If you are an accountant, an architect, a lawyer or a surveyor, you are expected to have a professional qualification in addition to a degree. That qualification demonstrates that you are recognised as having the competence, based on both knowledge and experience, to work as an architect a lawyer or a surveyor, and that you are committed to complying with the standards and ethics of that profession.
The same applies to transport planners, for most of whom the ultimate aim is the Transport Planning Professional, TPP, awarded jointly by the Society and the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation, CIHT. TPP holders can now add a chartered title and become CTPP (more on this below).
But for those transport planners with an engineering degree, Chartered Engineer (CEng) might be an appropriate professional qualification, and for those with an accredited degree in town planning membership of the Royal Town Planning Institute, MRTPI is likely to be appropriate. Others might choose to become a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, CMILT.
While none of these qualifications is mutually exclusive - many transport planners have two or more of them - the Transport Planning Professional - TPP - is the only equivalent qualification that identifies someone as a professional transport planner.
To be awarded the TPP you need to demonstrate that you have the knowledge that underlies your skill as a professional transport planner and a good depth and especially breadth of expertise based on experience, as well as the ability to work with and manage others, and to manage and present your work.
Click below to see why some of those with a TPP think it is important.
Most of those seeking the TPP follow a route that culminates in a Professional Review Interview, but there is also a Senior Route for those with considerable experience in both transport planning and management.
For those following the Professional Review Route, there are three key stages to satisfying the requirements.
The first stage is learning - obtaining the technical knowledge that underpins a professional career. This can be achieved by one of four paths:
The second stage is demonstrating your professional and managerial competence across a broad range of modes and contexts through a TPP Portfolio of Evidence and a Professional Review. This consists of a presentation of a project from your work, followed by an interview with two trained reviewers who are senior members of the profession. The PDS also uses a similar process and prepares the ground for the TPP Review.
The Senior Route is for those transport planners who:
These candidates have to demonstrate the depth and breadth of their experience through a detailed CV and by completing a standard portfolio in which they relate their experience to the TPP competence requirements.
After five years work by TPS and CIHT, a new title has been created: Chartered Transport Planning Professional, CTPP. Only a chartered body can award a chartered title so CIHT alone offers the new title. They have amended their Royal Charter in order to do so. However, only holders of the TPP can apply for the title, and it is not a new qualification. There is no additional knowledge or experience requirement once TPP is attained. The governance of TPP remains a partnership between TPS and CIHT and is unchanged.
By going through the process of application to the Privy Council, CIHT and TPS have gained formal recognition of the status of transport planning and this has been widely welcomed. While going through the chartership process, TPS and CIHT have agreed to remove a restriction on the holding of TPP, and thus also CTPP, by members of other professional bodies involved in transport planning. Before this change they had to also become members of either CIHT or TPS. It was felt that this more open approach reflected how the professional bodies work together to develop skills and to promote the profession. Already CILT has been approved and its members can apply for TPP and CTPP in the same way as TPS and CIHT members.
TPP holders can apply for CTPP through: https://www.ciht.org.uk/professional-development/get-qualified/chartered-transport-planning-professional/
Standard Route interviews are held twice a year, Spring and Autumn, the next review cycle is as below.
Please Note: the face to face reviews have been postponed and will take place in June over the web. PTK submissions and Senior Route submissions are being accepted as normal through education@ciht.org.uk The arrangements will be reviewed as the situation progresses but submission deadlines for final reviews remain as below.
Submission Deadline: Friday 22nd September 2023
Interviews Held: w/c 6th November 2023 (possibly running throughout November)
Submission Deadline: Friday 5th April 2024
Interviews Held: w/c 20th May 2024 (possibly running into June)
Submission Deadline: Friday 20th September 2024
Interviews Held: w/c 4th November 2024 (possibly running throughout November)
Please Note:
Submission of a Portfolio of Technical Knowledge (PTK), which is the first step for many TPP applications, can be made at any time.
Submission of a Senior Route application can also be made at any time. However, candidates are reminded that successful completion of the TPS PDS means that a PTK is not required since the PDS meets all the Knowledge requirements for TPP.
All candidates must be a member of either the TPS, or CIHT, or an approved organisation (currently ICE, CILT and RTPI).
Members of the TPS, who are awarded the TPP qualification, and are not also members of CIHT or CILT, are required to become Designated Members of the Society. This includes the annual TPP fee. As with all those awarded the TPP qualification, they are required to maintain at least 25 hours of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) a year and to comply with the Society’s Code of Professional Conduct. The Society has a CPD guidance document, and a Code of Professional Conduct.
A chart summarising the routes to professional qualifications can be found here.
A leaflet providing an overview of both the TPP qualification and the TPS PDS can be downloaded by clicking here.
Further details on the TPP qualification are available here, and from skills@tps.co.uk
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