New Guidance for TPP candidates

Following the launch of changes to the TPP the new guidance documents, which will be fully implemented in 2022, have been published.  The summary of changes was published last week. Candidates will be able to continue to use the existing guidance for submissions during 2021.  Existing approved PTKs or PDS completions will remain valid to provide continuity.

The basic unit structure is maintained in the revisions, but guidance within them has been clarified and expanded.  The level of attainment has not changed, but the content better reflects the current needs of the transport planning profession.  There is a new emphasis on the sections of the TPP dealing with professional skills and how to develop them, particularly through CPD as lifetime commitment. 

The revisions emphasise the need to put forward an independent and rigorous view and this is embodied in the concept of constructive challenge, which was a key part of the 10 Year Review of the TPP, conducted by Professor Glenn Lyons.

A second theme from that Review was how to deal with uncertainty, and how to be transparent about it to a wider public as well as ourselves as transport planners.  Again these elements will now be explicit in the TPP and TPS has recently revised its Code of Conduct to more clearly reflect these important principles. 

In parallel to the TPP revisions, work on revising the TPS PDS has been going on since the end of last year and will be complete by the end of April, with a launch webinar in May. Drafts have been circulated to the PDS Managers and other stakeholders and comments are being used to finalise the PDS documentation.  TPS Skills Director, Keith Buchan said:

“TPS has the strongest possible commitment to its skills work and will work closely as ever with our partners and colleagues to progress our shared vision to develop transport planning skills at all levels.  The TPP and PDS revisions point the way forward and also open the door to non-UK participants.  The PDS has already developed over the years and the TPP revisions are completely in tune with this direction of travel.  PDS remains an ideal preparation for a TPP application. Together with the acquisition of the chartered title and the creation of the transport planning apprenticeships there are new and exciting routes to becoming qualified in this great profession.”

The launch webinar for the TPP revisions is available at  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGQB7QSYFoY

The Summary of changes document is available here.

The full set of revised TPP documents is available below.

TPP Guidance Note 2_March 2021.docx

TPP Guidance Note 3_March 2021.docx

TTP Guidance Note 4 Techn...al Report March 2021.docx

TPP Guidance Note 5 March 2021.docx