Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

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What is CPD?

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is essential for all government communicators to maintain and develop their expertise. CPD helps you stay current with proven approaches, develop new skills, and progress in your career within the Government Communications profession.

Your CPD requirements

Each performance year (April to March), you need to:

  • Achieve 30 CPD points
  • Record your learning activities and reflections in your Personal Development Plan (PDP)
  • Align your CPD with your role requirements and career development goals

How CPD points work

One CPD point typically equals one hour of learning. Points are awarded based on both time invested and the depth of learning gained.

Learning happens in many ways – not just through formal training. Your learning should follow the 70:20:10 model:

  • 70% on-the-job learning: learning through practical work
  • 20% learning from relationships: development through your networks and relationships
  • 10% formal training: learning through Academy and other resources

The CPD examples provided on this page should help you to start planning your own learning activity. If you have questions about CPD points you should contact courses.support@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.

Finding learning opportunities

Learning happens everywhere – through collaboration with colleagues, media monitoring, research, online content, and events. 

Academy 

Access professional learning through the Academy, designed specifically for government communicators to support you throughout your career.

Learning platforms

Development programmes

  • Advance –  Our flagship programme offering targeted development at every stage of your career

Events and activities

  • Business unit workshops
  • Live learning opportunities – Participate in interactive sessions led by communication experts and leaders
  • Member events – Join our all-member calls, plus other virtual and in-person events giving you the chance to engage, learn and share with other members.
  • Civil Service Live – Attend this annual conference which is held at locations across the UK, and features keynote speakers talking about their experiences, knowledge and expertise.
  • Departmental learning
    • Lunch and learn sessions
    • Team away days
    • Business unit workshops

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. Each activity shows the learning points you can earn towards your annual target of 30 points. You can mix and match these activities to create a learning plan that fits around your work and suits the way you like to learn.

2 CPD points

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

  • Listening to a relevant podcast
  • Watching a Government Communications or comms-related webinar 
  • Attending a Government Communications all-member call (book through Connect)
  • Attending a team or local department training session 
5 CPD points

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

10 CPD points

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
20 CPD points

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
30 CPD points

On-the-job learning

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

Formal learning

Recording your CPD

  • Document all learning activities in your Personal Development Plan
  • Include reflections on how you’ve applied the learning
  • Link activities to your development goals using the career framework
  • Review progress regularly with your line manager

Next steps

  1. Check your understanding of CPD points and what you need to do to achieve 30 points in the coming performance year. 
  2. Plan to complete roughly a 70:20:10 split of learning and development activities  (70% on-the-job, 20% from relationships, 10% formal training).
  3. Review the skills and experience needed for your role and identify key development areas
  4. Discuss development opportunities with your line manager
  5. Start recording your CPD activities and reflections in your Personal Development Plan