Reflective practice discussions allow you to reflect on your CPD activities, identify what you’ve learned, and discuss how you’re applying that knowledge
As part of your continuing professional development (CPD) with the IFoA, members should carry out a reflective practice discussion (RPD) with an ‘appropriate person’ of your choosing each CPD year.
An RPD is a conversation in which you reflect on how your CPD activities have helped you to meet your learning objectives for the year. The discussion can take place any time after you have completed your 15 hours of CPD activities.
An ‘appropriate person’ is an individual who understands the nature of your work and your career development needs. This might be an actuarial peer, a colleague, or a line manager. To find someone who can fulfil this role for you, log in to access a list of IFoA volunteers. Find out more in Information for Appropriate Persons (620 KB PDF).
More information on RPDs with an appropriate person is available in this help sheet on RPDs (90 KB PDF).
Each year, some members will be selected for an RPD with the IFoA executive. We have more details on that below.
Watch our two short videos to see what an RPD might look like. In both, Melissa is played by Ji-Hyang Lee and Bob by Dermot Grenham, both of whom are IFoA members and sit on our Scottish Board.
An RPD with a volunteer from the pool of ‘appropriate persons’.
Melissa and Bob meet again: an RPD one year on.
The IFoA launched the RPD programme late 2021. Each year a number of members will be selected and receive an invitation from the IFoA’s RPD Team. The discussions will take place over the course of the year and you may reflect over two years of CPD activities depending when your RPD takes place.
Members will provide their record of CPD activities in advance to help inform the discussion. The discussion will be an open, two-way conversation with the aim of helping the member to reflect on the learning outcomes of their CPD activities and how that learning was or will be applied. The RPDs will also provide an opportunity for members to seek additional support in identifying new development objectives and discuss ways to explore other topics.
The RPD team may stay in touch afterwards to help members through their CPD year, if required.
More information is available in this help sheet on RPDs with the IFoA (100 KB PDF).
To assist in identifying future learning objectives, the IFoA is creating a series of RPD toolkits on different areas and topics to assist in your RPDs or with your CPD planning. The toolkits will allow you to explore each area further and consider whether you should learn more about it.
The first two toolkits are the:
These toolkits will allow you to explore your understanding and knowledge of these important areas by working through a number of questions. You will then be directed to relevant resources to help you learn more about different topics or themes within that subject area.
If you have any enquires about CPD, please contact Member Services.
We aim to respond to all enquiries within two working days.