Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Unit Summary
This unit covers all the key aspects you need to maintain yourself in professional practice –
continuing professional development, effective networking, managing own work
Element 1 covers your ability to identify the standards which are expected of professionals
in your industry. This can relate not only to knowledge and technique, but also other broader
skills such as time-keeping, reliability and attitudes and ways of behaving which are vital to
your professional reputation. It also covers keeping up to date with professional standards,
setting yourself targets for your own improvement, and allowing yourself enough time to
ensure you improve are also covered in this element
Element 2 covers your ability to seek out organisations and individuals who are influential
and important in terms of your work, and to build and maintain contact with them. This can
cover a very wide range of people and organisations; you need to be clear about who you
make contact with, and why. Contacts would include artists you might work with in future, or
professional bodies who might represent your interests are examples
Element 3 is about setting goals for your work, prioritising different pieces1 of work according
to their importance and urgency, estimating and managing the time and resources you need
to complete work on time, keeping interruptions and diversions to a minimum and
rescheduling work when necessary
1
pieces of work would vary with the artform eg delivering workshops, performing, developing artwork
Element 3.1 Maintain and develop your own professional competence
a identify the professional standards i the nature of your industry and its
expected in your area of work, by role in society
referring to appropriate sources of
information ii what you can learn by listening to,
and appraising, the activities and
b accurately identify your own skills and achievements of other professionals
competences, and review these against
the relevant standards iii how to recognise the technical
demands imposed on you by different
c identify both general areas for aspects of your practice, and by usual
development and specific objectives2 for ways of working
improving your own practice
iv how to identify and review your own
d make sure you are legally compliant skills against industry standards
You must prove that you maintain and develop your Work activities
own professional competence to a competent standard
To do this you must provide evidence to convince your
assessor that you consistently meet all the setting standards to assist your own
performance criteria improvement
Your evidence must be the result of real work activities keeping up to date with the work of others
undertaken by yourself. Evidence from simulated
activities is not acceptable for this element
Products or outcomes
Your evidence must also show that you
file of material showing how you keep up to
identify and work towards the following
date with developments
standards
your targets for improvement
standards set by other practitioners
the technical demands of individual pieces a practice log or diary
Your evidence must also show that you Written or spoken reports
identify and develop the following skills and
competences how you have used the example of other
practitioners to guide your own development
technical skills in your area of work
broader occupational skills required in how you have identified your own strengths
professional practice and weaknesses
You must prove that you establish and maintain Work activities
working relationships with contacts in your profession
to a competent standard.
researching new contacts
To do this you must provide evidence to convince your
assessor that you consistently meet all the keeping in touch with existing contacts
performance criteria
Your evidence must also show that you contacts lists or databases
establish and maintain the following
contacts: Written or spoken reports
with individuals how you identify contacts who may be useful
with organisations to you
Witness testimony
a have clear goals for the work that you i the importance of having clear goals
undertake for your work
b prioritise different areas of your work ii how to prioritise work according to its
according to their importance and importance and urgency
urgency
iii the importance of planning your work
c plan your work so that you can achieve and different planning aids you can use
these goals
iv how to maintain a clear focus on your
d estimate the time and resources you will work and not be diverted by other
need to complete different pieces of things
work as planned v how to review the progress you are
making and when and how to
e focus on your goals and try to keep reschedule activities
interruptions and diversions to a
minimum vi how to comply with legislation
You must prove that you manage your own work to a Work activities
competent standard
To do this you must provide evidence to convince your planning pieces of work or larger projects
assessor that you consistently meet all the
performance criteria Products or outcomes
Your evidence must be the result of real work activities
undertaken by yourself. Evidence from simulated diaries
activities is not acceptable for this element
planners
Your evidence must also show that you estimate
and plan all the following resources schedules
money
equipment Written or spoken reports
materials
other people why you chose particular goals
Witness testimony