Our activity as civil engineers is key to creating the world of the future and ensuring the infrastructure we have is safe, resilient, sustainable and delivers social benefit.
Part of how we do this is through our professional qualification and ongoing commitment to competence and professionalism through continuing professional development (CPD).
ICE’s CPD framework is the next step on this journey. Developed by the ICE Professionalism Panel in consultation with ICE’s expert networks, the framework presents topics highly recommended for professionally qualified ICE members to undertake as part of their annual CPD.
ICE’s CPD guidance provides further details to support you in preparing your CPD plan.
| Topic | What will I learn | Personal development area | Strategic theme | CPD Activity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conflict avoidance | Understand the main causes of conflict, how to recognise them early and the options available to avoid them escalating into disputes. With reference to the differences between contracts | Working with others Business practice Communication |
Productivity |
Explaining dispute avoidance and resolution |
| Swiss cheese model of risk management | Understand the Swiss cheese model, its application in civil engineering and how to apply it | Management Contract management |
Public safety Health safety and welfare |
|
| Security Mindedness | Understand a security minded approach toward the protection of infrastructure and the data and information produced by or relating to it and its use. Including, recognising threats, minimising risks, complying with policies, adopting security behaviours and how to report incidents | Legislative Management |
Public safety | |
| ICE Code of Professional Conduct | Understand the principles within the ICE code of conduct, how to apply them and your obligations to professional conduct as an ICE member | Self-development | Professionalism Public safety |
Coming soon |
| Engineering Ethics | Understand the 4 principles of ethical conduct defined by the Engineering Council and understand why their application matters | Self-development | Professionalism Public safety |
| Topic | What will I learn | Personal development area | Strategic theme | CPD Activity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Understanding structural load paths and distribution of mass/loads | How to ensure that any temporary and secondary systems do not modify load paths unexpectedly. Understand what impact secondary systems have on new built structures and what impact modifications have on existing structures | Technical | Productivity Public safety |
|
| Structural resilience | Understand how engineers can continually improve our knowledge and understanding of structural resilience in order to protect communities | Technical | Public safety | Coming soon |
| Design risk management | Understand the management of design risk in the context of design, management, construction, commissioning, maintenance, and decommissioning. Within the context of CDM2015 for the jurisdictions in which it applies | Legislative Management |
Health safety and welfare | Coming soon |
| CDM2015 and its application | Understand how to apply CDM2015 in the jurisdictions in which it applies | Management Legislative |
Health safety and welfare |
| Topic | What will I learn | Personal development area | Strategic theme | CPD Activity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contractual requirements to enable innovation and economy in design | Understand the issue of contractual arrangements not easily allowing for the refinement of designs during construction when on the basis of observations ground conditions are better understood Explore how greater flexibility can be created to refine design during construction |
Technical Management Contract management |
Productivity | Coming soon |
| Renewable energy and the incorporation of zero carbon systems (heat exchangers) into designs | Understand how heat exchangers can be incorporated into designs | Technical | Decarbonisation Sustainability |
Coming soon |
| The stability of earthworks (engineered & natural) in relation to climate change and strategies for flood defences | Understand the ability of embankments to retain water and how to assess for the risk of landslides | Technical | Sustainability Public safety |
|
| Site assessment and characterisation through observation and measurement | Understand how to assess and characterise sites through observation and measurement | Technical | Productivity |
| Topic | What will I learn | Personal development area | Strategic theme | CPD Activity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Digital Design and Offsite Construction | General awareness of design for manufacture and how it can be, and is, applied within the transport sector Understanding of the benefits of digital design and offsite construction including: decarbonisation, H&S, standardisation (including maintenance benefit), programme and cost Understand the applicable procurement models and commercial arrangements |
Technical | Digital transformation | |
| Decarbonisation in transport – what can be done practically to make a difference | Understand measuring and benchmarking of carbon impacts – from concept through to design, installation, maintenance, operation and demolition/removal Understand low carbon materials – design, specification, construction Understand low carbon production – logistics and planning |
Technical | Decarbonisation | Coming soon |
| Integrated design & delivery – considering design and construction at a systems level, managing interfaces | Systems based thinking - consideration of the whole project lifecycle as a system Understanding interfaces and how to manage Commercial and procurement aspects |
Management | Productivity | |
| Understanding impacts of infrastructure delivery on active travel – enable active travel through design of transport infrastructure, create inclusive environments, manage construction with cyclists and pedestrians in mind. | How to enable active travel (which promotes health and wellbeing) through design and reducing motor vehicle dependence (which is associated with ill health, pollution and road danger) Practical design considerations - inclusive engagement, space re-allocation, lowering traffic on residential roads, inclusive crossing design, school street design Understand construction logistic planning with regard to
|
Technical | Public safety Decarbonisation |
Understanding design for active travel |
| Topic | What will I learn | Personal development area | Strategic theme | CPD Activity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decarbonisation | An understanding of the impacts that carbon is having on our climate, appreciation of the methods of assessment and awareness of what we as engineers can do to reduce whole life carbon Understand the impact of carbon for the water industry; what net zero means and the key legislation Be able to identify the main contributors of carbon and how to reduce this |
Management Technical |
Decarbonisation | Coming soon |
| Digital trends | Awareness of different digital methods and tools such as machine learning, artificial intelligence, digital twins – what are these tools and how can they benefit the water industry | Technical | Digital transformation | |
| Bathing water for rivers | Gain an awareness of bathing water directives and how to improve the quality of river water for bathing | Technical | Public safety |
Explaining bathing water for rivers Understanding bathing water for rivers |
| How does water infrastructure provide wider benefits to society | An appreciation of the wider social benefits that water infrastructure can bring and how to achieve these on projects | Management Technical |
Sustainability | Coming soon |
| Topic | What will I learn | Personal development area | Strategic theme | CPD Activity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decarbonisation | What can practically be done to make a difference and meet current targets Low carbon design, production and materials |
Management Technical |
Decarbonisation | Coming soon |
| Adapting to climate change | Understanding the cause, effect and uncertainty of scenarios in the short term (1 to 20 years), medium term (20 to 50 years) and long term (50 to 100 and more years) Future design and flexibility to change including the concept of adaptation The adequacy of future plans and measures |
Technical | Sustainability |
How the framework works
ICE invites professionally qualified members to introduce the topics in the framework into their CPD planning for 2022.
Over the course of 2022, ICE will also release CPD activities that align the topics in the framework. These activities will be part of the ICE member benefit and available to all members online.
The framework consists of a section of topics labelled as “core” which have cross cutting relevance to all members.
There are a further five sections to the framework which consist of topics from particular industry sectors. Members are invited to self-select from these sections according to what is most relevant to them.
We are aware that there may be members that don’t identify with one of these industry sectors and we will therefore be seeking feedback throughout 2022 to identify if the framework can be expanded and refined to offer a broader scope.
Why has ICE introduced the framework?
The initial catalyst for introducing the framework was ICE's 2018 In Plain Sight report, which recommended topics covering risk management and public safety in which civil engineers must continue to demonstrate competency if they are to play their role in improving society.
However, safety is only one of our challenges as civil engineers so the framework is broadened to include topics that cover contemporary themes such as digital transformation, decarbonisation and productivity.
Who is the framework for?
The framework is aimed at professionally qualified members, those holding a CEng, IEng or EngTech qualification.
However, the topics may also be relevant to members from other grades to address as part of their professional development and the Professionalism Panel encourages all members to consider the topics in the framework when planning their CPD for 2022.
ICE is gathering feedback from members and employers on the relevance of the framework to ensure that the offering can change and evolve according to members’ needs. If you have any comments on the framework please contact ICE on [email protected].
Looking to find out more about CPD Framework?
If you have a question about our CPD framework or just want to find out more, please contact us: