Continuing Professional Development


Introduction [1]

The Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) is responsible for regulating the practice of engineering in South Africa and this is achieved, inter alia, through registration of engineering practitioners. Registration categories as per section 18(a) and 18(c) of the Engineering Profession Act (no. 46 of 2000) include the following:

  • Professional Engineers
  • Professional Engineering Technicians
  • Professional Engineering Technologists
  • Professional Certified Engineers
  • Registered Technicians
  • Master Technicians

In terms of the Engineering Profession Act, ECSA is charged by the Government to establish and maintain minimum standards of practice, knowledge and skills of registered engineering persons in the country as well as to establish and maintain standards of professional ethics among them.

For their part, registered persons are required by their Code of Conduct to practice within their area of competence and to maintain and enhance this competence. They therefore have the responsibility to keep abreast of developments and knowledge in their areas of expertise in order to maintain their competence. In addition to maintaining their own competence, they should strive to contribute to the advancement of the body of knowledge with which they practice, and to the profession in general.

As an enabling mechanism, ECSA instituted a system of credits-based Continuing Professional Development (CPD)[2] in 2006, linked to renewal of registration from 2007 for all registered persons. In 2021 ECSA brought into effect an updated Standard for Continuing Professional Development in accordance with the Engineering Profession Act and the Rules: Continuing Professional Development and Renewal of Registration as seen in the Government Gazette, No. 40847 of 19 May 2017.

The new standard designates ECSA as the sole custodian of CPD, with other role players such as Voluntary Associations (VAs), Higher Education Institutions and CPD Service Providers assuming important functions that are primarily delegated and monitored by ECSA.

 

Continuing Professional Development Credits

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) runs in 5-year cycles during which period every registered person will be required to accumulate 25 credits or more[3] in order to retain registration. Credits are obtained by engaging in CPD activities falling into three categories as shown in the Table below.

In any one year, the registered person will be required to accumulate a minimum of 3 credits (additional credits earned in any one year may be carried over to the subsequent years of the five year cycle). At least 3 CPD credits per year in at least two of the three categories listed below.

(Note: Registered members applying for re-registration with the Council need to obtain at least 3 CPD credits in Category 1 during the 12 months preceding the application).

 

Categories
Activities Credits
Category 1
Developmental activities Min of 5 per year in a 5-year cycle
Category 2
Work-based activities (Engineering work) Maximum of 2 credits per year
(300 notional hours / 1 credit)
Category 2
Mentoring of candidate engineering Practitioners Maximum 1 credit per year
(50 notional hours)
Category 3
Individual activities
Membership of a recognised VA
Other activities		 Maximum 1 credit per year
Refer to Annexure A of the Rules Government Gazette,
No. 40847 of 19 May 2017

 

 Category 1 Developmental Activities

These include:

  • Seminars / Webinars / Lectures
  • Conferences / Congresses
  • Training workshops
  • Refresher Courses
  • Symposiums / Colloquiums
  • Academic qualifications (completed)

Except for the last-mentioned that carry 5 credits, CPD credits for a developmental activity are based on the notional hours of the activity with 10 notional hours equating to 1 credit and a whole day activity equating to 10 notional hours.

Registered persons must ensure that the CPD activities that they embark upon are approved and validated in order for the related credits to be recognised by ECSA. .

 

Verified Service Providers and Validated CPD Activities

Organisations such as Higher Education Institutions, ECSA-recognised Voluntary Associations, private educational institutions and others wishing to apply for credit-related validation of their Category 1 CPD Activities must first be formally verified.

This is done by completing and submitting the CPD Service Provider Application, the form also lists the requirements that need to have been met – together with the supporting documents/evidence – when applying.

As the sole CPD authority, ECSA delegates the function of verifying CPD Service Providers and validating CPD Activities in respect of Category 1 CPD Activities to registered Licensed Bodies. CEASA is an ECSA CPD Licensed Body as per the ECSA Standard for Continuing Professional Development[1].

Verification of CPD Service Providers

CEASA’s process for verification is laid out in its Verification Policy and Procedures document.   At the conclusion of the verification process, the applicant organisation will receive the CPD Service Provider Verification Notification.

If successfully verified, the CPD Service Provider will be allocated a unique registration number; this cannot/ may not be transferred to any third party. The verification will stand for a period of 3 years after which the Service Provider’s verification will be reviewed.

Apply now for Verification as a CPD Service Provider

Validation of CPD Activities

Any CPD Service Provider who desires validation of a Category 1 CPD activity must apply for validation of such activity, using CPD Developmental Activity Application.

CEASA’s process for validation of Category 1 CDP activities is laid out in its Validation Policy and Procedures document.  As an ECSA CPD Licensed Body CEASA must ensure that CPD Activity quality is of an appropriate standard for the target audience with reference to professional and/or specified category and discipline, e.g. professional engineering technician – electrical.

There are three possible application outcomes:

  • Full validation of the CPD Activity (CEASA agrees that the validation requirements are met with non- substantive issues that require corrective action, or additional submissions).
  • Restricted Validation: Corrective changes need to be applied or substantive documents are outstanding, preventing validation of the activity. No CPD number will be issued to the CPD Service Provider until the conditions have been met, and the CPD provider cannot market this activity as validated.
  • Rejected validation: Grounds for the rejection are provided.

 

Complete the application now to have CPD Activities Validated

 

CPD Service Providers are accountable for delivering validated CPD Activities. The status of a verified CPD Service Provider is not transferable to a third party, nor is the unique validation number assigned for a specific validated activity. The validation and review period for a CPD Activity is 3 years.

 

Cost of Verification and Validation Services

 

  • Verification of CPD Services Providers
    Fee:  R1000
  • Validation of CPD Activities
Type of CPD Activity
Duration Fee
Seminars / Webinars / Lectures
1-2 hours R1 675
Training workshops
1-2 days R5 026
Refresher Courses / Short Courses
4 Weeks R16 752
Symposiums / Colloquiums
1 Day R4 188
Academic qualifications (completed)
2 Years R38 530

 

CEASA Verified CPD Providers and validated CPD Activities

 

Validation Number Provider Course Category Name Category Notional Hours Credits Earned Nature of Activity Discipline Valid from Valid to
CEASA/001/MEM/202207014 Tshwane Institute for Continuing Education (TICE) E-Learning Medical Equipment Maintenance Specified 110.00 11.00 Engineering Electrical 7/1/2022 7/1/2025

 

 

[1] ECSA Policy on Continuing Professional Development. November 2007.
[2] Continuing Professional Development can be defined as the systematic maintenance, improvement and broadening of knowledge and skills, and the development of personal qualities necessary for the execution of professional and technical duties throughout a person’s engineering career.
[3] Credits may not be carried over into the next cycle.
[4] All verified Service Providers should familiarize themselves with the ECSA Standard for Continuing Professional Development