This final stage of Progressions is a vital one in the CPD process as it aims to evaluate what you have learnt or shared and how you can put this into practice at work or in the development of your profession.  Once again, there are some useful questions to ask yourself during this stage:

Have you achieved the targets in your action plan?

• Achieved fully?  Achieved partially?  Not achieve at all?
• If not achieved, why not?
• Achieved within set timescale?  Do you need more time?
• Have you reached your desired level of competence?

What improvements can you see as a result of your activities?

• Taking on more responsibility at work/promotion?
• Increasing confidence to tackle more complex tasks?
• Better working relationships with colleagues?
• Now able to increase range and quality of services offered?
• Further extended client base

How are you going to use your new knowledge and skills?

• Have you set yourself an action point to implement learning?
• Improving procedures/quality of service within current role?
• Developing a new project?

What are you going to do next?

• Continue with targets which need more time?
• Continue where higher level of competence is now required?
• Seek formal recognition/qualification?
• How has your personal situation changed?
• Any new areas of interest?

What contribution have you made to your profession?

• Growing the Body of Knowledge
• Growing your professionals
• Leading the profession

This reflection stage deserves special attention as it produces a summary of the outcome of your efforts in terms of achievements made and benefits gained.  Such a summary shows how you have met your original targets and is another useful tool in preparing for a performance review, updating you CV or preparing for an interview.If you realise you did not achieve a target, you should think about whether it was unrealistic or whether you simply chose the wrong activities to meet your development record.  This will help you to decide whether to go back and re-define the target or to choose different activities to help you meet the original one.  Alternatively, it could be that your own needs have changed – this should be fed into your next review and development of a new action plan, thus beginning the cycle once again.

Click here to download this as a PDF document