Personal Development Planning (PDP)
~
A Guide for
Postgraduate Research Students
In
The School of Education,
The Faculty of Humanities
Executive summary
Personal Development Planning This document provides guidelines to students
on what PDP involves. It should be noted that the content and practice of PDP may
vary across disciplines and between Schools.
Key features:

PDP is a process not a single document.

PDP provides students with the opportunity to Plan, Reflect, & Record their
progress and development.

The PDP process is structured by:
1) The Skills Audit
2) Records of meetings with supervisor(s)
3) Training Plans
4) Records and Evidence of Achievements
5) Formal Reviews – held at 6 months and the end of year
6) Student Evaluation and Reflections
7) Research Diary

PDP is a continuous cycle of:
1) self-assessment and evaluation
2) the identification of needs and goals
3) planning a course of action to meet these needs and goals
4) carrying out the action plan and recording the
achievements
5) reflecting on outcomes and evaluating progress, which
should reveal new needs and goals.
 PDP requires a series of documents:
- some documents should be revisited on a regular basis
- some documents are confidential to the student
- some documents are owned by the institution
- some documents are shared jointly between the student, the supervisor and
institution.
 PDP outcomes:
- Supports the timely submission and completion of the thesis
- Provides the basis of a CV
- Encourages a positive approach to lifelong learning
- Establishes greater awareness of ‘What your PhD did for you’
Most of the PDP already exists for PhD students – and merely requires formalising.
The aim of this document is to assist student understanding of PDP and help
students to get the most out of the process.
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Personal Development Planning (PDP) – Postgraduate Research Students.
1) What is Personal Development Planning or PDP?
Personal Development Planning or PDP is an active and continuous process of selfappraisal, review and planning of professional and personal development. In other
words, you look at what you can do and what you have done, think about what you
need to do and would like to do next, figure out how you will do it and then
congratulate yourself for having done it. You then start the process all over again.
PDP is a process not a single document or product. PDP is a collection of active
documents that should be revisited regularly to enable you to evaluate your own
progress and learning. If approached in a professional manner, your experience of
PDP at the University of Manchester should be the beginning of a life-long process of
self-reflection and action in which you identify and set goals that make you the
control-centre of your own development.
Precept 20 of the QAA Code of Practice states,
Institutions will provide opportunities for research students to maintain a
record of personal progress, which includes reference to the development of
research and other skills.
PDP provides the student with the opportunity to – Plan, Reflect, & Record - their
progress throughout the period of their research.
PDP is premised on the idea that a student is more than their research. The
components of PDP build into a portfolio for the student to reflect upon and use as a
source of reference. The PDP provides the student with the opportunity to set their
own development goals. It also provides the student with the opportunity to reflect on
their increasing skill set and to comment on the quality of the research experience.
Over the course of the research, a PDP builds into a comprehensive record of a
student’s development and achievements, which can be used as the basis for a CV
upon thesis completion.
2) Why bother with PDP?
Embarking on a PhD is an extraordinary undertaking – the joys of designing and
conducting your own research are combined with the thrills of exploring unchartered
waters in search of the ‘novel contribution to knowledge.’ On the other hand – you
may find yourself spending long and lonely hours reading literature, collecting data
and writing reams of scholarly tract whilst working on a project that, sometimes, it
seems only you and your supervisor(s) understand. This is where PDP helps.
The key benefits of PDP are:
 It breaks the research process down into manageable and achievable
portions.
 You can set short-term and intermediate goals that you can successfully
complete within a limited period of time (for example every 6 weeks)
 You can look back on your achievements with satisfaction.
All of this is vital if you wish to avoid the Mole’s theory of doing of a PhD.
Moles (little mammals that live underground) spend their lives digging tunnels – they
begin at one end and finally come up for air when they have completed their tunnel at
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the other end. Doing a PhD can be a bit like being a mole digging a tunnel through
an enormous mountain of research material – you start digging furiously from day 1
and several years later emerge at the other side with a completed thesis in hand.
The problem with the mole’s approach to doing a PhD is that motivation is difficult to
sustain over a long period. Half-way through a mole may wonder where they are,
which direction they are going, why they started the project in the first place and what
the point of all the digging is. The mole may end up with a large and impressive
tunnel – but will probably have little awareness of all the elements that went into the
construction of the tunnel or what else they have learnt along the way. The mole
slogs it out. At the University of Manchester we believe that your time spent as a
researcher should be one of the best and most enjoyable experiences of your life –
not, simply, something that you got through!
Although doing a PhD may take over your life at times, it is important to remember
that you do have a life outside of the research and that you are much more than your
project. PDP reminds you to take the whole person into account not just the
researcher. This is important because you do have, and will acquire, skills and
knowledge that complement your academic work, which you should not ignore.
These skills are the key to a strong CV and are what employers look for in potential
employees. PDP not only assists students to appreciate how far they have travelled
and what they have achieved during short periods, which helps keep motivation
going, but also aims to increase student awareness and control over their learning
process.
Every PhD is different. There is little point in making direct comparisons with your
fellow students; such activity is not only unhelpful but may prove demoralising
because you may think that you have not made as much progress as your
colleagues. Since the PhD is ultimately your project and responsibility, you are the
main person (along with your supervisor) who knows how the research is going. This
is why PDP is called Personal Development Planning – it is personal to you, the
individual student. You do not, however, embark on this project on unaided – your
supervisor(s), review panels, discipline, School and Faculty are here to assist you.
PDP is, therefore, a supported and structured process – so you will be prompted by
‘the system’ to complete certain milestones throughout the journey.
Whilst it is true that taking PDP seriously will require some form completion which
may seem tiresome and time-consuming, consider this - what are a few hours out of
the hundreds you will spend on your research project if they contribute to a better
research experience and give you the basis of a CV at the end? The question you
should ask yourself is; aside from the doctorate, What did my PhD do for me? PDP
will reveal the answers as you go along.
Finally – employers prefer professional people to moles! Employers like people who
can evaluate their strengths, identify areas for improvement and actively engage in
their own development.
3) How does PDP work?
The University of Manchester Personal Development Planning Policy (2005) defines
PDP as a “structured and supported process that is undertaken by an individual to
reflect upon their own learning, performance and achievement and to aid planning for
their own [personal], academic and career development.”
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3.i - The PDP structure
In the Faculty of Humanities, PDP is structured by the following elements:
Supervision
Meeting
Records
Training
Plans
Skills
Audit
PDP
Records of
Achievement
Research
Diary
Evaluation &
Reflection
Formal
Reviews
Figure 1.
Requirements: The Skills Audit, Records of Supervision Meetings and Formal
Reviews are mandatory – the University of Manchester expects i) students to
assess their training needs, ii) supervisors and students to log meetings (using the
Research Record and Planner) and iii) Schools to undertake regular formal
assessments of student progress. Students are expected to produce a Training
Plan annually, maintain Records and Evidence of Achievements and conduct
Evaluations and Reflections on progress. Formal record keeping and reflective
practice are vital components of the process and enable you to monitor your
progress through key milestones, which should enhance the prospects for timely
submission and completion of your thesis.
Most students probably engage in PDP without being aware of it. The key
components of PDP are evident in so far as a student should be discussing training
plans with their supervisor, identifying needs and establishing sets of goals, keeping
track of achievements and maintaining some record of meeting goals; while a
conscientious student will always be thinking about their progress.
Maintaining a Research Diary is optional and at the discretion of the student – but it
should be noted that this is an activity that many students find beneficial (not to
mention therapeutic!).
3.ii - Support
Formally, PDP is supported by a continuous cycle of activity including (see Figure 2
below):
1) The Skills Audit – This should be conducted within 1 month of registration and
reviewed at annually thereafter. This identifies training needs and serves as
a benchmark for skills progress.
2) A plan of training and development for the next year. Goals are prioritised
and based on the needs of the student as identified by the student, supervisor
and Skills Audit. The plan is agreed between the supervisor/supervisory team
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and student, but may include personal goals that the student may not wish to
share with the supervisor.
3) Personal development records of achievement and reports on progress to the
supervisor, supervisory team and Annual Review Panel – these record and
confirm student progress and attainment of goals.
4) Reflections on progress by the student alone – encouraged by the supervisor.
3.iii - The PDP cycle
Need/Goal
Identified
Reflect on Outcome
Evaluate Achievement/Progress
(new Needs/Goals revealed)
Action Required
(Plan) 1.
2.
3.
Action Taken
&
Recorded
Figure 2.
4) A Model PDP Process - Overview
The following is a suggested pattern for PDP (for full-time students):
Year 1
1st meeting and 1st year training plan
6th month review – evidence and reflection
End of year evaluation
Year 2
Reassess skills - 2nd year training plan
6th month review - evidence and reflection
End of year evaluation
Year 3
Reassess skills – 3rd year training plan
6th month review – evidence and reflection
Final stages planning meeting
Final evaluations – revisit original goals and ambitions, reflect on overall experience.
Amalgamate evidence and experience into CV.
Part-time Students: Given the special circumstances that part-time students face, it
is recommended that they keep to the same PDP schedule as full-time students and
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to ensure they receive support equal to that available to their full-time counterparts.
Clearly, evidence of achievements will not accumulate as quickly for part-time
students as it does for their full-time equivalents.
5) A Model PDP Process – Detail
5.i – Year 1
Year 1 – Month 1
After completing the Skills Audit, the system produces a Summary Report and a
Recommended Activity Report – these should be used to inform the basis of the 12
monthly training plan and report at your Initial Supervision Meeting. Prior to your first
planning meeting with your supervisor you should also complete the Initial
Supervision Meeting Preparation Form. This will enable you to clarify some of your
major goals and overall aims and ambitions for your research period.
Your research project, skills and training needs should be discussed with the
supervisor along with any other plans you have that will enable personal
development and professional growth over the course of the research. You and your
supervisor will be able to draw up a project management plan for the next 6 months.
You may find a Gannt chart or the UK GRAD ‘Planning A Doctorate’ chart useful.
During the first year, planning will include provision for general research methods
training, specialist research methods training and generic skills training such as
courses on Presentations, How To Write a Thesis and Project Management, as
required. You may also have personal goals/aims that may or may not be associated
with the research project but are important to you and may affect your research
planning – i.e. to participate in the Olympics!
Having identified areas of need and settled on appropriate action – the Training Plan
should be completed and agreed by you and your supervisor
You are advised to meet with your supervisor every two weeks to discuss your work.
Records of supervisory meetings must be kept by you and your supervisor in the
Research Record and Planner. You should regularly and independently review your
own progress and compare it with the agreed plan ideally at monthly or 6 weekly
intervals. This will enable you to recognise if you are still on track and to alert your
supervisor if problems occur that may prevent meeting the targets set in the plan.
6 month review
At the end of 6 months, you and your supervisor will formally review your progress
using the Progress Review Form (Part-time students complete an interim Progress
Review Form at six months) – your supervisor will explain the procedure for your
School.
9 month PhD Review Panel
Progress from the probationary period (one year for full-time, two years for part-time
students) is dependent on satisfactory performance. Towards the end of the
probationary period, the student is expected to present and defend their research
plan and submit their training report detailing the training undertaken and their
research record and planner at a formal School Review Panel. The Panel’s
recommendations are reported to the School PGR Committee and written feedback
is provided to assist the supervisor and the student.
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5.ii – Year 2
Year 2 – month 1
Upon completing the Skills Audit, you should draw up a new 12 month training plan in
consultation with your supervisor.
It is quite likely that in your second year the training plan will make provision for
Graduate Teaching training and for training on Getting Published, Networking and
Academic Writing.
Reviews
As with Year 1, you and your supervisor will formally review your progress using the
Progress Review Form twice a year (Part-time students complete an interim
Progress Review Form at six months). The End of Year review affords you the
opportunity to reflect on your progress and development not just in the past year but
since you embarked on your research project.
5.iii – Year 3
Year 3 – month 1
Upon completing the Skills Audit, you should draw up a new 12 month training plan in
consultation with your supervisor. This plan should begin to consider the final stages
of the research; it will consider writing up and submission as well as move you
towards thinking more specifically about career development.
Reviews
Following a review of your skills via the Skills Audit, you should review your progress
using the Final stages form.
Submission of your thesis is a good time to reflect on your development and
achievements during the whole period of your research. This is an excellent
opportunity for you to tidy your PDP and polish up your CV, drawing on all of the
evidence and information you have gained over the years.
6) Recording progress
There are two types of progress that need to be recorded.
1) Development of your skills
2) Your achievements
Both are integral to the PDP process.
The development of skills should be recorded in your training report and planner as
this forms part of your formal review.
6.i - Recording Development of Skills
Everyone benefits from reflecting on their skill level from time to time and it is good
practice to brush up one’s skills and be in touch with latest practice. As a student
there are two skill areas, research and generic, that you will wish to develop during
your academic career. Your supervisor(s) and the Skills Audit will assist you to
identify and prioritise your requirements in both areas. For some students, especially
those with working experience, there will be areas that they are already ‘skilled’ or
‘expert’ in, and the training programmes acknowledge this which is why training is
based on need. If the Skills Audit identifies a level that is already ‘skilled’ or ‘expert’
in a particular skill area, you will need to demonstrate this. You should consider
evidence for the possession and acquisition of skills, and keep records.
Evidence for the development of skills needs to demonstrate two things:
1) the possession of a skill (by illustrating how you would evaluate/justify this skill)
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2) how the skill was acquired
6.ii – Maintaining Records of Your Achievements
Records should be maintained of your achievements and significant experiences,
and as evidence of skills acquisition and development is accumulated through, for
example:
 Participation in training courses
 Graduate Teaching practice
 Attendance and presentations at conferences
 Submissions and publications
 Self-direction
 Advice from your supervisor or a mentor
The records of your achievements should be documented in your Research Planner
and Record.
Evidence can also take a range of forms such as the
 Satisfactory completion of assignments or thesis chapters
 Feedback from peers, experts or research participants after a seminar, team
activity or research encounter
PDP is not confined to the research process – but is a tool that enables a fully
rounded record of individual progress to be developed. Therefore, you should also
use PDP to record activities and achievements beyond your academic work, for
example:
 Participation in a sport
 Involvement with a voluntary organisation
 Part-time work
 Family or personal commitments
 Non-academic hobbies and interests.
You may wish to draw upon these experiences as evidence of your personal and
professional development. They will certainly impress a future employer.
7) Reflection & Evaluation
In addition to formal record keeping, PDP also provides space for you to reflect,
periodically, on the distance you have travelled in terms of professional development
overall. Reflecting and evaluating your progress is the key to successful PDP.
Although, the 6 month review and annual review provide you with the opportunity to
reflect and evaluate your personal progress, you should not view these as the
limitations to the process. The questions have been devised to assist you and to
prompt thinking about your progress, but you are encouraged to add your own
questions. You are also advised to independently revisit your goals and reflect on
progress at more regular intervals – for example, every month or 6 weeks.
You may also wish to keep a personal research diary.
8) Ownership
Given the personal nature of reflection and the PDP process, the question of
ownership and confidentiality is a pertinent one. Some elements of the PDP remain
under your ownership and at your discretion as a student. You may wish to disclose
some of this information to your supervisor, but are not required to. Certain aspects
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of PDP will be available to the supervisor(s), supervisory board, review panels and
administrative staff, to confirm and monitor progress. For example, Training Plans,
Records of Supervision Meetings and reports to Review panels are available to
School, Faculty and University staff. This is for monitoring, auditing and
benchmarking purposes, to ensure that your research training is being carried out in
keeping with University and government requirements. Other elements, for example
the Skills Audit Summary Report, should be discussed in consultation your
supervisor and made available for the supervisor to offer advice at your discretion.
Ownership and control of the key components of PDP are detailed in Table 1 below.
Owned by the Student
(shared with Supervisor
& Institution with Student
permission)
Skills Audit
Records of Achievement
Owned by the
Student –
Shared with
Supervisor &
Institution
Owned by the Institution
Skills Audit
Summary Report
General data from the Skills
Audit will be accessed by
Faculty for the purposes of
analysis.
Supervision Meeting Records
Supervision
Meeting Records
Training Plans and
Reports
Records of
Achievement
Training Plans and Reports
Formal Reviews
Evaluation & Reflections
Research Diary
Table 1
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FORMS
 Initial Supervision Meeting: Preparation Form
 Research Planner and Record
 Training Plan and Report
 6 month Evaluation Form
 End of Year Progress Report
 End of Year Evaluation Form
 Final Evaluation Form
Forms that School needs access to –
Supervisions Meeting records/logs
Training Plan and Report
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