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Are you on track?

14 Oct 2008

This step-by-step guide will help ensure you are on track for successful completion by the end of the year

STEP ONE: SELECT YOUR CPD ROUTE

If you have not already done so, you will need to identify which route you are eligible to take to meet the CPD requirement.

• Unit route - if you are planning and organising your own CPD then you will need to follow the unit route which requires you to undertake 40 units of CPD per year, of which 21 units must be verifiable (please note that this requirement varies for members who are employed part-time or in semi-retired capacity).
• Employer route - if you work for an organisation which is an ACCA Approved Employer - professional development, and you are actively participating in their ACCA approved employee development programme, then you will automatically meet your ACCA CPD requirement.
• IFAC body route - if you also belong to another IFAC-member body, then you can choose to follow that body's CPD scheme if it meets IFAC's International Education Standard 7.

STEP TWO: PLAN AND RECORD YOUR ACTIVITY

By logging into myACCA, you can access an extensive range of features designed to make planning and tracking your CPD activity as straightforward as possible. The resources available include:

• CPD starter course
• professional development matrix (PDM)
• online evidence recording tool
• guidance and samples of completed evidence records.

STEP THREE: SELECT RELEVANT CPD ACTIVITIES

ACCA provides a wide-range of learning and development opportunities to assist members in achieving their CPD requirement. As long as the learning undertaken is relevant to your role or career aspirations, it can count as CPD. Learning opportunities available from ACCA include:

• e-learning - our e-learning portfolio consists of bespoke and partner courses which cover a wide range of subjects
• ethics resource - our extensive online ethics resource contains free e-learning modules, case studies, guidance on creating codes of conduct and guidance relating to corporate social responsibility
• face-to-face events - our events database lists details of all courses, seminars and lectures delivered through our network of national offices and further events are available from our Registered CPD Providers
• ACCA qualifications - we offer a range of qualifications designed for members who want to specialise or expand their knowledge and skills including an exclusive MBA
• partner qualifications - we have developed a number of unique partnerships with academic institutes and other professional bodies to provide you with access to new learning opportunities that further enhance your credentials
• reading and research - our knowledge library contains over 10,000 technical and business-related reference items including technical updates, research reports, consultations, opinion pieces and magazine articles.

STEP FOUR: CONSIDER YOUR WORK ACTIVITY AS CPD

Many members have found that the activity they regularly undertake at work to maintain their professional skills and knowledge means that they are in fact exceeding ACCA's CPD requirement - for example:

• participating on working and project groups
• undertaking research
• keeping up-to-date with current and future trends
• preparing for presentations
• taking on new duties.

Providing you can demonstrate that the activity undertaken has helped you develop new skills and knowledge that are relevant to your development, then it can be counted towards your CPD requirement. And, if you have evidence to back-up your learning, then you may also be able to count it as verifiable CPD - for example, a research report or PowerPoint presentation could be used as evidence.  

STEP FIVE: MAKE YOUR ANNUAL CPD DECLARATION BY 1 JANUARY

Every member is required to make a CPD declaration on an annual basis. This process is straightforward and can be made online as soon as you have met your CPD requirement. Alternatively, you can complete the paper declaration form which will be sent to you with your annual membership subscription notification in November.

Either way, you will need to make your 2008 declaration by 1 January 2009. So, if you have already completed your CPD, or if you work for an ACCA Approved Employer - professional development, you are encouraged to make your declaration now and sit back and relax in the knowledge that your CPD is up-to-date.

SOME FURTHER CPD TIPS

• TIP ONE - achieved more than the required 21 units of verifiable CPD? If so, then you can carry up to 21 additional verifiable units over to 2009.
• TIP TWO - do you work part-time or in a semi-retired capacity? If so, then ACCA's CPD policy for part-time and semi-retired members may mean that you are eligible to set your own level of verifiable CPD activity - full details of this policy and eligibility criteria.
• TIP THREE - involved in voluntary work? If so, then you may find that the work you undertake in a voluntary capacity can count as CPD, especially if you are developing new skills and knowledge.
• TIP FOUR - are you an active networker? If so, then you are most likely developing your knowledge and picking up new skills by exchanging ideas and discussing current issues with others. And that can count as CPD providing it is relevant to you.
• TIP FIVE - are you a regular commuter? If so, you could use your time commuting to achieve CPD by downloading audio or video e-learning to an MP3 or PDA system.