CPD Accreditation
CPD (Continuing Professional Development) points are a measure of ongoing professional learning, typically earned through activities like courses, workshops, and seminars.
Continuing development for Professionals & Candidates
All registered professionals must continuously learn and grow. This means staying up-to-date on trends, technology, and laws. They must also record their development activities and renew their registration every five years. This is called Continuing Professional Development (CPD). CPD falls into three main categories.
Candidates aren’t required to follow these exact categories. However, they should also be developing their skills and knowledge. This is called Initial Professional Development (IPD). IPD can be any activity that helps them become ready for professional registration.
Categories of activities for CPD credits
The details below are extracted from the ECSA policy on CPD.
CPD credits must be obtained in at least two of the three categories, with at least 5 credits per five year cycle from Category 1.
Unless otherwise stated, 1 credit = 10 hours.
The maximum credits, which may be accumulated annually in each category, is also indicated.
The categories are:
Category 1:
Developmental Activities: minimum of 5 credits
This refers to attendance of structured educational/developmental meetings accredited through ECSA or an ECSA Voluntary Association.
A full day activity will be regarded as being for 10 hours and a half-day activity will be regarded as 5 hours and as half a credit.
A maximum of 4 credits (40 hours) may be accumulated annually under this category.
Activities may include:
- Conferences
- Congresses
- Large group workshops
- Lectures
- Seminars
- Refresher courses
- Colloquiums
Category 2:
Work-based Activities
Engineering Work: 2 credits = 800 hours (400hrs/credit)
Mentoring of candidate practitioners: 1 credit = 50 hours (50hrs/credit)
Since registered persons also remain current by performing their day-to-day engineering responsibilities, one credit is assigned for every 400 hours per year of engineering related work (including management).
A maximum of 2 credits may be earned per annum.
Mentoring of candidates in the workplace is also recognized. A maximum of one credit may be claimed per annum for a minimum of 50 hours of mentoring. This may include hosting in-house workshops, career guidance and other staff development activities.
Category 3:
There are two categories under individual activities which are:
- Membership of a recognised Voluntary Association: 1 credit per annum
- Other activities: 3 credits = 30 hours (10hrs/credit)
Other activities may include: Part-time lecturing = 1 credit for every 10 hours of lecturing.
- Supervision of students undertaking postgraduate studies: 2 credits per year.
- Oral examinations of final year and postgraduate students: 1 credit for 10 hours of involvement.
- Evaluation of M dissertations and PhD theses by external examiners: 2 credits per year.
- Evaluation of final year students by external examiners: 1 credit per year.
- Publication of research in peer reviewed journals: a single author: 2 credits per publication.
- Where a paper has a number of authors: 1 credit per publication per author.
- Publication of technical articles: 1 credit per article published.
- Papers presented at conferences or congresses / poster presentations: 1 credit each.
- Participation in statutory, professional, institutional, technical or non-technical committees, PAC evaluations, accreditation visits or task groups: one credit for every 10 hours of active participation.
- Relevant additional qualifications (these are exceptional allocations): A completed postgraduate qualification: 5 credits.
- Self-study which includes, but is not restricted to studying of journals or electronic or computerised material, one credit for every 10 hours of study. All activities under this item must be verified.
A maximum of 3 credits (30 hours) may be accumulated per annum under this category, with the exception of postgraduate studies.