The first three-year rolling CPD cycle will commence as from 1 January 2015, from which date the EAAB will be offering participants an extensive diary of workshops and events throughout the country. It is also envisaged that participants will shortly be able to accrue a set number of verifiable CPD points through utilisation of e-learning mechanisms. This will particularly assist those participants who do not reside, or conduct business, in the major metropolitan areas.
It should be noted that some participants who previously attended specified EAAB audit compliance workshops during 2013 and any one of the annual roadshows in 2014 are entitled to accrue CPD points for attendance at those events. These points will be allocated to the participants concerned for the 2015 calendar year. As with all other verifiable CPD points these points will be reflected on the individuals My EAAB portal.
Applicable fees
The EAAB, after undertaking extensive research, has determined that the following fees will be payable by all estate agents on the CPD cycle for the 2015 calendar year:
Non-principals: R2 000,00 per annum due on or before 28 February 2015.
Principals: R2 500,00 per annum due on or before 28 February 2015.
Such fees are payable by participants yearly in advance by no later than 31 January of each calendar year. Payment of the annual fee entitles participants to attend as many CPD workshops, events and interventions presented by the EAAB as may be necessary for them to acquire the mandatory 15 verifiable CPD points per year.
It is to be underscored that no provision is made for payment at the workshops, events and interventions themselves. Participants who have failed to pay upfront will, unfortunately, be denied entry to CPD workshops, events and interventions. The EAAB will be addressing the requisite statements of account in this respect to all participants on the CPD cycle in due course. It would be appreciated if payment thereof could be effected by participants by no later than the dates referred to above. This will enable the necessary administrative arrangements for the presentation of CPD workshops, events and interventions to be timeously finalised.
Using the ‘MyEAAB’ portal
It is expected that all participants will frequently access the MyEAAB portal, located at www.eaab.org.za, so as to be fully aware of, and regularise, their CPD activities and also to ensure compliance with the mandatory CPD requirement of accruing 15 verifiable and 5 non-verifiable CPD points per year. The MyEAAB portal will also contain a comprehensive diary of scheduled CPD workshops, events and interventions for the 2015 calendar year, thus enabling participants to decide on which specific events, when at which venue, they would prefer to attend as being the most convenient to them. The obtaining of the required verifiable CPD points can, thus, be planned for in advance by participants.
It will be found that the MyEAAB portal contains both Declaration and a Personal Development Plan. These documents must be electronically completed by each individual participant and submitted to the EAAB.
The Declaration
The Declaration is relevant to the proposed accrual by each participant of the required 5 non-verifiable CPD points per year. Participants may accrue such points from a maximum of three of the identified non-verifiable CPD categories. A participant may, for example, declare that, in the first year, two points will be obtained in the Professional Development category; two points in the Personal Development category and 1 point in the Corporate Social Investment category. The same principal will thereafter apply for the ensuing two years of each CPD cycle.
A further declaration will, thus, similarly be required to be submitted by the participant for each of the additional years of the CPD cycle. While the declaration form has been designed to be as user-friendly as possible, participants are required carefully to consider and reflect on the nature of the non-verifiable CPD activities they wish to pursue in each of the three years of the CPD cycle with special regard as to how the obtaining of those points can add value, both personally and professionally, to their role as practicing estate agents.
The Personal Development Plan
Completion of the Professional Development Plan by participants will ensure their meaningful participation in, and commitment to, CPD workshops, events and interventions. Participants must have specific regard to those identified CPD activities which they believe will be the most beneficial to them both personally and in the business and professional estate agency environments in which they operate and interact. Empirical evidence suggests that participation in relevant CPD events is invaluable in not only in creating structured career path progression but also addressing the educational and compliance gaps which will invariably exist where estate agents are concerned. CPD should, essentially, be positively viewed and embraced by participants as a valuable career-enhancing opportunity rather than negatively as an onerous imposed chore that must be complied with.
Submission of the Declaration and the Personal Development Plan
The Declaration and Personal Development Plan must, after completion, be submitted by participants to the EAAB by 31 January of each calendar year. Participants will, however, be granted a further period of three months after 31 January within which to reconsider their original CPD choices and to make such changes as they might consider to be necessary to accommodate their desired developmental programmes.
From 1 May of each year the Declaration and Personal Development Plan as submitted by each individual participant will be accepted by the EAAB as constituting the finalised CPD programme of that participant for that year. Participants will, accordingly, be routinely required to comply with those submitted plans.
CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 1 – Nov 2014
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