CILIP Revalidation

Annual Revalidation of CILIP professional registrations (Certification, Chartership and Fellowship)  will become obligatory from January 2016.  The process is free and requires online submission of a log that accounts for at least 20 hours professional development in the year, together with a short reflective statement. Why wait until 2016? Why not start the process now?

I can see a number of advantages to undertaking Revalidation early.

1. Beat the rush, and in doing so choose your own Revalidation year. I'm guessing lots of us will be working to a calendar year, but is that the most convenient for you? Academic librarians may choose to revalidate over an  academic year, with submission perhaps planned over the summer vacation. Let the choice be yours!
2. If you submit prior to January 2016 then there is strong likelihood that your submission will be appraised. You will received valued and often very complementary feedback from staff in CILIP. This will give you confidence for future years, and may assist you in supporting your colleagues in their revalidation processes. Once Revalidation becomes obligatory then only a small sample of submissions will be monitored and appraised. So if you leave submission until 2016 then you may not get this personal touch of feedback.
3. Early Revalidation is one further demonstration that you are a committed, enthusiastic and conscientious professional - someone who takes their personal development seriously. In the current turbulent job market this may serve you well and may just be the factor that places you above other candidates.
4. In starting to plan for your Revalidation you will discover if you understand the submission protocols, if you have accrued the 20+ hours for the year, and if you can craft a reflective statement that cuts the mustard. The reflective statement is, for me at least, the most challenging aspect of the process. Reflective writing doesn't come easy; it's definitely a skill to practice and develop. An early start will take the pressure off you if you discover inadequacies in any areas. You will have time to seek help, to take further training, or to develop your reflective writing skills .
5. If you have a development plan through you work then do use this in your Revalidation. This plan, or the discussion that went in to formulating it, will prove useful in providing an a priori statement of your identified development needs. If your work-based development plan doesn't meet this purpose then use the PKSB (Professional Knowledge and Skills Base), or similar framework, to map out a formal evaluation of your training and development needs. Updating this annually will help you to identify your development needs, and so spot, plan for, or create the development opportunities that meet these needs. It will serve you well, in providing you with a more structured approach to your CPD.

In the last week I have received the fantastic news that my Revalidation submission has been approved. And so I have a promise to fulfil: sharing my reflective statement more widely! I'm sure this isn't a top notch example, but at least it may inspire and provide confidence to some of you in that challenging task of turning a year's worth of learning and development in to a 250 word reflective statement. I hope that this assists and possibly inspires some of you!

Evaluative statement 2014

Personal performance

Marketing and customer focus were identified priorities for development in 2014 - needs associated with new responsibilities delivering the Ministerial Decisions (MD) upload into the Library Management System, promotion of the Welsh Government (WG) Publications Catalogue (PC), and introducing a new corporate legal information subscription. Presentations at CILIP Cymru Conference and CLIC successfully marketed the PC to stakeholders and receive their feedback.  I  also developed effective dialogue with legal information service users: increasing training attendance, provide feedback to the product provider, and creating FAQs. These raised the profile of the Library Service but evidence for this was diffuse. On reflection upfront marketing plans with planned measures of success, would have been helpful.

Organisational context

The delayed delivery of the MDs demonstrates  the need for project management (PM) for on-time delivery of information, especially where progress is dependent on others within WG. PM would have provided greater importance, a strict timeline, better resource allocation, and exception reporting / intervention mechanisms. I have learned that PM not only supports delivery through its structured framework, but comes with a perceived organisational kudos.

Wider professional context

GIG Committee work provided me with greater awareness of challenges more broadly within the government sector, especially shared service developments. Event attendance, together with professional reading, have provided wider understanding of professional issues from other sectors (e.g. Public and education sector libraries).

Government "librarians" and CILIP chartership - why bother?

At the recent Government Knowledge and Information Management (GKIM) conference (25 March 2015 ¹) I attended a Table discussion session facilitated by David Smith (Head of Profession, Department for Communities and Local Government). David is also a committee member of CILIP's special interest group for Government Information (CILIP GIG). David posed the question "Will CILIP Chartership get you any further, and will it improve your pay?".

This proved to be quite a lively discussion, and the 20 minutes allocated could have been filled two or three times over. Here's a summary from my notes of the discussion, with apologies for any omissions or misrepresentations.

History.

In the past Charterhsip ² used to be a more frequent requirement within Government library posts in initial recruitment, and for progression to more senior grades. This is no longer the case.

Does Charterhip improve your pay?

Possibly. It can do, in some departments (e.g. BIS - Business, Innovation and Skills; FCO - Foreign and Commonwealth Office; and GCHQ - Goverment Communications Headquarters). However, many departments no longer require Chartership for career progression within their KIM structures or as a trigger for enhanced salary through qualification recognition.

Does Chartership get you any further?

Possibly / probably! Chartership is a clear demonstration that you:

• are a committed professional,
  
• take your professional development seriously,
  
• actively reflect on your professional contribution to your organisation,
  
• operate to a clear set of ethics and values, and
  
• work to recognise your continuing development needs and to achieve these.
  

All of these will stand you in excellent stead for internal job opportunities, or indeed if you decide to seek roles outside of GKIM.

It was also noted that in these times of cutbacks, efficiency and austerity measures, Chartership may assist staff in retaining their posts when cuts are being made. Where two individuals are being compared and where both have similar performance and experience levels, then tangible proof of professionalism as evidenced through Chartership, may be the deciding factor. It could be the tie-breaker that makes the difference! And if it isn't Chartership directly then it could be Revalidation - a clear demonstration of regular / annual continuing professional development, professional growth, career planning and reflection.

Challenges to Chartering?

A numbers of colleagues around the table were contemplating working towards Chartership and cited a number of barriers to commencement or completion:

• length of time since qualification. Where do I start, where do I draw the line?
  
• lack of support from their employer and peer group, with additionally perceived difficulties of finding a mentor, and maintaining the momentum with the mentoring relationship;
  
• lack of time, timetabling issues;
  
• lack of pressure. Possibly also lack of reward and kudos associated with becoming Chartered?
  
• process - a laborious process. Now possibly more streamlined through the changes implemented to the routes to professional qualifications, and through submission via the CILIP Virtual Learning Environment (VLE)?
  

Over the last few years CILIP has undertaken extensive work re-designing the routes to registration (formerly known as qualifications), the supporting professional skills and knowledge base, as well as the VLE. If you haven't looked at CILIP's Professional Registration pages recently then may I urge you to do so? The barriers may not be as numerous or as high as you believe! And there is lots of support to help you achieve your goal.

Other bodies providing professional recognition

• Information and Records Management Society IRMS - offers an Accredited Members scheme. This may be more appropriate for colleagues dealing with records management, information rights and governance. I believe that the Scheme requires IRMS membership and submission of a reflective account of 750 words with a supporting reference from an IRMS member.
• Archives and Records Association ARA - Registration Scheme supports trained archivists who are members of ARA to demonstrate continuing professional development.

Chartership and me

I chartered in 1993 and Revalidated in 2010. Within the last week I've just submitted my second revalidation under the new regulations. Along the way, admittedly in the dim and distant past, Chartership has enabled me to apply for and gain roles in further and higher education library posts. More recently, it seems to have been less of a requirement, not just in GKIM but also in the commercial sector. Despite this I firmly believe that being Chartered has served me well. It's something that I'm proud of, and that motivates me to maintain and update my skills and knowledge, to follow the code of professional ethics, and to share that pride with my colleagues. I've supported a few colleagues to successfully Charter, but I've also supported and encouraged colleagues to undertake professional library and information management qualifications who haven't then gone on to consider professional membership or Chartership.

I've always considered Chartership as a kite mark for professionalism, one that can be recognised by employers (current and potential), but that also provides the individual with a strong sense of pride, confidence, ethics and values. Some people will have inherent confidence in their skills and abilities and won't need the support and recognition that Chartership provides. But for the rest of us Charterhip is that comforting, external benchmark that we can shine to and promote.

For me Chartering has definitely been a continuing source of strength, pride and professional energy. Revalidation serves as a useful reminder to evaluate, plan, actively seek out and undertake opportunities for continuing professional development and to reflect on all of these stages. The forthcoming introduction of obligatory annual Revalidation will, I believe, be helpful for all committed professionals. Far from being a detractor for Chartership, this should be seen as a bonus, and as a very natural extension to the Chartering process.

---

¹ . KIM Profession Conference 2015. "Building capability: a profession that works for you". BIS Conference Centre, Victoria Street, London.

² . Chartership is now one of the stages of CILIP Professional Registration. See this link for further information.

Mentoring - Thing 11

Meg Westbury's blog for Thing 11 on mentoring provides a very useful point of reflection for me on why I chose to cease my formal mentoring arrangement. Just as Meg rightly suggests, not everyone is cut out to be a mentor. I would also add that perhaps not everyone is always ready, or in the correct situation (personal, workplace, or career), to take on and fully benefit from being a successful mentee.

So the background. I staunchly completed the first stage of my Chartership Revalidation without a mentor. This was a mistake, and one which was rightly picked up by the assessors. Whilst a formal mentoring arrangement isn't stipulated for revalidation, it most certainly is recommended. Mentoring in the context of revalidation provides a range of support and challenge, and this will differ over time, and from one candidate to the next. In my case I had identified need for:

• a sounding board - helping me to answer questions like is this good evidence? I feel like something is missing, how can I address this? What might you do in my situation?
• an independent view - a critical friend to help me reflect and evaluate my work more fully. Is this OK? Have I interpreted this correctly? Are my reflections sound, well structured and well presented? Does it make sense to an “outsider”?
• helping with timetabling - someone who helps monitor the timetable and ensure that slippage isn't too great.
• a source of motivation - someone who has an overview of progress, can help by setting the pace, and providing motivation and inspiration during times when progress doesn't seem to be as fast as it could be.

As I type this list I appreciate what high expectations I had from my mentoring relationship. I don't think that these suggested requirements deviated significantly from those outlined in the formal mentoring agreement. In fact I'm sure that there were other suggestions too. Support in writing for a professional journal and wider / more active professional involvement, to name just two. This does help illustrate for me what a hugely challenging role mentoring is!

So what were my experiences, and why did I choose to terminate the mentoring arrangement? I rapidly developed an excellent working relationship with my mentor, she was someone I trusted, respected and liked and we soon established a very good plan of action. So issues weren't in rapport, communication or in action planning. The problems for me was in delivery – getting the action points completed. Not because I didn't want to, but more because the time-scales were unrealistic given everything else that was going on. This timetable slippage then became aggravated by a growing personal realisation that having completed one cycle of revalidation, did I really want to go through it all again, especially quite so soon! I doubt that any mentor could have helped me change my mind, and so I put revalidation on hold, and appreciating the shortage of mentors available in South Wales, asked to conclude my mentoring arrangement. This was no easy decision and I greatly appreciated a detailed conversation with my mentor about this.

With hindsight, I regret ceasing my mentoring arrangement. I valued the opportunities for open discussion, and perhaps with growing familiarity, could have continued to effectively action plan, prioritise and make significant progress. Perhaps the focus of my mentoring arrangement on revalidation was unnecessarily narrow? I'm sure that my wider career development would have benefited from the continuation of this arrangement.

Whilst I now regret the cessation of this formal mentoring arrangement, like Meg in her blog, I've been really luck to have been informally mentored by some fantastic colleagues over the years. Their time, interest, enthusiasm, knowledge and experience has carefully guided me through my professional career. Like Meg, I guess that several of these people wouldn't have identified themselves in a mentoring role, but this makes me even more appreciative of their assistance. I also hope that I have been helpful in informally mentoring some of my colleagues in the past, and will go on to do so in the future.

This led me to pondering about line management and mentoring. I'll confess to not having read the suggested reading … so apologies if this topic is covered there. Generally, I believe that mentoring and line management are two completely different roles, and therefore best kept as such. But then I've been lucky to have some excellent line managers; skilled professionals who could competently swap roles. “Forget that I'm your line manager, as your colleague have you considered …. Or could you look at it like 'this'”. The boundaries between line manager, mentor and coach can be quite blurred can't they?

If you have an opportunity to have a formal mentor then I would recommend that you do try it. Sometimes professional development is a hard and long slog. Having support, encouragement and guidance from a critical friend can be very helpful, energising and motivating. Similarly, work hard to cultivate those informal mentoring opportunities. Over time I hope that you will have many opportunities to return the favours!

Thing 10 - Education, education, education

Thing 10 looks at qualifications and formal continuing professional development (CPD), and sets this primarily within the context of early career development: graduate traineeships, Masters courses, CILIP Chartership and Certification. Fortunately for me, Week 8's guest blog from Sheila Webber reminds us that CPD should be a continuous and on-going pursuit. It is within the context of formalising CPD later in the professional career that I would like talk.

Don't get me wrong, I was a graduate trainee at the Polytechnic of Central London (now University of Westminster), I did a fantastic MA in Librarianship at Sheffield (fully funded) and I achieved CILIP Chartership in my first professional post in London. I really valued these experiences, the help and support that I received at all stages, and the shear thought, effort and resource that had been allocated to them all. In all stages I developed significantly as a professional, made many valued colleagues and friends along the way, many of whom I am still in touch with. But all this was over 20 years ago! So for me Thing 10 provides an opportunity to reflect on more formal aspects of CPD within later stages of the career.

Of course, throughout my professional career, there have been some step changes in my development, but none of these have directly led to a formal qualification! My first experiences of staff and budget management, librarianship within a Welsh context, higher education librarianship and faculty liaison, strategic management, project management on a big scale, building redesign, as well as sideways moves into legal librarianship and more recently government information work. My professional committee work has also provided many opportunities for development:  regional representative, national secretary and chair of a special interest group, conference organiser etc.All of these have been significant in enabling me to grow and develop, to apply for new opportunities, and most importantly for me, to feel that I am continuing to make progress, to develop and grow, and to maintain the enjoyment and passion in my professional life.

All good stuff, but what about formal qualifications? Well of course I've continued to study for some of these too during my professional career. An Open University Diploma in Adult and Continuing Education gave me an excellent  foundation for providing user education sessions, understanding how adults learn, for working with adults returning to learning, and also in valuing the extensive informal learning that goes on. I undertook a BTEC Certificate in Management Studies, helping me formally develop my management skills and confidence.

More recently I have also successfully Revalidated my CILIP Chartership. First cycle of revalidation achieved, but  I gave up halfway through the second cycle. I really enjoy doing CPD, learning new things and having new experiences. What I don't enjoy (and find really difficult and time consuming) is the documenting, reflecting and pulling together. For me Revalidation No.2 just seemed like extra work for no perceived recognition or external value. For the time being I'll keep on doing the CPD, learning from it, and implementing it, I'm just not going to spend valued time documenting it, creating a clear narrative of progress,  reflecting and formally planning for the future.

So, if not revalidation, what might be next?

1. CILIP Fellowship - recognising a high level of professional achievement and commitment. Hmmm. Am I there yet? I suspect not, but this should definitely be something to aspire to!

2. BIALL (British & Irish Association of Law Librarians) Legal Foundations Course - an online / distance learning course enabling librarians with at least one year's experience of legal information work to get to grips with legal terminology. Enabling librarians with non-legal backgrounds to have a good foundation in legal knowledge. This would complement my current legal role and provide me with that much needed legal knowledge foundation. My only concern is that as a government librarian my needs and experience are significantly different to colleagues working in commercial practice, or in legal education. I don't routinely have to search for precedents or forms, I mainly support the generation of legislation, rather than supporting contentious or non-contentious work in commercial practice. Therefore would the course meet my needs, and more importantly those of my employer, if she were to grant me the course fees and / or study time?

3. Another Master's course, or perhaps an MPhil? I don't know that I would really want to do another taught masters course, but a sizable piece of self-paced academic study, conducted with rigour and thoroughness, well that would be really appealing! Just issues of: on what; with which university; how would I fund it; and how could I manage my time effectively in order to do it justice? Not too many hurdles to negotiate there then :-(

Once again CDP23 Things is encouraging me to think in a reasonably formal and structured way about my CPD. I do think formal qualifications are an excellent route, and one that should periodically punctuate any professional career. Formal qualifications provide a clear and readily understood benchmark for professional development. However, the less formally documented and accredited experiences of new roles, project work, secondments, temporary working allowances, etc. should be equally promoted, valued and recognised within your professional learning log, work-based performance management review, reflections and your CV! In my opinion a challenging work assignment, or indeed an open and enquiring mind can go a long way in enabling you to continue to develop and grow professionally. I'm just not quite ready to go down the formal qualification route again .... so thank heavens for a challenging job, wider professional involvement and CPD23Things!