Personal development planning

Personal development planning is the process of creating an action plan based on awareness, values, reflection, goal-setting and planning for personal development within the context of a career, education, relationship or for self-improvement. Its functions include developing an awareness of the skills an individual already possesses and identifying and developing the skills they need.

Set goals: Identify areas of your life that you want to improve, and set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals to work towards. For click here

In higher education, personal development plans typically include a portfolio containing evidence of the skills gathered over a particular timeframe. It is presumed in education that undertaking PDPs will assist in creating self-directed independent learners who are more likely to progress to higher levels of academic attainment. Human-resource management also uses PDPs.

Personal development plans are often a requirement for employee CVs. Employees who participate in business training are often asked to complete a personal development plan.

An individual can often develop a five-year personal development plan to organize personal goals and to make them achievable within a certain time-period.

External links

• QAA Guidelines for Progress Files