Board Notices > Rules: Continuing Professional Development and Renewal of Registration, 2016

(1)

Subject to an initial phasing-in period referred to under transitional provisions in rule, the CPD system shall function in a cycle of three years irrespective of the CPD option a registered person elects (namely: the input- based option, the output based option and the hybrid option (combining both input and out-based options)).

(2)

The three-year cycle of each registered person commences on the anniversary of the date on which such registered person became registered by the Council, which date appears on the person's certificate of registration issued by the Council, and which date also constitutes the expiry date, as defined in these rules, when such person is required to apply for renewal of his or her registration. The date on which a person has been registered is also obtainable from the Council's Website www.ecsa.co.za.

(3)	Where a person is registered in more than one professional category, the date applicable to the category in which such person first registered will be recorded as the date on which such person's cycle commences, and which date also constituted the expiry date, as defined in these rules.

(4)	During each cycle of three years every registered person must accumulate a minimum of 25 credits in order to qualify for renewal of his/her registration.

(5)	The determining criteria shall be linked to the CPD option elected by a registered person.

(a)	In respect of the input-based option: the amount of hours spent by a registered person in continuing professional development activities is a determining factor. In this regard:

➢	A registered person will be credited with one credit per 10 hours of attendance.

➢	A full day activity will be regarded as being for 10 hours and a half-day activity will be regarded as 5 hours and hence a half a credit.

➢	Members opting for the input-based approach are required to accumulate/attain no less than 4 credits (40 hours) annually from the date of professional registration with ECSA;

➢	The hours and activities must be capable of verification by ECSA.

(b)	In respect of the output-based option: A weighting of one credit for every 300 hours per year for engineering related activity is awarded for this category. A maximum of two credits for 600 hours per year may be earned in respect of this activity.

There are four (4) steps that a registered member opting for the output-based option must follow and satisfy. These are:

➢	Planning: A registered person needs to identify the learning needs/gaps relative to their work to the roles the members are undertaking. This is important so as to ensure that a member has undertaken CPD interventions that are relevant to the roles/work that the registered person does;

➢	Learning action/intervention - a registered person should identify learning activities to meet competency requirements that need to be developed or maintained;

➢

Evaluation - a registered person should be able to evaluate the impact, notably: the effectiveness of learning activities undertaken and whether the objectives identified in the planning step/phase have been met; whether competency has been achieved (developed or maintained) and whether any further action/learning activities are still required; and

➢	Declaration - a registered person should annually ensure that an output-based measurement approach has been followed and therefore that the competency requirements for members' specific roles have been developed and maintained for the year under review.

(c)	In respect of the output-based option: Where registered persons alternate between approaches (input and output based) over the three-year period, the overall evaluation as to whether members meet the requirements of this policy will be done on the output based approach.

(d)	In any given CPD cycle, a registered person has a choice of which approach they are to adopt in meeting the Council's CPD requirements. Once an approach is chosen by a registered persons, then that approach will have to be maintained for the duration of the cycle.

(e)	Every registered person must ensure that the CPD activities that they embark are verifiable or capable of verification. Non-verifiable activities will result in non-recordal thereof by the Council for CPD purposes.

(f)	Additional credits which have been accumulated during any particular year may be carried over to subsequent years of the three-year cycle, provided that no more than the maximum permissible credits for the particular activity may be carried over.

(6)	In summary: CPD credits must be obtained as per the table below:

Engineering Profession Act, 2000 (Act No. 46 of 2000)

Board Notices

Rules: Continuing Professional Development and Renewal of Registration, 2016

9. The CPD Cycle and Measurement