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.
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.
How the framework works
ICE invites professionally qualified members to introduce the topics in the framework into their CPD planning.
Over the course of each year, ICE will 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.
Members may select further topics either by industry sector or from the professional development area or strategic theme fields along the top of the matrix.
Members are invited to self-select from these sections according to what is most relevant to them.
CPD Framework update
An updated and refreshed CPD Framework is currently being developed. Until then members are encouraged to consider the topics identified in the 2023 and 2022 iterations.
| Topic | What will I learn | Personal development area | Strategic theme |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weather Resilience, Climate Adaptation, Decarbonisation |
An introduction to key weather resilience principles for civil engineers An introduction to key climate adaptation principles for civil engineers An introduction to key decarbonisation principles for civil engineers |
Strategic Management Management Technical |
Decarbonisation Sustainability Public Safety |
| Keeping the Public Safe |
Understanding Collaborative Reporting for Safer Structures (CROSS), how it is addressing structural safety in the industry and what role engineers need to play in sharing good and bad practice Exploring Construction Logistics and Community Safety (CLOCS), what impact it has had for road safety and how engineers can better address logistics as part of their project planning Sharing how engineers can put public safety at the heart of their work and what wider benefits it can bring to projects |
Strategic Management Management Technical Business Practice |
Public Safety Professionalism |
| Value – putting value at the heart of infrastructure | What does value mean on a civil engineering project and how can it be measured. Exploring the impact that engineers can have at all levels of the project on value. Working closely with stakeholders and the public to ensure value reaches all parts of society and across the whole life of a project | Strategic Management Management Business Practice |
Productivity |
| Delivery models – promoting a more collaborative approach to project delivery | Exploring current practices across sectors and how contracts are driving better approaches to delivery, including the work of Project 13. Understanding the impact that digital engineering has on driving performance and collaboration. Looking at individual roles in a project team, and communication approaches for collaborating across these roles. Exploring the roles and collaboration approaches, across all project stages | Strategic Management Management Business Practice |
Productivity |
| Topic | What will I learn | Personal development area | Strategic theme |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building Safety Act and PAS 8671. Risk Management for all Building Structures. The Building Safety Act has introduced new requirement for certain buildings in the United Kingdom however these principles should be considered recommended best practice for all building structures. |
What are the enhanced duties for the principal designer and the principal contractor? How can/should the individuals and organisations in those roles ensure they are competent? Understanding the concept and application of the Golden Thread Understanding safety case requirements for the structural engineer How have the bill and standard been adopted across the industry? |
Management Technical Legislative Health, safety and welfare |
Public safety |
| Design and adaptation for resilience |
Understanding the short, medium and long-term resilience considerations Matching these considerations to design solutions Mitigation vs adaptation – how to do both in tandem effectively |
Technical | Productivity Sustainability |
| Topic | What will I learn | Personal development area | Strategic theme |
|---|---|---|---|
| The resilience of (geotechnical) structures to resist the effects of climate change |
Exploring the impact that climate change can have on geotechnical assets, from earthworks to piles and dams and how engineers can better manage the risks Understanding how engineers can address the challenge by working with natural environment Highlighting what resilient geotechnical design looks like and how to create resilient asset management strategies |
Strategic Management Management Technical |
Sustainability Productivity |
| The use of remote sensing in geotechnical engineering |
Exploring the impact that good monitoring can have for a project: from improved health and safety to better productivity and outcomes Sharing best practice for analysing and interpreting data, and what are the challenges to avoid Showcasing how technological development could drive better outcomes for projects |
Technical Management |
Productivity Digital Transformation |
| Topic | What will I learn | Personal development area | Strategic theme |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inclusive travel design – challenging how we design systems (putting users first) | Understanding what challenges users face across our transport network and the impact of the urban realm Designing a more inclusive urban environment that meets the needs of all users and creates a safer space Better engaging with users and community to understand usage and bring them into the design process |
Strategic Management Management Business Practice Technical |
Sustainability Productivity Public safety |
| Designing for freight – exploring the critical movement of goods and the impact for infrastructure design | Understanding current usage and movement and the importance of rail, road, air and sea transport across the infrastructure network Pinpointing how engineers can adopt a more integrated approach to freight infrastructure design and the importance for urban and rural communities Creating resilience in the network to meet the challenges of political, climatic and economic change |
Strategic Management Management Business Practice Technical |
Sustainability Productivity Public safety |
| Water and wastewater | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Topic | What will I learn | Personal development area | Strategic theme |
| Enabling effective water infrastructure globally | A look at the differing standards of water infrastructure globally, including the risks posed by ageing infrastructure and what is needed to make clean, accessible water (a human right) standard practice across the world Understanding different business models, contracts and partnerships Considering the electrical infrastructure that supports water treatment, and its varying presence in countries Engaging key stakeholders and the local community when considering alternative or interim solutions to enable clean water access |
Strategic Managemen Management Business Practice |
Sustainability Productivity |
| Improving water quality | Sustainable, low-carbon solutions for improving the quality of river water Understanding and considering both human health and biodiversity The use of data and technology for improved decision-making |
Technical Information Technology |
Decarbonisation Sustainability |
| Flooding | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Topic | What will I learn | Personal development area | Strategic theme |
| Nature based solutions to flooding | A summary of different options, constraints, benefits (inc potential carbon sequestration) of NbS globally. This could include case studies, different scales of interventions, urban and rural applications How to account for NbS in hydrology calculations and hydraulic modelling |
Technical | Decarbonisation Sustainability |
| Climate change | Uncertainty - how to incorporate/design for uncertainty including adaptive pathways Designing lower carbon flood risk management infrastructure |
Strategic Managemen Management Technical |
Decarbonisation Sustainability |
| Topic | What will I learn | Personal development area | Strategic theme |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enabling hydrogen use | What infrastructure is required to produce, capture, store and distribute hydrogen? What risks are there around hydrogen and how can these be managed? Hydrogen strategy – examples of small-scale use, and how we can level up |
Strategic Management Management Technical |
Public safety Sustainability Decarbonisation |
| Coastal and offshore energy | Examples of innovative, low carbon energy solutions Future design and flexibility to change including the concept of adaptation Good practice in the design and delivery of these solutions The potential to develop the use of tidal energy |
Strategic Management Management Technical |
Productivity Sustainability Decarbonisation |
2022 CPD topics
| Topic | What will I learn | Personal development area | Strategic theme |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Topic | What will I learn | Personal development area | Strategic theme |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Topic | What will I learn | Personal development area | Strategic theme |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decarbonisation | What can practically be done to make a difference and meet current targets Low carbon design, production and materials |
Management Technical |
Decarbonisation |
| 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 |
ICE Knowledge Hub
To assist members with their annual CPD commitments, the institution has refreshed the ICE Knowledge Hub. This e-learning platform provides civil and infrastructure engineers with a range of content across various topics, designed to help civil and infrastructure engineers with their CPD.
Learn more about the Knowledge Hub and how to start your learning journey today.
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: