CPD is not optional — it is a professional obligation and a condition of continued membership at all grades above Student. Stay competent, current, and effective throughout your career.
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is the ongoing, structured process by which professionals maintain, enhance, and extend their knowledge, skills, and competence throughout their careers. For members of the Chartered Institute of Leadership and Governance (CILG), CPD is not optional — it is a professional obligation and a condition of continued membership at all grades above Student.
The CILG CPD Framework is designed to ensure that every CILG member remains competent, current, and effective in their professional practice. In the rapidly evolving fields of leadership and governance, where regulatory environments, organizational structures, stakeholder expectations, and best practices change continuously, commitment to CPD is a fundamental expression of professionalism.
The CILG CPD Framework aligns with internationally recognized CPD standards, including those of the CPD Certification Service (CPDUK), the International Professional Development Association (IPDA), and comparable requirements of globally accredited and internationally recognized professional bodies.
The CILG CPD Framework is benchmarked against globally recognized and accredited leading professional bodies:
CPD obligations differ by membership grade. The table below sets out the annual hours required, the format of evidence, submission deadlines, and the audit risk applicable to each grade.
| Grade | Annual CPD Hours Required | Format of Evidence | Submission Deadline | Audit Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student | Not mandatory — encouraged | Voluntary CPD log (online portal) | N/A | N/A |
| Affiliate (AffCILG) AffCILG | Minimum 20 hours/year | CPD Log via CILG portal + brief annual reflection statement | 31 January each year (for preceding calendar year) | Random 10% audit |
| Associate (ACILG) ACILG | Minimum 30 hours/year | CPD Log + Annual Reflection + evidence attachments | 31 January each year | Random 20% audit |
| Full Member (MCILG) MCILG | Minimum 40 hours/year | Full CPD Portfolio — structured reflection, evidence, and development plan | 31 January each year | Random 30% audit |
| Fellow (FCILG) FCILG | Minimum 40 hours/year | Full CPD Portfolio + peer review component + contribution evidence | 31 January each year | Mandatory audit every 3 years |
CILG recognises six categories of qualifying CPD activity. Each carries specific counting rules and evidence requirements, as set out below.
Formal learning activities are structured, provider-delivered educational experiences with defined learning outcomes. These typically account for the largest proportion of a member's CPD hours. Examples include:
Attendance at professional events provides exposure to current thinking, best practices, emerging issues, and peer perspectives. Examples include:
Structured learning arising from professional practice — provided it is deliberate, reflects on outcomes, and extends competence beyond routine activity. Examples include:
Independent reading, research, and reflection that meaningfully extends professional knowledge. Examples include:
Contributing to the profession through the creation and dissemination of professional knowledge carries enhanced CPD value. Examples include:
Mentoring and coaching junior professionals is a key professional obligation at Associate grade and above, and counts as formal CPD:
The following activities do not qualify as CPD hours under the CILG CPD Framework:
Routine day-to-day work tasks and normal job duties
Social or networking activities without a structured learning component
Entertainment or hospitality events
Volunteer activities with no professional learning dimension
Unverified or unrecorded learning (where no evidence can be produced)
Activities completed before becoming a CILG member (except where recorded as part of an exemption application)
All members are required to record their CPD activities using the CILG CPD Online Portal and submit their Annual CPD Return by 31 January each year.
All members are required to record their CPD activities using the CILG CPD Online Portal, accessible via the CILG Members' Portal. The portal allows members to:
Members must submit their CPD Return by 31 January each year, covering CPD activities undertaken in the preceding calendar year (1 January to 31 December). Late submissions without prior approved deferral are subject to the following consequences:
| Lateness | Consequence |
|---|---|
| 1–30 days late | Written warning issued; member placed under 'CPD Notice' |
| 31–90 days late | Membership suspended pending submission; member placed on the CPD Defaulter Register |
| Over 90 days late | Membership lapsed for CPD non-compliance (without response to CILG communications) |
Each membership grade carries specific portfolio submission requirements. These escalate in depth and scope from Affiliate through to Fellow, reflecting the seniority and professional responsibility of each grade.
CILG operates a random CPD Audit process to ensure the integrity of the CPD system. Members selected for audit receive written notification and are required to submit their complete CPD Portfolio (including all evidence documents) within twenty-one (21) days.
The audit is conducted by two CILG CPD Auditors (MCILG or FCILG designates) who assess whether the recorded CPD activities are genuine, verifiable, and appropriate. The auditors may request additional documentation or a brief clarification call.
No action required; member notified in writing.
CPD return is accepted but the auditors provide guidance on improving future CPD quality or balance.
Specific activities require further evidence. Member given 21 days to provide additional documentation.
CPD return is found to be materially deficient, misleading, or fraudulent. The matter is referred to the CILG Professional Standards Committee for investigation and potential disciplinary action.
CILG recognizes that members may face exceptional circumstances — including serious illness, bereavement, maternity/paternity leave, or significant personal crisis — that prevent them from meeting CPD requirements in a given year. In such cases, members may apply to the CPD Committee for a CPD Deferral.
A CPD Deferral suspends the CPD requirement for up to twelve (12) months. A deferred year does not count toward the member's CPD compliance record; the member's CPD clock simply pauses. Applications must be submitted before or within sixty (60) days of the CPD Return deadline, with supporting documentation.
Annual membership subscription renewal is conditional upon CPD compliance. Members who have not submitted a compliant CPD Return for the preceding year will not have their membership renewed until the CPD obligation has been met.
The CILG system automatically flags non-compliant members at renewal.
CILG maintains an Approved CPD Provider Register — a list of organizations whose programs, courses, and events are pre-verified as qualifying CPD activities. Members attending events or completing programs from CILG-Approved Providers have their CPD automatically verified without requiring individual evidence submission.
Organizations wishing to be listed as CILG-Approved CPD Providers may apply to the CILG CPD Committee. Approved status is reviewed annually and may be withdrawn if standards fall below the required level.
CPD hours from Approved Providers are automatically verified in the portal — no individual evidence submission required.
Approved status is reviewed every year. Providers that fall below required standards may have their approval withdrawn.
Organizations may apply to the CILG CPD Committee to be listed on the Approved CPD Provider Register.
Log in to the CILG Members' Portal to access the CPD Online Portal, track your progress, and submit your Annual CPD Return.