Revisions to the TPP guidance launched

The 10 year Review of the TPP, undertaken by Professor Glenn Lyons, has been used to produce the first revisions to the TPP guidance since its launch in 2008.  The basic unit structure is maintained, 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.

The Review showed that the profession has grown in its authority and reach since 2008 and has become acutely aware of the need to maintain our multi-disciplinary nature, as the TPP revisions do, and to combine an open minded approach with the strongest possible evidence base.  This in turn requires us, as professionals, to put forward an independent and rigorous view and this is embodied in the concept of constructive challenge, which runs throughout Glenn’s findings. 

A second theme from the Review is 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 made explicit in the TPP and TPS has recently revised its Code of Conduct to more clearly reflect these important principles.  For this reason there has been considerable emphasis on the sections of the TPP dealing with professional skills and how to develop them, particularly through CPD as lifetime commitment.

In parallel, 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.  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 planners capable of dealing with whatever the future may throw at them.  The TPP and PDS revisions point the way forward and also open the door to non-UK participants.  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 on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGQB7QSYFoY

The Summary of changes document is available here.

The full set of revised TPP documents will be available soon and will come into full effect from the start of 2022.