be disbarred if
they do not show that they have had a minimum amount of CPD
within a specified period.
The IEE was the first institution, in 1979, to introduce a system of
academic accreditation for degree courses. Now over 450 courses have
been accredited in the UK, Hong Kong, Singapore, the West Indies
and South Africa, with mutual accreditation agreements with
 The role of the professional institutions 179

Australia, New Zealand and Ireland. In 1987 the Institution started a

new system of accreditation of training schemes for students and
graduate trainees, being the first institution to insist on training panel
visits for all schemes. Now over 300 training schemes have been
accredited in the UK, Hong Kong, Dubai and the Czech Republic.
The IEE therefore gave very careful consideration and debate, over
a period of two years, as to how best to introduce a system for CPD.
Should it be an accreditation system and, if so, on what basis? In the
end, after looking at many other CPD schemes already operating in
other institutions and professions, the Institution decided to
introduce a voluntary policy of CPD from 1 January 1995 for a trial
period of three years, with many members of the Institution’s Council
expressing the hope that it would thereafter become mandatory.
Three important aspects of the IEE approach are:
@ it is open to all members;
@ participation in the scheme is voluntary;
e the Institution will keep information on its database showing the
amount of CPD each member has undertaken each year.
Mike Smythe, director of professional services, said at its launch: ‘Our
members are professionals, who are proud of their membership
qualification. But it only shows an achievement at a particular point in
time, namely when it was awarded. Showing proven CPD achievements
thereafter will enhance our members’ marketability.’

A points based system

Each participating IEE member who attains a minimum of 60 points

of assessed CPD in any period of three consecutive years, on a rolling
basis, will qualify for the award of a CPD certificate (or a CPD
certificate of merit for 120 points, with their names published in ‘IEE
news’).
In order to keep the scheme relatively simple to operate and
control, only activities requiring attendance are included in the
scheme in its present form. These fall into two types, which are:
(i) Technical events—aimed either at developing a member’s
specialised technical knowledge or at broadening this beyond the
specialisation.
(ii) Nontechnical events—in this category come management
techniques, interpersonal skills, employment law, health and safety
law, finance, languages, etc.
180 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

At least twenty five per cent of a member’s CPD activities must be in

each of these two categories to qualify for a certificate.
The points allocation for all such events is:
one point per hour of examined CPD;
three-quarters of a point per hour of interactive CPD;
half a point per hour of attendance only CPD;
five points for presenting a one hour lecture or a refereed paper or
article.
Various types of approved providers are:
e the IEE itself, including its centres, divisions, professional groups,
distance learning committee, conferences, vacation schools and
short courses;
other professional institutions;
higher educational institutes offering IEE accredited degrees;
employers operating IEE accredited training schemes;
others who seek and obtain approval from the IKE for their CPD
provision. These could include training organisations, colleges of
further and higher education, and employers not having IEE
accredited training schemes.
Approved providers are required to operate within specified criteria
and to appoint a senior person, known as the nominated individual
and acceptable to the IEE, to act as the named link between the IEE
and the provider.
Members are able to recognise IEE assessed CPD events by logos
shown on the publicity material, or by a plain language statement such
as ‘this event qualifies for half a technical IEE CPD point’. A record of
all assessed CPD provision is maintained in the IEE’s Courses
Information Unit in the library at Savoy Place.
Ken Smith, the IEE’s CPD manager, says: “This scheme will cost the
Institution around £2 per member per year, plus our start up costs.
And we think it is worth every penny!’
However, it is being increasingly realised that a points-based scheme
such as this is only a step forward in CPD. The IEE is now working
closely with the Institution of Mechanical Engineers to move towards
a competence-based system.

Some future challenges

Professor Philip Secker, Deputy Secretary of the IEE, asks the question:
‘Where do we go from here? Our scheme will operate initially for a
 The role of the professional institutions 181

period of three years and will then be reviewed. In the meantime,

however, there is still a lot to do to develop the scheme further, both
within and outside the IEE.’
Within the Institution he sees possibilities of extending the range of
qualifying activities to include other forms of CPD, such as private
study and on the job learning. Outside there is the work of The
Engineering Council in developing the code of practice in CPD.
He would like to see the larger institutions helping and supporting
the smaller ones to develop and introduce their own CPD schemes. To
this end, the IEE is prepared to offer its scheme for free to any other
institution wishing to adopt or adapt it; and even prepared, for a
modest fee, to manage such a scheme on their behalf if so asked.
‘Let me make three challenges,’ says Professor Secker. ‘First, we
should find a way of achieving mutual recognition of CPD across the
engineering profession. Secondly, let us start talking now about the
creation of a mutually acceptable procedure for the assessment,
measurement and recognition of each other’s CPD. But my third
challenge is broader still. After all, engineers will perhaps need CPD
in law, in finance and in medicine, and will attend courses provided by
these professions. So my final challenge is this: let us set up an inter-
profession group to discuss ways in which we can recognise CPD
activities from each other’s professions.’
Let us therefore take up Philip Secker’s point and look at the
approach to CPD in the legal, accountancy, medical and insurance
professions.

11.1.2 CPD and the Law Society

In view of the considerable debate in the engineering profession
concerning mandatory CPD, it is particularly interesting to look across
at colleagues whose status in society is often envied.
The equivalent for the solicitors to the engineering profession’s
Finniston Report in 1980 was the Royal Commission on Legal Services
chaired by Sir Henry Benson in 1979. Initially, the Law Society
introduced a requirement for all solicitors admitted as from August
1985 to undertake CPD for the first three years following admission to
the profession. It was hoped that the activity would be habit forming,
with the need to accrue a total of 48 continuing education points over
the three year period, as well as to attend one half-day course in each
year. In February 1990 it was decided that, with effect from September
1990, those solicitors admitted after July 1987 had to collect 16 CPD
points for each year of their career and not just for the first three years.
 182 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

In May 1990 the Law Society’s council agreed that, subject to

phasing arrangements to be agreed, the whole profession should be
required to undertake the minimum training requirement of -
collecting 16 CPD points per year for the rest of their career. It was
subsequently agreed that solicitors admitted after October 1982 would
have to meet this CPD requirement each year, with effect from
November 1994, and the rest of the profession would be included
from November 1998.
In the meantime, there had been a tremendous growth in the
number of organisations offering both formal courses and in-house
CPD, as well as developments such the Legal Network Television. In
November 1992, therefore, the points system was changed to an hours-
based requirement of 48 hours over a three year cycle, except for the
first three years after admission during each of which 16 hours of CPD
must be undertaken.
The aim is to encourage the 60 000 solicitors to learn new skills and
keep up to date with new areas of law, as well as to refresh all their skills
such as researching. Among the requirements to be met are:
e at least twenty five per cent of this CPD activity must be met through
attendance on courses offered by Law Society authorised course
providers;
e no more than twenty five per cent of the CPD may use authorised
audio/visual distance learning courses. This twenty-five per cent can
also include writing law books, legal articles, legal research or a
dissertation leading to a recognised qualification;
e there are restrictions on the amount of unsupported distance
learning.
In addition, solicitors can add twenty five per cent to the actual time
for attendance on workshop courses requiring delegate participation.
Furthermore, solicitors who lecture on courses leading to
qualifications and/or CPD courses can count twice the actual time on
the first occasion on which they present the course.
Solicitors are also being required to keep a personal training record
up to date. As from early 1993, the Law Society has been able to
request sight of training records at any time and this has shown that
the vast majority are complying with the requirements. The Law
Society approach at present is that those not complying are talked to
and persuaded of the importance of CPD. The ultimate sanction
eventually might be for the annual practising certificate not to be
renewed—in an extreme case where, for example, a solicitor had
misrepresented the amount of CPD undertaken.
 The role of the professional institutions 183

A 1993 discussion paper by the training committee of the Law

Society suggested that at least twenty five per cent of the CPD
requirement should be fulfilled by training in practical skills such as
communication and other aspects of management development. This
is currently a recommendation.

11.1.3 CPD in the Institute of Chartered Accountants in

England & Wales
Next let us look at the approach to CPD in one of the large
accountancy institutes.
The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales
(ICAEW) considers that all members owe it to themselves, and their
fellow professionals, to ensure that they are professionally up to date
and that the reputation and value of their qualification is safeguarded.
The Institute expects all members to demonstrate a commitment to
continuing professional education (CPE), and there are specific
groups of members for whom this is compulsory:
e those applying for fellowship are required to confirm that they have
complied with the guidelines on CPE on an annual basis;
e those supervising training in training offices and post qualification
training offices authorised by the ICAEW;
e those members working in the reserved areas of audit, investment
business and insolvency;
e those seeking entitlement to practise.
Because of the wide range of professional activities of its membership,
the ICAEW relies on members and their firms to decide the relevance
and usefulness of any CPE programme to their own circumstances.
Normally CPE should be the assimilation of technical knowledge. It is
recognised, however, that it may be appropriate to include time spent
on the development of interpersonal or management skills.
A distinction can be made between unstructured and structured
CPE. Structured CPE can be achieved through interaction with other
individuals (not necessarily other members); for example, through
attendance at technical meetings, seminars, lectures, courses (includ-
ing pre-course/meeting preparation), as well as distance learning
where the course is assessed and/or leads to a further qualification.
Unstructured CPE is normally achieved through private reading and
study.
To help in judging and assessing CPE achievement, a points system is
recommended. A reasonable target is expressed as an average of 150
 184 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

points year on year—with three points being recorded for each hour of
structured CPE and one point for each hour of unstructured activity.
Although there is no minimum requirement for structured CPE, it -
is recommended that members for whom CPE is compulsory should
aim to achieve at least forty per cent of their CPE (60 points) through
_ structured activities (i.e. three days).

Recording and reporting CPE

Members for whom CPE is compulsory are required to maintain their
own annual record of CPE undertaken and to be able, when required,
to confirm to the Institute that they have complied with the CPE
guidelines. If this has not been the case, it will be up to these
individuals to explain the reasons behind their failure. In addition,
members should be prepared to explain the relevance of their CPE to
their personal professional development.
Members for whom CPE is not compulsory will still be expected to
record their compliance with the CPE guidelines on an annual basis
and, if necessary, be able to provide details of CPE undertaken and
explain the relevance of that CPE to their professional development.

11.1.4 The nght prescription for CPD

The College of Pharmacy Practice has some 800 members, all of whom
also belong to the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. The
latter has about 40 000 members and acts as the registration body for
all pharmacists; registration requires a degree in pharmacy, one year’s
experience in an approved place of training with an approved tutor
and the passing of the Society’s exams.
In 1981 the College was formed with the support of the Society and
became independent in 1985. Its aim is to raise standards even higher
and has the Mission Statement:
‘To promote professional and personal development, through
education, examination, practice and research, benefiting patients and
health care provision.’

Members of the College are formally required to undertake a

minimum of 20 hours of continuing education per annum, as part of
their CPD, as evidence of a commitment to the improvement of
personal performance and standards of practice. (In contrast the
Society recommends a minimum of 30 hours of CPD each year.)
College members must complete a simple form each year listing:
 The role of the professional institutions 185

e accredited postgraduate courses or meetings;

e accredited distance learning courses;
e alternative methods used to satisfy the 20 hour plus requirement.
As a result, some members have withdrawn their membership, but
others have joined precisely because of this mandatory policy.
The membership examination is designed to measure high
standards of pharmacy practice using assessment methods suitable for
mature professionals and reflecting the candidate’s own practice.

Accreditation of courses
In order to encourage higher standards and greater professionalism in
the organisation of courses, the College has, since January 1991, opera-
ted a scheme to accredit the providers of courses considered suitable.
In addition to this continuing education requirement, the College
encourages its members to develop their CPD activities outside
pharmacy, for example in law, computing and management.

Professional development programme

There is a regular programme of study days, highlighting new develop-
ments such as professional audit, partly financed by the participants,
who pay £30 per day, with the rest sponsored by industry. There are
also many courses run by National Funded Centres financed by the
National Health Service.

Credit for learning through reading

One particularly innovative approach which has been launched by the

College is the provision of multiple choice questions relating to specified
articles appearing in ‘The hospital pharmacist’, published bi-monthly by
the ‘Pharmaceutical journal’, which is available to all hospital pharma-
cists. ‘After studying the relevant article,’ explains Rosemary Mitchell, the
College’s administrator, ‘pharmacists will be able to answer the questions
on the paper, returning their questionnaires to the College for marking
within three weeks. They will then receive a detailed assessment of
performance, notes on the answers (which will be published in the next
issue, together with these explanatory notes) and a certificate of
completion which will count towards their continuing education
requirement. Likely subjects will be topics relevant to the science,
technology or practice of pharmacy, as well as relevant management
topics.’
 186 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

Each assessment will carry an indication of the length of time

required to read and study the article, look up any references and
complete the assessment. This will probably range from one half to
two hours, depending on the length and complexity of the article.
Over one year, it would be reasonable to expect that about six hours
. of continuing education would be achieved in this way.

11.1.5 A healthy approach to CPD

Next we will look at the approach to CPD in another part of the health
service—that of nurses, midwives and health visitors.
The United Kingdom Central Council (UKCC) is the statutory
regulatory body for 639 000 nurses, midwives and health visitors in the
United Kingdom. Midwives have had a statutory requirement for
continuing professional development for many years in the form of
refresher courses and return to practice programmes. Since April
1995 these requirements have been expanded to include all registered
nurses, midwives and health visitors and apply to everyone re-
registering, as is required every three years.
The new scheme, known as PREP (which arose from the post-
registration education and practice project which formulated the
requirements), affects every nurse, midwife or health visitor who
wishes to maintain registration with the UKCC. Registration is a
requirement for professional practice in the UK.
The scheme has three parts, some of which are statutory and some
of which are guidelines of good practice. The three parts relate to:
e a period of support under the guidance of a preceptor during the
first four months of professional practice—good practice
guidelines;
e@ requirements for maintaining registration—statutory requirements;
e requirements for specialist and advanced practice—statutory
requirements.
Let us look at each of these three areas.

A period of support under the guidance of a preceptor

The guidance of a preceptor is recommended for four months to assist
newly registered nurses or midwives. This has been Council policy
since 1993 and there is evidence of an increasing number of excellent
schemes being put into place to offer newly-qualified staff such
support. There are of course strong parallels here with the use of
mentors in engineering training schemes.
 The role of the professional institutions 187

Requirements for maintaining registration

All individuals who are working in any capacity with a nursing,
midwifery or health visiting qualification are required to maintain
registration, including those who are in teaching, management or
policy making, as well as those involved in direct hands on patient or
client care.
In essence, the requirements are designed to help individuals to
maintain and develop their professional knowledge and competence.
The system is based unequivocally on the concept of individual
practitioner accountability. The requirements are made known to
each individual at the point of re-registering, on a three-yearly basis,
and are that each practitioner must:
e complete a minimum of five days of study activity every three years;
e complete a notification of practice form to inform the Council of
the qualifications which they are using for practice;
@ use a personal professional profiling system to identify learning and
professional career needs, as well as the benefits which have accrued
to patients and clients as a result of the additional learning;
e complete a return to practice programme where individuals have
been out of professional practice for five years or more.
The Council will not be offering any formal system of approval for
study activity. Individuals will choose activities which are relevant to
their professional registration and their role. Individuals are given the
following categories from which to choose:
patient, client and colleague support;
care enhancement;
practice development;
reducing risk;
education development.
Individuals are encouraged to review their personal professional
competence and identify their strengths, weaknesses and the areas in
which they wish to develop. They are then asked to identify what they
wish to achieve and select appropriate learning activities to meet their
needs. This could include, for example:
a literature search;
a seminar;
attendance on a course;
a visit to another unit or centre of excellence or specialist expertise
which is relevant to their practice.
188 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

Individuals are then invited to consider what they have actually

learned as a result of implementing their action plan. This would
include consideration of the strengths and weakness of the activity, t

event or visit, and whether it enabled them to meet their objectives.

The value of what has been learned for both patients, clients and
colleagues, and how the knowledge has been shared, will also be
recorded.
In due course (after 1 April 2001, by which time everyone will have
completed their first three years on the scheme, including those whose
re-registration only comes up in March 1998) a formal audit system
will be operated by the Council to ascertain how its requirements have
been met.

Requirements for specialist and advanced practice

The Council recognises that pre-registration preparation ensures
competent practitioners at the point of registration. It further
recognises that individuals will add to their knowledge and skill over
the years. However, specific preparation is also required for specialist
practice. Programmes leading to a specialist qualification will be of an
academic year in length and of degree level outcome. Individuals who
meet the Council’s requirements in respect of the learning outcomes
for the particular programme will be entitled to hold that qualification
against their name on the Council’s register. Further work is currently
being undertaken within the area of advanced practice—the intention
being to define this more exactly and to identify appropriate
standards.

Funding
Individuals will be expected to fund their own continuing professional
development activity where employer support is not available.
However, the four government health departments have been very
positive in supporting this initiative and recognise that, although the
responsibility for maintaining registration lies with the individual
practitioner, employers also have a responsibility and are encouraged
to ensure that their staff do meet at least the minimum requirements.

Reaction by the professions

The professions have recognised and welcomed the PREP proposals.
Understandably, there are some concerns about individual aspects of
the recommendations, but there is a strong and growing movement of
 The role of the professional institutions 189

commitment towards lifelong learning and continuing professional

development.

11.1.6 CPD for personnel and training professionals

The Institute of Personnel and Development (IPD) launched its new
CPD policy in 1995. As the sole UK professional institute in the field
of people management, the IPD is looked to by employers as a primary
source of information and advice about CPD and considerable
thought has gone into the organisation’s CPD policy. For the previous
three years, applicants wishing to upgrade to corporate member or
fellow status had to demonstrate that they had been keeping
themselves up to date through CPD.
The CPD requirements of the IPD are:
e the most important aspect of CPD is the outcome, not the precise
amount of input. In order to keep up to date, the minimum level of
CPD activity is recommended as 35 hours per year or the equivalent
in learning hours/outcomes;
e the IPD will expect records to reflect a balanced mix of activities.
These should include: professional work-based activities, courses/
seminars/conferences and self directed/informal learning;
e through reflection and the process of completing a record (one
option being a computer-based program developed by IPD) further
development needs should be identified. Each individual should
have their own development plan identifying further CPD needs.
‘Members will also get a lot of help from their branches, which have
all appointed CPD advisers for whom we held our first CPD
conference in October 1995,’ says Christine Williams, membership
development manager.

11.1.7 Managing to improve CPD

The Institute of Management (IM) launched its CPD policy in
September 1995, encouraging individuals to take charge of their own
development. IM represents over 70 000 individual members, making it
the largest broadly based management institute in the UK. It also
embraces 700 corporate members, representing around three million
employees. The approach endorsed by the IM Council emphasises that
CPD must be centred around the individual. Each must accept
responsibility for assessing and meeting their own needs, using the help
available from their professional organisations, educational institutions
and employers.
190 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

A CPD pack has been made available. This allows managers to

develop their own competencies and support their career
development. Comprehensive support materials include self assess- -
ment tests, enabling managers to evaluate their development needs
and check their progress. The pack also includes a career long
personal development record, as well as up to date information on IM
publications and courses and other centrally organised activities.
Roger Young, the IM director general, comments: ‘Skills constantly
need to be updated and improved. Individuals must be prepared to
invest in their own development. CPD is all about the practice of
maintaining one’s professional development throughout a career and
considering that the current state of skill or knowledge is never
sufficient. All new members of the Institute commit themselves to this
policy when they join.’
This view was supported by Michael Heseltine, the then Deputy
Prime Minister and First Secretary of State who, commenting on the
new policy, said: ‘In a world where the rate of change is ever
increasing, training throughout working life is now essential both for
individuals and for the UK’s competitiveness.’

11.1.8 Insuring for the future

One other profession that we can look at in the UK is the insurance
industry. |
The Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) has introduced a scheme,
as from | January 1995, specifying that its 15 000 chartered members
must complete a minimum amount of CPD each year in order to
retain chartered status. This is in response to concerns that skill levels
in industry and commerce in the UK are not, in general, what they
should be, and a need to consider the international implications of
this lack.
‘At one time,’ says Clive Sanderson, the CII’s CPD project manager,
‘a qualified insurance man or woman was almost set up for life, once
professional qualifications had been achieved, without necessarily
having the need for ongoing development. How this has changed! It
is now not sufficient to be qualified—it is also necessary to keep up to
date with rapid change as a direct consequence of competition. New
skills need to be learnt and developed.’
The new CPD scheme applies to all UK and Ireland based chartered
insurers and chartered insurance practitioners. Activity is specified as
divided between structured and unstructured CPD, with points
awarded as follows:
 The role of the professional institutions 191

e structured (three points per hour)—courses, conferences, research,

lecture preparation, technical authorship, assessed distance
learning, exam setting, etc.;
e structured (two points per hour)—professional or trade body
activities, such as attending institute meetings or acting as a mentor,
examination marking and moderation, and developing specialist
technical knowledge at work, such as by the development of new
products, systems or corporate strategy;
e unstructured (one point per hour)—unassessed distance learning,
videos, television programmes, audio tapes, CBT, reading technical
digests, bulletins, manuals, journals, etc.

It is emphasised that this activity, whether structured or unstructured,

must be relevant to the individual’s own development needs—and
only he or she can judge that. Consequently, the scheme is self
certifying, but requires that:
a total of 180 points must be achieved over a three year period;
for 1995, up to seventy five per cent may be unstructured;
for 1996, up to fifty per cent may be unstructured;
for 1997, and thereafter, the maximum unstructured CPD will be set
at twenty five per cent;
e between 20 and 30 hours of CPD are undertaken each year as a
minimum.
The CII will regularly call in the CPD records of those with chartered
titles on an annual basis, as well as the records for all new holders
within a given calendar year, as a check that the CPD requirement is
being carried out.
There is also a system of accreditation of commercial suppliers of
structured training with random checks of individual courses and
materials.

The olyectives

The CPD scheme is open to the remaining members of the Institute

(67 000 in total) on a voluntary basis if they so wish. Other key
objectives are to:
e ensure that professionals keep knowledge up to date, particularly in
their own specialist areas;
e@ encourage public confidence in the holders of descriptive titles;
e consolidate learning from experience gained at work;
e be aware of influences in other branches of the industry;
192 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

e develop new skills, either to improve current effectiveness or for a

future, more responsible, role.

A major financial investment

One indication of the seriousness with which the CII is taking CPD is
the establishment of a CPD unit in Woodford, with an initial budget of
£600 000, and five staff. This is designed to support CPD initiatives in
liaison with local institutes, the Society of Fellows (open to Fellows of
the CII), the Society of Financial Advisers and the Society of
Technicians in Insurance.
The main aim of the CPD unit is to ensure that adequate CPD
provision is available on a nationwide basis, as well as to ensure
effective co-ordination and the maintenance of standards of CPD
programme delivery. As part of these objectives, the unit will provide
funding in a number of project areas, including guaranteeing
programmes against financial loss, commissioning certain CPD
material and sponsoring events such as videoconferencing important
lectures which could not be held in other parts of the country, and
sponsoring research projects.
Clive Sanderson summarises this CPD scheme by saying: “As can be
seen, the CII is very committed to this project. It is vital that the
scheme succeeds, and this can only happen with the full support of
our membership. Training and development are vital to the future of
our industry and to our competitive position as a country. An emphasis
on self development (rather than putting all of the onus on
employers) is essential and perhaps long overdue. CPD now provides
a golden opportunity for such development!’
CPD is indeed a way of insuring your own future. Let us return to see
how some more UK-based engineering institutions are developing
their CPD schemes.

11.1.9 The Institution of Mining and Metallurgy

At its December 1994 Council meeting the Institution of Mining and
Metallurgy approved a definition of CPD and a code of practice. This
definition is: ‘CPD is the on-going enhancement of an individual’s
professional qualities and expertise to establish the highest standards,
technically, managerially and commercially. It should develop:
e informed judgement;
@ a readiness to keep abreast of the latest technology and business
practices;
 The role of the professional institutions 193

an attitude of self reliance;

and thus contribute to:

individual and corporate capability;

anticipating and preparing for future change.’
The code of practice is as follows:
1 The Institution of Mining and Metallurgy expects that individuals
will undertake CPD to maintain their professional standards.
2 The individual’s professional development should seek to meet the
objectives set out in the Institution’s definition of CPD.
Individuals seeking election or transfer to associate, member or
fellow of the IMM will be expected to provide information of CPD
activities they have undertaken.
The Institution will provide guidance on acceptable forms of CPD
and on desirable means of recording this.
From time to time the Institution will review its policy on CPD and
advise members of changes, as appropriate.

11.1.10 Mining the benefits of CPD

The Council of the Institution of Mining Engineers has adopted a
policy for CPD and a code of practice for all members. The policy
requires that:
each member of the Institution, other than those who have retired
and no longer practise their profession, must maintain their
professional competence by identifying their needs, planning
suitable action and reviewing their achievements. Suitable action
can include the presentation of original papers, attendance at
courses, lectures, training sessions, innovative experience or
secondment and self-regulated learning;
each member, other than those who are retired, is obliged to spend
at least 30 hours each year, averaged over the previous three year
period, on professional development. The member is expected to
include different forms of CPD activity;
the development activities must be recorded in such a way that each
component can be identified and assessed. The Engineering
Council’s ‘Career manager’ can be used for this purpose.
The most important aspect which will affect applicants and transferees
is that, as from 1 September 1995, evidence of meeting the
Institution’s CPD requirements has been looked for at the
194 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

professional interview for election or transfer to the grade of fellow,

member or associate member of the Institution.

11.1.11 Mechanicals launch CPD

In January 1995, the Council of the Institution of Mechanical
Engineers (IMechE) formally adopted a CPD policy. This states that
all members who wish to remain recognised as practising professionals
should feel obliged to undertake a structured programme of CPD;
unless individuals are able to demonstrate this to their present and
prospective employers, then they will become progressively less
attractive in an increasingly volatile labour market. The stipulated
time to be devoted to CPD is an average of 50 hours annually.
The IMechE stresses the complementary values of updating
knowledge, deepening knowledge in the individual’s specialist area
and broadening knowledge both across a wider engineering spectrum
and in general life skills such as management, leadership and finance.
A wide variety of subjects and learning vehicles is recognised, with
activities ranging from formal courses and seminars to the less formal,
including private reading and on the job experiences such as putting
together a budget for the first time—provided that the activity can be
verified by a competent third party or mentor. The criterion for what
represents valid CPD is whether the activity or subject is relevant to the
individual’s and/or the employer’s needs.
As from 1994, the IMechE has issued a CPD guidance booklet free of
charge on request, and provides a personal professional development
record for a modest cost. With the formal launch of the scheme, these
will be reinforced by the provision of a more comprehensive advice
service to members and their employers. One of the IMechE’s aims is to
produce further guidance, such as statements of the key competencies
required to perform well in each of a range of employment sectors;
members will then be able to review at a glance the subjects and skills
which need attention. A pilot based on competencies was launched
jointly with the IEE in January 1997; some participants used a paper-
based set of documentation and others used the PDP on the Web
software described on page 135.
A programme of regional launch activities has also been planned, for
the benefit of members and employers; the IMechE recognises the need
for CPD to be supported on a local basis and encourages members to
take advantage of local activities, including those run by other
institutions.
 The role of the professional institutions 195

CPD enthusiasm too from IMechE Young Members

The Institution of Mechanical Engineers’ Young Members have for
some time been formulating policies and facilitating CPD aimed
specifically at the Institution’s young membership.
In 1994, its Younger Members’ national assembly was devoted to
CPD and drafted policies, as well as suggesting initiatives which they
have been pursuing since. A working party was established to
concentrate on raising awareness of CPD and the first results were
seen in 1995. The aspects concentrated on have been:
@ raising awareness and generating enthusiasm within the
Institution’s regional Young Members’ organising committees.
Information packs advising on suitable activities have been
produced and chairmen provided with presentation material to
help them put forward the key ideas;
@ encouraging committees to advertise their existing activities, where
appropriate, as being suitable for CPD. Certificates of attendance
are being issued so that, at a future date, such as when applying for
corporate membership, members can prove what they have been
doing;
e@ producing an information leaflet to raise awareness within the
young membership. This was distributed to all Young Members and
outlines what CPD is, why it is important and where they can pursue
the necessary activities.

11.1.12 Joint BCS-IDPM initiative for the information technology

industry
The two leading bodies of the IT/IS industry, the British Computer
Society (BCS) and the Institute for Data Processing Management
(IDPM) launched a national CPD programme for IT/IS professionals
in 1995.
The programme enables BCS and IDPM members to have their
professional updating activities recorded, assessed and validated, and
its launch followed the succcessful completion of a joint scheme by the
two professional bodies, which operated on a regional basis.
Those participating are able to record evidence of the maintenance
and broadening of their professional skills, which may include any of
the following activities:
e branch and special interest group meetings of either the BCS or
IDPM;
196 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

e conferences/workshops/seminars;
e training courses;
e use of open and distance learning materials.
Jean Irvine, group IT director for The Post Office, and chair of the
BCS Effective Leadership in Information Technology group, says:
‘Rapidly changing technology creates significant challenges in
keeping skills and professional standards up to date. The new
BCS/IDPM programme for CPD provides us with a framework which
will help to meet these challenges. It is now up to all of us in senior
management positions in the industry to use it to the full.’

11.1.13 A civil approach to CPD

The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) has an obligatory CPD policy
for its qualified members, and has been developing a more
comprehensive recording and planning document to supplement the
‘Record of CPD’ (ICE108), which is still obtainable free from the ICE’s
training department. .
In an obligatory system the ICE does not see the need to approve
suitable activities. However, information is available on the ICE
bulletin board under training courses and meetings which may be
suitable for use as CPD. Access may be obtained via a modem or PSS
link, and it is available 24 hours a day free of charge. A guide to the
ICE’s computer based information systems is available on request from
the ICE’s library.
For those wishing to progress either to corporate (MICE) or
associate (AMICE) membership, 30 days and six days of CPD
respectively, known as continuing education and training (CET), are
required before taking the appropriate professional review. Guidance
on the types of activities that may contribute towards this requirement
is given in the relevant routes to membership documents. Emphasis is
placed on the need to cover a balanced programme including
technical, managerial/professional and safety issues. Demonstration
of involvement in Institution affairs is also a requirement. The ICE
organises approved training schemes with employers, and as part of
this it is the responsibility of candidates to satisfy their supervising civil
engineers, or employers or sponsors if not on an approved scheme,
and in time their reviewers, that their CET has been useful and valid,
and that they have benefited from the activities.
 The role of the professional institutions 197

11.2 CPD and the future

Having looked at the approach to CPD in a wide range of both

engineering and nonengineering institutions, we should ask where
the professional institutions will need to take CPD in the years ahead?
I offer the following suggestions:
e there will be a need to develop a common framework and language.
This will enable, for example, engineers to gain accredited CPD
from the medical profession and vice versa. We are all becoming
much more multiskilled—and if we are not, then wejolly well ought
to be doing so! All professions, with a common framework, could
benefit equally from management courses, as well as benefiting
from CPD internationally; a career move from one country to
another would then enhance everyone’s CPD, indeed as it should,
rather than in any way restricting individuals to obtaining CPD
credits in their home countries;
much greater credit needs to be given to on the job learning. This
is, after all, where most of us obtain the bulk of our learning;
CPD will increasingly need to be based on maintaining, raising and
broadening competencies. Competence accreditation, quite
possibly by mentors, will become the key to validating CPD;
software, I predict, will play an increasingly important role in both
enhancing and measuring CPD, particularly in terms of measuring
the audit trail of competencies of institution members. Chapter 8
explained more about these possibilities, but already the IEE, for
example, is making considerable use of the Internet to give its
members access to its publications, etc. Use of PDP software and
groupware, such as Lotus Notes, will very soon become enormously
important in CPD, particularly through the institutions;
recognition will need to be given more and more to the fact that
increasing numbers of individuals will work independently,
marketing their expertise to a wide range of customers, and in some
cases giving it for free to their institutions—just as I do! Institutions
can greatly assist both by enabling these individuals to stay at the
forefront of expertise in their specialisms—which is what gives them
their market value, after all—and providing a CPD framework to
enable them to demonstrate their experience and expertise to
potential clients.
 198 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

11.3 Summary

Professional institutions started as voluntary bodies, but increasingly -

both individuals and the public will see them as indispensable
organisations for ensuring that the services provided by professionals
_are both of high quality and safe. Essentially, professional institutions
operate by peer review—with groups of members with expertise in a
particular area assessing the competence of other individuals—and it
is this process which has to be at the heart of any quality system.
So, if you as an individual, employer or training provider are not
already working closely with your relevant professional institutions,
make the commitment to do so a very high priority in your personal
development plan! It is only with such commitment from all
concerned, after all, that institutions can be really effective—so in the
end everyone gains.
 Chapter 12
The international dimension

‘By the year 2000 fifty per cent of the world’s GDP will be produced outside
OECD countries. We have no option but to raise our level of competence. The
best solution is to have all round individuals rather than specialists’—
Francois Cornelis, chief executive officer and vice chairman, Petrofina
(keynote speech at First World Conference on Lifelong Learning, Rome,
December 1994)

This book started with an international flavour—and that is the way I

would also like to end it.
Since starting to write I have had the good fortune to travel in a
professional context to a number of different countries, including
Belarus, China, Dubai, Holland, Hong Kong, Italy, Finland, France,
Brazil and Turkey. Using my connection to the Internet I have been
able to communicate regularly with still more countries.
As the quote at the beginning of this chapter indicates, we all need
to have an international perspective, even if we do not necessarily have
the opportunity of regular international travel.
The IEE itself, for example, has 30 000 of its 140 000 members based
outside the UK, with many other institutions also having a significant
and important international membership.

12.1 The International Association for Continuing

Engineering Education

One excellent way in which you can extend your professional network
internationally is by joining the International Association for
Continuing Engineering Education (IACEE).
This organisation developed out of the continuing engineering
education (CEE) working groups of UNESCO. In 1989 it was decided
to launch an independent organisation, IACEE, to take over the
activities of these CEE working groups, including the organisation of
 200 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

the world conferences on CEE every three years. IACEE was launched
at the 4th World Conference on Continuing Engineering Education in
Beijing in 1989 and the IEE became one of the founding members, -
together with the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and the
Institution of Civil Engineers. I was there in Beijing and found myself
_ elected as one of the 16 council members, and then within that as one
of the five executive committee members.
IACEE now has some 600 members from over 70 countries. There
are four categories of membership:
(i) professional organisations—these include the American Society
for Engineering Education, the Japan Society for Engineering
Education, the European equivalent SEFI and all the equivalents
in other continents;
(ii) industrial organisations and companies;
(iii) academic institutions and other co-ordinators and offerers of CEE;
(iv) individuals.

If you are interested in joining, then contact:

Markku Markkula
Secretary General
IACEE
c/o Helsinki University of Technology
Lifelong Learning Institute
FIN-02150
FINLAND

Tel: +358 0 451 4028

Fax: +358 0 451 4060
e-mail: [ACEE@[Link]

Further details about IACEE, including the latest activities of the

professional development working group, can be obtained through
the world wide web on the IACEE home page at the address:
[Link]
IACEE provides many different forums for developing one’s CPD such
as:
e a high quality regular newsletter;
e publications on such topics as ‘Lifelong learning of engineers in
industry—report on lifelong learning practices in Europe, USA and
Japan’ and ‘The role of education and training in the inter-
nationalization process of Japanese companies’;
 The international dimension 201

e the world conferences on continuing engineering education;

e providing pump-priming funds for research into CPD.
One of my visions through IACEE is to foster the concept of a
continuing professional development programme (CPDP). CPD is
increasingly an international activity—so surely we need an
international framework to ensure that it develops as fast as possible!
At the fifth world conference in 1992, an international CPD working
group, chaired by myself in my capacity as a council and executive
member of IACEE, developed the concept of the CPDP. This will be a
seamless framework covering both technicians and engineers, without
time constraints.
An important part of this is a proposed international modular
masters degree framework. At present there are a large number of self
contained masters degree schemes. Examples in the UK are the Open
University, Jupiter and TEAM. Across Europe there are the EuroPro
and satellite based EuroPace 2000 schemes. In North America the
National Technological University (NTU) satellite scheme has been
highly successful. In the Commonwealth of Independent States IACEE
has been introducing NTU and EuroPace modules through its East-
West initiative.
Why not, therefore allow a student enrolling on one scheme to
continue on, or take modules from, another scheme? The benefits
would be:
e to the providers—more students, both nationally and internationally;
e to the students—the opportunity to extend the modules available to
them from other schemes and other countries;
e to the employers—broader developed engineers in an international
context.
If you wish to assist in the development of this scheme then please
contact me through the IEE. Those wishing to participate in the
professional development working group can do so through the
IACEE home page given earlier.

12.2 SEFI

The Société Européenne pour la Formation des Ingénieurs (SEFI) is

the French title for what in English is called the European Society for
Engineering Education. It has a working group on continuing
engineering education, the secretary of which is Anders Hagstrom, now
202 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

based at Cambridge. At the time of writing the chairman is Dr.

Christopher Padfield who heads the Cambridge Programme for
Industry at Cambridge University, with the vice chairmen being Michel -
Futin at the Ecole Centrale de Lyon in France and Alexander van den
Eijnde of the Stan Ackermans Institute in Eindhoven, Holland.
Do give serious consideration to joining SEFI. The contact is:
Madame Francoise Come
Secretary General
SEFI
60 rue de la Concorde
1050 Brussels
BELGIUM
Tél: +32 2 540 9770
Fax: +32 25409715
e-mail: [Link]@[Link]
world wide web: [Link]

12.3 FEANI

The Fédération Européenne d’Associations Nationales d’Ingenieurs

(FEANT) brings together national engineering associations from 22
countries as national members. It was founded in 1951, with head-
quarters located in Brussels at:
FEANI
21 rue du Beau Site
B-—1050 Brussels
BELGIUM

Tel: +32 2,699 0390

Faxo 2. UodAlaas
FEANI’s aims include:

e securing the recognition of European engineering titles and

protecting those titles, in order to facilitate the freedom of
engineers to move and practise within and outside Europe;
e safeguarding and promoting the professional interests of engineers;
e fostering high standards of formation and professional practice,
and encouraging the regular review of these;
@ promoting cultural and professional links within the engineering
profession, especially in Europe.
 The international dimension 203

For these purposes FEANI maintains a register to which individuals

may be admitted, provided that they meet the specified minimum
requirements. The minimum education standard is defined as:
B+3U

where B represents a high level of secondary education validated by

one or more official certificates awarded at about the age of 18 years,
and U represents a year (full time or equivalent) of approved
engineering education either given by a university or other recognised
body at the university level included in the ‘List of schools and courses’
accredited by FEANI.
The minimum standards for registration on the basis of formation
(the total of education and initial training), allowing someone to put
the title Eur Ing, for European engineer, before their name is:
B+3U+2 (Uand/or Tand/orE) + 2E

where T represents a year (full time or equivalent) of training through

a programme, the aim of which is to increase knowledge through work
within technical fields, for instance on a construction site, in a factory,
laboratory, office or other working environment, defined, supervised
and approved by a university or by a body accepted by FEANI as part
of engineering formation, and EF represents a year (full time or
equivalent) of relevant engineering experience assessed and approved
by FEANI.
These details are given simply to illustrate that gaining common
agreement across Europe on who should be recognised as a
professional engineer has not been easy. Europe has a number of
different traditions in both the education and training of engineers,
and reconciling these took many years of discussion. In simple terms,
however, if you are a chartered engineer in the UK, then you should
have no difficulty in obtaining the Eur Ing title, and this is likely to
become increasingly important for those developing their careers in
continental Europe.
UK engineers applying to FEANI for the title need to apply through
The British National Committee for FEANI, which is based at The
Engineering Council in London.
It is worth noting that FEANI produces a CPD newsletter, published
twice a year by the Finnish Association of Graduate Engineers, TEK, in
Helsinki. For details of this contact:
204 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

Ms Sirkka Poyry
Director, Technology and Society
The Finnish Association of Graduate Engineers TEK
Ratavartijankatu 2
FIN-00520 Helsinki
FINLAND
Tel: +358 0 159 0314
Fax: +358 0 159 0306
e-mail: [Link]@[Link]

12.3.1 The FEANI code of conduct

The FEANI code of conduct is additional to, and does not take the
place of, any code of ethics to which the registrant might be subject in
his or her own country.
All persons listed in the FEANI register are obliged to be conscious
of the importance of science and technology for mankind, and of their
own social responsibilities, when engaged in their professional
activities. They exercise their profession in accordance with the
normal rules of good conduct of European societies, respecting
particularly the professional rights and the dignity of all those with
whom they work.
They thereby undertake to comply with and maintain the following
code of ethics:
1 Personal ethics
e the engineer shall maintain his/her competence at the highest
level, with a view to providing excellence of service in accordance
with what is regarded as a good practice in his/her profession and
having regard to the laws of the country in which he/she is working;
e his/her professional integrity and intellectual honesty shall be
the guarantees of his/her impartiality of analysis, judgment and
consequent decision;
e he/she shall consider himself/herself bound in conscience by
any business confidentiality agreement into which he/she has
freely entered;
e he/she shall not accept any payment except those agreed with
his/her relevant employer;
e he/she shall display his/her commitment to the engineering
profession by taking part in the activities of its associations,
notably those which promote the profession and contribute to
the continuing training of: their members;
e he/she shall use only those titles to which he/she has a right.
 The international dimension 205

2 Professional ethics
the engineer shall accept assignments only within the area of
his/her competence; beyond this limit, he/she shall seek the
collaboration of appropriate experts;
he/she is responsible for organising and executing his/her
assignments;
he/she must obtain a clear definition of the services required of
him/her;
executing his/her assignments, he/she shall take all necessary
steps to overcome any difficulties encountered, while ensuring
the safety of persons and property;
he/she shall take remuneration corresponding to the service
rendered and the responsibilities assumed;
he/she shall try to ensure that the remuneration of each be conso-
nant with the service rendered and the responsibilities assumed;
he/she strives for a high level of technical achievement, which
will also contribute to and promote a healthy and agreeable
environment for his/her colleagues.

3 Social responsilility—the engineer shall:

respect the personal rights of his/her superiors, colleagues and
subordinates by taking due account of their requirements and
aspirations, provided that they conform to the laws and ethics of
their professions;
be conscious of nature, environment, safety and health and work
to the benefit and welfare of mankind;
provide the general public with clear information, only in his/her
field of competence, to enable a proper understanding of
technical matters of public interest;
treat with the utmost respect the traditional and cultural values of
the countries in which he/she exercises his/her profession.

12.4 The European Union Directive

On 17 April 1991 the European Commission Directive 89/48/EEC
came into force. This is designed to ease the movement of
professionals across Europe and is concerned with the mutual
recognition of professional qualifications.
Information on this directive is available in the UK in a Department
of Trade and Industry booklet entitled ‘Europe open for professions’.
 206 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

12.5 ELLI

The European Lifelong Learning Initiative (ELLI) was formed in 1993 ~

and now has a network of about a thousand organisations.
Its mission is to provide an employment-driven focus on lifelong
~ learning. It provides definition, direction and leadership in under-
standing and supporting European policies, structures and attitudes,
encouraging and enabling the development oflifelong learning across
Europe.
ELLI, for example, co-ordinated the First Global Conference on
Lifelong Learning in Rome towards the end of 1994. The European
Commission, the Council of Europe, the Club of Rome, UNESCO and
the American Council on Education, were among some 500 delegates
participating from around the world. As a result the World Intiative on
Lifelong Learning (WILL) was formed, as well as ELLI networks
specific to many European countries. WILL has now developed
regional membership organisations equivalent to ELLI in every
continent of the world.
It is always useful, in my view, to belong to organisations like IACEE,
SEFI, ELLI and WILL, all of which work together closely. They extend
your network of contacts, keep you up to date with the latest ideas and
activities, and provide valuable newsletters, seminars and conferences.
For example, I had the privilege in 1994 of attending an OECD
seminar on lifelong learning in Japan as one of the two representatives
of ELLI.
For further details of ELLI contact:
Keith Davies
President of ELLI
rue de la Concorde 60
B-1050 Brussels
BELGIUM

Tel +32-2:p40i9 7752

Fax: +32 2.51411 72
e-mail: 100344.2376@[Link]
It is also worth noting that the subject of lifelong learning is
sufficiently important that the European Commission decreed that
1996 be the European Year of Lifelong Learning.
Two reports that the European Commission has published and
which are worth reading are ‘Skills shortages in Europe’[14] and
‘Quality and relevance—the challenge to European education’[15]
 The international dimension 207

(both are free from fax number + 32 2 295 4361). Both reports were
the result of many meetings between many of the most eminent
industrialists across Europe, and each report has been widely praised
for its wealth of case studies and practical facts and advice for action.
The working group which produced the first of these reports was
chaired by Sir Robert Telford, life president of the Marconi Company
and a very distinguished British engineer.
Seeing CPD in an international context is very important. I will now
reproduce four articles from The Engineering Council’s ‘CPD Link’
newsletter which may give you food for thought in whatever capacity
you are reading this book.

12.6 Removing the wall

Dr. Frank Huband, executive director of the American Society for
Engineering Education (ASEE), proposes a national programme of
CPD for the United States. Writing in the editorial of the society’s
magazine ‘ASEE prism’, Dr. Huband compares the engineer’s career
to a marathon run.
‘Marathon runners know the feeling well. At about 20 miles, they hit
the wall, an endurance barrier which they must overcome if they are
to compete successfully. To break through the wall, runners must add
nourishment along the way and call upon training for an accumulated
reserve of will.
‘An engineering career is a marathon, but the burden is greater. The
average engineer hits the wall about 20 years after college and tends to
level off in earning power. To negotiate this wall, engineers must
constantly add nourishment in the form of continuing professional
development. Employers, in turn, must realise that although it may
seem less expensive and easier to gain current technical expertise by
replacing mid-career engineers with younger ones, it is a false saving.
By not providing their engineers with the opportunity to stay current,
companies are foregoing the chance to develop the knowledge and
depth of experience which only mature engineers with continuing
education can provide.’
Dr. Huband argues that undergraduates need to be made aware that
they may encounter a barrier as they enter middle age and that they
should stay technically current, and states the need in the US to work
towards an effective national programme for CPD.
 208 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

‘Universities and corporations could share the costs of a national

program. Working together, using all available training resources,
could enable even smaller employers to provide full, technologically -
advanced updating to employees. By interfacing with industry,
engineering faculties would be challenged by mature, experienced
_ engineers and could use what they learn in undergraduate classrooms
and laboratories. Industry would gain constant access to cutting-edge
technical research in the academic arena.’

12.6.1 Mandatory CPD in the USA

Around about 1980, the Iowa Engineering Registration Board broke
new ground by mandating that engineers registered in that state
demonstrated continuing professional proficiency. The Iowa law was
crafted to require that registered engineers participated in continuing
professional development, and certified to the Board at each renewal
that the required amount had been carried out. Spot checks, rather
than the checking of each individual record, are [Link] the State
Board for enforcement.
The State of Alabama has passed a similar requirement for
mandatory CPD and this law started being implemented in 1993. An
additional ten states have pending legislation or plans to move in this
direction.
The driving force for insisting on CPD comes from public concern
that licensed professionals of all types stay up to date. Most of
engineering’s sister professions—from law and medicine to nursing
and accounting—have laws for mandatory proficiency updating in
almost every state of the USA. If one looks at a table of each of the
professions licensed in all 50 states, the only column with a large
number of blanks is engineering. This leads to concern that public
pressure will soon demand of engineering what it has long demanded
of the other professions.
In anticipation of the need for registration boards in many states to
move in the direction of mandatory CPD for engineers, the National
Society of Professional Engineers has interacted with the National
Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying to develop a
model law which would be available for state registration boards to
consider. The hope is that, when pressed to move in the direction of
mandatory CPD, the states would at least be adopting a law identical
to that in other states. Such uniformity would make it easier for
engineers registered in multiple states to meet the requirements.
 The international dimension 209

As currently drafted, the model law would require each registrant to

obtain 24 professional development hours (PDH) each calendar year.
A PDH is defined as a contact hour of instruction or presentation, and
could be earned by participation in college courses, continuing
education courses, video short courses, industry seminars or
workshops, conventions, etc. A PDH could also be earned through
authoring publications, participation in professional organisations,
peer review process and approved active practice.

12.6.2 CPD down under

The Institution of Engineers, Australia, strongly encourages professional
engineers to involve themselves in regular professional development
programmes. The Institution maintains a National Professional
Engineers Register, which includes only those members who have been
prepared to certify each year that they have undertaken sufficient CPD to
meet the established Institution criteria. The current policy for
continuing education reflects an expectation that professional engineers
should complete at least 150 hours of professional development in any
three year period. This may include formal, structured courses
undertaken through face to face or distance learning methods,
publication, presentation of lectures and structured private study.
Members able to comply with this requirement are issued with a
practice certificate. Statutory registration of professional engineers
applies only in the State of Queensland, so the National Professional
Engineers Register fills a national need. The decision has recently
been taken to strengthen the NPER by making involvement in relevant
CPD mandatory and auditable for all members requiring certification
of their competence in an area of engineering expertise.
The provision of CPD to the 57 000 members of The Institution of
Engineers, Australia, in Australia itself, and a further 6000 members in
many other countries within and beyond the region, representing
every major engineering discipline, has some very special challenges.
Many of the members are located in remote areas and this, along with
the almost universal demand for flexible self-paced learning
opportunities, effectively mandates distance education as a primary
element in CPD activities.
The Institution thus has a firm commitment to supporting,
encouraging and recognising CPD, and has established a subsidiary
company, Engineering Education Australia Pty Ltd, to source funds,
and develop, market, manage and evaluate distance education
 210 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

activities. The primary aims of EEA are to support individual engineers

seeking to maintain and enhance their knowledge and skills and to
provide professional training services to industry and commerce.
Most of the activities organised by EEA to date have been at a
professional level. In particular, a structured programme of distance
- education modules has been developed which [Link] the award of an
Institution graduate diploma in engineering (professional development).
The modules themselves have mostly been developed, and are delivered,
under contract by universities active in distance education. The first
graduates from this programme received their awards in late 1993.
Attention has also been given to the needs of engineering associates,
and a diploma of engineering technology programme, similarly based
on distance education modules, has been developed. This programme
enables associates to upgrade their knowledge and skills to engineer-
ing technologist level.
Another subsidiary company, AE Conventions, has been established
to facilitate the management of conferences and workshops, with
special reference to those developed by key interest groups within the
Institution, including Colleges (which are discipline based) and
national committees, panels and technical societies (which cover
specialised technical areas). These conferences are usually
international in scope and level. In addition, the divisions and groups
of the Institution often conduct specialist conferences, seminars and
workshops in support of local university or industry special interests.
Overall, the Institution of Engineers, Australia, strongly supports the
concept of CPD and is committed to the effective and efficient
provision of a networked range of CPD opportunities and
programmes tailored to the specific emerging needs of its members.

12.6.3 South Africa—CPD opportunities beckon

The’ economic growth and future of South Africa are directly linked to
the level of technology training and the expertise available for the
creation of new products. Cape Technikon, in Cape Town, is one of 15
Technikons (technical polytechnics) in South Africa providing full
time national diplomas and, more recently, degrees in engineering,
natural sciences and commerce.
Cape Technikon’s Bureau of Continuing Education has a key role to
play in addressing the backlog of education provision in South Africa.
Among its wide range of CPD provision are short courses in construction
management, plastics technology, packaging technology and waste
 The international dimension 211

management. All of these courses are offered at the request of

professional bodies and institutions and often in collaboration with them.
The Technikon’s policy is to accommodate students with diverse
backgrounds, such as from disadvantaged communities, by means of
special programmes—for example using modular courses and
extended curricula. CPD courses can be tailored for employees with
many years of experience but limited academic knowledge.

Research and development

Continued progress is being made with broadening of the significant
community-driven applied research base of Cape Technikon. In order
to stimulate technology transfer, research and educational exchange
agreements have been signed with the University of Northumbria in
the UK, the Swinburne University of Technology in Australia, two
German Fachhochschule and one university, as well as with two
Russian universities. These agreements provide for the exchange of
expertise through visits by staff and students (particularly at post-
graduate levels) for periods of at least three months.

Long distance education

Another feature of the pro-active approach of the Bureau of
Continuing Education is the concept oflifelong learning, making use
of long distance education with a difference. Television transmissions
via satellite are used as a means of transmitting knowledge. The ABSA
banking group is sponsoring this new concept of placing the
opportunity to learn within the reach of not only large business
groups, schools and public departments, but also the public. Cape
Technikon’s short courses can be televised and transmitted either live
or by video tape.

Accrediting in-house training

The Bureau is also actively involved, in association with a private
company, in accrediting in-house training courses presented by
commerce and industry. The different schools of Cape Technikon play
an important role, providing subject specialists to assess the academic
content of these in-house courses as well as the standard of tuition. In
addition, the standard of evaluation of the courses is subject to close
scrutiny by Technikon’s subject specialists.
212 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

12.7 How do your CPD experiences balance?

I suggest that you now give some time to thinking carefully about the
lessons you might want to draw from reading this chapter. For
example, you might start with analysing the current balance in your
~CPD activities:
e locally;
@ nationally;
e internationally.
You could draw concentric circles, as in Figure 12.1, representing the
amount of CPD in each area. The larger the area in the space between
each circle, the greater the amount of your CPD activities in this
sector.
For most of you the chance is that the area of the local circle will be
much larger than the area between that and the national and
international circles. Think carefully, therefore, about what you might
do to increase the other two. Do not shy away from putting emphasis
on the international aspect. The ease with which, for minimal cost

international

national

Figure 12.1 How do your local, national and international CPD experiences
balance?
 The international dimension 213

each month, you can access the Internet makes it extremely easy to
develop your international CPD from home.
If you travel internationally for business, then why not contact the
local committee of your professional institution in the countries which
you visit? You could offer to give a presentation, or simply request to
attend one of their meetings to extend your network of contacts.
Whatever your conclusions, make a note of them in your personal
development plan and, as ever, discuss them with someone else, such
as your mentor, coach or manager.

12.8 Some final thoughts

We are now coming to the end of this book, which has been an
important part of my CPD and has helped me to organise many of my
ideas much more effectively.
While writing this book I have been doing consultancy work in
Turkey, going out there for one week in every three on a regular basis.
I have been working with Gordon Williams, managing director of
Gestalt Consultants, who also happens to be an IEE member and who
has many years of experience at director and managing director level
internationally. He is also totally committed to the concept of
managers acting as coaches and has turned the performance of many
companies round by applying this approach.
Our consultancy work has been with a joint venture company
between one of the USA’s largest companies and one of Turkey’s
largest conglomerates. This joint venture company was formed in 1987
and started production in 1990. Initially there were many technical
problems, but the company had one very important strength—a clear
vision of the value and importance of developing its people. The
senior management made this belief fundamental to the way in which
they solved the problems that they faced. As a result, by 1995, the
productivity and quality of this joint venture was higher than in any
other similar plant operated by the American partner anywhere in the
world, including in the USA—and this with managers and employees
who, with one exception, are Turkish. In addition, the safety record of
the site is the highest in Turkey.
Despite this outstanding record, the joint venture’s senior
management was still not satisfied. The task for Gordon Williams and
myself has been to help them to improve even further—not an easy
job! And yet the learning and coaching skills in the company are so
214 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

strong that one to one coaching sessions of managers and supervisors

(one of our many activities there) have very quickly produced a wealth
of new ideas, commitments and actions. Almost all of these ideas came
from the company staff themselves, demonstrating just how powerful
is the simple skill of listening. It is highly stimulating to be working
-with people who have so much energy, dedication to their company
and trust in the management. As was described in Chapter 7, in one
case it was possible, using coaching, to reduce the changeover time for
two large reaction vessels from 18 days to six days, and then down to
three days!
It has also been an immensely valuable part of my own CPD. I have
learnt a vast amount through working with a world-class expert like
Gordon, as well as by working in a world-class company such as this
one in Turkey.
Yet if I were to mention the area of technology of the company and
to ask you where you thought the world’s most effective plant was, you
would probably guess at the USA, Japan, Germany, or even conceivably
the UK. It is highly unlikely that Turkey would have been on your list.
Be aware, therefore, that the world can be a surprising place in
terms of your CPD. There are few places, other than under totalitarian
regimes, where it is not readily possible to raise the performance and
self respect of all employees, particularly in engineering.
My final tale, however, is of a nonengineer, simply because I find it
so inspiring. In May 1995 I presented a paper at the 6th World
Conference on Continuing Engineering Education in Brazil. After the
conference my wife and I went on a sightseeing trip to the Iguassu
Falls, the third largest falls after Victoria and Niagara. Our guide for
the day was a Brazilian called Jim, who spoke excellent English. Jim
explained that his father had been a poor farmer and that he had
travelled around Brazil when young from farm to farm, wherever his
father could find employment. Attending school was almost
impossible, but at the age of 12 his father said to him that he was
taking him to Sao Paulo, the major industrial centre in Brazil, for four
years’ proper education. After this minimal schooling, Jim obtained a
production job in an American-owned factory. He noticed that many
American managers visited the plant, but always needed interpreters
since none of the plant managers could speak English. He therefore
determined to learn English himself, but was ridiculed by his
supervisors when they heard that this largely uneducated worker had
such an ambitious aim. Nevertheless Jim was determined and
purchased teach yourself English books and language tapes. One day
 The international dimension 215

he found that he was able to engage one of the American visitors in

conversation in English, much to the amazement of both the
American and his own managers. After this success, Jim decided that
he wanted to become a guide to English speaking tourists in Iguassu
and he went on to do just that—and very successfully. However, he has
not just stopped there. In Iguassu he noticed that there were many
German and French speaking tourists so, using the same methods that
he had used to teach himself English, he went on to speak German
and French; now he guides many German and French speaking
tourists who all congratulate him on his fluency.
I find this inspiring simply because so many of us have had the great
privilege and advantage of many years of expensive and formalised
education and training. And yet, compared to this relatively poorly
educated Brazilian, we release so much less of our inherent potential.
I hope, therefore, that this book has helped you to realise what you
could really do to release and realise more of that enormous potential
which you unquestionably have so far failed to tap.
Please contact me with your own experiences and ideas. I look
forward to adding you to my own personal network of contacts and
learning as much as possible from you. My e-mail numbers are:
100524.106@[Link] and jlorriman@[Link]. Otherwise,
send me a letter care of the IEE’s career development department.
Good luck. Go for it! Remember that the only barriers stopping you
from achieving what you really want to achieve are in your own brain!
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management, training and education’ (Oxford University Press,
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2 LORRIMAN, J., YOUNG, R., and KALINAUCKAS, P.: “Upside
down management—revolutionizing management and
development to maximise business success’ (McGraw-Hill, 1995)
HANDY, C.: ‘The age of unreason’ (Arrow Books Limited, 1990)
Hs
09 HANDY, C.: ‘The empty raincoat’ (Arrow Books Limited, 1995)
5 HAMEL, G., and PRAHALAD, C.K.: ‘Competing for the future—
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6 ‘A call to action—continuing education and training for engineers
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9 ‘Finding the time—a survey of managers’ attitudes to using and
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10 HAMMER, M., and CHAMPY,J.: ‘Reengineering the corporation—
a manifesto for business revolution’ (Nicholas Brearley Publishing,
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11 RICHARDS, C.: ‘Using Lotus Notes 4’ (Que Corporation, 1996)
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and SPIE Press, copublication, 1996)
13 ‘Engineering our future’. Report of the Committee of Inquiry into
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Industrial Research and Development Advisory Committee of the
European Commission, 1991
 Index

Abbey National 56 146-147, 191

Aberdeen 31 Aulds, Aileen 21
academic institutions 200 Australia 50, 127, 179, 209, 210
accreditation authorised CPD providers 72
courses 185 authorising persons 42, 44
in-house training 211 Autocad 165
mutual 178 Axford, Dr John 164
accredited training scheme 104
Advanced Research Projects Agency BAA 92-93
(ARPA) 135 Barings 74
AE Conventions 210 Barton, Dr Wonne 31
Africa 84 Basildon 96
Alabama 208 Battacharyya, Professor Kumar 159
Alba Project 22 BBC 30
Alcan Aluminium 19 BEC 49
America 3, 169 Bechtel 83-84
American 1, 10, 45, 80, 101, 102, Business Certificate 84
122, 127, 138, 214, 215 Riley 84
American Association of State Beijing 200
Colleges and Universities 35, 120 Belarus 55, 174, 199
American Council on Education Belfast 68, 88
206 Belgium 202, 206
American Society for Engineering Bell, Peter 24
Education (ASEE) 200, 207 Bell Products 24
Anderson, Dr John 168 Benson, Sir Henry 181
Andreesen, Marc 136 Berners-Lee, Tim 137
anti-virus software 139 Bina, Eric 136
Appleberry, James 35, 120 Biological Engineering Society 166,
Apple Newton 140 167
appraisals 45, 46, 87, 119 Bismarck 122
Arabian Gulf 27 BMW 138
ARPAnet 136 books 178, 182
articles 182 Boots Pharmaceuticals 23
Ashridge 24 Bok, Derek 156
Asia—Pacific 3 BP 23, 31
assessment events 88 Chemicals, Japan 23
assessment feedback 88 Branson, Richard 3
Associated Electrical Industries 173 Brazil 30, 199, 214, 215
attitude 36-38 British 15, 64, 82, 138, 173, 207
audio cassettes/tapes 143, 145, British Aerospace 159
218 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

British Airways 159 Centre of Rehabilitation

British Athletics Federation 98 Engineering (CoRE) 166
British Computer Society (BCS) CERN 137
135, 195-196 CET 62
Effective Leadership in Chadwick, Howard 91
Information Technology group change model 114-117
E 196 Channel Tunnel 29, 84
British Gas 31 charities 74
British Maritime Technology Che Guevara 27
Limited 124 Chevron UK Ltd 22
British National Committee for China 1, 55, 199
FEANI 203 City & Guilds 49
British Standard 33 civil service 74
Brown, Richard 85 Clapham Junction Railway Accident
Brussels 202, 206 69
BS 5750 91 Claro Precision Engineering 90-92
BS EN ISO 9001 32 Clinton, President Bill 12, 120
BSI 32 Club of Rome 206
BT 144 coach(es) 10, 13, 22, 43, 44, 52, 79,
budget 194 80, 98-119
bulletins 191 coaching 8, 13, 19, 30, 38, 47, 64,
Burley, Roger 83 73, 89, 98-119, 172
spectrum 99
Cailliau, Robert 137 Coach, John 90
Cambridge 202 code of practice 175, 181, 192-193
Programme for Industry 202 colleges of further and higher
Canada 25, 117 education 180
Cape Technikon 210 College of Pharmacy Practice
Bureau of Continuing 184-186
Education 210-211 colloquia 178
Cape Town 210 Come, Francoise 202
Cappetta, Leslie 122 Commonwealth of Independent
career aims 57 States 201
career break 26 community actitivities 58
career development 2, 9, 19, 35, 46, companies 200
47, 94 competence (competencies) 3, 6, 9,
plan 71, 83 18, 30, 35, 36, 37, 39, 40, 41, 47,
career goals 19 49, 50, 52, 74, 80, 94, 98, 100, 103,
career guidance 178 129, 131, 133, 175, 176, 180, 187,
career manager document 26, 60, 194, 197, 204
61, 62, 193 assessment 70
career needs 72 building 158
career objectives 57 coaching 109
Carter, President Jimmy 11 current levels 44
Castro 27 database 49
CAT points 167 descriptions 75
CD-I 148 development 14, 18, 35, 36, 46,
CD-ROMs 121, 124, 125, 145, 147, 47, 134
153 dictionary 94
 Index 219

licensing 69 current 46, 48

levels 41-44, 45, 94, 131 curriculum vitae (CV) 77, 78
management 87 customer satisfaction 49, 80, 157
review dates 44, 131 cycle of success 110, 114
target levels 44, 131 Czech Republic 179
tool 95
competency descriptions 48, 49, 75 databases 122, 125
CompuServe 136, 137 DataEase for Windows 55
computer based delivery 145, Data Protection Act 123
147-148 Data Protection Registrar 123
computer based training (CBT) 94, Davies, Christopher 27
143, 191 Davies, Keith 206
conferences 178, 180, 189, 191, 196 Davis, Alan 66
consultancy 16, 17, 24 Davy, Diane 26
consultants 83 Dawkins, Bernard 61, 62, 176
continuing engineering education DEC 138
(CEE) 199, 200 Department of Health 166
continuing education and training Department of Trade and Industry
(CET) 57, 62 205
Continuing Professional de Ville, Sir Oscar 49
Development Award Scheme 161 Deming, Dr W Edwards 10, 11, 12
continuing professional Denmark 125
development programme (CPDP) Department of Employment 85
201 Derby 169
continuing professional education Derbyshire police 140
(CPE) 183-184 development centres 89
continuous improvement 92 Dick, Frank 98, 103
CorelDraw 121, 123 digests 191
CORGI (Council for Registered Gas discussion meetings 178
Installers) 72 dissertation 182
Cornelis, Francois 199 distance learning 142-155, 176, 178,
corporate finance 32 182, 183, 209, 210
Council of Engineering Institutions assessed 191
174 centre 144
Council of Europe 206 materials 138, 196
counselling 98 Dow Chemical Company 134
courses 71, 176, 182, 183, 187, 189, Dr Solomon’s Anti—Virus Toolkit
191, 194, 196, 197, 209 139
Courtaulds Engineering 82-83 Drucker, Peter 12, 45, 102
Coventry 16, 82 DTI (Initiative Europe) 33
CPD—compulsory/mandatory/ Dubai 174, 179, 199
obligatory/voluntary 178
‘CPD Link’ 17, 18, 207 East-West initiative 201
CPD Record Book 71 Ecole Centrale de Lyon 202
CPD Record Cards 72 Economist, The 22
Cranwell 34 education 57
Crosby, Phil 102 Edvinsson, Leif 133
Cuba 27 Eijnde, Alexander van den 202
Bank of 27 Eindhoven 202
220 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

Electricity Council 61 finance 179

elements 44, 47, 50, 51 Finland 199, 200, 204
employers 177, 180 Finnish Association of Graduate
employment 57 Engineers (TEK) 203, 204
Engineering and Physical Sciences Finniston Report 174, 175, 181
Research Council (EPSRC) 163, First World Lifelong Learning
164 Conference 35, 199, 206
Engineering and Technology Fleming’s Left Hand Rule 46, 48
Programme 163 flux 46, 48
Engineering Education Australia Pty Focus 2000 (Short Brothers plc) 68
Ltd 209-210 force 46, 48
engineering supervisor 71 Ford, Henry 15
engineers 177 foreign languages 73
Enterprise Oil 31 forensic engineering 168-169
entrepreneur 24 Foster Wheeler 85
Essex Education Authority 96 Fox, Mike 66
ethics 204, 205 Frampton, Francis 24
EuroPace 2000 201 France 32, 199
Europe(an) 31, 84, 89, 169, 200, Futin, Michel 202
201, 202
law 168 Gallagher, Clare 30
European Commission 206 GDP 199
European Lifelong Learning GEC 173
Initiative (ELLI) 206-207 Management College 149
European Union 6 Telecommunications 61, 142
Directive 89/48/EEC 205 General Motors 138
European Year of Lifelong Learning Geneva 137
206 geology 32
EuroPro 201 Germany 173, 213
Eurotunnel 84 Gestalt 29
Eutech Engineering Solutions Gestalt Consultants 102, 213
Limited 170-171 Gibbs, Sir Alexander 20
evening lectures 33 GKN 159
events, technical/nontechnical 179 Gloster—Whittle E28/39 34
exam Goodchild, Dr Colin 168
marking 191 Goose Green 20
moderation 191 GPT 62, 63, 142, 143, 144
setting 191 Green, John 94
Excel 121 groupware 125, 127
Gulf War 84
facilitating 100, 101, 103 Gwent College of Higher Education
Falklands 20 165
Fairclough, Sir John 175 Gwent Mechatronics Development
Far East 27 and Training Centre 165
FEANI 68, 174, 202—205
British National Committee 203 Hagstrom, Anders 201
feedback 101, 172 Hamel, Gary 52
Fells, Raiya 22 Hampshire 139
Fiat 138 Handy, Professor Charles 3, 17, 53,
 Index 221

55, 76, 119 Indonesia 28

Hardiman, Neil 33, 34 industrial attachments 71
Harland & Wolff (H&W) 88-89 Industrial Society 21
Harris, Peter 143 industrial organisations 200
Harrison, Tim 83 in-house presentations 29
Harvard business review 22, 24 innovative experience 193
Hawkins, Bob 22 INSPEC 138, 152-154, 178
Hawkins, John 19 Institutes
health visitors 186-189 Agricultural Engineers 25
Helsinki 203, 204 British Foundrymen 71
Helsinki University of Technology Chartered Accountants in
200 England & Wales (ICAEW)
Henley 24 183-184
Heseltine, Michael 74, 190 Chartered Insurance (CII)
Hidden, Sir Anthony 69, 70 190-192
higher educational institutes 180 Data Processing Managers
Highway Code 38 (IDPM) 25, 195-196
HNC 167 Directors (IoD) 32
HND 167 Employment Studies 50
Holland 1, 18, 199, 202 Energy 72-73
Hong Kong 1, 5, 6, 17, 50, 55, 71, Highway Incorporated Engineers
87, 110, 122, 125, 127, 159, 174, (THIE) 90
178, 179, 199 survey 66-67
Hong Kong Electric 5 Hospital Engineers (IHE) 29
Hong Kong Institution of Engineers Materials 19, 135
7s 71 Management (IM) 78, 189-190
horizontal experience 75 Marine Engineers 124-125
horizontal promotion 75 Metals 22
Hoult, Bill 28 Personnel and Development
House of Commons 20 (IPD) 189
Huband, Dr Frank 207 Physics (IOP) 70, 150
Hungary 32 Plumbing 72
Hursley 139, 163, 164 Institutions
hyper text mark-up language Biological Engineers 62
(HTML) 137 Chemical Engineers (IChemE)
83, 85
IBA 61 Civil Engineers (ICE) 20, 90,
IBM 3, 128, 139, 163 169, 174, 196, 200
Education Centre 164 library 196
Hursley 139, 163, 164 survey 65-66
ICI 30, 170, 171 Electrical Engineers (IEE) 1, 5,
ICL, 22 yl 41641 7, 18.519) 21,.32,
IEE Regulations 83 50, 55, 56, 57-59, 61, 62, 63,
‘IEE Review’ 69 78, 102, 104, 110, 112, 135,
Iguassu Falls 214, 215 136, 137, 167, 173-174, 177,
Imai, Masaaki 89 178, 194, 197, 199, 200, 201,
Imperial College, London 28 213
in-company projects 21 Belarus Centre in Development
individual development plan 28 55, 174
222 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

Courses Information Unit 180 Education (IACEE) 16, 55, 199,

CPD handbook 175 200, 201, 206
CPD providers’ database 139 international dimension 199-215
CPD scheme 178-181 international law 32
distance learning 152, 180 Internet 121, 127, 128, 135, 136,
Electronics Letters 154 137, 138, 139, 140, 148, 197, 199
INSPEC 138, 152-154, 178 newsgroups 139
Internet information 138 Internet Bookshop 138
journals and proceedings 152 Investors in People (IiP) 32, 84, 85,
library 152, 180 87, 90, 91
Management for Engineers Iowa Engineering Registration
series 149, 151 Board 208
Public Affairs Board 152 Ireland 1, 179, 190
President 124 Ironbridge power station 86-87
profesional groups 180 Iron Curtain 27
Royal Charter 174 Irvine, Jean 195
Secretary 124 Ishikawa, Professor Kaoru 80
short courses 180 ISO 9002 91
South East Midlands Centre 55, Israel 25
124, 174 Italy 199
South Midlands Centre 55
vacation schools 152, 180 Japan 10, 11, 12, 13, 23, 52, 55, 82,
Electronics and Electrical 102, 161, 200, 206, 214
Incorporated Engineers Japanese 2, 11, 13, 14, 15, 25, 36, 80,
(IEEIJE) 62, 63 89, 100, 161, 165, 200
Engineering Designers (IED) 25 Japan Society for Engineering
Engineers, Australia 209-210 Education 101, 200
Hong Kong Institution of Java 62
Engineers (HKIE) 17, 71 Jenkins, Eric 90
Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) Jenkins, Isabelle 28
22, 24, 61, 62; 63, 135, 174, job descriptions 48, 49, 75
180, 194, 200 job location service 78
Younger Members 195 job performance 46, 47
Mechanical Incorporated job share 75
Engineers (MechIE) 26 job vacancies 94
Mining Engineers 193-194 journals 178, 191
Mining and Metallurgy 192-193 Joyce, Susan 169
Plant Engineers 33 Judge Institute 158
Railway Signal Engineers (IRSE) JUPITER Consortium 162, 201
69
Integrated Graduate Development Kawasaki Heavy Industires (KHI)
Scheme (IGDS) 159, 163-164 88, 89
Integrated Manager Development Kenjo, Professor Takashi 165
Scheme (IMDS) 159 Kennedy, President 12
interactive video (IV) 143, 148 keyboard skills 121
intellectual capital 134 key roles 50, 51
interactive multimedia 145 Killen Associates 138
International Association for King’s College, London 166
Continuing Engineering Knaresborough 90
 Index 223

knowledge 36, 37, 38, 81 Manchester Business School 22

Knowledge Associates 40, 43, 62, Manchester Centre for Electrical
128, 129, 130, 132, 134, 135 Energy (MCEE) 162-163
knowledge management 125 manuals 191]
Kuwait 84 Marconi Company 207
marketing 32
languages 179 Makkula, Markku 200
Large, Peter 35 Marriott 122
Latin America 27 Martin, Sally 18
law 167, 185 Martlesham 144
employment 179 Mason Communications 32
European 168 Mason, David 32
health and safety 179 Mass Transit Railway Corporation
learning machines 14 (MTRC) 87-88
learning on the job 58 Matthews, Graham 92, 93
learning organisation 14 MBA 19, 20, 32, 84, 139, 142, 150,
learning processes 44 154
LearningSpace 148 me-charts 53-55
lectures 33, 71, 84, 183, 194, 209 mechatronics 164, 165, 166
preparation 191 Meffan, Mark 20
Lee, Dr Mike 149 mentor(s) 10, 18, 43, 44, 52, 70, 71,
Legal Network Television 182 79, 83, 98-119, 151, 172, 191, 194
Lewisham Borough Council 89-90 mentoring 30, 47, 82, 98-119
licensing 42, 69, 70 Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)
lifelong learning 210 Di
LLM 167 Microsoft Navigator 137, 139
Lloyd, Nigel 85 Middle East 27, 84
Local Enterprise Companies (LECs) midwives 186—189
85 Millis House 169
local libraries 33 Mission Statement 184
logbook 112 Mitchell, Rosemary 185
London 122 MORI 5
London Electricity 159 Morita, Akio 12, 14, 102
Lorriman’s Windows 8, 9 Mosaic 136, 137, 139
Los Angeles 135 Moscow 31
Lotus Development Corporation Motorola 52, 156-158
128 Mount Pleasant 20
Lotus Notes 55, 96, 121, 125, 126, MSc 142, 154, 162, 163, 164
127, 128, 129, 140, 148, 197 multifunctional 75
Domino 135, 148 multimedia PCs 148
Lotus ScreenCam 135 multiskilled 94, 197
Lucas 159 multitasked 94

Maher, John 90 National Center for

Magnus Field 31 Superconducting Applications
Management Charter Initiative 85 (NCSA) 137
management game 28 National Council of Examiners for
manager(s) 12, 13, 19 Engineering and Surveying 208
management 98, 100, 101, 103 National Council for Vocational
224 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

Qualifications (NCVQ) 50 Passey, Frank 83

National Examining Board for PDP on Notes 40, 43, 129, 130, 133,
Supervisory Management 86 134, 135, 140
National Funded Centres 185 PDP on the Web 63, 135, 194
National Health Service 167, 185 PDR on Disk 62
National Professional Engineers peer review 43
Register 209 performance criteria 50, 51
National Power 86-87 performance management system
National Records of Achievement 87-88
55 personal development 58
National Society of Professional personal development plans (PDPs)
Engineers 208 6, 7, 8, 9, 18, 30, 36, 51) 52(56763,
National Technological University 64, 68, 69, 70, 73, 75, 76, 77, 78,
(NTU) 201 79, 97, 109, 111, 112,11045ay
National Training Awards 87 129, 140, 144, 152, 154, 155, 172,
National Vocational Qualifications 176, 198
(NVQs) 50, 51, 68, 87, 167 pilots 64
Neighbourhood Engineer 74 software 43-44, 46, 49, 55, 63,
Netscape 136, 137, 139 76, 121, 123, 128, 129-133, 140,
network of contacts 18, 73, 77 172, 197
newsletters 178 personal digital assistants (PDAs)
New Zealand 127, 179 140, 141
NHS 29 personal objectives 131
trusts 166 Petrash, Gordon 134
Nissan 159-160 Petrofina 199
North America 201 Pharmaceutical journal 185
Northern Telecom Europe96 Philips Research 167
Norton Anti-Virus 139 Pike, Dr Richard 23
nurses 186-189 Pipex 136, 138
plant visits 33
OECD 76, 199 polytechnics
Oman 84 South Bank 21
ONC 167 portfolio of learning 55
on the job learning 197 powernapping 3
Open Business School 20, 144 Powerpoint 121
open learning 94, 142-155, 196 Poyry, Sirkka 203
Open University 32, 142, 144, 145, Prahalad, C K 52
150, 154, 201 preceptor 186
Oscar Faber TPA (OFTPA) 84-85 PREP 186-189
Overseas Development presentations 81
Administration 27 printed paper 145, 146
overseas placements 84 private study 29, 33, 209
Oxford English Dictionary 115 professional activities 58
Oxford Orthopaedic Centre 167 professional audit 185
Oxford University Air Squadron 25 professional development hours
Oxford University Press 17, 165 (PDH) 209
professional development record
Pacific Rim 159 (PDR) 21, 56, 57-59, 61, 62, 63,
Paraguay 27 64, 71, 74, 112, 113, 178
 Index 225

professional institutions 173-198 Sao Paulo 214

Project Genesis 89 safety 47, 48
projects 82 Sanderson, Clive 190, 192
Property Services Agency (PSA) 20 Santa Barbara 135
Proudfoots 5 SATRO 22
providers 177 Schaffer, Robert H 98
quality 47, 48, 49, 80, 102 Science and Engineering Council
assurance 42 20, 163
circle 11 Secker, Professor Philip 180, 181
management 91 secondments 82, 193
SEFI 200, 201, 202, 206
Qatar 84 self-directed workgroups 95
Queensland, State of 209 Sellafield 29
seminars 71, 81, 82, 83, 84, 178, 183,
Rabbat, Dr Guy 93, 95 187, 189, 194, 196
radio 33 Senior, Chris 62, 176
railway industry 69 Shell 18
Railway (Safety Critical Work) Short Brothers plc 68, 159
Regulations 70 Siemens 165, 173
range indicators 50, 51 Room 173
Rank Xerox Technical Centre Sir William 1’73
(RXTC) 93-96 Sierra Leone 32
Raychem 159 Singapore 74, 127, 178
reading 154, 183, 185, 191, 194 six sigma 157
record of professional development Skandia Assurance and Financial
(RPD) 62 Services 133
Redhill 167 skills 36-38, 41, 49, 80, 81, 94
redundancy 35, 77, 78 database 76, 129
registration matrices 84
boards 208 Sleep Research Laboratory 3
maintaining 186 Smith, Ken 137, 180
rehabilitation engineering 166 Smythe, Mike 179
replication 125 social responsibility 205
research 182, 191, 211 Society of Fellows 192
responsible person 71 Society of Financial Advisers 192
Robson, Alan 23 Society of Technicians in Insurance
Rolls—Royce 159 192
Rome 35, 199, 206 Sony 12, 14, 102
Rover Group 159 South Africa 178, 210
Royal Bank of Scotland 28, 138 South America 31
Royal Charter 174-175 Southampton Institute 139
Royal Commission on Legal Services South West Asia 84
181 Soviet Union, former 31
Royal Institute of Chartered Spain 32
Surveyors (RICS) 28 Spence, George 89
Royal Pharmaceutical Society of spreadsheets 120, 123, 125
Great Britain 184 Stan Ackermans Institute 202
RSA 49 Stanford Research Institute 135
Russia 84, 173 Steelcase 122
 226 Continuing professional development: a practical approach

structured formation training 58 UK.19, 20; 23,°32;'49, 50750 paaee

Sturke, Gillian 96-97 123, 164, 173, 176; 178; 17o yee
subcompetencies 44, 45, 47 201, 205, 214
Sullom Voe Terminal 23 company directors 5
Sweeney, Terry 69 industry 5
Switzerland 19, 168 underpinning knowledge 50
. Syrius, Publilius 16 understanding 50
UNESCO 199, 206
taxation 32 United Kingdom Central Council
team group meetings 81 (UKCC) 186-189
Technology Management United States (USA) 11, 12, 32, 35,
Programme (TEAM) 162, 201 120, 136, 200, 207, 208-209, 213,
Teeside 31 214
TEK (Finnish Association of Department of Defense 127, 136
Graduate Engineers) 203, 204 Government 136
television 33, 191, 210 units 50, 51
Telford, Sir Robert 207 universities
Thailand 31 California 135
Thames Water Utilities 69 Cambridge 27, 31, 158, 202
The Engineering Council 2, 16, 19, Edinburgh 158
20, 26, 50, 51, 55, 57, 60, 61, 62, Erasmus 158
72, 73, 90, 167, 174, 175;.176,.177, George Washington 45
181, 193, 207 Glasgow 168-169
‘Competence and commitment’ Harvard 156
document 67 Hong Kong Polytechnic 5
survey 65, 66-67 Illinois 137
The Financial Times 155 Leicester 21
The Harvard business review 155 Loughborough 3
The Law Society 135, 181-183 Manchester Institute of Science
The Post Office 195 and Technology 162-163
The Queen’s Award for Export Middlesex 84
Achievement 84 Motorola 156-158
‘The Sunday Times’ 74 New York 128
‘The Times’ 69 Oxford 163-164, 167
Thomas, B J 139 Reading 92
Tombs, Sir Francis 57 Southampton 139
Toshiba 82 Strathclyde Law School 167-168
Training and Enterprise Councils Utah 135
(TEC) 49, 84, 85, 91 Warwick 158, 159, 163
Training Agency 91 Unix 136
training off the job 58 upside down management 14
training providers 44, 180 US Society for Human Resource
training seminars 21 Management 45
Trinidad 31
Tunisia 31 vacation schools 178, 180
Turkey 55, 102, 199, 213, 214 VHS cassettes 147
Turner—Smith, Alan 166 Vickers 23
Twain, Mark 101 video cassettes 145, 147, 191
Vienna 123
 Index 227

Virgin 3 wordprocessing 120, 121

visits 33, 71, 178, 187 World Initiative on Lifelong
visual factory 89 Learning (WILL) 206
vottled 115 World Wide Web 137, 148
work shadowing 82
Walker, Judith 90 workshops 71, 195
Warwick Manufacturing Group 92, writing 155
159 WTi 169-170
Wearside College 159-160 Wytch Farm Oil Field 31
Webbley, Chris 144
web browsers 137, 139 Xs forme
Welwyn Garden City 93
West Indies 178 Yorke, Bill 86
Whittle, Air Commodore Sir Frank Young, Roger 190
34 Young, Ron 127, 128, 130, 140
Williams, Christine 189 Young Woman Engineer of the Year
Williams, Gordon 102, 213 award 108
Woodcock, DrJim 163
Woodford 192 Zeneca 30, 73
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Se
CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL
Ke DEVELOPMENT
S a practical approach
angiyour (PD as a professional engineer
~ Are vaimaking the most of your abilities and _——
_ This practical guide, designed specifically for engineers and
technical professionals, will help you to realise much more of
your potential through considered and structured CPD. It will
help you to analyse where you wish to take your career, based
on the clear identification and ongoing development of your
competencies and skills. It explains how to base your CPD not
just on courses but also on capturing your day-to-day learning.
Details of personal development planning software and other
useful resources are given, including how to use the World
Wide Web and distance learning in your CPD. The role of the
professional institutions and the importance of coaching an
mentoring are also discussed.
Through a very readable text, with many practical
diagrams and real-life case studies, you will develop a clear
understanding of what CPD is and, more importantly,
what it could do for you.

John Lorriman is the Managing Director of chiban

Consultants and a Director of Knowledge Associates.
He is a past Chairman of the IEE’s Professional Development
Committee and was a founder member of the IEE’s Training
Committee. He is also an Executive Committee Member of the
International Association for Continuing Engineering Education,
He wrote the Engineering Council’s ‘CPD—the practical _
to good practice’, and went on to edit their successful CPD Link
newsletter. He has worked in many countries as a consultant

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The Institution of Electrical Enginee

Michael Faraday House, Six Hills \
Stevenage, Herts. SGI 2AY, United Kingdo
ISBN 0 85296 903
Printed in the United Kingdo