CPD in the Built Environment

Greg Watts, Norman Watts

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2021
• Print ISBN:
  9780367372149
• eBook ISBN:
  9781000374681
• Topic: Architecture
• Subtopic: Architecture General

The aim of this book is to provide a single source of information to support continuing professional development (CPD) in the built environment sector.

The book offers a comprehensive introduction to the concept of CPD and provides robust guidance on the methods and benefits of identifying, planning, monitoring, actioning, and recording CPD activities. It brings together theories, standards, professional and industry requirements, and contemporary arguments around individual personal and professional development. Practical techniques and real-life best practice examples outlined from within and outside of the industry empower the reader to take control of their own built environment-related development, whilst also providing information on how to develop fellow staff members. The contents covered in this book align with the requirements of numerous professional bodies, such as the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), and the Chartered Institute of Builders (CIOB).

The chapters are supported by case studies, templates, practical advice, and guidance. The book is designed to help all current and future built environment professionals manage their own CPD as well as managing the CPD of others. This includes helping undergraduate and postgraduate students complete CPD requirements for modules as part of a wide range of built environment university degree courses and current built environment professionals of all levels and disciplines who wish to enhance their careers through personal and professional development, whether due to professional body requirements or by taking control of identifying and achieving their own educational needs.

1 What is continuing professional development?

1.1 Introduction

The intention of this chapter is to offer the reader a useful starting point to understanding the significance that continuing professional development (CPD) plays in the career of the construction professional. Contemporary issues in construction professional development within the built environment are explored, and the benefits as advocated by professional institutions and organisations are identified. Key stages of CPD are shown and approaches to CPD activities provide useful primer to those readers wishing to use CPD in the development of their own career path. Mentoring and peer learning is highlighted as a helpful tool for identifying skills gaps and gaining knowledge. Critical thinking is identified as one of the key pivotal elements needed when determining the appropriate professional development needs.

1.1.1 History of continuing professional development

CPD, or as it is sometimes called continuing professional development, has its roots in the term ‘professional development’ which relates to a person’s work. Professionals such as senior managers, doctors, teachers, and legal experts all take part in professional development activities in order to apply these newfound skills and knowledge in their place of work that will contribute to improved performance.

Research and development in the field of professional development has been around for over 150 years and focused mainly in the education sectors. The term ‘continuous improvement’ gained prominence in post-war 1950s which saw the reconstruction of large economies such as the likes of Japan’s automotive manufacturer Toyota. The company implement a concept known as ‘Kaizen’ in its production process. The meaning of Kaizen is ‘improvement’ or ‘continuously improve’. Known as continual improvement process (CIP), this is an ongoing iterative effort to improve the system or process for an improved product or service.

The 1960s–1980s saw steps in the development of organisation implementing training/learning and professional development. Authors such as W.E. Deeming on Quality System in manufacturing processes and other research reports, for example, from the construction sector such as ‘Continuing professional development for Architects: Report on a research study’ by Richard Gardner et al. (1981) brought the concept of CPD to most professions.

CPD much like Kaizen’s link to CIP embraces in-service or on-the-job training beyond any baseline training initially expected to carry out a job role. In quality systems, feedback for process improvement would help enhance the system much like the case of professional improvement; reflective feedback would help to improve ways of working.

Simply put modern CPD refers to the identification of a skills/experience or knowledge gap in one’s profession, recording the training activity after the event and reflecting on its application. An activity log is kept and continually update as required. CPD is a process and will continue throughout the one’s career and supports lifelong learning.

The key steps are as follows:

1. Identify the gap in your knowledge, skills, or experience.
2. Find and attend a course or activity that will fill the gap.
3. Record the event.
4. Apply the knowledge, skills, or experience gained.
5. Reflect on the learning and development.
6. Repeat.

As with quality systems feedback (reflection) feeds back into to step 1 to start the continuous improvement process again.

A point to note here is regarding step 4 ‘apply the knowledge’. If you are unable to apply what has been learnt, then the previous three steps will have been a waste of time and money for you and, if paid for by your employers, the organisation.

To illustrate why step 4 is so critical, consider this anecdote:

A Building Surveyor may identify a gap in knowledge in understanding Sustainable Draining Systems (SUDS) a more environmentally friendly approach to managing drainage in and around properties. The surveyor identifies a 2 day course, enrols, and completes it gaining a successful completion certificate. As a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, the surveyor records the event in their RICS CPD log. However, the surveyor does not get the chance to use this new knowledge in any future work. You could reasonably conclude then that this event has been a waste of time for the surveyor and the knowledge had no tangible merit in their professional development.

However, on further reflection the course could have had merit in some other less-tangible way such as team building skills if the course happened to have used working in teams as part of the course delivery mechanism. Subsequently for step 4 the surveyor could apply the knowledge, skill gained on the course it just happened to be in teambuilding on a challenging new project not in using SUDS knowledge.

It is important to recognise in step 1 that there must be a genuine need to fill a gap in knowledge and for improvement to occur, not simply improvement for improvements sake or attending a course for attendance sake.

1.2 Benefits to the practitioner

For the professional practitioner, benefits include career progression and advancement. This can usually be evidenced in their CV and expanded upon in any subsequent promotion interviews demonstrating their dedication to professional development.

The aim of most professional practitioners is to get chartered membership of an appropriate institution. Construction- and engineering-related institutions such as the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), and the Chartered Institute of Builders (CIOB) advocate the benefits for their members. A summary of these can be found in Table 1.1.

Table 1.1 Professional development benefits

A way to show you are keeping your skills, knowledge, and experience up to date Supports you to work safely, legally, and effectively Career development Shows commitment to lifelong learning Demonstrates professional pride

To remain professionally competent To provide the best possible service Considered a highly beneficial career tool Can be used to strengthen the member’s business skills Can be used to acquire new skills

Helps to stay competent, professional, and resilient as an architect Helps to achieve better outcomes Helps to achieve better businesses Helps you contend with disruption Helps to face current and future challenges Helps to learn new skills and specialisms

To be sure knowledge is up to date and complete To stay professionally competent To keep expertise up to scratch

The Chartered Institute of Personnel Development provides a holistic view to the benefits of CPD and suggests that it “is an investment that you make in yourself”. It goes on to confirm that the benefits can improve an individual’s confidence as well as strengthening their professional credibility.

1.3 Benefits to the client–customer

It is not unreasonable to suggest that clients and customers to the construction industry must have the confidence in the ability of the service provider. The expectation to have a project delivered on time to the right quality and at the agreed price forms the basis to any contract or agreement. Consequently, the relationship between the actual client or client’s representative and the service provider’s representative is often seen as the most important aspect of such an agreement.

The representative for the delivery organisation would typically be the Architect, Senior Quantity Surveyor, Construction Project Manager, or other designated professional.

Key to the purpose of the professional is to provide trust that a client, customer, or the public will receive a quality service. Education and training through CPD activities provides a higher level professionalism especially when the individual is part of a professional body such as RIBA. The professional body’s role serves to maintain standards, ethics, and behaviours of its members as such, these professional bodies place CPD at the heart their approach to professional development by requiring their members to stay up to date with best practice standards. Construction clients and customers are likely to consider professionals who are members of chartered institutions more highly. The relationship between the professional and the institution is evident in respect to ethical standards maintained through ongoing training practices.

1.4 Benefits to the orga...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Foreword
• Preface
• Acknowledgements
• 1 What is continuing professional development?
• 2 The construction industry and CPD
• 3 Professional bodies in the construction industry
• 4 Goal setting
• 5 Goal planning
• 6 Reflecting on CPD
• 7 Organisations and CPD
• 8 Managing the CPD of others
• 9 CPD examples from other industries
• 10 Why construction professionals need to take responsibility for their own career development
• 11 Final comments and recommendations for future research
• Index