The Assessment of Professional Competence (APC)

1. The Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) Philip Woodward Senior Membership Officer

2. Session • New process, effective from January 2012 • The APC, what is it and what is involved? • Q&A • Planners in the Workplace (PIWP)

3. New APC process & guidance

6. From January 2012 • Submitted electronically • Shorter assessment period – 8 weeks • Results accessed on set date • Removal of ‘fail’ outcome • Revised rules for corroboration • Revised candidate guidance • No codicil

7. Application – to be submitted • A completed application form • Application cover sheet • A written submission of 5000 words comprising: • Practical experience statement 1000 words • Professional competence statement 2500 words • Professional development plan 1500 words

8. Application - to be submitted • A logbook detailing the entire Licentiate period (from Jan 2012) • Sponsor declaration • Declarations from corroborators • Each of the above submitted as a separate Word or PDF file

9. The mentoring relationship • Remains optional • Flexibility – each relationship may be different • Agree parameters as you start • Where you will meet? • How you are to contact each other? • Circumstances e.g. days of the week available? • Discussion not instruction • Be sensitive to worries or concerns • Listening is important

10. The APC – what is assessed?

11. What is the APC? The APC stands for the ‘Assessment of Professional Competence’. Your professional competence as a planner is assessed. You are being asked to demonstrate that you work at the suitable professional level to justify election to Chartered status.

12. Practical Experience Statement • This section of the submission describes the practice content and planning tasks you have undertaken over the period of practical experience. • This is designed to assess whether you have undertaken sufficient relevant practical experience to justify election to Chartered status. • The type of employer • Description of role • The type of planning work

13. Professional Competence Statement • The assessors will assess you against each assessment criteria; • i. An understanding of context • ii. An ability to identify and analyse issues • iii. Competence in gathering appropriate information • iv. Competence in identifying and evaluating strategies • v. Competence in initiating action to implement strategies or Dissemination and application of knowledge (research experience) • vi. Engagement in a process of monitoring and review • vii. An awareness of the • legal framework • political and • ethical challenges • and RTPI Code of Conduct.

14. Professional Development Plan (PDP) • Asked to reflect on what you have achieved so far in your career and how you plan to develop your career in the future. • SWOT analysis • Professional Development Plan (PDP) • The SWOT MUST feed into the PDP • The PDP MUST be forward looking for the forthcoming two year period (from the submission deadline). • SMART model should be used.

15. PDP cont. • SMART MODEL • Specific: Precise about what you want to achieve • Measurable: how will you know if you have achieved the objective? • Achievable: be realistic! • Relevant: objectives should relate to your personal or professional development • Time based: set a time frame in which the objectives are to be reached.

16. General presentation • Assessed in addition to criteria • Must be to a professional standard • Proof read your submission!! • Check for grammatical and spelling errors • Ensure the same font is used throughout • Paragraph numbers • Referencing & footnotes

17. Logbook • A logbook will be kept for a the entire Licentiate period – from Jan 2012 • Experience prior to becoming a Licentiate does not need to be logged. • Reference relevant logbook entries in the written submission – link both if you want the assessor to read a specific entry!

18. Logbook Licentiate A: • 1 year prior to Licentiate – not logged • 1 year as a Licentiate – logged Licentiate B: • No previous experience • 2 years as a Licentiate logged

19. Template Logbook

20. Experience • You need to evidence two years of practical spatial planning experience which can be: • Full or part time or a combination of both (pro rata). • Paid or voluntary. • Gained in the UK or overseas. • Spread over a period of time longer than two years. The 24 months does not need to be consecutive. • Experience must be detailed in consecutive blocks of 3 months or more.

21. Experience • You are not allowed to count any experience gained whilst you were registered as a student on an intensive one year masters degree. You can only start counting your experience as eligible after successful completion of this type of degree. • Full and part time experience gained alongside a part time degree is acceptable. • Experience gained whilst on a sandwich year or vacation placement may also be counted.

22. Experience • The year gained as a licentiate member will begin to be counted from the date of your election to Licentiate membership. • It will not be backdated in any circumstances.

23. Corroboration • Signatures no longer required for each page of the submission and logbook!! • Statement from employer instead, email or letter, confirming that he/she can corroborate the experience you detail

24. Planners in the Workplace (PIWP) RTPI member services & support! Range of information and advice offered, including: Job search; Management guidance notes Chasing unpaid consultancy fees Client confidentiality issues Starting your own consultancy.

27. PIWP contact: • Chris Sheridan • Planners in the Workplace Manager • 020 7929 9483 • chris.sheridan@rtpi.org.uk

28. The Membership Team • Judy Waugh Head of Membership & Careers • Philip Woodward Senior Membership Officer • Quentin Wood Membership Officer • David Hunter Membership Officer • Phone: +44 (0)20 7929 9494 • Email: membership@rtpi.org.uk