AALEP CALLS FOR MANDATORY CONTINUING EDUCATION (CE) FOR GR PROFESSIONALS

There are a number of terms used interchangeably with Continuing Education (CE). These include Continuing Professional Development (CPD),  Lifelong Learning and Professional Development (PD). Most of these definitions refer to professional education gained after professional entry education and do not refer to post-graduate studies leading to advanced diplomas or degrees.

Among its many functions, CE aims to sustain competence and introduce new skills as required for contemporary practice needs. One of the purposes of CE is to maintain competent practice through developing knowledge and skills. Underlying the introduction of mandatory CE is the assumption that it is the means by which members of the profession maintain, improve and broaden their knowledge, expertise and competence, and develop the personal and professional qualities required throughout their professional lives. The CE cycle involves reviewing practice, identifying learning needs, planning and participating in relevant learning activities, and reflecting on the value of those activities.

Today there are no requirements or guidelines for the practice of government relations. In any country, a Government Relations professional can practice without being licensed or certified and there is no specific requirement in place for Government Relations professionals.

AALEP submits that Government Relations professionals should be required to complete a minimum of 20 hours of CE each calendar year. The need for commitment to continued professional development is essential for ongoing learning. For Government Relations professionals to be credited with the status, authority and autonomy that accompanies a profession, it is our view that mandatory continuing education is inevitable. The issue of professionalism needs to link to ongoing education and learning and should be an obligation for all Government Relations professionals in order to keep their knowledge and skills up to date, rather than just being competent.

The issue of the quality of CE offerings is one that needs to be addressed. Despite the fact that quality control should be an essential aspect of any course development process, there are currently no quality requirements for CE offerings for Government Relations professionals anywhere in the world.

There are no guidelines addressing what type of organization can offer CE training for Government Relations professionals and who can deliver such education. There is no requirement that CE activities are endorsed or approved by any organization or body. Government Relations professionals are free to choose who provide their CE requirements, the topic and content and the mode of delivery (face-to-face, online, distance).

There are a number of issues that need to be addressed to ensure effective education and achieve the goal of sustaining competency, knowledge and skills in practice. Quality, content and evaluation of CE are areas that need to be tackled to ensure that Government Relations professionals have access to equitable, relevant and professional CE opportunities.

Proposed AALEP Requirements

Provide a mandatory course of study relating to the regulation and ethical conduct of lobbying that must be completed as a condition of membership, and provide mandatory continuing education that must be completed by each member of the Association as a condition of continuing membership and within the time determined by the Board.

To qualify as CE, a course or activity should have significant, current intellectual or practical content and should constitute an organized programme of learning directly related to the practice of government relations. CE should be conducted by an individual or group qualified by practical or academic experience.

At a minimum, fifty percent (50%) of the required CE hours annually should be satisfied by attendance, not as a lecturer or presenter, at a live lecture, live seminar, or an audio/video playback of a seminar attended by a group that discussed the materials presented. Interactive Internet presentations could be counted as attendance at a live lecture. Non-interactive Internet presentations could be applied toward the audio-visual category.

A CE hour would be defined as fifty minutes, and CE could be completed each year in any of the following formats:

1. Attending a live lecture or seminar;
2. Listening to or viewing an audio or video presentation of a lecture or seminar with a group, and participating in a discussion of the materials presented;
3. Listening to or viewing audio or video presentations;
4. Participating in Internet presentations;
5. Lecturing or teaching in CE courses;
6. Authoring or editing written materials submitted for publication that have significant intellectual or practical content directly related to the practice of government relations;
7. Successfully completing a self-directed programme that is qualified for CE credit by a governmental licensing board.

Government Relations professionals would be required to maintain proof of attendance at CE programmes and their records would be subject to audit. If a Government Relations professional has not met the CE 20 hour annual requirement, he/she would be notified in writing for non-compliance and given ninety days to be compliant. If still non-compliant at the end of ninety days their membership in the Association will be terminated.