Determining the effectiveness of CPD can be difficult as it is a very subjective matter; what is effective for one participant may not be effective for another. However, it is important to evaluate how effective CPD has been, both for assessing your own personal development, and in deciding whether or not particular CPD activities should be revisited. In this article, we have listed a few key factors to consider when determining the effectiveness of CPD, as well as describing what effective CPD looks like.
So, how do you measure the effectiveness of CPD? CPD can be measured against the consideration of a few key factors; how CPD helped you to achieve your goals, what effect CPD has had on your work, attitude, and performance, how CPD has impacted your organisation, and, crucially, how CPD has impacted your clients.
Read on to learn more about how to measure the effectiveness of CPD and how to get the most out of it.
How to Evaluate Your CPD
Measuring the effectiveness of CPD is incredibly subjective and relies on your personal experience. No two participants will be impacted by CPD in the same way, and it’s effectiveness will differ based on a number of factors, including:
- Industry
- CPD activity
- Personal attitude towards CPD
- Level of participation in CPD activities
- The competency of teachers, tutors and mentors
- Course/class/activity content
However, despite its subjectiveness, there is a way to measure the effectiveness of CPD from a personal perspective. Below are a number of key factors to consider, which will help you to determine how effective your CPD activities have been on your performance, your organisation, and the impact that they may have had on your customers/clients.
Key Considerations
What Was Your Original Goal(s) - Did You Achieve It/Them?
An obvious way to measure the effectiveness of your CPD activities is to take a step back, review your original goals, and determine whether or not CPD has helped you to achieve them. This could be as a direct result of CPD, or CPD as a contributing factor.
What Effect Has CPD Had on Your Work and Attitude, Both in the Long-Term and Short-Term?
How has your CPD activities impacted your output at work, both in the short-term after the CPD activity, and in the longer-term since. Have you implemented new techniques, or used knowledge gained from CPD? How did this work out?
Considering this will help you to see how participating in CPD can practically help your career.
How Has Engaging in CPD Impacted Your Performance?
Similar to the above consideration, how has your CPD activities impacted your performance at work? Has it helped to improve your performance? Have you used knowledge, tips and tricks gained from CPD successfully? Has this had a positive effect on your performance and work environment? On the other hand, did you complete the CPD activity and never think about it during work?
How Has Your Participation in CPD Impacted Your Organisation?
Has your participation in CPD had a positive or negative impact on your workplace as a whole? Which specific activity had the most impact and how did you go about integrating the knowledge or techniques gained into your workplace?
How Has Your Participation in CPD Impacted Your Customers/Patients/Clients?
A crucial factor to consider when assessing the effectiveness of CPD is the impact that it has had on your customers/patients/clients etc. Has CPD contributed to an improvement in service? Has it contributed to new services being introduced? Have you gained new customers as a result of improved performance?
What Does Effective CPD Look Like?
“Effective” CPD will look different for everyone, and will be heavily influenced by your role, industry, and your attitude towards continued development. That being said, there is evidence to suggest that CPD is most effective when it is targeted, evidence-based, collaborative, sustained, and evaluated.
When trying to determine whether or not CPD will be effective, there are a few factors to consider, including:
- Are CPD activities directly related to your role and industry?
- Do CPD activities contribute towards your professional goals and/or the goals of your organisation?
- Do CPD activities align with a clear strategy or roadmap?
- Is the knowledge and skills gained during CPD tested and evaluated ?
- Does CPD have a positive impact on the end user?
How Do You Keep Track of CPD?
Many industries and professional bodies require that members keep a record, or portfolio, of completed CPD. For example, the HCPC require members to adhere to a particular standard when it comes to tracking CPD;
- Participate in regular CPD
- Keep a clear record of what you do
- Add this information to your portfolio on a regular basis
- Ensure that your portfolio is a true reflection of the activities completed and contains a truthful reflection
Further to this, members must be able to provide evidence of the CPD activity completed, dates of participation, and any gaps or 3 months or more between CPD activities.
CPDUK explains that keeping track of your CPD can help to monitor its effectiveness, as well as helping to identify any strengths and weaknesses, plan CPD goals, provide an overview of your achievements, and uncover any gaps in your knowledge whilst also demonstrating your commitment to your profession.
Final Thoughts
The effectiveness of CPD is an incredibly subjective matter; what is effective for one person may not be effective for another. However, there are a number of key factors to consider when measuring the effectiveness of CPD, all of which transcend job roles, industries, and also personal circumstances, and can help to determine the impact that CPD activities have had on the individual, their organisation, and their clients.
At Breeze Academy, we offer a range of CPD courses for healthcare professionals that provide participants with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to implement new techniques into their practice.
Take a look at our acupuncture and dry needling CPD courses, with courses for both beginners and more advanced students. We also offer level 3 and level 4 sports massage training courses, clinical yoga teacher training courses, and strength and conditioning courses, which all count towards your CPD requirements. Browse our courses today and see how effective they are against your CPD goals.