CPD

Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

SAFA has been recognized as a Voluntary Association (Catergory C) in terms of Section 25(1)(3) of the Engineering Professions Act (46 of 2000). In terms of this registration, ECSA registered professionals may earn Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points when participating in registered SAFA activities. Further to this SAFA provides members and providers of activities for ongoing professional development an understanding and proffer background information into the processes that have been developed to facilitate compliance with the statutory requirements for the renewal of professional registration.Some background to the process that were adopted to introduce CPD in accordance with the broad framework set out by the Engineering Profession Act 46 of 2000 and the policy of the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) is contained in A SAFA manual. The essential elements of CPD as compiled by the Professional Development Working Group (PDWG) of SAFA are also outlined.

ECSA

After a lengthy process of consultation and deliberation with Voluntary Associations and other Stakeholders in the Engineering Industry, a formal system of recording Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for engineering practitioners is now a reality as from 1 January 2006. CPD will be used as the mechanism through which all registered practitioners would have to renew their Registration with ECSA. In this regard section 22(1) of the Engineering Profession Act, 2000 (Act 46 of 2000) requires that a registered practitioner has to renew his or her Registration and has to "apply, in the prescribed manner, to the Council for the renewal of his or her Registration". Council decided that the most appropriate way for ECSA to give effect to the legislation would be to link renewal of Registration with Continuing Professional Development (CPD). The Policy on Continuing Professional Development was published for general comments and directly distributed among Voluntary Associations, for comment, and the Council on 24 November 2005 approved the Policy for purposes of implementation on 1 January 2006. The Policy has been converted into a set of Rules, which originally have been published as Board Notice 131 in Government Gazette No. 28328 on 23 December 2005. Interested and affected parties are urged to study the rules, which came into operation on 1 January 2006. In addition to the CPD Rules, provision has also been made in the Rules for "Renewal of Registration", which links CPD as a mechanism for implementing renewal of registration.