At the Alliance of Independent Agencies, we believe great agencies are built by people who never stop learning. CPD is simply the structured way we support that learning — across every role, every level and every member agency.
Our CPD programme isn’t about box‑ticking or old‑school compliance. It’s about giving independent agencies the freedom, flexibility and encouragement to keep developing skills, perspectives and confidence in a fast‑moving industry.
It’s designed for real agency life: busy diaries, evolving roles and learning that happens in many ways.
Alliance CPD is built on a few clear principles:
- Inclusive – open to everyone at Alliance member agencies, whatever your role or seniority.
- Voluntary but valuable – encouraged, not enforced, because learning works best when it’s chosen.
- Flexible and relevant – training, events, peer groups and self‑directed learning all count.
- Reflective – it’s about what you take away and apply, not just time spent in a room.
In short: CPD that fits independent agencies, not the other way round.
Alliance CPD follows a simple four‑step loop:
- Plan – decide what you want to develop this year.
- Do – take part in learning activities that support those goals.
- Reflect – capture what you’ve learned and how you’ll use it.
- Record – CPD hours are logged in your Alliance CPD record.
Most Alliance activity is logged automatically when you book and attend. Any additional learning can be added manually if needed.
Learning comes in many forms, and Alliance CPD recognises that. Activities fall into four broad categories:
- Structured learning – Alliance training courses and other relevant professional training.
- Peer learning – Action Groups and collaborative learning with other agencies.
- Self‑directed learning – reading, podcasts, research and independent study.
- Events – conferences, talks and flagship events such as the Festival of Happiness.
Every Alliance course or event clearly shows its CPD hour value upfront.
Each Alliance activity carries an agreed CPD hour value. As a guide, we recommend:
- 20 CPD hours per person, per year
There’s no mandatory split across categories — agencies and individuals choose what’s most relevant to them. External learning can also be added to your CPD log.
CPD at the Alliance is designed to be low‑admin and high‑visibility:
- Alliance bookings automatically log CPD hours to individual records.
- Attendance is linked to your agency, enabling agency‑level reporting.
- Members can view their personal CPD log and certificates in the portal.
- External CPD can be added via a short verification form.
- Agencies receive quarterly and annual CPD summaries showing participation and total hours.
- Agencies also participating in the IPA CPD Programme can access an agency‑wide dashboard showing total Alliance CPD points awarded.
- Certificates and digital badges are available for those who reach their annual CPD target — celebrating progress, not perfection.