LEARN, INTERACT, GROW COMPETENT: A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Mickey Lowther & Prof. Wendy McMillan

This paper offers insight into Continuing Professional Development principles that can assist actuaries to develop and maintain the capability to deliver a quality professional service. Three principles were deduced from the literature:

-          Professional development is a complex work-based journey from novice to expert;

-          Effective professional development must develop the capability to practice; and

-          CPD requirements of a delivery-focussed profession should promote professional development.

The relevance of these principles was tested by means of a survey of the opinions of members of the Actuarial Society of South Africa. These principles go beyond an emphasis on ‘outcomes-based CPD’. Collectively, the principles provide a concept of CPD which the authors term ‘principles-based CPD’. The paper then reports on how principles-based CPD is being implemented in South Africa to assist members to follow their principles-based Code of Professional Conduct with its emphasis on service delivery that is competent, ethical and subject to professional oversight.