Active professional practice in automation is a significant factor in maintaining and improving your knowledge and skills. You may be an actual automation practitioner or one that is “influencing” the practice of the automation. In this context, “influencing" means having some effect on how the automation profession is practiced without necessarily performing technical work (i.e., management, teaching).

Professional Practice is further defined as:

• The directing, designing, preparation of plans and/or specifications, constructing, inspecting, or the operations and maintenance of any automation related structure, work, or process. Examples of automation-related work or processes may include instrumentation, instruments and control, process control, process automation, control systems, automation and control, manufacturing control, manufacturing automation, online process data analysis, and system integration.
• Performing formal, technical instruction on automation-related subject matter

Formal Automation-related Activities should be included in your CPD program. Formal Automation-related Activities are typically educationally associated and may include an exam or other evaluation process. When no evaluation process is offered, credit may still be claimed in this category for activities that are over four hours in length. Non-evaluated activities of less than four hours should be categorized as Informal Automation-related Activities (see the next section, below).

Examples of Formal Automation-related Activities include:

• Professional development programs, courses, and seminars
• Additional certification/licensing in related areas (Certification must be recognized and administered by a professional organization similar to ISA. “Certifications” offered by vendors fall into other categories.)
• Courses offered by universities, continuing education vendors, technical institutes, colleges, suppliers, employers, or technical societies. Courses must be greater than four hours in length and/or include an evaluation process. Courses may be offered in traditional classroom settings, by correspondence, by video, or online
• Serving as an instructor for an automation-related training course or seminar that is over four hours in length

Unlike Formal Automation-related Activities, Informal Automation-related Activities are shorter in duration and do not involve any evaluation process.

Examples of Informal Automation-related Activities include:

• Documented, self-directed study
• Attendance at conferences and/or industry tradeshows
• Training seminars, technical presentations, talks, or workshops that are less than four hours in duration and do not include an evaluation mechanism
• Membership in technical, professional, or managerial associations or societies, including ISA
• Attendance at meetings of technical, professional, or managerial associations or societies
• Documented and structured discussions on technical or professional issues with your peers

Participation activities are those that promote peer interaction and provide exposure to new ideas and technologies. These activities enhance the automation profession and serve the public interest.

Examples of Participation activities include:

• Service as a Mentor to a less-experienced automation professional or technologist or as an advisor to a school/school group, including FIRST® Robotics teams
• Service on public bodies that draw on professional expertise (e.g. planning boards, development appeal boards, investigative commissions, review panels, community building committees)
• Service on professional or technical committees of professional or managerial associations and societies

   

• Community Service: Any activities that contribute to the community which require professional and ethical behavior, but not necessarily the application of technical knowledge. This includes active service for charitable, community, or service organizations; or elected public service on a municipal, provincial, or federal level or on a school board

Eligible presentations are those of a technical or professional nature that are discretionary (outside of your normal job functions). Presentations must be developed by the CAP receiving the PDPs. Presentations developed by others will not qualify for PDPs

Examples of Presentations include:

• Delivery of a paper, authored or co-authored by the CAP, to an audience at a scheduled meeting
• Technical presentations at a conference, meeting, course, workshop, or seminar
• Technical presentations within a company or at an event sponsored by a technical or professional organization

Contributions to the Automation Body of Knowledge activities are those that expand or develop the technical knowledge base of the automation profession.

Examples of Contributions to the Automation Body of Knowledge activities include:

• Development of automation-related codes and standards
• Patents (credit can be claimed once per patent)
• Publication of papers in a peer-reviewed technical journal
• A thesis at the Master’s or Ph.D. level (on a one time basis, upon successful defense and approval)
• Publication of a technical automation-related book
• Publication of technical papers/articles in non-reviewed journals or an internal company report
• Reviewing articles for publication
• Editing papers for publication
• Reviewing of papers/presentations for a technical conference
• Serving on program committee for a technical conference