The items below can help you to identify professional development activities, appropriate evidence, and the relative number of hours that each activity may attract. It is not a definitive list. In your two-yearly return you are welcome to list similar activities more applicable to your professional role. Suggestions for new or amended items for the table are welcome.
Meeting your OPD requirements is easiest if you log each activity as it happens and not store up information and enter at the end.
PROFESSIONAL LEARNING
Enrol and attend training course
Webinar or seminar or conference or workshop, short course, unit or module, field day, vocational qualification or university qualification etc
Evidence: Enrolment, attendance and/or attainment certificates
Hours: Up to 5 hours OPD per day of attendance
Develop and or deliver a training course
Present at a seminar, conference clinic, workshop, tour or field day related to soil science OR oversee the presentation of field days, field excursions, group discussions, seminars, lectures and demonstrations OR design, develop and deliver an education program or lecture
Evidence: Flyer or program or similar showing details including responsibilities of oversight, date, duration, location, etc
Hours: A maximum of 5 hours of OPD awarded to each presentation. Repeats of a presentation are not claimable for OPD.
Provide mentoring.
Supervise others’ learning or support or mentor less experienced soil scientists
Evidence: Details of this activity including responsibilities for this activity, name of mentees, etc
Hours: Up to 10 hours per mentee
PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
Professional reading and personal research
Evidence: Details of articles studied, and findings or practices learned
Hours: Up to 10 hours OPD per 2-year period
Create new knowledge or techniques
Develop and conduct collaborative research in soil science across organisations OR develop and make public new or enhanced techniques, systems, regulations, protocols, methods, tools, models and practices in soil science
Evidence: Evidence of involvement in activity
Hours: A maximum of 10 hours of OPD awarded for each tool developed.
Apply soil science knowledge and techniques
Prepare soil aspects of environmental management plans, apply relevant regulations, codes of practice, and industry information, plan projects and/or work programs related to soil science
Evidence: Evidence of involvement of planning activity
Hours: A maximum of 5 hours of OPD awarded for each plan, application, or report.
Provide advice
Soils expert witness services in a court of law or provide soils or management advice to individuals or groups
Evidence: Evidence of involvement of advisory activity
Hours: A maximum of 5 hours of OPD awarded for each activity.
Manage resource
Make soils management decisions or manage human resources and/or physical resources related to soils.
Evidence: Evidence of involvement of management activity
Hours: A maximum of 5 hours of OPD awarded for each activity.
Manage data and systems.
Manage Quality Assurance (QA) in an organization to ensure compliance with relevant legal and regulatory requirements OR establish, manage and develop a computerised soil management information system OR co-ordinate and manage soil data collection and analysis OR conduct and lead work in soil classification, soil survey, land evaluation and natural resource surveys.
Evidence: Evidence of involvement of management activity
Hours: A maximum of 5 hours of OPD awarded for each activity.
Contribute to, edit or peer-review items
Conference papers, journal article, technical report or bulletin, refereed book (also as editor), peer-reviewed report, government submission, public policy
Evidence: Title page or other document that shoes publication details (authors, title, year, journal name, volume, pages etc)
Hours: A maximum of 5 hours of OPD awarded to each presentation. Repeats of a presentation are not claimable for OPD.
Communicate soil science to others in the general media.
Media interview, press release or presentation or published opinion piece
Evidence: Details of presentation (date, duration, location, etc)
Hours: Max 5 hours of OPD awarded to for each communication activity. Repeats of a presentation are not claimable for OPD.
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
Membership of and attendance at a relevant association, committee, regulatory board or advisory panel
Evidence: Minutes of meetings, attendance records.
Hours: Max 10 hours OPD per 2 years for routine committee attendance.
Other relevant pro bono activities that enhance the domain of soil science
Evidence: Details of the activity and your involvement
Hours: Max of 10 hours of OPD awarded for each submission
Receive award for professional excellence in a discipline relevant to soil science
Evidence: Details of award
Hours: Max 5 hours of OPD awarded for each award.
Volunteering for peer assessments or interviews for accreditation
Evidence: Email confirmation of involvement
Hours: Max 5 hours of OPD awarded for activity