By Andrea Waldie, P.Geo. Executive Director & Registrar, APGO

On September 17th, 2009, the Council of the APGO accepted the modifications to the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) program as presented in the Council meeting. The APGO Continuing Professional Development program, a mandatory requirement for practicing and limited members, has been revised to simplify and streamline the process. APGO members indicated, and the CPD Committee and Council noted, that the program and forms required revision to streamline the process while maintaining the programs integrity and purpose. The following summarizes the purpose of the CPD program and the revisions that have been made.

The program fulfills the following functions:

• Provides documented evidence of public protection through continuing professional development, demonstrating that APGO members remain current in their profession;
• Fulfills APGO’s mandate to “develop an ongoing program of professional development” (By-law No. 7);
• Assists members with fulfilling their CPD obligations in other jurisdictions; and,
• Facilitates mobility between Canadian jurisdictions.

Although the Association notes that professional geoscientists generally do engage in lifelong learning, it is necessary to document this learning through a CPD program in order to fulfil the above noted functions and to encourage the on-going practice of professional development.

Questions and Answers about the revised CPD program

Do I need to report CPD hours?
• All practicing and limited members are now required to report CPD hours annually. Exemptions may be requested for extenuating circumstances and will be reviewed on a case by case basis.
• New practicing and limited members are not required to report for the year in which they first became registered members of the APGO.

How many CPD hours are required?
• Thirty (30) CPD hours will be required annually. This will be required of all practicing and limited members, regardless of employment status (due to the removal of the Professional Practice category – see below). Excess hours will automatically roll forward in the new online module (coming January 2010) for up to two years.
• A minimum of twenty (20) CPD hours must be of a geoscientific nature.
• Up to ten (10) hours may be of an “Other” nature (e.g. volunteer work; education outside of geoscience; etc.)
• A maximum of twenty (20) CPD hours will be allowed in each of the four categories with any excess hours to roll forward for up to two years.

What are the categories for entry?
• The revised categories are Education, Presentations, Contribution to Knowledge, and Participation.
• The category of Professional Practice has been removed. A form will be available for those who need to track and report this information for another Canadian jurisdiction.
• The Education category is no longer split into Formal and Other. The ability to indicate Formal or Other will be available on the APGO input forms for those who need to record and report this information for another Canadian jurisdiction, however, APGO will no longer require this breakdown.
• A maximum of 20 CPD hours will be allowed in any one category in any given year. As required in the previous program, a minimum of two categories must be utilized each year.

Is Online Reporting Available?
• As of January 11, 2010, it is planned that the CPD reporting process will be available for secure online input (utilizing your username and password).
This will be a simple entry process with many automated features to minimize input (e.g. auto roll-forward of excess hours as well as automatic roll-forward of the description of those hours; the ability to print/download CPD reports for reporting in other jurisdictions; archived reports, from 2009 onward; and many other features). You will now be able to complete CPD hour reporting throughout the year wherever you have internet access. The Association will keep you informed as to progress on online CPD reporting availability.

What is the deadline to report CPD hours for the prior year?
• The deadline to report CPD hours has been revised to March 31st, following the year being reported on, for 2009 and future years.
As of March 31st, online entry will lock down for entry for the preceding year and the Association will need to be contacted if you have encountered any extenuating circumstances which have prevented you from reporting by the deadline. Please note that the CPD reporting year is the calendar year, January 1 to December 31. For the 2009 reporting year, should any issues become evident with the new online reporting feature, as often happens when new technology is developed, the deadline will be extended accordingly and you will be notified.

What do I do with my carry forward hours from previous years CPD submissions?
• Once the online module becomes available in January 2010, during this inaugural online reporting year, you will be prompted to enter any carry forward hours, to the appropriate CPD category, from declaration forms previously submitted to the APGO office. (Note: The carry forward hours entered in the online module must have been filed previously in a CPD declaration submitted to the APGO office in a prior year).

Please watch for further updates and documentation as the Association moves toward an improved Continuing Professional Development reporting process.