A reflective practice discussion is a conversation in which you reflect on what your learning needs and objectives were for the year and the outcomes of your CPD activities. You consider what you learned and whether you fully addressed your needs. The two way exchange may also help to identify any gaps in your learning and allow for suggestions of further topics to explore. It’s also an opportunity to talk about your development, future plans, ambitions, and goals.
More information is now available in this document on the concept of reflection and the practicalities of the discussions, including a list of potential questions.
Who should I have the discussion with?
The Scheme requires you to have the discussion with an 'Appropriate Person', being “An individual identified by the Member, who understands the nature of the Member’s Actuarial Work, their development and their Learning Outcomes. Such an individual could be a peer, a colleague, a line manager or a volunteer of the IFoA, amongst others.”
The person need not be a member of the IFoA nor an actuary. The key is that they understand your work, where your development might take you, and what the learning outcomes of your CPD activities might be. There needs to be trust between the two parties, a willingness to be open and a genuine interest in embracing the discussion. For those that cannot identify such an individual we have set up a pool of volunteers that we can put you in touch with for this purpose.
What does a reflective discussion look like?
Please watch the 2 short clips below to show you what a reflective practice discussion might look/sound like. In both videos, Melissa is played by Ji-Hyang Lee and Bob by Dermot Grenham, both of whom are IFoA Members and sit on the Scottish Board.
Reflective practice discussion role play video – part 1
Melissa is a Scheme Actuary. Having completed her CPD for the year under the new CPD Scheme, she has now arranged with Bob to have her first reflective practice discussion. Bob is an actuary who volunteered for the pool of ‘Appropriate Persons’. Melissa got in touch with him, considering him to be an ‘Appropriate Person’ with whom she could have this discussion with. It appears that Melissa may not have engaged fully with the ethos of the new CPD Scheme.
Reflective practice discussion role play video – part 2
Melissa and Bob meet again, a year later. Bob offered up some suggestions to Melissa on how she could be better approaching her CPD, giving more thought and consideration to her needs and taking her activities a little more seriously. Melissa took the advice on board and has made some improvements. Let’s see how this year’s reflective practice discussion goes for Melissa…
When should I have my reflective practice discussion?
The discussion can take place any time after you have completed your CPD activities for the year. This will allow you to reflect on all your activities and whether you met your learning objectives for the year.
If you complete your 2020/21 CPD on 30 August 2021, for example, you should have the discussion after that, even if it takes place after 1 September in the 2021/22 CPD year.
IFoA reflective practice discussions
A selection of members will also be chosen to participate in a discussion with IFoA executive staff to reflect upon their learning and development during the CPD year, the outcomes of their CPD activities and their plans for future development.
The discussion will take place by telephone or videoconference at a mutually agreed time with a member of a trained, specialist team.
The IFoA is still to determine how it will select individuals for such discussion and about the frequency. It is unlikely that all members will be selected for such a discussion every year.
What happens after the discussion?
The IFoA will stay in touch with you, to offer up further support and assistance with a view to helping you continue your development and maintain your competence.
When would the reflective practice discussions with the IFoA start?
The discussions will start from September 2021. A trial of these discussions, which will allow us to tailor the process for IFoA members, will begin in 2020.
Contact Details
If you have any enquires about CPD, please contact the Membership Team
We aim to respond to all enquiries within two working days.
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Events calendar
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Behavioural Science Series with Keith Grint - Wicked Problems, Clumsy Solutions and Leading Change
19 April 2021
Wicked Problems, Clumsy Solutions and Leading Change -
Dr Catherine Donnelly will present the basics of the structures for pooling longevity risks and summarise recent research results in this area in addition to outlinging future research around this topic. This is work under a research programme funded by the IFoA's Actuarial Research Centre, called 'Minimizing longevity and investment risk while optimising future pension plans'. -
Professional Skills Training Webinar - 21 April 2021
21 April 2021
Climate-Related Risk - This free to view webinar on Climate-Related Risk is the first in a series focusing on some of the ‘Hotspots’ identified in the JFAR Risk Perspective bringing the Risk Perspective to life with practical illustrations and insights from subject experts from the IFoA and other Regulators -
Recent decades have seen institutions, such as employers and financial services, give people more choice and flexibility, but these freedoms have come with more responsibilities. Individuals are now responsible for managing more of their own financial risks, from ensuring they put enough money into their pension to securing affordable protection to be financially resilient.
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Actuarial Innovation in the COVID-19 era
This event is online.26 April 2021 - 7 May 2021
Join us for this brand new IFoA webinar weries comprising of a fortnight of webinars, panel sessions and a hackathon, that showcase the range of ways in which the actuarial profession has added value, in the public interest, to the understanding and management of the current and future pandemics through insight and learning. -
This event is now temporarily closed on Monday 26 April, but the session will be repeated on Tuesday 27 April, 09.00-10.30. Please click here to register your place.
Actuaries have a lot to offer biodiversity management over the next decade as the world develops more depth to its response to this global challenge. This sessional offers an opportunity to learn about this emergent risk, to contribute to our thinking as a profession and help us develop the next steps forward.
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Western Europe Town Hall
28 April 2021
IFoA Immediate Past President John Taylor would like to invite you to the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries’ (IFoA) virtual Western Europe Town Hall, hosted by John Taylor with IFoA Council Members Alan Rae, Jennifer Hartley, Maribel Vasquez Flores and IFoA Chief Executive, Stephen Mann.
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Mis-estimation risk is a key element of demographic risk, and past work has focused on mis-estimation risk on a run-off basis. However, this does not meet the requirements of regulatory regimes like Solvency II, which demands that capital requirements are set through the prism of a finite horizon like one year. This paper presents a value-at-risk approach to mis-estimation risk suitable for Solvency II work -
Finance & Investment Virtual Conference 2021
Available to watch globally in May.10-12 May 2021
This year's Finance and Investment Virtual Conference takes on the timely theme of ‘resilience’, something we have all learnt a lot more about in the last year! Our diverse range of talks will explore the theme of resilience in a variety of ways including in building robust investment portfolios, in the incorporation of ESG factors, in govern -
Central and Eastern Europe Town Hall
14 May 2021IFoA Immediate Past President John Taylor would like to invite you to the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries’ (IFoA) virtual Central and Eastern Europe Town Hall, hosted by John Taylor and IFoA Chief Executive, Stephen Mann.
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Wearables in insurance: a win-win opportunity
14 May 2021
This talk will explore the potential benefits that wearable tech can bring to health & protection insurers and their customers. The traditional approach of integrating wearables into insurance has largely focused on measuring steps and using rewards-based incentive programs to encourage more activity. -
Join us for this talk with Professor Sir Adrian Smith as part of the 'Dr Patrick Poon Presidential Speaker Series'. Professor Smith joined The Alan Turing Institute as Institute Director and Chief Executive in September 2018. In November 2020, he became President of the Royal Society, in addition to his leadership of the Turing. He is also a member of the government's AI Council, which helps boost AI growth in the UK and promote its adoption and ethical use in businesses and organisations across the country. He received a knighthood in the 2011 New Year Honours list. -
CILA 2021
Available to watch globally in May.19-21 May 2021
We continue to live in a world of global uncertainty. Survival depends on our ability to simultaneously navigate through the diverse root-causes, ranging from: the consequences of Climate Change; on-going financial consequences of the COVID pandemic; or self-imposed changes in regulatory requirements and accounting standards.
Wicked Problems, Clumsy Solutions and Leading Change
Dr Catherine Donnelly will present the basics of the structures for pooling longevity risks and summarise recent research results in this area in addition to outlinging future research around this topic. This is work under a research programme funded by the IFoA's Actuarial Research Centre, called '
Climate-Related Risk - This free to view webinar on Climate-Related Risk is the first in a series focusing on some of the ‘Hotspots’ identified in the 
Join us for this brand new IFoA webinar weries comprising of a fortnight of webinars, panel sessions and a 
Mis-estimation risk is a key element of demographic risk, and past work has focused on mis-estimation risk on a run-off basis. However, this does not meet the requirements of regulatory regimes like Solvency II, which demands that capital requirements are set through the prism of a finite horizon like one year. This paper presents a value-at-risk approach to mis-estimation risk suitable for Solvency II work
This talk will explore the potential benefits that wearable tech can bring to health & protection insurers and their customers. The traditional approach of integrating wearables into insurance has largely focused on measuring steps and using rewards-based incentive programs to encourage more activity.
Join us for this talk with Professor Sir Adrian Smith as part of the 'Dr Patrick Poon Presidential Speaker Series'. Professor Smith joined The Alan Turing Institute as Institute Director and Chief Executive in September 2018. In November 2020, he became President of the Royal Society, in addition to his leadership of the Turing. He is also a member of the government's AI Council, which helps boost AI growth in the UK and promote its adoption and ethical use in businesses and organisations across the country. He received a knighthood in the 2011 New Year Honours list.