Although we understand you have many competing pressures on your time, both at home and at work, we hope you have been able to take a few moments to read through PRogressions and that you have realised how simple and effective adopting a more structured approach to your CPD can be.  To re-cap some of the main points from this document and to help you begin your journey using the PRogressions framework, we have drawn up a checklist.

Quick Checklist

• Be innovative about what you include in your CPD programme
• Adapt the framework provided in PRogressions to meet your individual requirements
• Keep full details of all CPD activities in which you are involved
• Update and adapt your plan according to changing circumstances
• Take time to reflect on and evaluate your CPD activities
• Use the support and experience of colleagues and other PRISA practitioners in your area
• Seek advice from PRISA’s Professional Development Section

• Interpret CPD too narrowly and restrict yourself to conventional ‘training’ activities
• Neglect your wider knowledge and skills which are also an essential part of your professionalism
• Forget to discuss your progress with your line manager as part of your performance review
• Forget your significant role in building the profession and growing the body of knowledge

How are CPD points allocated?
Basically it is one point to one hour of CPD activity.  In some activities, like formal education eg MBA, these points will be proportioned and application can be made for your thesis to be your CPD contribution to the profession’s body of knowledge by making a presentation at a national conference, or its donation to the professional association’s library, etc.  some activities are ongoing, such as mentoring and coaching and these allocations have been benchmarked against other professional associations.

Training/Skills Framework for the Public Relations Profession
Levels of Practice

Pre-professional levels (learners, affiliates and associates

)Progression 1 – Associates 1 – 3 years experience
PROFESSIONAL STARTERS/TECHNICIANS
Specific initial knowledge and skills essential to develop their public relations and communication management careers, from assistants to junior practitioners.

Professional levelsProgression 2 – Practitioners: PR (3 – 6 years)
OPERATING PRACTITIONERS
Development, knowledge and skills, necessarily gained over a period of time, to become a fully rounded and experienced public relations and communication practitioner.

Progression 3 – Managers: CPRP (6 – 10 years)
MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONALS
Development, knowledge and skills, necessarily gained over a period of time, to become a fully rounded and experienced public relations and communication manager.

Progression 4 – Strategist: APR (10+ years)
EXPERIENCED PROFESSIONAL STRATEGIST, SPECIALISTS AND DIRECTORS
The continuing development phase from functional to team or group management responsibility to senior counselling, management and strategy.CPD is a process of development
Simply, top levels giving and sharing and the lower levels of practice taking and growing.  Here is an illustration of how practitioners at different levels would participate in CPD (Note: there should be a balance of activities within each sector):