My CPD: The New Continuing Professional Development Process on the Government Commercial College

About My CPD

Q: What is CPD?

A: Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is the intentional maintenance and development of the knowledge and skills needed to perform in a professional context. This could mean honing current skills, it could mean developing them to a new level, or it could mean learning new ones that will allow an employee’s job role to expand or prepare them for potential promotion. CPD Standards Office 

It is used as a mechanism by many professions to ensure that individuals keep up to date with developments.

Q: Why are we changing the way we record CPD? 

A: The previous manual email system made it difficult for you to see your own progress and for us to provide timely support. By moving to the My CPD on the Government Commercial College (GCC), you now have a personal dashboard to track your hours in real-time, giving you peace of mind as you approach your five-year reaccreditation.

My CPD is the new area. Its introduction will mean that as long as your GCC access is up to date, you can manage your CPD record even if you move departments (so your CPD record won’t be left behind!).

Q: I haven’t submitted any CPD via email for a while. Am I in trouble? 

A: Not at all! We recognise the old process was cumbersome. This is a fresh start for everyone. We are offering a one-year grace period (April 2026 to March 2027) specifically so you can back-log previous activities and get comfortable with the new digital tracker without any impact on your status.

Q: Will I need to email an annual self-certification statement to the Commercial CPD inbox?

A: No. You will be recording your CPD directly into the My CPD area.

Q: How do I access the new tracker? 

A: Simply log in to the Government Commercial College (GCC) using your standard credentials. You will find a new My CPD link where you can log CPD activities, including hours, and upload supporting evidence.

Q: Can any commercial professional use My CPD on the GCC?

A: No, My CPD is to be used by GCO accredited commercial professionals to record their CPD activities.

Q: Will My CPD be developed further?

A: Yes, My CPD is designed to respond to evolving requirements in the CPD space.

Using My CPD

Q: I am already recording my CPD using the CPD record template. What should I do?

A: Start to input your CPD activities (starting 01 April 2026) into the My CPD area on the GCC. Retain your previous records on the CPD record template. You may be required to present your CPD records for audit purposes.

Q: How can I expect to receive CPD communication?

A: CPD communication will still be available in GCF publications, including the GCO Bulletin and the GCF newsletter. 

The GCC will also be used to engage with accredited commercial colleagues. We will be sending My CPD-related communications to accredited commercial colleagues via the GCC, so look out for these and respond if required.

Q: What do I need to do to start the CPD process?

A: In order to keep the process simple, there are very few actions required and the process fits easily into your annual performance management cycle.

• At the start of the performance year - as you set your objectives for the year, consider your learning and development aims for the year and what CPD activities can help you meet them. Discuss your CPD with your line manager, including how many hours you are required to complete.

• During the year - undertake and record details of your CPD activities. At mid year, consider the progress you have made with your line manager and refine your learning activities, if required.

• At the end of the performance year - discuss your CPD as part of your year end review with your line manager.

Q: What does good look like?

A: Here are a few pointers to what good looks like when you are recording your CPD activities.

• Update your CPD record regularly, for example, when you have completed a CPD activity.

• Complete all the fields for each record. Updating your CPD record is more than noting the number of hours!

• Remember to reflect on your learning and complete the ‘key learning points’ and ‘learning statement’ fields for each CPD activity.

• Try to work towards a mix of ‘formal’ and ‘informal’ CPD activities.

• Discuss your CPD activities regularly with your line manager. This conversation should support your personal and professional development.

• Refer to the GCF People Standards to remind yourself of what is required at different professional levels.

We take a holistic view (70:20:10) of development. ‘What Good Looks Like’ includes:

• 70% Experience: Learning on the job, leading new projects, or shadowing.

• 20% Exposure: Mentoring, networking, and peer-to-peer learning.

• 10% Education: Formal courses, webinars, and certifications.

CPD requirements and hours

Q: What is the CPD requirement?

A: As an accredited commercial professional, you are required to complete a minimum of 150 hours of CPD activity over the five-year period of your accreditation, in order to be re-accredited at the end of that period. This equates to only 2.5 hours per month, less than half a day.

Approximately a third of your CPD hours should be formal activities; for example, a minimum of 50 hours out of 150 hours over the five year period should be formal activities. 

Q: When does my CPD start and end?

A: Your accreditation starts when you receive communication from the ADC team that you are accredited, i.e. you were assessed as an ‘A’. Your CPD starts in that financial year.  The CPD requirement is aligned to the financial year, i.e. 1 April to 31 March. This means that accreditation expiry dates are not linked to the five year anniversary of assessment. Here are two examples:

• If you were accredited on 20 March 2025, your year of accreditation would be 2024/2025, and your accreditation expiry would be 31 March 2030.

• If you were accredited on 20 June 2025, your year of accreditation would be 2025/2026, and your accreditation expiry would be 31 March 2031.

Table 1 at Annex A presents information on year of accreditation, expiry, and required number of CPD hours.

Q: If I exceed 150 hours, can I carry them over to the next five-year cycle?

A: CPD is about continuous growth within your current cycle, so hours do not ‘roll over’. However, having a robust log beyond the minimum requirement is excellent evidence for your performance reviews and career progression.

Q: Can I get a reduction in my CPD hours requirement?

A: Yes. The GCF is committed to ensuring that CPD requirements are fair and do not create disproportionate burdens on some accredited individuals compared to others. There are a number of circumstances where an individual can request a reduction in the standard CPD requirement of 150 hours over a five-year period. These circumstances include:

• The accredited individual is employed on a part time basis. If you work on a part-time basis, you will have your requirement pro-rated based on your FTE figure. If you change your FTE status during your accreditation period, you should notify the Commercial CPD team.

• Maternity/Shared Parental/Adoption Leave. If you take maternity, shared parental or adoption leave of more than one month, you should contact the Commercial CPD team and provide details of your leave. The CPD requirements will be reduced on the basis of 2.5 hours per month of absence (depending on FTE status). 

• Other absences from work over one month. If you will be absent from work for a period of one month or more and wish to request a reduction in your CPD hours, you may request a reduction on the basis of 2.5 hours per month. 

My CPD on the GCC does not calculate CPD hour reductions currently. 

Q: In the context of the CPD requirement, how do you define absence from work?

A: For clarity, absence from work means not being in any working role for a period of one month or more. It does not include a temporary move from a current commercial role to another role. If anything, CPD becomes even more important if you are not performing your normal commercial role on a day-to-day basis. 

A reduction in CPD requirement will not be granted for periods of abnormally high workloads. The CPD policy has been created to allow you flexibility over a five-year period as to when to engage in CPD activity, and this flexibility should allow you to manage the demands of your workload.

In the event of an unexpected and prolonged period of abnormally high workload in the final year of accreditation which prevents you from completing your planned CPD activity, an appeal may be made at the end of that year for dispensation.

Q: What happens if I don’t maintain my CPD?

A: Your accreditation will expire, and you will no longer be accredited.

Q: How do I balance the CPD requirement with my workload?

A: The CPD requirement provides flexibility as to how much CPD you complete each year so that you can manage fluctuations in your workload and to fit your wider development plans. However, you are encouraged to aim for around 30 hours each year, where possible, in order to distribute the requirement smoothly over the period.

CPD activities

Q: 150 hours sounds like a lot. How do I reach that goal? 

A: It averages out to just 30 hours per year, or roughly 2.5 hours per month. Most professionals find they are already doing this work through reading, mentoring, and project research, they just weren't recording it!

Q: Does only ‘formal training’ count toward my 150 hours? 

A: No, both ‘formal’ and ‘informal’ activities count towards your CPD. 

Formal: this refers to more structured activities - such as courses, conferences, and events. Webinars and seminars, exams and other assessments,

Informal: this refers to more self-directed activities - such as reading, articles, podcasts, stretch-roles or projects, mentoring, creating thought leadership.

The list below offers examples of formal and informal activities.

Formal

• Conferences, including GCF annual conference

• GCF all staff calls

• GCF training programmes/events

• GCF masterclasses, events and guest speakers

• GCF Summer Series Webinar or listening to the recordings

• Other blended and open-learning courses, including those on the GCC and Civil Service Learning

• CIPS exams and other training

• Other commercial and contract management related accredited qualifications, including World CC

• Online webinars/seminars/workshops that can be reasonably seen to contribute to the professional standards.

Informal

• Attendance at cross functional boards, workshops, groups and forums

• Attendance at the meetings of the GCF North, South, Scotland or Regional Steering Groups/Councils

• Assessor for GCF Commercial or Contract Management ADCs

• Member of working groups for a professional body

• Red Team Reviewer or Host Team Member 

• Coaching/mentoring of others (not line management)

• Helping to lead GCF Diversity and Inclusion groups or GCF KHub groups

• Lectures/training given to others

• Presentations made on commercial and contract management

• On-the-job learning through stretch roles on projects

• Workplace shadowing of managers/colleagues

• Reading GCF news/bulletins and contributing stories

• Reading relevant articles/blogs/thought pieces/listening to relevant podcasts/recorded webinars.

Q: Is it only paid-for training/learning products that count towards CPD?

A: CPD is not confined only to courses for which a fee is charged. Whilst there may be charges made for some activities that will contribute to your CPD hours, there are many others that will be freely available.

Q: What is not CPD?

A: Here is a list of activities they are considered not to be CPD

• Activities under 30 minutes. Time spent reading relevant materials or listening to podcasts, etc. can be aggregated.

• Day-to-day line management of direct reports - e.g. appraisals, setting objectives

• Normal ‘day job’ activities

• Learning that is not relevant to your role or the relevant professional standards

Q: Can I find learning products to support my CPD on the GCC platform?

A: Yes, there are various CPD opportunities on the GCC platform. The commercial learning and development catalogue of courses highlights learning products, including those offered by Civil Service Learning.

You are free to identify activities from other sources, including relevant professional bodies, academic and external learning bodies, to support you in meeting your CPD requirement.

Many external programmes have CPD accreditation which states clearly the ‘value’ of the programme, in terms of hours of CPD that can be claimed. You may also choose learning and development activities which do not have such accreditation.

Q: Does mandatory training or required learning count towards CPD?

A: CPD activity should be focused on the skills and abilities needed to meet the relevant standards for your profession. You may be required to undertake mandatory training by your department, e.g. data protection, health and safety.

You should only consider mandatory training as CPD if it can be reasonably seen to contribute to the relevant profession standards.

If you are in doubt as to whether it counts, discuss it with your line manager in the first instance, or contact the commercial CPD team - CommercialCPD@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Accreditation and policy

Q: How do I know that I’m an accredited commercial professional in the GCO?

A: You will have been assessed at a GCF commercial assessment and development centre. You will have received an ‘A’ grade.

Q: What happens to my CPD position, if I am assessed and accredited at a higher commercial professional level or grade?

A: The CPD ‘clock’ is reset to your new accreditation date.

Q: How does CPD fit in with the GCF People Standards for the Profession?

A: CPD activity should be focused on supporting you to continue to meet the GCF People Standards for the Profession. Activity can comprise a wide mix of technical, professional and business acumen skills and leadership, relationship and judgement skills.

Q: Why do I need to maintain my accreditation?

A: The commercial assessment and development centre (ADC) accreditation assessment is a snapshot in time of an individual’s capability and skills in commercial and contract management activities. However, it’s important that you continue to maintain and develop your skills over time.

The GCF recognises the need for continuing improvement, in order to achieve its vision, including continual improvement of the capability of its people. CPD is the ideal activity to support this personal development.

Supporting personal development is the right thing to do as an employer in order to help with your personal growth and to help you to meet your career aspirations. For most accredited individuals, CPD will only be recognising learning and development activities that you are already undertaking as part of your annual development plans.

Whilst most accredited individuals exercise their skills and capabilities on a daily basis in their existing roles, delivering the ‘day job’ does not provide you with sufficient opportunity to learn new skills and approaches that will help to support your own development or the continual improvement of the government’s approach to commercial and contract management. Therefore, other learning and development is needed.

Q: What is the CPD Policy?

A: The CPD Policy applies to all individuals that are currently accredited by the GCF or become accredited in the future.

In this policy, accreditation is defined as:

1. The achievement of an ‘A’ score at:

   1. A commercial ADC - whether this is taken as part of transition, a recruitment campaign or for development purposes as an employee of a wider government body

   2. Any future assessment event offered by the GCF

2. Or the awarding of ‘accredited’ status following a Panel hearing subsequent to one of the assessment events above.

For the purpose of clarity, this policy:

• Applies to all individuals who have ever been accredited at a commercial ADC, regardless of whether they are or are not employed by the Government Commercial Organisation (GCO)

• Applies to all individuals who have been accredited through a commercial ADC as part of a recruitment campaign but who were not subsequently offered a role in the GCO or who were an employee of a wider government body.

Special circumstances

Q: I record CPD to support my CIPS membership, how does that fit in with the GCO CPD requirement?

A: Any activity that you undertake to meet CPD requirements for other organisations, such as CIPS or other relevant professional bodies, can be used to contribute to the GCF CPD requirement.

Q: I work for a wider government body rather than a central government body, how would the CPD process work for me?

A: We suggest that you maintain a record of your CPD.

Q: What happens if I leave the GCO and the Civil Service?

A: Keep meticulous CPD records that could be presented to the commercial CPD team, if you return for re-accreditation. 

Q: What happens if I leave the GCO but stay in the Civil Service and then return?

A: Keep meticulous CPD records that could be presented to the commercial CPD team if and when you return for re-accreditation. 

Q: What does the ‘year of grace’ mean?

A: The year of grace is giving accredited commercial professionals 12 months (April 2026 to March 2027) to get their records up to date and explore new learning opportunities.

Q: What happens if I don't hit 150 hours by the end of my five-year cycle? 

A: Our goal is to prevent this from happening. The My CPD area on the GCC allows us to see who might be struggling so we can offer support, suggest learning opportunities, and help you get back on track well before your accreditation expires.

Q: Who can I talk to if I’m unsure if an activity qualifies as CPD? 

A: You can reach out to the Commercial CPD team or check the FAQs in the My CPD area for the types of activities that count towards formal and informal CPD. 

ANNEX A: GCF Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Guidance for Accredited Commercial Professionals

Table 1: Information on year of accreditation, accreditation expiry, and CPD requirement before expiry date

Dated: 06 Feb 26 (V5.0)