FPA aims for more relevant education
The Financial Planning Association (FPA) will review the role and tasks undertaken by planners on an ongoing basis as part of a strategy to ensure its continuing adviser education program remains cutting edge.
Late last month, the FPA called on education providers to tender for the delivery of its Certified Financial Planning (CFP) and CFP Certification and Assessment programs, which to date have been serviced through Deakin Prime — the business division of Deakin University.
According to FPA general manager education business services Chris McMillan, the association is seeking a flexible outsourcing partner to enable its program to be adapted when the goal posts for advisers are moved.
“We’re scanning the marketplace to see if there’s a provider that can work with us in order to incorporate more flexibility and more streamlining of processes into the program,” McMillan says.
The call to tender is the latest stage of the FPA’s revamp of its education operations. The association is already in the process of outsourcing its entry level Diploma of Financial Services (DFS) and Advanced Diploma of Financial Services (ADFS) to Tribeca Learning.
The FPA developed a new CFP program and certification assessment model in 2003, but McMillan says these will now be constantly reviewed to ensure they remain relevant to practising advisers.
“You can’t have a program that’s developed and just put on the shelf these days, it has to be continually reviewed. Not just in terms of slight changes in tax, but on how financial planning is conducted overall,” McMillan says.
The tender is open until September 27.
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