How to record your development

Learn how Continuing Professional Development (CPD) supports your career growth and the benefits of recording your development in your Personal Development Plan.

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Continuing Professional Development

CPD helps you stay current, develop new skills, and progress your career in government communications. Each performance year (April to March), you need to complete at least 30 CPD points – roughly equivalent to 4 to 5 days of learning.

One CPD point equals one hour of learning. Your learning should follow the 70:20:10 model: 70% on-the-job learning, 20% learning from others, and 10% formal training.

Learning opportunities

You can access learning through:

Other types of learning activities

Whether you have 10 minutes or several hours, there are many ways to develop your skills and expertise. Take a look at the example learning activities below and think about which ones would help you meet your development goals. 

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Calculating CPD points

Activities are worth between 2 and 30 CPD points depending on time and depth of learning. Mix and match activities to suit your schedule and learning preferences.

On-the-job learning

Observing and minuting a significant meeting outside of your day job (for example agency pitches, ministerial meeting with officials, ministerial media interview) 

Learning through relationships

Setting up and leading a briefing meeting with a Government Communications stakeholder or supplier (for example, an advertising agency on upcoming government campaigns, or a media agency on latest media insights)

Formal learning

On-the-job learning

  • Job shadowing for a day
  • Active participant in a half-day workshop outside of your day job (for example to generate creative campaign ideas, or a stakeholder mapping workshop)

Learning through relationships

  • Setting up and attending a half-day workshop with a Government Communications stakeholder or supplier on latest industry trends

Formal learning

  • Completing an online course in our Learning Hub (opens in new tab)
  • Writing and publishing a blog
  • Participating in relevant training for half a day
  • Reading a book related to a communications topic

On-the-job learning

  • Regularly contributing to cross-government working groups
  • Spending a total of 7 hours on a relevant research or learning project, including corporate contribution in your department 

Learning through relationships

Formal learning

  • Participating in relevant training for a full day
  • Attending a professional event or conference (for example, Civil Service Live) for its duration
  • Providing a formal briefing to your directorate on what you learned

On-the-job learning

  • Delivering a challenging or new work project or event, including training programme for others (for example, temporary promotion, sustained crisis communication project)
  • Leading a cross-government working group (for example, Head of Discipline)
  • Spending a total of 14 hours on a relevant research or learning project, including corporate contribution in your department
  • Producing or contributing to good practice guidance for the profession

Learning through relationships

  • Holding a voluntary position where you learn new transferable skills (for example, trustee, school governor)
  • Setting up and leading a cross-directorate or organisation network (for example, senior information officer, diversity and inclusion, carers) with regular meetings and clear deliverables

Formal learning

  • Creating and delivering a one-day training course

On-the-job learning

  • Writing a professional guide for the Government Communications website
  • Winning a Civil Service Award 

Formal learning

  • Completing the Advance development programme (Practitioner or Expert)
  • Completing a relevant academic qualification

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Recording your CPD

You should document all learning in your Personal Development Plan, as explained in the next section, including reflections on how you’ve applied it. You can also record your CPD points directly in the Learning Hub, where completed courses and training are tracked automatically. Review progress regularly with your line manager and link activities to your career goals using the Career Framework.

Contact courses.support@cabinetoffice.gov.uk with any questions about CPD points.

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Personal Development Plan

Members are encouraged to maintain a Personal Development Plan (PDP) to plan their learning and record any learning activities and related CPD points. PDPs should be used alongside the Career Framework to discuss learning and development requirements and future career goals with line managers.

PDPs can help members identify skill gaps, set learning objectives, and track progress towards career goals. They should be reviewed regularly with line managers to ensure development activities align with both individual aspirations and organisational needs.

Benefits for individuals:

  • Clear pathway for professional growth and career progression
  • Structured approach to identifying and addressing skill development needs
  • Record of achievements and learning that supports performance reviews
  • Enhanced readiness for new opportunities and responsibilities

Benefits for line managers:

  • Better understanding of team members’ career aspirations and development needs
  • Improved ability to support talent management and succession planning
  • Clear framework for meaningful development conversations
  • Evidence of investment in staff development for organisational reporting