Planning your CPD will help you to ensure you identify relevant learning. Some members do not plan their CPD and then find themselves having to complete all their activity at the end of the year. Others find that events which are most relevant are already fully booked.
Planning will also help you to think about learning mediums other than courses and events – while face-to-face may be best for some types of learning, e-learning, research, or learning on-the-job may be far more effective for others.
Questions to think about when setting your objectives
- What are the areas you could develop to help you support your clients more effectively, or make a positive impact on your business?
- What are the technical and business skills you will need?
- What knowledge and skills will you need to maintain or develop in the next 6 - 12 months
Key principles to adhere to
Put your job role at the centre of your CPD activity and follow these principles:
- If you work in accounting and finance, it will be important for you to keep your technical knowledge current. Practising members should aim to ensure that an appropriate amount of their development is undertaken in their area of technical specialism. Members holding an ACCA practising certificate and audit qualification must ensure they maintain their competence in audit even if no audit work is currently being undertaken.
- If your career has moved away from accounting and finance, you should undertake learning which is relevant to your new career - which could be in anything from teaching to law, or consultancy to IT.
- No matter what route your career has taken, it is important to consider non-technical skills. You may wish to pursue learning in business management, personal effectiveness, leadership and strategy or IT. ACCA recognises activity within all of these areas and more - what is important is that your learning is relevant to you.
For practical tools and support, visit the CPD planning section.