Personal Development Planning (PDP) by Lisa Lind

Personal Development Planning (PDP) is a key component of today’s Life Long Learner’s Continuous Professional Development. Personal Development (PDP) is designed to support attainment of personal and professional objectives and to help plan short and long-term career, personal and professional goals.

A Personal Development Plan provides Life Long Learners with the opportunity to record and plan the achievement of careers goals and aspirations. In creating a Personal Development Plan, Life Long Learners should include:

• A Personal Vision Statement and supporting objectives and goals – what is their long-term vision for their personal and professional development, what do they need to do to get there?
• What actions and development are required to support the attainment of that vision?
• How might the goals and development be achieved?
• What resources or support will they need?
• How will they know if they are achieving their goals and development needs? What are the success factors (evidence of achievement)? What new skills, knowledge or competencies would they expect to have?
• What will they do to ensure that they access the opportunities and development they need?
• What are the timescales?

It is recommended that a Personal Development Plan is long-term focussed; therefore high levels of self-awareness, personal (long-term) vision and well-developed reflective skills are required.

Personal Development Planning should be a key part of the way that a Life Long Learner functions on a day-to-day basis, if they are to achievement their personal and professional aspirations: their dreams.

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