Transport Planning Qualifications
TPP - The Professional Qualification for Transport Planners
TPS is committed to the professional recognition of transport planners.
Together with the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT), the Society provides the Transport Planning Professional qualification, designed to be equivalent to that of other professional bodies, including Chartered Engineer, CEng.
The TPP qualification is based on the National Occupational Standards (NOS) for Transport Planning, developed by the Society with GoSkills (the Sector Skills Council) which were approved by QCA and other regulatory bodies in 2007.
Members of either the Society or CIHT can apply for the qualification, but are likely to need at least five years’ post-graduation experience in transport planning and to have been engaged on a variety of transport planning projects to demonstrate the breadth and depth of competence required to gain the qualification.
Full details are at www.tpprofessional.org.
The Routes for Candidates
In addition to being a member of the Society, or CIHT, there are five routes to becoming a candidate. Four of these are for those in the earlier years of their career as a transport planner, the Standard Route. The fifth, the Senior Route, is for those with extensive experience and senior management responsibilities.
The Professional Review Route
There are four possible paths through the Professional Review Route.
All candidates have to demonstrate their knowledge and competence through the submission of a Portfolio of Evidence and then by participating in a Professional Review with two trained reviewers who are senior members of the profession.
The first two paths are for candidates with either: -
- a transport Masters degree from a UK university that substantially covers the knowledge requirements for the qualification, approved by the TPP Professional Standards Committee, or
- a UK Honours degree (or its equivalent supported by a 'Statement of Comparability' from UK NARIC, www.naric.org.uk/index.asp?page=17) and who have also completed an approved structured graduate training scheme for transport planners
They are expected to have the knowledge that underpins the qualification, and are able to proceed directly to the preparation and submission of a Portfolio of Evidence, followed by their Professional Review.
The third path is for those with a UK Honours degree or its equivalent (see above)but who do not have an appropriate transport Masters or who have not completed a structured graduate training scheme for transport planners, must first submit a Portfolio of Technical Knowledge. Through this they need to demonstrate that they have the technical knowledge that underpins the qualification, before proceeding to the preparation and submission of a Portfolio of Evidence followed by their Professional Review.
The fourth path is for those without a UK Honours degree or its equivalent (see above) first need to submit a Technical Report which demonstrates that they have achieved learning outcomes that might be expected of a candidate entering through the other paths.
The Senior Route
The Senior Route is open to candidates who
- have extensive experience as a project manager or director across a range of transport planning skills
- have extensive experience as a project manager or director across a range of transport modes, and in a range of policy and planning contexts
- have made a substantial contribution to the transport planning profession over their career to date
- are in a senior management position with responsibility for a team of transport planners, and the direction of a variety of transport planning projects
They have to demonstrate the depth and breadth of their experience through an application that includes a detailed CV, a set of forms in which they show how their experience relates to the TPP competence requirements and personal recommendations by two Sponsors.
They are also expected to be willing to contribute to the professional development of transport planning staff and mentor younger potential TPP candidates.
Further Information
To download a copy of an article about the TPP published in Transportation Professional in September 2009 please click here.
For answers to some frequently asked questions about the TPP qualification and the TPS Professional Development Scheme please click here.
Further details on the TPP qualification are available on the Transport Planning Professional website, www.tpprofessional.org. and from jennifer.rasteiro@ciht.org.uk
For a downloadable document describing the qualification please click here.
Further information can also be found in the Spring 2008 edition of All Change.
For the 9th May 2008 Planning Magazine article on the TPS professional standards and development scheme click here
