CPD Event Validation Guidelines | Southern African Institute for Industrial Engineering

VALIDATION OF CPD ACTIVITIES

The validation of CPD Activities serves to confer recognition of Category 1 CPD Activities to a CPD Service Provider for the attainment of the CPD credits required for professional registration renewal.

The verified CPD Service Provider is accountable for all validated CPD Activities delivered with its unique number. The validated CPD Activities are not transferable to a third party.

The categories of CPD Activities are shown in Table 1. This document applies to Category 1 CPD Activities only.

Table 1: Categories of CPD Activities

Categories	Activities	Credits
Category 1	Developmental activities	Minimum of five (5) credits per five-year cycle
Category 2	Work-based activities Engineering work	Maximum of two (2) credits per year (300 notional hours / 1 credit)
	Mentoring of candidate engineering practitioners	Maximum one (1) credit per year (50 notional hours)
Category 3	Individual activities Membership of a recognized Voluntary Association	Maximum one (1) credit per year
	Other activities	Refer to Annexure A of the Rules Government Gazette, No. 40847 of 19 May 2017

ECSA Category 1 CPD Activities are structured/developmental meetings that effectively contribute to maintaining professional knowledge and competence or to acquiring new knowledge.

Category 1 CPD Activities include:

• Conferences

• Congresses

• Large group workshops

• Lectures

• Seminars

• Refresher courses

• Colloquiums

• E-Learning

• Additional relevant and completed accredited qualifications

• Completed postgraduate qualifications

The award of credits is based on notional hours of the CPD Activity. In essence, 10 notional hours is equivalent to 1 credit. A full day of activity is regarded as 10 notional hours.

a) Requirements for validation of CPD Activities

The validation of CPD Activities ensures that CPD Activities meet the minimum quality requirements for CPD credits. The requirements of CPD Activities are discussed below.

Details of CPD Service Providers

All CPD Activities are conducted under the ambit of a verified CPD Service Provider. The ECSA or a delegated body verifies prospective CPD Service Providers in terms of infrastructure and QMS in order to authorise the provider to present/offer CPD Activities.

Details of CPD Activities

Full details of the CPD Activity must be provided. The title, duration, location, mode of delivery and nature of the activity must be included. Appendix A is a checklist that can be used to ensure that the application meets all the requirements.

Identification of target audience / participants

The engineering registration category and discipline (e.g. Professional Engineer: Industrial) must be indicated.

Confirmation of details, expertise and availability of CPD presenter

Details of the presenter must include, title, name and contact details. The expertise of the presenter must be provided in the form of a CV and include experience and educational achievements. A certified copy of his/her ID is also required. Availability for the period of the activity must be confirmed by the presenter as a signed attachment.

Contribution of CPD Activity to the engineering profession

The validated CPD Activity must indicate how the CPD Activity contributes to the ECSA professional outcomes. Objectives and outcomes of the developmental activity must thus be submitted.

Quality assurance of CPD Activities

The CPD Service Provider must provide motivation that explains how the quality of the CPD Activity is ensured. Information regarding attendance lists and certificates awarded to participants must be included.

Details of cost

Details of costs must include a reimbursement policy. Reimbursement for registration fees, accommodation and other costs incurred during the validation of the CPD Activity may be requested. The ECSA has the right to request the CPD costing as part of the auditing process. Costs must be justifiable. The ECSA may request additional information and should this be the case, the reimbursement policy must be provided.

An application form (e.g. existing ECPD2 Form) must be completed, and all the required information must be provided. Only complete application forms will be accepted and processed by the ECSA and the ECSA Licensed Bodies.

APPENDIX A: Validation of CPD Activity: Checklist

The validator for the CPD Activity should use the following checklist to ensure that all the aspects mentioned are covered before, during and after the activity is offered. An Accredited Service Provider is expected to ensure that this information is available for each CPD Activity that is to be presented to professionals.

Validation of CPD Activity: Checklist
BEFORE THE CPD LEARNING ACTIVITY
1. CPD Activity Information
Name and number of the Accredited Service Provider that will present the activity is provided.	Yes			No
Topic/name of the activity is provided.	Yes			No
Category of the activity is indicated.	Yes			No
Number of Learning Units that have been allocated for the activity is indicated.	Yes			No
Commencement and completion date of the activity is provided.	Yes			No
Attendance certificate issued to attendees on completion of the activity is provided.	Yes			No
Attendance register that reflects the names and the ECSA registration numbers of all of the attendees from the date of commencement to completion is available.	Yes			No
2. Activity Costing
Activity costing is made available to CPD participants.	Yes			No
DURING THE CPD LEARNING ACTIVITY
1. Activity Location
Location of the CPD Activity is accessible to participants.	Yes			No
2. Attendance Certificate (Ensure that the following information is clearly indicated and visible)
Accreditation and activity number	Yes	No
Topic of the CPD activity	Yes	No
Category of the CPD Activity	Yes	No
Number of Learning Units for the CPD Activity	Yes	No
Attendance or completion date	Yes	No
Name and ECSA registration number of attendee	Yes	No
3. Group of Professionals Targeted (registration category and discipline/sub-discipline)
Registration category of participants is stated.	Yes	No
Specific discipline or sub-discipline is indicated.	Yes	No
4. Activity Duration
Is the time allocated sufficient and does it allow for interaction and discussions?	Yes	No
5. Activity Content
The activity content meets developmental needs and provides effective learning experience for participants.	Yes	No
The activity content is appropriate and provides a balanced view of the discipline/sub-discipline.	Yes	No
6. Activity Evaluation Form
Activity evaluation Form is available for participants to evaluate formally the CPD Activity/Event and the potential influence on their performance.	Yes	No
7. Record of Attendance
A record is kept that reflects attendance of the entire event / completion of the Activity. This record should be retained for a period of three years for a compliance audit.	Yes	No
AFTER THE CPD LEARNING ACTIVITY
1. Recordkeeping
CPD Activity records are available for a period of five years after the Activity has been presented and completed.	Yes	No
2. Monthly Records
A list of approved CPD Activities are submitted monthly to the CPD Department at the ECSA.	Yes		No
3. Annual Records (CPD activities presented in the previous year must be submitted annually to the ECSA or its designated Accreditor. Extension of Accredited Provider status will not be considered in the absence of this report.)
A list of all activities presented and completed is available.	Yes		No
The potential for the learning activity to enhance professional performance is indicated.	Yes		No

Application process

This process relies on the CPD Licensed Bodies who employ expert reviewers to assess the CPD Activity that is based on the quality of the requirements provided by the prospective CPD Service Provider.

There are three possible application outcomes:

• Full validation of the CPD Activity

• Conditional validation with changes or provision of additional information required

• Rejection of the application: The CPD Licensed Body will provide grounds for the declination.

If a CPD Licensed Body rejects the CPD Activity application, the CPD Service Provider cannot apply to another Licensed Body.

Validation period

The complete application process is conducted within 30 working days or within a reasonable time subject to the submission of all the required documentation. The ECSA CPD Licensed Body / validation authority will inform the prospective CPD Service Provider should the process take longer. The validation status of the CPD Activity is valid for a period of three years, provided there are no changes to the content. Details of the validated CPD Activities are stored in the databases of the ECSA and Licensed Bodies. If a Licensed Body or CPD Service Provider loses its verification status, all validated CPD Activities will be transferred to the ECSA for management.

Review and monitoring

The validation and review period for a CPD Activity is three years. If any of the aspects presented during the application process change within the validation / review period, new content must be submitted to the relevant CPD Licensed Body.

Recordkeeping

Both CPD Licensed Bodies and CPD Service Providers must keep records. The records must include date of application and indicate approval, pending or rejection. It must also include details of the outcome and if applicable, the validation number and the renewal date.

Appeal process

If a CPD Licensed Body has rejected the application, the rejected CPD Service Provider must go back to the relevant CPD Licensed Body. The Education CPD Department of the ECSA only deals with the appeals that cannot be resolved by the Licensed Bodies. The appeal process follows the established ECSA process documented in Section 8 of the Standard for Continuous Professional Development: Validators, Providers and Activities.