Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in Tier 4 of the Agricultural Reform Programme

Overview

The Scottish Government is seeking your views on Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in Tier 4 of the Agricultural Reform Programme. Tier 4 focuses on people and professional development. This includes skills, knowledge transfer, training, advisory services, and business support. It also includes CPD. 

The consultation asks a series of questions about key aspects of a policy for a CPD system in Tier 4. These relate to aspects of a CPD system that users could be interested in should a CPD system be introduced in Tier 4. The following are the main subjects and areas of questions:

  • Section 1 - users of the CPD system (questions 1-9)
  • Section 2 - the approach to CPD – voluntary, mandatory or a combination of approaches (questions 10-12)
  • Section 3 - key elements of the CPD system, including activities that can count towards CPD (questions 13-19)
  • Section 4 - the amount of CPD to be undertaken in a year (questions 20-31)
  • Section 5 - exemption from undertaking CPD under certain circumstance for part or all of a year (questions 32-35)
  • Section 6 - support to assist users of the CPD system (questions 36-39)
  • Section 7 - encouraging the uptake of CPD (question 40)
  • Section 8 - a technical aspect of the CPD system (questions 41)
  • Sections 9 to 12 - topics relating to good practices found elsewhere, impacts, monitoring and evaluation and looking ahead to the future. (questions 42-51)

What is CPD?

CPD is a commitment to lifelong learning. It helps people to update and maintain their skills, knowledge, and expertise during their careers, and ensure that they are kept up to date. It also helps them to meet specific learning outcomes, including those of the Agricultural Reform Programme.

CPD is typically structured around a CPD system. This includes a framework which sets out the activities that can be undertaken to contribute towards CPD (CPD activities), the amount of CPD that is to be undertaken in a 12-month period (a CPD years), and whether the CPD is voluntary, mandatory or a mixture of both.

As well as the framework, there is a CPD recording system. Individual users have a CPD log to record the CPD activities that they have undertaken during a CPD year. A CPD system also includes some activities that can help contribute towards CPD requirements.

Should a CPD system be introduced under Tier 4, the Scottish Government will look to provide a CPD system, including a CPD framework, guidance, CPD recording log and some activities that can help contribute towards CPD.

Our approach to CPD

The Scottish Government recognises that farmers, crofters and other persons in Scottish agriculture are already undertaking CPD. Some may not recognise that they are doing so. They may be attending workshops, organised farm walks and visits, attending their local discussion group to listen to a visiting speaker, listening to podcasts or watching videos, or undertaking other activities that help them to keep their knowledge and skills up to date.

In developing a CPD system, it needs to consider many factors. These include, for example, the wide range of businesses, the different farming systems, geographical location of businesses, labour and child-care and caring responsibilities in a farming household, as well as a higher level of dyslexia in the agriculture sector. There are also different skills and knowledge needs, as well as different learning preferences and IT capabilities. There is also already a range of knowledge and skills requirements for agricultural businesses to operate.

A CPD system, including the policies in it, needs to be developed in a way that is accessible and practical to undertake, be cost effective, and meets the needs of the sector and the outcomes of the Agricultural Reform Programme and the Vision of Agriculture.

Read the consultation paper. The consultation paper contains a lot of useful background and contextual infromation. We would encourage you to read the consultation paper up front and / or refer to it as you proceed through the questions you would like to answer as it contains full background and contextual information. 

Consultation questions preview

The consultation questions are included here for your reference. Please click 'Begin consultation' at the bottom of this page to proceed.

List of questions in consultation 

Section 1: Users of the CPD system

Question 1: Should the CPD system apply to businesses with a BRN that is actively claiming agricultural support? Yes / No / Don’t know

Please state your answer and give reasons for it.

Question 2: Should the CPD system apply to the persons on the BRN who are designated as the “Responsible Person” and the “Business Representative” (with the exception of “Advisory firms”)? Yes / No / Don’t know. 

Please state your answer and give reasons for it.

Question 3: Should other people in a business that is actively claiming agricultural support be brought within the scope of the CPD system at a later date? Yes / No / Don’t know

Please state your answer and give reasons for it.

Question 4: Do you agree or disagree with the proposed groups of workers that should not be included in the scope of the CPD system? Agree / Disagree / Don’t know

Please state your answer and give reasons for it.

Question 5: Do you think that CPD should only apply to certain types / groups of farmers, crofters and land managers such as new entrants? Yes / No / Don’t know

Please state your answer and give reasons for it.

Question 6: Should the CPD system apply to advice or service providers who do not currently undertake CPD? Yes / No / Don’t know

Question 7: If you answered yes, please state your answer and give reasons for it.

Question 8: Should advice or service providers who are required to undertake CPD in connection with that advice be required to undertake particular or further CPD? Yes / No / Don’t know

Question 9: If you answered yes, what should these requirements be?

Please state your answer and give reasons for it.

Section 2: Scope of the CPD system - mandatory or voluntary 

Question 10: Do you have any comments on the five potential options for the approach that could be taken for the introduction for the CPD system? Yes / No / Don’t know

Please state your answer and give reasons for it.

Question 11: Are there other options that could be considered. For example, should certain CPD be compulsory to undertake for a business but voluntary to undertake for individuals within a business? Yes / No / Don’t know

Please state your answer and give reasons for it.

Question 12: Do you think that there should be mandatory CPD for some topics (eg health and safety or understanding elements of the whole farm plan) but voluntary CPD for other ones?  Yes / No / Don’t know

Please state your answer and give reasons for it.

Section 3: Key elements of the CPD system 

Question 13: Do you agree or disagree with the proposed four subject headings or pillars of the framework for CPD activities? Agree / Disagree / Don’t know

Please state your answer and give reasons for it using 2000 characters or less.

Question 14: Do you agree or disagree with the broad formal and informal categories of activities that can be undertaken as CPD in the CPD system? Agree / Disagree / Don’t know

Question 15: Do you agree or disagree with the range of activities that can be undertaken for CPD in the CPD system? Agree / Disagree / Don’t know

Question 16: Are there any other activities that should also be included in the CPD system?

Please set them out.

Question 17: Do you agree or disagree with the types of activities that should not be able to contribute to CPD in the CPD system? Agree / Disagree / Don’t know

Please state your answer and give reasons for it using 2000 characters or less.

Question 18: Do you agree or disagree that up to 50% of the CPD to be undertaken should be of “formal” CPD activities and the remaining CPD should be of “informal” ones? Agree / Disagree / Don’t know

Question 19: Do you agree or disagree that there should be no restrictions on the use of particular activities in the formal and informal headings of CPD? Agree / Disagree / Don’t know

Section 4: Amount of CPD to be undertaken in a year 

Question 20: Do you agree or disagree that the main way that the amount of CPD to be undertaken should be in CPD hours? Agree / Disagree / Don’t know

Question 21: Do you agree or disagree that there should be points allocated to some activities that are not time-based? Agree / Disagree / Don’t know

Question 22: Do you agree or disagree with the specific activities that have points allocated to them? Agree / Disagree / Don’t know

Question 23: If you have any comments on how we propose to calculate how CPD is undertaken please set them out.

Question 24: Do you agree or disagree that CPD points should be awarded where an individual is undertaking a scheme that involves CPD and they provide proof that they have completed its requirements in the current CPD year? Agree / Disagree / Don’t know

Question 25: What other schemes that involve CPD should we recognise with the allocation of CPD points?

Please list the schemes.

Question 26: How many points should be awarded in recognition of undertaking and completing CPD in another scheme?

Please state your answer and give reasons for it.

Question 27: Do you agree that users of the CPD system could undertake at least 30 hours of CPD in a year? Yes / No / Don’t know

Question 28: If you disagree, how much CPD should they undertake?

Please state a figure and give reasons for your answer.

Question 29: Should there be different amounts of CPD to be undertaken for different users of the CPD system, for example part-time workers? Yes / No / Don’t know 

Question 30: Should there be an alternative approach whereby the amount of CPD to be undertaken is linked to specific schemes in Tiers 1-3 of the Agricultural Reform Programme? Yes / No / Don’t know

Question 31: Please give reasons for your answer.

Section 5: Exemptions from undertaking CPD for part or all a year as a result of specific circumstances 

Question 32: Do you agree or disagree with the list of reasons for exemption from undertaking CPD for part or all of a CPD year? Agree / Disagree / Don’t know

Question 33: If you disagree, should there be any changes made to the list of specific reasons for exemption from undertaking CPD for part or all of a CPD year?

Please state your answer.

Question 34: Do you agree or disagree with the types of evidence to support an application for exemption from undertaking CPD for part or all of a CPD year? Agree / Disagree / Don’t know

Question 35: Do you have any further comments on exemption from undertaking CPD for part or all of a CPD year?

Please state your answer.

Section 6: Support to assist users of teh CPD system 

Question 36: What formats of guidance will help make the CPD system more accessible and user-friendly?

Please provide an answer and give reasons for it.

Question 37: Do you agree or disagree that individuals should have to complete a Personal Learning Plan (PLP)? Agree / Disagree / Don’t know

Question 38: Do you agree or disagree that the completion of a PLP could be used as a requirement to attend some CPD activities or apply for specific support? Agree / Disagree / Don’t know

Question 39: Do you have any further comments on support for users of the CPD system?

Please state your answer.

Section 7: Encouraging the uptake of CPD 

Question 40: How do we encourage the uptake of CPD especially where it is voluntary to undertake?

Please state your answer.

Section 8: Some technical aspects of the CPD system 

Question 41: Do you agree or disagree that the CPD system should be able to link individual CPD logs within a BRN, subject to safeguards being introduced? Agree / Disagree / Don’t know

Please state your answer and give reasons for it.

Section 9: Good practice in CPD systems 

Question 42: What features are there in CPD systems that make them easy to use, accessible, and encourage their use?

Please state your answer and give reasons for it.

Section 10: Assessing the impact 

Question 43: Are you aware of any potential costs and burdens to farmers, crofters and other users of the CPD system that you think may arise as a result of the proposals in this consultation? Yes / No / Don’t know

Please state your answer and give reasons for it.

Question 44: Are you aware of any impacts, positive or negative, that any of the proposals in this consultation may have on the environment? Yes / No / Don’t know

Please state your answer and give reasons for it.

Question 45: Are you aware of any impacts, positive or negative, that any of the proposals in this consultation may have on children and young people who can be employed in agriculture? Could there be any improvements made? Yes / No / Don’t know

Please state your answer and give reasons for it.

Please state your answer and give reasons for it.

Question 46: Are you aware of any impacts, positive or negative, that any of the proposals in this consultation may have on data protection or privacy? Yes / No / Don’t know

Please state your answer and give reasons for it.

Question 47: Are you aware of any ways in which the proposals in this consultation may impact positively or negatively those with protected characteristics? (Protected characteristics included age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation) Yes / No / Don’t know

Please state your answer and give reasons for it.

Question 48: Are you aware of any ways in which the proposals in this consultation may impact positively or negatively on groups or areas experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage? These could be households with low incomes or few resources; families struggling to make ends meet; people who experienced poverty while growing up: or areas with few resources or opportunities compared with others. Yes / No / Don’t know

Please state your answer and give reasons for it.

Question 49: Are you aware of any ways in which the proposals in this consultation might impact, positively or negatively, island communities in a way that is different from the impact on mainland areas? Yes / No / Don’t know

Please state your answer and give reasons for it.

Section 11: Monitoring and evaluation 

Question 50: Do you have any comments on the proposed approaches to the monitoring and evaluation of the CPD system?

Please state your answer.

Section 12: Looking ahead after 2031 

Question 51: Do you have any comments on how we could develop the CPD system to support agriculture after 2031?

Please state your answer.

Useful information about responding to this consultation

As you complete your response, each page will provide the option to 'Save and come back later' at the bottom. This means you can save your progress and return to the consultation at any time before it closes. If you don't use this feature and leave the consultation midway through, your response will be lost.

Once you have submitted your response, you can enter your email address to get a pdf copy of your answers sent to you.

On the 'About You' page at the end of this consultation, organisations will have the opportunity to tell us more about their work and/or how their response was informed.

After the consultation has closed there will be a few months delay before any responses are published. This is because we must check any responses to be published abide by our Terms of Use.

All relevant submitted responses will be analysed. This may be carried out by third party organisations who Scottish Government, its executive agencies or non-ministerial offices, contract to do this work. Such data sharing will be governed by appropriate contractual arrangements to keep your data secure.

An analysis report will usually be published some months after the consultation has closed. This report will summarise the findings based on all responses submitted. It will be published on the Scottish Government website and you may be notified about it if you choose to share your email address with us.

You can also join our consultation mailing list where we regularly list newly published analysis reports (as well as new consultations).

Why your views matter

No decisions have been taken on the introduction of a CPD system or how any such system could function. It is therefore extremely important that you provide views so that Ministers can take them into consideration.

Your views will help to inform the development of the policy and policy options before Scottish Ministers take a final decision.

Please share the consultation with other people whom you think would be interested in it and in responding to it. 

Give us your views

This activity will open on 21 Sep 2026. Please come back on or after this date to give us your views.

Opens 21 Sep 2026

Closes 14 Dec 2026

Contact

Agricultural Transformation in Productivity

Tier4ARP@gov.scot

Interests

  • Business, Industry and Innovation
  • Education
  • Farming and Rural
  • Main hub