Practical Experience Portfolio (PEP)

Steve DanielsAssistant Director, Students & MembersCIPFA Education & Membershipsteve.daniels@cipfa.org

IPDS -> PEP First full review of CIPFA’s workplace experience

scheme planned as part of 2011 PQ syllabus review & carried out in 2012

New IFAC standard, IES 5 Extensive stakeholder feedback accumulated CIPFA’s international strategy IPDS requirements much more extensive than

equivalent schemes of competitor institutes Evidence that IPDS seen to be a deterrent to some

students/employers Aim: to ensure robust completion of relevant

workplace experience with appropriate CIPFA review – a competitive, fit-for-purpose scheme

PEP overviewPEP scheme portfolios should include:Log of 400 days of relevant workplace experienceThree evidenced activities, including written content on planning & execution, ethical considerations, learning & supported by evidence for each activity……plus an oral presentation as part of one of the above activitiesGeneral reflection and future learning goalsYear 1 CPD Learning & Development Plan (students of CPD-accredited employers exempt from this)Submission at any point once passed final exams. Results within 4 weeks: complete or incomplete

PEP – workplace experience log Little change compared to IPDS Standard element of accountancy bodies’ workplace

experience requirements 400 days of relevant experience mapped across the

8 CIPFA Statement of Expertise (SoE) competency areas (as required in IPDS) using templates from CIPFA website

Students’ judgement as to which SoE areas to allocate the days to

200 days for AAT qualified entrants Logged days have to be directly related to role as a

CIPFA trainee accountant Employer verification required

PEP – workplace experience log 400 days mapped across the 8 CIPFA SoE

competency areas (PEP Guide pp 26-28): Leadership & Strategic Management

Strategic & Operational Financial Management Financial & Performance Reporting Governance, Ethics & Values Audit & Accountability Partnerships & Stakeholder Relations Change, Risk & Project Management Procurement & Contract Management

Strong encouragement to ensure breadth of experience across the 8 areas but no requirement to demonstrate at least 20 days in at least 4 of the areas in contrast to IPDS

PEP – evidenced activities Three activities to be evidenced in portfolios (cf 6 in

IPDS) No more than one activity per SoE competency area For each activity portfolio write-up to cover: planning

& execution; ethical considerations; learning; evidence & employer verification

Summary sheet template from CIPFA website At least one of the three activities should include an

oral presentation Oral presentation considered a key professional skill

& should be an inherent part of a piece of ‘real work’ rather than a separate activity as it was in IPDS

Include in ‘learning’ any relevant reflection content, but not a separate section as it was in IPDS

PEP – evidenced activities The evidenced activities may be developed from

some of the activities detailed in the log of workplace experience or they could be additional activities undertaken

When deciding which activities to select for PEP should consider your own personal development needs & also the needs of your organisation

Ideally the PEP activities would be pieces of work that being done anyway & not undertaken specifically to fulfil PEP requirements

Try to ensure that the oral presentation is a natural part of the activity, not contrived

PEP guide includes guidance on words - not limits or targets but likely to be appropriate for most cases

PEP activities – planning & execution

Portfolio content should include:Choice of activity, criteria, link to work role, relevance to organisation, link to SoE Planning undertaken, objectives, constraints, resources, timescales, stakeholders, risks, evidence sources, student’s roleHow the activity was done, any problems, changes to plans, involvement of othersOutcome(s) from the activityAny applicable learning from PQ studiesKey to focus on your role when writing up and evidencing in the portfolio

PEP activities - oral presentation Important part of student development Required to be undertaken as part of one of the

three evidenced activities Should be a natural by-product of the piece of work

being undertaken as the PEP evidenced activity Should be delivered in a fairly formal work setting to

at least three other people Extra evidence needed in portfolio re the delivery of

the presentation and the student’s role in it Student’s judgement on how to deliver it, eg degree

of formality, media used, format of materials, feedback mechanism etc – less prescriptive than IPDS

PEP activities - oral presentationFor the oral presentation portfolio content should include:Determination of its focusPlanning the sessionPreparation of materialsDelivery of the sessionReflection on how it went, including any feedbackAny follow-up actionsImportant to explain student’s role in the presentation and explanation of why it was approached in the way it was, with appropriate reflection thereon.

PEP activities - evidence Two pieces of evidence per activity likely to suffice,

including employer’s validation report, though can provide a third piece per activity if required

Aim to validate the activity took place, student’s role in it and outcome of the activity

For the activity incorporating the oral presentation a total of four pieces of evidence needed, up to two of which to relate to the oral presentation

Prescribed format for employer’s validation report from CIPFA website

Evidence can be documents provided for other reasons (eg minutes, appraisals) or directly related to PEP (eg feedback on the presentation)

PEP activities - ethical considerations

Desire to build PEP around strong core of ethics & ethical behaviour

IFAC Code on Ethics & IFAC IES 4 CIPFA SOPP on Ethics & ‘Ethics & You’ from CIPFA

website (membership section) PQ must have a strong coverage and assessment of

ethics, including professional values & attitudes PEP provided opportunity to further strengthen focus

on ethics in the PQ to complement the examined elements in modules like GPPE in a work setting

Structure portfolio content around the five fundamental principles in the CIPFA SOPP on Ethics & potentially the seven Principles of Public Life?

PEP activities - ethical considerations

Issues should be personal reflections & dependent on the activity/context, so guidance on approach & portfolio content cannot be too prescriptive

Most/all of the Code of Ethics principles are likely to be at least potentially relevant & thus merit some consideration & discussion

Tangible ethical issues & dilemmas may not always be identified for each activity, but still need to discuss potential issues and how they were handled (planned & actual)

(Potential) ethical considerations may be relevant at any stage of the activity, from the planning to outcome stage

PEP activities - ethical considerations

Consider issues like:Different potential approaches to completing a taskBehaviour of individuals during an activityYour own behaviour, appropriate actions & possibly what might not be appropriateSome reflection on whether these ethical issues were appropriately identified & handledEmbedding of learning on ethical behaviour, including professional values & attitudesIf it is felt that there were no identifiable ethical issues this needs to be demonstrated in the portfolio, that potential issues have been identified and dealt with.

PEP activities - learning Learning is an integral part of PEP as in IPDS Personal reflection encouraged When reflecting be as open & honest as possible,

highlighting achievements and less successful aspects

How the learning took place Was learning constrained by any identifiable factors?

Might these factors be better managed in future? Have other learning & development needs been

identified as a result? Forms link to the general reflection & future learning

goals section of PEP

PEP – general reflection & future learning goals

Effective reflection is a key aspect of professional development

Reflection on the whole training experience Consider links between learning from PQ studies and

workplace experiences Learning in relation to role & responsibilities of a

CIPFA professional Application of professional values, ethics & attitudes

in the workplace Development as a learner Skills/practices to develop => future learning goals

derived from evidenced activities’ learning sections, presented as an action plan

PEP – CPD Learning & Development Plan

CPD is a requirement of CIPFA membership & PEP is designed to provide a smooth transition to CPD

In the PEP submission should include the CPD Learning & Development Plan, form available from CIPFA website

Year 1 CPD goals should be derived from the section on future learning goals

Students of employers who are CIPFA CPD-accredited do not need to submit this plan with their PEP, but still need to submit the previous section on general reflection & future learning goals

PEP – submission 3 copies – 2 for CIPFA Include PEP submission form (from CIPFA website) Purchase PEP submission via online CIPFA Shop –

soon to be purchased via CIPFA website as with exams & exemptions purchases

Secure binding (not ring binder or lever arch file) Send copies by secure, recorded delivery to:PEP submissionsCIPFA Student Support 215 Borough High StreetLondonSE1 1JA

PEP – CIPFA review process Either: ‘complete’ => apply for membership Or: ‘incomplete’ => feedback report to guide re-

work and re-submission Students going through a sound work programme

and approaching PEP in an organised, disciplined way should be confident in completing PEP successfully => high complete rates expected

Small number of trained reviewers using same PEP Guide

CIPFA quality assurance to ensure consistency Check for completeness of portfolio Review to assess whether content meets the criteria

to an appropriate standard…

PEP – review criteria For each element of each evidenced activity

(planning/execution; evidence; ethical considerations & learning), the oral presentation & the general reflection/future learning goals (14 items) review criteria (A/B/C) to be applied

A = criteria satisfied B – content marginally below required standard C – content missing or well below required standard PEP complete if all required elements included and

either all above items reviewed as A’s or insignificant number of items reviewed as B’s

Otherwise portfolio reviewed as ‘incomplete’

PEP – benefits cf IPDS Fewer activities to complete/write up/submit Required activities likely to fit more closely with

work plans – relevance and manageability Underpinned by strong focus on ethics Greater flexibility in completing the log of workplace

experience No set submission deadlines - submit at any time

after passing all required exams Quicker review of portfolios and issue of results (4

weeks from receipt, sometimes quicker) Faster track to membership Improved guidelines

PEP – further information PEP guide, FAQs & transition guidance:http://www.cipfa.org/Training-and-Qualifications/

Current-students/PEP

Updates:http://www.cipfa.org/Training-and-Qualifications/

Current-students/Student-News

Contact studentsupport@cipfa.org or 020 3117 1870 for PEP advice & queries