The CPD Framework for Elected Members in Scottish Local Government is a continuous professional development framework developed by the IS in consultation with local government.

 

It provides elected members with professional and personal development opportunities and generates comprehensive, constructive feedback on how they exercise a wide range of important political skills. It offers the unique option of a confidential 360 degree feedback tool which allows elected members to gain an understanding of how their behaviours are perceived by others. The framework also provides access to a range of learning and development materials, including online learning.

 

The CPD Framework:

 

•   delivers enhanced, more focused and more structured support arrangements for elected members as they lead local government through a period of considerable change

•   helps develop elected members in their existing roles, prepares them for greater responsibilities, helps them become more creative in tackling new challenges and provides them with transferable skills which can be used in other roles beyond their local government responsibilities

•   helps elected members fulfil their governance roles more effectively, thereby improving local governance and accountability of public services to local communities

•   complements existing elected member development and support frameworks already in place in councils

•   provides elected members with access to the online Development Programme 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with the learning resources being available to them ‘just in case, just in time’.

 

The CPD Framework is flexible to accommodate the different levels of experience and seniority or members, and to allow for implementation to be adapted to the local circumstances of individual councils.

 

The framework is voluntary. It will be up to individual councils whether they chooses to adopt the framework and if a council does sign up, it will be up to individual elected members to decide whether they wish to participate.