Continuing professional development (CPD) is a commitment by professionals to continuously improve their knowledge, skills and competence in their work and keep these up to date.
As the knowledge and skills required to do a job change over time, professionals improve their employability by being competent to provide what clients, employers and society expect.
- Creatively use and respond to change
Constant development of knowledge, skills and competence means professionals are able to use the opportunities that change brings to provide the best possible professional advice and service.
This approach is consistent with permaculture design, which has the principle of applying self-regulation and accepting feedback built in. Within the permaculture network in the UK the Diploma in Applied Permaculture Design is being developed as the mechanism for self-directed permaculture CPD learning.
CPD can be formal or informal, although many professional registration bodies have their own requirements for points based CPD and offer their members certified sessions through regional organisation. Design professionals in the fields of landscape architecture, architecture, planning, urban design, water and environmental management etc have access to a wide range of CPD sessions.
Permaculture CPD
The Permaculture Association is planning a day which will include a permaculture CPD session aimed at people working as design professionals and in the built environment. It will also include identification of the barriers to using a permaculture approach in private and public sector commissions – and how to counter them. This will be in association with Leeds Metropolitan University and will take place in Leeds in October 2011 – date tbc. Please contact the Permaculture Association if you are interested in attending or contributing to this event.
Lagan Valley Permaculture in Northern Ireland are running a permaculture design course in July 2011, aimed at professionals, particularly those working in the public sector.
Please contact the office if you know of any other examples of permaculture CPD for people working in the built environment, planning or other similar areas, or if you have firsthand experience of using a permaculture design approach in public or private sector development commissions.