REGULATORY EXCELLENCE
Continuing Professional Development
A revised standard emphasizes the licensed professional’s responsibility to maintain and enhance their own competence.
Launched in November, the revised Continuing Professional Development practice standard and new Personal Annual Competency Evaluation practice guideline changed how licensed professionals complete their continuing professional development (CPD) activities. The new requirements replaced the submission of activity-based reporting (to meet a minimum number of hours and categories) with the completion of specific learning modules in myAPEGA and the maintenance of a customizable Personal Annual Competency Evaluation (PACE) plan. Completing the online learning modules keeps licensed professionals current on their legislated obligations and customizing their PACE plans enhances their competence. “The learning modules are the start, and their PACE plans are unique, personal records of their professional journeys,” says APEGA’s professional practice standards manager. “On top of the technical knowledge, licensed professionals will also expand and track the activities that improve their communication, leadership, and management skills.” Now that these publications are in effect, licensed professionals will be assigned the new CPD requirements at their next annual renewal dates and have one full year to complete them. Once a licensed professional has completed a full year under the new requirements, the Practice Review Board may ask to review their PACE plan, including supporting documentation for their CPD activities, to confirm compliance. Addressing special considerations To support licensed professionals, we approved 786 special consideration requests for reduced CPD requirements due to personal circumstances. These were the last special considerations that needed to be approved before the CPD requirements changed to focus on the quality of CPD activities rather than the quantity of hours needed.
Learning modules These self-directed modules in APEGA’s learning management system share information about APEGA’s practice standards and enhance licensed professionals’ understanding of their legislated responsibilities.
They cover five knowledge areas:
• Authenticating Professional Work Products • Duty to Report • Ethical Practice • Regulatory • Relying on the Work of Others and Outsourcing
A template for success To help APEGA licensed professionals transition to the new CPD requirements, a PACE plan template was developed to show a standardized format for detailing the types of CPD activities they are pursuing to maintain competence. As every licensed professional’s PACE plan will be individual to them, the template provides general guidance and insights to consider when planning yearly courses, conferences, and ongoing professional development.
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apega.ca
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