Personal Development Plan
Personal Development Plan: Guidance notes
“Personal development planning enables individuals to take charge of their own learning. Learning becomes a proactive as well as reactive process, designed and prioritised to support immediate development needs as well as longer term ambitions”[1]
A Personal Development Plan (PDP) enables learners to identify key areas of learning and development activity that will enable them to either acquire new or develop existing skills and behavioural attributes for the following purposes:
• enhance performance in their current role • address anticipated changes in their current role • address career aspirations towards a future role
Prior to completing the Personal Development Plan (scroll down to next page(s) for a template to complete), the learner should undertake a skills analysis activity to determine their learning and development needs and identify development objectives to meet those needs. View the following links for tools to help you do this: http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/hr/cppd/career/planning/#now
We recommend that the personal development planning process should be undertaken initially by the learner followed by discussion and agreement with their manager.
It is recommended that this process should take place annually and ideally should form part of the Staff Development and Review (Appraisal) process. However, it can be equally valuable when undertaken as a stand-alone activity.
The personal development planning process should ideally begin at the point at which the learner is new to their role and undertaking their induction. The process can then continue throughout their employment at the University.
Personal Development Plan: Key to terminology used in template
Development Objectives are objectives that you have identified to enable you to meet the learning and development needs identified at the skills analysis stage
Priority identifies whether your development
“Personal development planning enables individuals to take charge of their own learning. Learning becomes a proactive as well as reactive process, designed and prioritised to support immediate development needs as well as longer term ambitions”[1]
A Personal Development Plan (PDP) enables learners to identify key areas of learning and development activity that will enable them to either acquire new or develop existing skills and behavioural attributes for the following purposes:
• enhance performance in their current role • address anticipated changes in their current role • address career aspirations towards a future role
Prior to completing the Personal Development Plan (scroll down to next page(s) for a template to complete), the learner should undertake a skills analysis activity to determine their learning and development needs and identify development objectives to meet those needs. View the following links for tools to help you do this: http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/hr/cppd/career/planning/#now
We recommend that the personal development planning process should be undertaken initially by the learner followed by discussion and agreement with their manager.
It is recommended that this process should take place annually and ideally should form part of the Staff Development and Review (Appraisal) process. However, it can be equally valuable when undertaken as a stand-alone activity.
The personal development planning process should ideally begin at the point at which the learner is new to their role and undertaking their induction. The process can then continue throughout their employment at the University.
Personal Development Plan: Key to terminology used in template
Development Objectives are objectives that you have identified to enable you to meet the learning and development needs identified at the skills analysis stage
Priority identifies whether your development