continuously improve performance. It can be as simple as having a discussion with someone you meet socially, or as complex as undertaking a major research exercise to develop new (professional) knowledge. Much more important than definitions is to evolve a shared concept of what CPD is all about. CPD is, of course, a much more complex set of ideas than those associated with simple everyday objects, and it is also relatively new (at least as a term if not as an activity). Therefore it is not surprising that as yet different people assign different meanings to the term. If we are to develop a shared concept, then we need to agree on The purposes of CPD – what we are seeking to achieve, The stakeholders – who will benefit, and How best to achieve the purposes for the stakeholders.Put another way, in terms of a journey, once we know what the destination is, and who the travellers will be, it then becomes possible to sort out the best way to get there – the means. Find below three assertionsi. The primary purpose of CPD is economic ii. The stakeholders are those who need to develop professional competences iii. The means consist of a complex set of circumstances and activities, which can be summed up as the learning environment.These assertions provide three dimensions on which to work and gain a measure of consensus: (Figure 5)Figure 5The advantage of using three axes is that it allows us to plot an individual position against three measures, giving a more accurate fix. Is it either practical or sensible to attempt to develop professional competences without reference to the learning environment, and to a measure of economic gain?4:1Economic Aims For the individual, economic aims are variously To earn more To continue to earn Or to re-commence earning after a break in employment or self-employment Organisations have a very similar set of economic aims, which vary dependent...
