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What approaches to your learning and development went particularly well?

Before considering the year ahead, it may be worth looking back at the development you undertook in 2010. Take time to ask yourself what activities or approaches to your learning and development went particularly well? Is there anything you would do differently in the future? Are there any specific areas that you need to revisit in 2011?

By planning your CPD at the start of the year, you can identify the skills and knowledge that you require to achieve your future professional development goals. Reflecting and thinking about your CPD now can give you the added advantage of allowing you to source the most relevant and cost-effective learning opportunities available at different times throughout the CPD year. You will find that when spaced across the year, CPD is highly achievable and easy to manage, even for those of you with extremely busy working lives.

The need for effective planning
When planning your CPD, there are particular areas you will need to consider:

Relevance
Remember to keep relevance at the centre of your CPD planning. ACCA Realise is not solely about technical accountancy updating. If you are no longer in an accounting or finance role, then you should identify your CPD needs in relation to the latest developments both in your current profession and in the business world in general.

Consider your work-based learning
You should consider the various ways in which you develop new skills and knowledge within your role. Many members have found that, by taking into account activities such as participation on working groups, providing guidance on emerging issues or industry developments and mentoring or coaching other employees, they are in fact already meeting ACCA's CPD requirement.

Range of CPD activities
Consider a wide variety of CPD activity. CPD is not just about attending courses. You can obtain CPD units through learning at work, undertaking research, attending networking events and much more. Think of the CPD resources you have already used and identify additional ways in which you like to learn. You will then be in a position to have a flexible range of activities that will not only earn you CPD units, but enable you to match the learning activities with your particular learning style.

Is your learning verifiable?
If you are following the unit route, you are required to complete 40 units of CPD, 21 of which must be verifiable. The non-verifiable CPD can be general learning activity such as keeping abreast of business developments through reading or informal networking. For CPD to be verifiable, however, you need to be able to answer 'yes' to the following three questions:

• can you explain how a learning activity is relevant to your career?
• can you explain how you have, or will, apply what you learned?
• can you provide evidence that you undertook the learning activity?
  

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