The objective of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is to maintain and enhance professional knowledge and skills of architects, to maintain technical excellence and to better serve the community and profession.
Continuing Professional Development should:
- Relate to the practice as an architect.
- Be additional to the activities normally undertaken in the course or practice of architecture or architectural employment.
- Relate to the ‘National Competency Standards in Architecture’ (NCSA). The NCSA are produced by the Architects Accreditation Council of Australia and can be downloaded from their website www.aaca.org.au.
CPD activities may be either formal or informal as defined below:
- Formal CPD – A formal CPD activity must be ‘structured’ in a learning environment with structured learning outcomes or assessment. A learning outcome is a general term that is used to state specifically what architects should know.
- Informal CPD – An informal CPD activity must relate to practice as an architect (with the basis in the context of the NCSA) and is in addition to activities already undertaken in the normal course of practice or employment but is not structured.
Formal and Informal CPD activity: One point for every hour of involvement. Specific activities shall be allocated a discrete number of points, as appropriate.
Architects
The CPD model proposed which has been tailored to the requirements of Victorian Architects, recommends that registered architects to satisfy a minimum of 20 hours/points of CPD per registration year – a minimum 10 hours must be formal CPD activities.
Definition of FORMAL CPD Activities
Examples of formal CPD activities include:
- seminars at educational facilities, in-house seminars, workshops, courses, conferences, online and distance learning;
- authorship of published journals, articles, books, papers (up to 3 hours may be claimed);
- preparation and presentation of material to be used in a CPD activity or in other forms of education ie. lecturing (up to 5 hours may be claimed) –when this is not your full-time employment;
- preparation and presentation of information about architecture to the public (up to 5 hours may be claimed);
- postgraduate degree or diploma courses (up to 5 hours may be claimed);
- design workshops, lectures and seminars;
- organised learning groups.
Note: Unless otherwise noted, only two hours can be claimed for a formal activity at any one time.
Definition of INFORMAL CPD Activities
Examples of informal CPD activities include:
- self-directed study of practice notes, technical magazines;
- talks and presentations by peers;
- preparation / presentation for peer review;
- site visits;
- involvement in mentoring programs;
- research through practice (collective memory bank);
- competitions (research above and beyond normal practice);
- participation in professional practice committees and advisory groups – through professional associations, regulatory authorities, task forces, government bodies;
- local area networks (LAN) chairs, presenter and attendance;
- raising awareness of architecture in primary and secondary schools;
- relevant volunteer / pro bono work.
Note: Unless otherwise noted, two hours can be claimed for an informal activity for the period of assessment.
Activities that simply promote product brand names and services will not be deemed to be a CPD activity unless they satisfy educational criteria.
Non-practising architects, and newly registered architects (in the financial year they register) do not need to follow the CPD recommendations.
Selecting Appropriate CPD Activities
The CPD recommendations don’t specify mandatory topics, however it is acknowledged that each CPD activity should be contained within one or more units and context of the NCSA.
Architects are encouraged to consider and plan their CPD programme. CPD should be seen by architects as an opportunity to review areas of their knowledge that may require development, and ensure that skills are not only maintained, but current. It is noted that generally the profession already participates in forms of CPD.
CPD Providers
CPD activities are provided by a number of organisations and individuals including:
- Training providers*;
- universities, TAFE;
- professional and industry associations especially the AIA; organised learning groups or networks
- commercial education and training providers employers;
- product and service suppliers (activities that simply promote product brand names and services would not be deemed to be an appropriate CPD activity)
For upcoming Victorian AIA CPD events visit their website here or for AIA online CPD visit here
*The Board does not accredit CPD providers. Architects should consider available individual activity information to determine if the activity would be considered formal or informal – and if the relevant activity is applicable to the individual’s CPD program.
Recording CPD Activity
Architects are encouraged to record their CPD activity online using the ARBV website (a password protected area for architects). The records provide for entry and identification and annotation of all CPD – the course or task undertaken, and the topics and competency standards addressed if relevant.
National Recognition
If an architect is registered in more than one state or territory, the architect must still comply with the requirements in those jurisdictions. The hours do not have to be in addition to those used for compliance in another state or territory. The hours of CPD acquired in another state or territory may be used to satisfy the Victorian recommendations.
Please find a link to the national CPD policy, agreed to by the AACA and AIA in 2006, on the AACA website here.
Please find the AIA’s overview of CPD here.
