Measurement
25. Professional accountants are required to measure learning activities or outcomes
to meet the member body’s CPD requirements.
26. Learning activity can be measured in terms of effort or time spent, or through a
valid assessment method which measures competence achieved or developed.
Verification
27. This IES is based on the principle that a certain portion of the learning activities
professional accountants engage in are verifiable. This means that the learning is
able to be objectively verified by a competent source. Some learning activities
may be measured but not verified.
28. Professional accountants are responsible to retain appropriate records and
documents related to their CPD and, upon request by the member body, provide
sufficient evidence to demonstrate their compliance with the requirements of the
member body.
CPD Approaches
29. The objective of CPD is to assist professional accountants to develop
professional competence to provide services of high quality in the public
interest. Measurement of completion of CPD can be achieved by at least three
different approaches:
(a) Input-based approaches—by establishing a set amount of learning
activity that is considered appropriate to develop and maintain
competence.
(b) Output-based approaches—by requiring professional accountants to
demonstrate, by way of outcomes, that they develop and maintain
professional competence.
(c) Combination approaches—by effectively and efficiently combining
elements of the input- and output-based approaches, setting the amount
of learning activity required and measuring the outcomes achieved.
30. Input-based systems traditionally have served as a proxy for measuring
development and maintenance of competence because of the ease of
measurement and verification. Input-based approaches have limitations, for
example, they do not always measure the learning outcomes or competence
developed. As a result, some professional accountants may not apply themselves
in seminars or courses and yet meet the input-based criteria for measurement
and verification. This “form over substance” approach can undermine the real
objective of continuous improvement of competence. Member bodies may