CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION (CPE) PROGRAM FOR REGISTERED AND LICENSED LIBRARIANS

Last April 13, 2009, the Philippine Association of Teachers of LIS (PATLS), gathered together for a National Seminar. One of the topics discussed in the seminar was the updated Continuing Professional Education (CPE) Program for Librarians. According to Madame Beth Peralejo, Board for Librarians Commissioner, the updated CPE Program is meant to be disseminated to the different stakeholders of our institutions - government, private, schools and the academe, even non-government agencies. So, after receiving the important documents via email, I'm posting the first three articles (Art. 1-3) of the updated CPE Program till it's complete.

ARTICLE I

Section 1. DEFINITION - Continuing Professional Education (CPE) refers to the inculcation, assimilation and acquisition of knowledge, skills, proficiency and ethical and moral values, after the initial registration of a professional that raise and enhance the professional’s level of technical skills and competence.

Section 2. NATURE -The CPE Programs consist of properly planned and structured activities, the implementation of which requires the participation of a determined group of professionals to meet the requirements of voluntary maintaining and improving the professional standards and ethics of the profession.

Section 3. RATIONALE - Compliance with the CPE program is deemed a moral obligation of each professional and within the context of the librarian’s Code of Ethics and is considered a necessary, effective and credible means of ensuring competence, integrity and global competitiveness of the librarian in order to allow him/her to continue the practice of his/her profession.

Section 4. OBJECTIVES OF THE CPE PROGRAM FOR LIBRARIANS -
1. To ensure the continuous education of a registered librarian with the latest trends in the profession brought about by modernization and scientific and technological advancements;
2. To raise and maintain the librarian’s capability for delivering professional services;
3. To instill and maintain the highest standards and quality in the practice of librarianship;
4. To comply with the librarian’s continuing ethical requirements;
5. To make the Filipino professional librarian globally competitive;
6. To promote the information needs and interests of the public.



ARTICLE II

THE CPE COUNCILS : COMPOSITION, TERMS OF OFFICE, FUNCTIONS, MEETINGS

Section 5. COMPOSITION – The BFL CPE Council (the “CPEC” or the “Council”) shall be composed of a chairperson and two (2) members. The chairperson of CPE Council shall be chosen from among the members of the Board by the members themselves. The first member shall be the president or, in his/her absence or incapacity, any officer chosen by the Board of Directors of the Philippine Librarians Association, Inc. (PLAI); the second member shall be the president or, in his/her absence or incapacity, any officer of the organization of deans, department heads and/or teachers of schools, colleges, or universities offering the Library and Information Science degree.

Section 6. TERMS OF OFFICE – The term of office of the Chairperson of the BFL CPE Council shall be co-terminus with his/her incumbency in the PRC or determined by his/her capacity to fully discharge such functions. Should a change be required by the BFL before the end of the Council Chairperson’s incumbency, the necessary replacement shall be nominated/named by the simple majority of the BFL and thereafter appointed by the Commission in accordance with due process. The first member shall have a term of office co-terminus with his/her incumbency as officer of the PLAI; the second member shall have a term of office co-terminus with his/her incumbency as officer of the organization of deans, department heads and/or teachers of schools offering Library and Information Science degree. The chairperson, first member and second member shall continue to function as such in the BFL CPE Council until the appointment or election of their respective successors in the Board, PLAI, or organization.

Section 7. FUNCTIONS – The BFL CPE Council shall, upon a majority vote, exercise powers and functions which shall include but shall not be limited to the following :
1. Assist the librarians in maintaining their professional knowledge and competence by helping them identify their professional development needs;
2. Set the standards for CPE program development to address the professional development needs of librarians;
3. Ensure the proper dissemination of the necessity of the CPE to the profession as well as updates on the various CPE activities;
4. Evaluate and approve applications for accreditation of CPE providers;
5. Evaluate and approve applications for accreditation of CPE programs, activities, or sources as to their relevance to the profession and determine the number of CPE credit units to be earned on the basis of the contents of the program, activity or source submitted by the CPE providers;
6. Evaluate and approve applications for exemptions from CPE requirements;
7. Monitor the implementation by the CPE providers of their programs, activities or sources;
8. Assess periodically and upgrade criteria for accreditation of CPE providers and CPE programs, activities or sources;
9. Perform such other related functions that may be incidental to the implementation of the CPE programs or policies.

Section 8. FUNCTIONS OF THE BFL CPE COUNCIL CHAIRPERSON :
a. to preside over the meetings of the BFL CPE Council;
b. to direct or supervise the activities of the BFL CPE Council and that of the Secretariat;
c. to make a report on the minutes of regular and special meetings to the BFL within 30 days from date of said meetings;
d. to submit Council annual reports before the end of February of the succeeding year;
e. to issue the certificate of accreditation ( the “CoA”) to CPE providers found by the Council to be qualified in accordance with these Guidelines as well as the certificate of accreditation of programs (the “CoAP”), activities and sources;
f. to issue CPE certification of credit units earned by the professional;


Section 9. SECRETARIAT – The Chairperson of the PRC shall designate or appoint an official with a rank not lower than Division Chief who shall act as the Secretary of the BFL CPE Council. The designated official may participate in the deliberations of the BFL CPE Council but shall not vote. In the absence of such appointee, the Council will designate the accredited professional association to act as the Secretariat, with the APO President appointing an officer who shall act as the Secretary to the CPE Council.
The duties and functions of the BFL CPE Council Secretariat shall be as follows :
a. to ensure that the sessions, meetings or proceedings of the BFL CPE Council are recorded;
b. to prepare the minutes of all the meetings and proceedings of the BFL CPE Council;
c. to release certificates of accreditation to CPE providers and programs, activities, or sources;
d. to release CPE certificates of credit units (the “CUs”) earned by professionals;

e. to keep all records, papers and other documents relative to the evaluation, approval, and accreditation of CPE programs, activities or sources;
f. to maintain records of accredited CPE providers, on-going, continuing or completed CPE programs, activities, or sources, the list of participants and other relevant data.

Section 10. MEETINGS – The BFL CPE Council shall hold regular meetings once a month on dates to be fixed by said Council. Special meetings may be called by the Chairperson or upon written request of at least a member of the BFL CPE Council.

Section 11. INVOLVEMENT OF PLAI- The BFL CPE Council, if the need arises, and upon approval of the Commission, may delegate to the PLAI the processing of the application, keeping of all records for CPE providers and their respective programs as well as credit units (CUs) earned by each registered and licensed librarian who avail of the CPE programs and other related functions. For this purpose, the PLAI may create a counterpart CPE Council (to be known as the “PLAI-CPEC”) which may collect reasonable processing and record keeping fees directly from the applicants, apart from the accreditation fee that such applicants pay directly to the Commission.
The PLAI CPE Council shall keep a separate book of accounts of its expenses and amounts collected from the applicants and make a monthly report to the Commission through the Board. Any excess collection shall be used exclusively as working capital of the PLAI for CPE activities.

Section 12. FUNCTIONS OF THE PLAI CPE COUNCIL –
a. to serve as the processing arm of the BFL CPE Council specifically on the following tasks :
1. accept and process applications for accreditation of CPE providers;
2. accept and process applications for accreditation of CPE programs,
activities, or sources as to their relevance to the profession and determine the number of CPE credit units to be earned on the basis of the contents of the program;
3. accept and process application for exemption from CPE requirements;
4. coordinate with the BFL CPE Council in monitoring the implementation of programs, activities, or sources;

5. coordinate with the BFL CPE Council in assessing and upgrading the criteria for accreditation of CPE providers and CPE programs, activities, or sources;
b. to submit to the BFL CPE Council applications for accreditation of aspiring CPE providers and CPE programs, activities, or sources;
c. to assist the BFL CPE Council by providing relevant statistical data on the renewal of professional licenses and other related matters.

ARTICLE III

CRITERIA FOR ACCREDITATION OF PROVIDERS, PROGRAMS, ACTIVITIES, OR SOURCES; EQUIVALENT CREDIT UNITS; CREDIT REQUIREMENTS; EXEMPTIONS AND OTHER MATTERS

Section 13. CRITERIA FOR ACCREDITATION – In order to merit accreditation, the following criteria shall be complied with :
A. For CPE Provider :
1. must be a duly registered organization, firm, institution or agency, or a professional of good standing and has never been convicted of a crime;
2. shall have an established mechanism for measuring the quality of the program being offered or administered;
3. must have adequate, modern, and updated instructional materials to carry out the CPE programs and activities;
4. shall have a pool of regular instructors, lecturers, trainors, and resource speakers with good moral character and technical competence and must be holders of current/valid professional registrations and licenses, if they are professionals regulated by the Commission.
B. For CPE programs, activities or sources :
1. The scope shall be beyond the basic preparation for admission to the practice of the profession. The contents shall be relevant/related, but not limited, to the practice of librarianship.
2. The programs, activities or sources shall enhance the competence of the registered and licensed librarian by upgrading and updating knowledge and skills for the practice of librarianship as brought about by modernization as well as scientific and technical advancements in the profession.
Section 14. PROGRAMS, ACTIVITIES AND SOURCES FOR ACCREDITATION AND EQUIVALENT CREDIT UNITS - Any provider may submit to the BFL CPE Council programs, activities, or sources to be approved and accredited for credit units (CUs). No CPE providers shall be allowed to conduct CPE programs, activities, and sources without prior approval and accreditation from the Council.
As used in these guidelines, the following terms shall mean :
1. Seminars shall refer to the gathering of professionals which shall include, among others, workshops, technical lectures or subject matter meetings, non- degree training courses and scientific meetings.
2. Conventions shall refer to a gathering of professionals which shall include, among others, conferences, symposia, fora, or assemblies for round table discussions.
3. Resource Speaker shall refer to a professional who acts as discussion leader or lecturer in a convention, seminar or any similar gathering.
4. Master’s Degree shall refer to a graduate degree in Library and Information Science, Education or related field from a recognized school, college, or university.
5. Doctoral Degree shall refer to a post-graduate degree in Library and Information Science, Education or related field from a recognized school, college, or university.
6. Self-Directed Learning Package shall refer to learning which uses course manuals or accredited learning modules. Accredited learning modules include self- instructional materials or programs which may be in the form of printed manual, audio and video cassette tapes, films, computer-assisted learning (CAL), study kits, learning aids and modules or the use of the information highway. These should include among others clearly defined objectives, adequate content and an evaluation component for each module.
7. Authorship shall refer to the ownership of intellectual property which includes technical or professional books, instructional materials and the like. Credits earned must be claimed within one (1) year from the date of publication or production.
8. Peer Reviewer shall refer to a professional who acts as an evaluator of a research paper, conference paper or journal article before it is presented or published.
9.. Post-Graduate or In-Service Training shall mean training or specialization at the post-graduate level for a minimum period of one(1) week.
10. CPE Provider shall refer to a natural person or juridical entity which includes, among others, accredited or non-accredited professional organization, firm, partnership, corporation or institution which offers, organizes, or arranges CPE programs, activities or sources for implementation and administration.

11. CPE Programs, Activities, or Sources shall refer to the regime of CPE which enhance the competence of the librarians by upgrading and updating knowledge and skills for the profession as brought about by modernization and scientific and technical advancements in the profession. The scope shall be beyond the basic preparation for admission to the practice of the profession. The content shall be related but not limited to the practice of the profession.