The journey

Before reaching this stage you will have gone through the planning process (see Planning the journey) and made sure you are equipped for the journey (see Getting equipped for the Journey). This section describes the Journey itself.

Essentially on the Journey the Ranger can gather competencies on the way. The competencies are divided into 2 groups – Generic and Specialist, and within each group there are 2 levels. Once the Ranger has successfully gained Level 2 competencies in both groups – they are eligible for the Scottish Ranger Award. Further development beyond the Award is covered in The Journey continues.

The vehicle used on the Journey is the process of Continuing Professional Development (CPD).

What is Continuing Professional Development (CPD)?

CPD is a combination of approaches, ideas and techniques that will help you manage your own learning and growth.

The focus of CPD is firmly on results – the benefits that professional development can bring you in the real world. Perhaps the most important message is that one size doesn’t fit all. Wherever you are in your career now, and whatever you want to achieve, your CPD should be exactly that: yours.

“CPD helps the individual maintain 'engagement' and the organisation and individual have a greater chance to mutually grow."

The CPD process

CPD isn't a fixed process, although we do lay down certain basic processes. Fundamentally, it's a question of setting yourself objectives for development and then charting your progress towards achieving them. It's about where you want to be, and how you plan to get there.

A CPD Plan is a step-by-step framework for you to:

• list the main areas of work and related competencies relevant to your job
• agree with your manager the competencies and level you currently have
• articulate your longer-term aspirations for the future – both professional and personal
• identify goals and competencies you want to achieve in the next few years
• define what you need to do to achieve your goals or competencies
• determine which specific activities will meet your needs.

This approach is based on reflection that focuses on outcomes and results, rather than 'time spent' or 'things done'. Click here for a detailed guide to CPD

How CPD benefits you

Many employers now value ‘learning agility’ as a core competency.

• Build confidence and credibility, you can see your progression by tracking your learning
• Earn more by showcasing your achievements. A handy tool for appraisals
• Achieve your career goals by focusing on your training and development
• Cope positively with change by constantly updating your skill set
• Be more productive and efficient by reflecting on your learning and highlighting gaps in your knowledge and experience.

How CPD benefits your organisation

As organisations shift the responsibility for personal development back to the individual, the ability and insight to manage your own professional growth is seen as a key strength.

• Helps maximise staff potential by linking learning to actions and theory to practice
• Helps HR professionals to set SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound) objectives, for training activity to be more closely linked to business needs
• Promotes staff development. This leads to better staff morale and a motivated workforce helps give a positive image/brand to organisations
• Adds-value, by reflecting it will help staff to consciously apply learning to their role and the organisation’s development
• Linking to appraisals. This is a good tool to help employees focus their achievements throughout the year.

Is it time consuming?

We are not concerned with how much time you spend on training courses or how many boxes you tick on a form. CPD is about capturing useful experiences and assessing the practical benefits of what you have learned. 

There is one decisive question that you should ask yourself to evaluate every piece of learning: what can you do now that you couldn’t do before?

Similarly, when you record your CPD, it’s the value of the activity that counts. It’s not what you did, but how you can use what you learned.

Recording achievement

As a professional, you have a responsibility to keep your skills and knowledge up to date. CPD helps you turn that accountability into a positive opportunity to identify and achieve your own career objectives.

At least once a year, we recommend you review your learning over the previous 12 months, and set your development objectives for the coming year. We suggest that this is done during your Annual Job Review. Reflecting on the past and planning for the future in this way makes your development more methodical and easier to measure.

Some people find it helpful to write things down in detail, while others record 'insights and learning points' in their diaries as they go along. This helps them to assess their learning continuously. These CPD logs are useful tools for planning and reflection: it would be difficult to review your learning and learning needs yearly without regularly recording in some way your experiences.

Monitoring progress

The CPD process is overseen by a CPD Monitoring Group. Each year the Ranger and line manager will review progress towards achieving the competencies identified. Once they feel that a particular Level has been achieved – a CPD summary is submitted to the CPD Monitoring Group along with the appropriate evidence. If the Monitoring Group feel that all the elements of the competencies have been achieved – they will confirm achievement of that Level.