Although there is always an element of chance in life, planning and initiative are vital tools to help you achieve success.  To this end, PRogressions will help you to:

• Review your current situation and recognise your learning needs
• Prioritise these needs to make clear objectives
• Find and take part in relevant learning or other activities
• Reflect on your performance and highlight your achievement 

PRogressions is a questioning document.  It encourages you to think about your experiences, knowledge and skills, and about what you need to know more about.  In practical terms, PRogressions will provide you with:

• An aid to your self-development
• A diary of your training and learning
• An opportunity to reflect on your personal and professional development plans and progress
• A tool to assess and plan your contribution to the development of your profession.

A question of balance

Many aspects of life are about getting the right balance and CPD is no exception.  Both your professional and personal development are important and PRISA’s PRogressions takes this combination into account.Your overall aim should be to achieve a suitable balance between:

• Short-term vs long-term needs
• Public relations and communication skills vs broader skills
• Opportunities vs restrictions

It is important to include a combination of short, medium and long-term goals in your plan.  You are likely to achieve many of your objectives within two years, but you should also think about those objectives which will take longer to achieve (eg completing a further qualification or becoming a leading in your profession).  Your plan should also consider a mix of specific knowledge and broader skills to support your overall professionalism.  Finally, you should take into account not only what opportunities and support is available, but also of any restrictions such as cost, time and conflict with other commitments so that your plan is realistic.

To summarise

• Familiarise yourself with all the PRogressions information
• Assess your current knowledge and skills base.  Then consider on which areas you would like to concentrate
• Complete your 12-month Development Plan.  To help you, refer to the kinds of activities that you can undertake as part of PRogressions.  If you are unsure about which areas you need to improve, use the appendix B which gives you an outline of what your knowledge and skills should be, depending on your level of practice
• Send a photocopy or email a copy of your Development Plan to the CPD administrator at PRISA (keep the originals)
• Transfer the information from your Development Plan to the Development Record so that you can keep track of your progress.  If you are using the printed sheet, keep it in an obvious place, such as on a pinboard near your desk; as a reminder to keep on top of the targets you have set yourself
• After one year, you will be asked to submit your first Development Record and to prepare your second 12-month Development Plan.

PRISA is here to support you throughout your plan so if you have any queries or concerns, please do not hesitate to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it