1. Policy Outline
2. Continuing Professional Development Recognition Criteria and Assessment

1. Policy Outline
The Institution of Engineers Australia (IEAust) requires its members to undertake an adequate level of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) to ensure that they retain and enhance their competence to practice at their respective levels within the engineering team. This summary is provided for guidance on the scope of CPD and as an encouragement to all Society members to undertake and record CPD.

Notes on the IEAust statement of policy for CPD are at Entrain.

Broadly speaking, CPD includes any activity that extends or updates a practitioner’s knowledge, skill or judgment and enables them to: be more productive, to understand and apply advances in technology, to face changes in career directions and to better serve the community.

Qualifying CPD must be related to a practitioner’s career in engineering. CPD activities can include both technical and non-technical topics. Non-technical topics include management, accounting, law, economics, and foreign languages in which you carry out business. However, functions that are routinely performed as part of a practitioner’s employment are not normally claimable, for instance university lecturers cannot claim, papers based on lectures they present as part of their employment.

The CPD required for College Membership, NPER and NETR are identical in scope. On an ongoing basis, practitioners need to undertake at least 150 weighted hours of CPD activities during any three-year period, keep records of the activities and make the records available for audit when required.

Six main types of CPD activities are acceptable for CPD and for each type, different time weighting factors apply. The weighted hours of CPD for any given activity are obtained by multiplying the actual hours spent on the activity by the relevant time weighting factor. For example, participation in a short course attracts a time weighting factor of 2. Hence, if 8 hours were actually spent on the short course, this would convert to 16 weighted hours.

The six major types of CPD with indicative weightings are:

Practitioners undertaking other types of CPD that complies with the general definition above, should make a case for this to be recognised at the time of audit.

2. Continuing Professional Development Recognition Criteria and Assessment

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is provided through Colleges, Societies, Groups in Divisions and by external providers. Engineering Education Australia (EEA), IEAust provides ENtrain, an online searchable database of IEAust-recognised CPD non-award activities (i.e. non-academic or technologist formal award) such as short courses, workshops, seminars, conferences, congresses, symposia, exhibitions, on-site visits, and self-paced programs.

The IEAust criteria and assessment requirement for CPD are at www.eeaust.com.au

CPD activities are assessed for inclusion in ENtrain on the basis of five broad categories: Content and Materials; Author and Presenter; Delivery Mode; Provider; and Evaluation processes.

Content/Materials

• must be relevant to engineering
• must be up-to-date
• must be logically structured and presented
• must include description of topics/learning outcomes/competencies
• must include title which adequately encapsulate topics covered

Author/Presenter/Tutor

• must be appropriately qualified/experienced in the subject matter
• must be appropriately qualified/experienced in presentation skills

002173 Mode

• must indicate type of activity (seminar, visit, exhibition, etc)
• must include duration and (where appropriate) venues and dates
• must indicate form of assessment, if any
• must indicate special learning techniques/aides, if any (case studies, game playing, etc)

Provider

• must include name, contact details, description, years in business, and (if requested) referees
• must charge fees which are reasonable and represent value for money
• must use professional standard venues
• must indicate whether certificate provided
• must indicate any formal recognition/accreditation (for other courses).

Evaluation

• must include participant feedback
• must be made available upon request

In assessing activities for inclusion in ENtrain, sufficient evidence must be presented on the above points.

Recognised CPD activities can be included in ENtrain for a period of 12 months during which they may be promoted with the IEAust logo and the words “This (course, conference, etc) is recognised by The Institution of Engineers, Australia for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) purposes.” Re-assessment each 12 months is necessary to maintain recognition.

Further information is available from MESA at
or by contacting MESA through the Secretariat at mesa@mesa.org.au or calling internationally on Ph: +61 9002 6270 6555 or nationally on Ph: 1300 365 855.