Bob Hart MACS PCP

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Professionalism Whos responsibility?
Bob Hart MACS PCP Manager Professional
Standards and Development
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ACS
Compact
PPP
Universities
Employers
Course Advisory Panels, Donations, Visiting
Lecturers etc
Scholarships
Donations, Grants, etc
ACS Foundation
IT Profession the stakeholders
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Building the ICT Profession

• Objectives
• To develop trustworthy, reliable professionals
• To increase the ability of business and society
  to exploit ICT effectively and consistently
• To build a profession valued and respected for
  the contribution it makes for the benefit of all
  governments, business leaders, employers, users
  and customers
• To build a profession that is regarded by
  students as a valued and respected career option
• To build a profession based on a strong ICT
  education and research capability within the
  Australian education system

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The ACS CP Initiative

• Normal entry is through an accredited university
  course with a major in ICT
• Structured work experience of three years
  including post graduate study in professional
  issues (CPEP)
• Ongoing professional development requirement of
  30 hours each year
• Will move to specialisations as required through
  further study

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The building blocks
Accredited program
CPEP
CBOK
SS.. 1
Core Comp Level 4
Work 1.5 yrs
SS.. 1
Core Comp Level 5
SS..2
SS..4
SS..n
SS..n
Demonstrated equivalence (8 yrs)
Demonstrated equivalence (6 yrs)
MACS (Prov)
MACS PCP
SS Skills set from SFIA 3
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Developing the professional

• The Computer Professional Education Program
  (CPEP) - a structured program of study and
  experience to ensure the application of skills
  and knowledge are relevant to both the
  organisation and the profession.
• Graduates are capable of higher levels of
  responsibility and autonomy in their work
• A partnership between the employer, the member
  and ACS
• The graduate is a computer professional (PCP or
  CCP)

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Program structure.

• Core Units
• Business, Legal and Ethical Issues
• Aligning New Technology
• Business, Strategy and IT
• Professional Practice Report (non-fee) a
  non-formal subject including mentor advice and
  interactions
• Elective
• One of Project Management, Business Decision
  Support or Managing Technology and Operations
  (ITIL) or others to be determined. May be taken
  outside the program as part of a university
  post-graduate program

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The learning process.

• Delivery of the Program is by online learning,
  using techniques such as email, discussion
  forums, and online downloading of educational
  materials.
• Students do not attend a classroom or lecture
  theatre other than for examinations and similar
  forms of assessment.
• Assessment is via work based assignments.

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The learning process.

• Student discussion forums (cohorts) are an
  essential learning tool.  Tutors, or learning
  facilitators are moderators for the discussion
  forums to provide supportive dialog and
  assistance when required.
• Students are expected to be online to communicate
  with each other regularly.
• Time commitment is 8 to 10 hours per week for 13
  weeks and semester dates are July - October,
  November - February and March - June

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Program quality assurance.

• The educational objectives and outcomes of the
  Program are determined by an Advisory Board
  comprising representatives of the ICT industry,
  profession and educators.
• The Board is unashamedly commercial and employer
  oriented in it membership
• The educational methodology is continuously
  improved by collaborative research with one or
  more relevant university research centres and
  relies heavily on technology

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Program quality assurance.

• The effectiveness of educational procedures are
  supervised by an Academic Board comprising
  educationalists from universities and colleges of
  tertiary and further education.
• Entry is restricted to those people who have the
  educational qualifications for professional
  membership and at least 18 months work
  experience. They must also be currently working.

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Outcome the CP

• High quality people, inspiring high performance
  and representing a real career aspiration
• Respected for high standards of competence,
  reliability, integrity, responsibility/accountabil
  ity and consistently meeting user requirements
• Leadership in the education, innovation and
  exploitation of IT for the benefit of all and
  reflect a passion for adding value through ICT
• A pride in the profession

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Autonomy

• Works under broad direction.
• Full accountability for own technical work or
  project and supervisory responsibilities.
• Receives assignments in the form of objectives.
• Establishes own milestones, team objectives and
  delegates assignments.
• Work is often self-initiated.

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Influence

• Influences organisation, customers, suppliers and
  peers within industry on contribution of
  specialisation.
• Significant responsibility for the work of others
  and for the allocation of resources.
• Decisions impact on success of assigned projects
  i.e. results, deadlines and budget.
• Develops business relationships with customers.

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Complexity

• Challenging range and variety of complex
  technical or professional work activities.
• Work requires application of fundamental
  principles in a wide and often unpredictable
  range of contexts.
• Understands relationship between field of work
  and wider customer/ organisational requirements.

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Business (1)

• Advises on the available standards, methods,
  tools and applications in own area of
  specialisation and can make correct choices from
  alternatives.
• Can analyse, diagnose, design, plan, execute and
  evaluate work to time, cost and quality targets.
• Demonstrates leadership.
• Clear understanding of the relationship between
  own area of responsibility/specialisation to the
  employing organisation and takes customer
  requirements into account when making

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Business (2)

• Takes initiative to keep skills up to date.
• Maintains awareness of developments in the
  industry.
• Can analyse user requirements and advise users on
  scope and options for operational improvement.
• Communicates effectively, formally and
  informally, with colleagues, subordinates and
  customers.
• Demonstrates creativity and innovation in
  applying solutions for the benefit of the user.

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Professional

• Develops a risk management plan projects
  including impact on social, business and
  ecological environments and ensure compliance
• Ensures compliance with all legal/regulatory
  requirements

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What the students say.
"I can't tell you what a help BLE has been.  (I
am still mentally accommodating all the
ramifications of what I have discovered during
the course, but I will be presenting my
assignment to the board as a way forward from the
current difficult position we are in) - perhaps
not that bit......... "Such synchronicity I have
not before experienced between my work and my
studies, despite before having spent around a
decade combining work and study.  And what is
even more helpful on a person al level is feeling
supported by your team both in mentoring program
and in this course"  Carol Barraclough
"There is no doubt in my mind that undertaking
the CPE program has been the best decision of my
career.  I have grown so much professionally, due
in large part to the qualify of the program and
also to the great assistance from tutors and
mentors and the probing questioning and broad
experiences of the course participants.  I would
recommend the Program to any IT professional
seeking to maximise their career potential."
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What the students say.
"I have found my association with the ACS and the
CMACS and CPEP programs very satisfying over the
years and have been particularly impressed with
the quality of the educational material and
tutoring I have received.  I wish everyone
associated with the CPE Program all the success
you deserve - it is a high quality professional
program" Owen Evans
"What I have learned in the course I have taken
into my workplace and what it all means is that
the BLE subject taught as part of the CPE program
really does have a relevance in the real world
and students are getting knowledge they can
actually use"  AJ Kulatunga
"I've really enjoyed the course.  It's timing was
perfect, having at the same time to work through
a number of governance issues at work, and this
fitted perfectly for me" Michael Beckett
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Maintaining professionalism.

• CP status is maintained annually by undertaking
  the requirement for continuing professional
  development

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Professional Development Activities

• The activity should clearly serve to increase the
  professional capability of the member.
• Professional development activities should be
  structured in that they have a clear objective
  and a framework includes lectures, seminars,
  formal education, discussion groups, special
  interest groups, writing and delivering papers
  and conducting research.
• To claim reading activity you should have some
  method of proof of the activity.
• To include any activity you should be prepared to
  justify each claim with the auditor

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The Activity Statement

• Claim PCP status by completing the CP Activity
  Statement
• The Statement requires details of each activity,
  including the objectives and outcomes of each
  activity, dates and times, location, the provider
  details (if any) and the number of hours claimed.
  
• The maximum number of hours you cam claim for any
  one activity is twenty-five (25) hours.
• Each activity can be entered as it occurs or you
  may add all information at one time.
• Your professional development history will be
  kept as an addendum to your membership records
  and you will be able to print the history at any
  stage.
• The records should be up to date at least one
  week prior to your renewal date for membership.
  Your PCP status will be determined automatically
  at renewal of membership each year. You are also
  able to print a PCP certificate at any time if
  you are eligible.

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Audit

• Your CP activity is subject to audit on a
  periodic basis by ACS. You may be asked to
  substantiate that a particular activity has
  increased your capability as a computer
  professional.
• Any deliberate attempts to misrepresent activity
  will be regarded as a breach of the Society Code
  of Ethics and subject to disciplinary action.
  This should not however prevent you from entering
  all activities you consider to have improved your
  capability. This will only be invoked for
  deliberate attempts to mislead ACS.

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Referees

• You are also required to provide the names of two
  people who can attest to your professional
  activity during the year.
• These may be fellow employees, customers,
  contractors anyone who has had dealings with
  you as a professional.
• The referees are not required to attest to you
  professional development activities.

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Internationalising the ICT Professional

• ISO Standard on Certification of Software
  Engineering Professional
• IFIP Task Force on Professional Practice I3P and
  IITP

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• Questions?
• Comments?