Practical Experience Portfolio (PEP)

1. Practical Experience Portfolio (PEP) Steve Daniels Assistant Director, Students & Members CIPFA Education & Membership steve.daniels@cipfa.org

2. 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

3. PEP overview PEP scheme portfolios should include: • Log of 400 days of relevant workplace experience • Three 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 activities • General reflection and future learning goals • Year 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

4. 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

5. PEP – workplace experience log • 400 days mapped across the 8 CIPFA SoE competency areas (PEP Guide pp26-28): • 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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 role • How the activity was done, any problems, changes to plans, involvement of others • Outcome(s) from the activity • Any applicable learning from PQ studies • Key to focus on your role when writing up and evidencing in the portfolio

9. 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

10. PEP activities - oral presentation • For the oral presentation portfolio content should include: • Determination of its focus • Planning the session • Preparation of materials • Delivery of the session • Reflection on how it went, including any feedback • Any follow-up actions • Important to explain student’s role in the presentation and explanation of why it was approached in the way it was, with appropriate reflection thereon.

11. 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)

12. 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?

13. 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

14. PEP activities - ethical considerations • Consider issues like: • Different potential approaches to completing a task • Behaviour of individuals during an activity • Your own behaviour, appropriate actions & possibly what might not be appropriate • Some reflection on whether these ethical issues were appropriately identified & handled • Embedding of learning on ethical behaviour, including professional values & attitudes • If 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.

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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 submissions • CIPFA Student Support • 215 Borough High Street • London • SE1 1JA

19. 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…

20. 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’

21. 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

22. 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