Continuing professional development:
its role in the changing education and
qualification landscape of the
information profession, a case study
of the UK
Dr Judith Broady-Preston
Senior Lecturer
Department of Information Studies,
Aberystwyth University
Presentation to “Moving in, moving up and moving on:
strategies for regenerating the LIS profession,” IFLA
World Library & Information Congress August 2009,
Italy Satellite conference: Bologna University of
Bologna August 18-20, 2009
(copyright retained)
Background

July 2008 - Governing Council of the UK Chartered
Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP)
voted unanimously to introduce mandatory Continuing
Professional Development (CPD) for active chartered
members.

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CILIP = leading UK professional body for librarians, information
specialists and knowledge managers, with an active professional
community of c. 36, 000 of whom c. 21,000 are members. CILIP
formed 1 April 2002 from the merger of the UK Library
Association (LA) and the Institute of Information Scientists (IIS).
“potentially far-reaching”? NB Only KNOWN mandatory
scheme
CILIP CPD Scheme
(August 2009)

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“ light touch” BUT compulsory
Key features:

No core curriculum or minimum time requirements
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Emphasis on simplicity; the scheme will be web-enabled to
minimize effort and inconvenience and should require little extra
work beyond the CPD most would choose to do

It should be able to be mapped closely onto employers’ appraisal
schemes
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No requirement for the compilation of a portfolio
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Timescale for introductions yet to be determined – probable start
date = January 2011
Outline
Brief background to the research
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Introduction of mandatory CPD by CILIP UK
Changing professional landscape
CPD and the information profession
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Scope and methods
Definitions and terms
Cui bono? Individual vs employer benefit?
Workplace learning and reflective practice
Education and training implications
Where are we now?
Changing professional landscape

“Blurring (or demolishing?) boundaries”
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Generic – UK Government Panel on Fair Access to the
Professions – July 2009 report
Information Profession – Impact web2.0, 3.0, 4.0 on sector
boundaries
Levels of practice – glass ceiling shatters?
Governmental drivers
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Employability: Relationship HEIs and employers
Transferability (e.g. Bologna)
Recognition work-based learning – development of competency
frameworks and occupational standards
Emphasis on skills –’can do’
Aberystwyth Project

Project aim to
assess and explore the implications of the adoption of
compulsory CPD schemes by professional associations within
the context of the changing education and qualifications
landscape for the information profession.

UK = unique?
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Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) = voluntary
Professional Development (PD) scheme - BUT “once registered
there are a number of requirements that must be met. This is
compliance” (ALIA, 2009)
Methodology and scope
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Single Case study
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Self-completion questionnaires to key stakeholders in CILIP
decision. Response rate = 100%
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Chair, CILIP Task and Finish Group, Framework of Qualifications and
Accreditation (TFG, FOQA) (I1)
Head, Qualifications and Professional Development (QPD) CILIP (I2)
Chair, CILIP Chartership Board (I3)
Chair, CILIP Accreditation Board (I4)
Why qualitative research (QR) methods?
“[QR is] A process of enquiry that draws data from the context in which
events occur, in an attempt to describe these occurrences, as a means
of determining the process in which events are embedded and the
perspectives of those participating in the events, using induction to
derive possible explanations based on observed phenomena” (Gorman,
G.E. & Clayton, P. 2005,3)
What is CPD?

Context
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Relationship cognate terms – e.g. workplace learning, reflective
learning, Personal Development Plans (PDP), Human Resource
Development (HRD) etc.
Difficult to define – buzzword!
General definitions:
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a combination of approaches, ideas and techniques that will help
you manage your own learning and growth (CIPD, 2009)
describes a commitment to structured skills enhancement and
personal or professional competence (CPD Certification Service,
2009)
CPD definitions: information context
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ALIA – NB PD not CPD:
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American Library Association (ALA):
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Through continuing professional development, the individual can
effect their personal growth, and through that impact their
workplace and society (2000).
CILIP:
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Participation in an activity which will enhance and/or increase our
knowledge, skills and abilities in relation to our work… (2009)
No definition at present!
CPD vs CPE (Continuing Professional Education)
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Synonyms? (cf Robinson and Glosiene, 2007)
Broader and narrower terms (cf Ritchie, 2005)
CPD definitions: CILIP Stakeholders
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it’s a realisation of the importance of learning about (and integrating
where relevant) new developments, practices, skills into your own
on-going professional practice in order to make better choices and
more informed decisions and access more opportunities than a
narrower or ageing skills-base would allow. CPD is an enabler of
choice for individuals and a measure of competence, commitment
and flexibility to employers. Information professionals, of all
professions, need to be curious about the world. (I1)
a career long active commitment to updating and extending
professional knowledge, skills and competences through a range of
formal and informal learning activities, which benefits the individual,
employing organisations and wider society. (I2)
Planned improvement of professional knowledge and skills
throughout your working life. (I3)
any activity – courses, conferences, reading or work-related – of
which the purpose is seen by the participant as updating or
increasing his or her professional knowledge.(I4)
CPD: individual perspective
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Individual = “prime responsibility” for career
development/planning
Changing emphasis from ‘job for life’ to ‘joint
responsibility’ for career management (individual and
employer)
Role of Personal Development Plans (PDPs)
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Mandatory provision in UK HE sector for all students (2005/6-)
PDP = “a structured and supported process undertaken by an
individual to reflect upon their own learning performance and/or
achievement and to plan for their personal, educational and
career development” (Higher Education Academy (HEA), 2002)
Portfolio-based + increasingly e-based – Aberystwyth “wiki-pdp” ;
JISC projects
PDP, CPD and ICT
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HEA = explicit link PDP in education and CPD in the
workplace
CILIP scheme:
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Recognition PDP/CPD link – scheme for new professionals in
first instance as they “will be used to a similar process if they are
recent university graduates.”
Web-enabled to minimise effort/inconvenience
ICT Platform = central to success/failure of scheme
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2 respondents ranked ICT platform as most significant risk -”
members need to be assured that the scheme…will have
effective/accessible ICT to support it (I2)”
Need to ensure data security, confidentiality and privacy
Individual vs employer benefit:
potential conflict?
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CPD = fusion personal growth and professional
development. Is there a conflict between individual and
employer perspective?
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CIPD Research concluded:
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Individuals want employability, and for knowledge workers this
means having up-to-date skills that make them desirable to
employers. But bosses want to retain talent and to offer
development and career progression that ties people to a career
with their organisation. Many employers are wary of offering
development that may make people too attractive to the
competition… Employers want to develop organisation-specific
skills and the individual has a desire for transferable knowledge.
Individual vs employer benefit:
information context
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Information/library context
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NZ study (Cossham & Fields, 2007):
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Balancing a library’s needs with individuals’ needs = complicated
process
Needs as perceived by individuals vary from those perceived by
their managers
overall lack of understanding across the profession about who
should be responsible for what aspects of CPD, what should be
offered, and who should be taking the initiative.
CILIP view (CPD Framework, 2004):
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Effective partnership = essential if “overlapping aims improved
performance and individual career enhancement are to be met.”
Individual vs employer benefit: CILIP
stakeholder views
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DIFFICULTIES
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RISKS
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Failing to convince employers of necessity for, and value of, up to date
professional qualification
Members whose employers have similar performance appraisal systems
will not want to repeat the process
REQUIREMENTS
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in achieving balance, especially where “employers are not convinced of
the need for CPD, or believe it should be wholly focused on the tasks of
the current post” (I4)
Ensure mandatory scheme = “fully compatible with employers own inhouse training and appraisal schemes”(I2)
ERGO – robust employer engagement strategy = necessity
Workplace learning and reflective
practice
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CPD = linked to employability
Context – trends in workplace and reflective learning [NB
too wide to be reviewed in depth here], BUT:
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Workplace learning = important contribution to improving quality
and raising professional practice standards (Ritchie, 2005)
Governmental drivers/initiatives re: education, employability and
workforce development
Boundaries “blurring” between formal and informal learning –
recognition and reward of competency based practice – e.g.
ACLIP
Threat of generic competency-based frameworks?
Possible obsolescence “qualifications” + “professions”?
(Edwards)
Mandatory CPD and workplace
learning/reflective practice: CILIP
stakeholder views
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PLUS points:
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Guarantees commitment to continuous learning – a
“qualification... not ‘set in time’, but a dynamic on-going
commitment to further developing professional practice” (I1)
Raises profile of practitioners with employers
Persuades employers and public that “information isn’t something
“anyone can do” (I4)”; AND “It’s a means of helping negate all the
old unhelpful ideas of ‘anyone can do it’. They can’t, not without
a lot of knowledge and skill, and that knowledge and skill needs
kept up-to-date. That’s a good message to get across.(I1)”
NB Self-regulatory profession, therefore - centrality of
robust employer engagement strategy
Education and training implications
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Stronger focus on CPD results in:
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Demands for individuals to supply evidence of periodic formal study
(courses, workshops etc.) – portfolio-based
Results in - growth in providers of education and training, including
HEIs, professional bodies themselves and other newly established
education and training providers
Trend towards professional bodies recognising and accrediting certain
education/training providers via formalised schemes
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formal accreditation of university-level courses
CILIP Seal of Recognition
ERGO - Successful mandatory CPD schemes require approved
and relevant education and training
NB Role of mentors – “socialising” individuals into the profession?
Where are we now?

SUCCESS requires:
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Member buy-in – ‘light
touch’ imperative +
affordability
Sophisticated, accessible,
safe ICT platform
Well developed mentor
scheme
Employer buy-in + robust
employer engagement
strategy

RISKS are:
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“members will walk away
rather than comply(I2)”
ICT platform unaffordable
or unworkable
Lack of suitable mentors
Employers prefer generic
competency-based
frameworks; fail to engage
Conclusion
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Too early to assess – pilot phase yet to begin

BUT – mandatory CPD offers the profession
opportunities to
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Demonstrate equivalency with other professions
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Market ourselves positively as highly trained and motivated
professionals
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Ensure recognition of the value of professional qualifications +
training in a volatile environment
Finally…
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Hopefully a starting point for further
discussion/debate
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Thank-you for listening – happy to answer
questions either now or in the future

Contact – jbp@aber.ac.uk