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Best Practices: PD

Best Practices-Professional Development: How to Submit Yours!

Here you will find a repository of best practices in CAP professional development.
Best Practices
Submit your great ideas for consideration by clicking here. Ideas submitted and approved will be posted on this web page.

Requests for regulation or policy changes need to go to your wing commander and voted upon by our policy makers first.

 

 

 

Best Practices...creative ideas from the field, put to use, and enhancing the way Civil Air Patrol operates.
 
See below for a list of best practices that you may want to adopt for use in your unit!

 

Senior Member Performance Reports & Feedback

Our cadets enjoy the Leadership Feedback Forms, CAPF 50, to guide them in their professional development. However, senior members do not have such a tool - until now!

Our thanks to Brian Schmuck of IN Wing, who has created performance report forms and feedback forms for both officers and enlisted adult members. Download them here:


Brian recommends using these tools on a annual or bi-annual rotating schedule.  For example, if a unit is using the program annually, each individual will receive an initial performance feedback in January, a mid-term performance feedback in June or July, and a final performance report in December (the culmination of the reporting period).  This way works best for senior members.

He also recommends that no ratings are provided in the initial feedback interview, as this is a time where the two individuals sit down and discuss expectations (what does the supervisor expect of the subordinate and visa-versa).
 
The purpose of the program is to provide a structured process for mentoring, to allow subordinates the chance to sit down with their supervisors to discuss exactly what is expected of them and what they expect of their supervisor, their unit, and CAP.  This helps a great deal with new members as well as with those more senior.

Senior Member Accomplishment Summary

Paul Kriegler of OR Wing has created the Senior Member Accomplishment Summary in Excel format. Check it out!

New Member Flowchart & Information Sheet - Glenn Fortmayer of KS Wing has created a one page flowchart to aid leaders in getting our new members involved quickly. He also created a one page information sheet to give to the new members, complete with links, that will help them start their professional development. Download these tools here:

Specialty Track Checklists - Andrew Rajca from CO Wing created an Excel checklist of all of the CAP Specialty Tracks. Download it here:

New Officer Checklist - Mario Accardo from MI Wing created a handy outline of things to discuss with a new senior member. Download it here:

Senior Progress Chart - Michael Willis from IL Wing has produced a progression chart that combines some of the ribbons and rank. Download it here:

AFIADL-13, The CAP Officer Course (formally ECI-13) - John Quinn from OH Wing writes:

"When setting up an AFIADL 13 seminar I found logistics problems involved with getting the 4 volumes before the scheduled seminar date. If they can download their 4 volumes, they can show up at the seminar with the volumes, hard copy or electronic copy, to mark as the seminar progresses. The enclosed electronic versions are the same as the hard copies except for the pictures and diagrams."

You can download these files here:

Senior Member Promotions Chart - Chuck Corway from TX Wing sent in this PDF chart that sums up most CAP senior member promotions from CAPR 35-5. He hopes that this helps other CAP members. Download this chart here:

Promotions Guide - John Talbott of NE Wing has created a promotions guide that connects the CAP Regulation 50-17 and CAP Regulation 35-5. This way, our members can see how both of these regulations work together and how they will be able to use both of them for promotion.

John writes:

"[This guide] is provided as a quick way of evaluating the promotion and training requirements for CAP members, and is not to be treated as an authoritative document, but instead it is provided to assist CAP members in understanding how the two different regulations are inter-related. Since regulations change from time to time, it is recommended that an individual using this document consult the actual regulations when an actual promotion is being evaluated or submitted. Individual section of the pertinent regulations are included, and marked."

Download the Promotions Guide here:

Specialty Track Helper - John Quinn from OH Wing sent in this PDF guide that is a great overview of CAP's Specialty Tracks. This guide also includes how to use the new on-line PDR reporting of the Specialty Tracks. Download this guide here:

Drill for Seniors - Col John Lehr from NCR has created a brief consolidated guide pulled from various sources that describe the fundamental drill elements that most adult members could use in their CAP career. Download this guide here:

Senior Member Progression Chart - John Quinn from OH Wing sent in this Microsoft PowerPoint slide that can replace CAPVA 176. The chart combines the elements found in attachment 1 of CAPR 50-17 and is styled similar to the progression chart for the cadets. Download this chart here:

Senior Member Progression - Robert Miller from FL Wing sent in his squadron's Senior Member Progression Chart that easily helps members track the steps they need.

Now you have two choices - use this guide or the one Joe Windes sent in (see 20 Oct 2004 entry).

Senior Member Professional Development Overview - Bethany Cox of Washington Wing developed a one page Excel file that overviews the levels of senior member professional development, available here:

23 Aug 05

Leader Member Exchange Theory - Ken Bishop, the curriculum development officer for FL Wing, has developed a PowerPoint presentation on Leader Member Exchange Theory, available here:

22 July 05

AFIADL Course 13 - Want to know what is in this course? Douglas K. Richards, director of professional development for OR Wing, has assembled a great outline that can also be used as a notetaker, available here:

22 July 05

"New Horizons" Cadet to Senior Transition Guide - Bobbie Tourville from the Massachusetts Wing used her experience as a former cadet to write a transition guide for cadets wishing to transition to senior membership. New Horizons tells interested cadets how to best administratively and personally prepare to become a senior member.

28 March 2005

IG Professional Development Benchmark Candidate - New Mexico Wing recently completed a Staff Unit Inspection for the Capitol Composite Squadron in Santa Fe and identified this benchmark candidate for profesional development (used with permission):

"(Benchmark Candidate) Each new member is interviewed when they join the squadron to find out their areas of interest in Civil Air Patrol. A professional development track is then devised for the new members that includes every step to accomplishment of qualification or competency in their areas of interest. Every new member is then assigned to a mentor - a seasoned member of CAP - to aid the new member in the "how to's" of CAP. SM Arthur Padilla, Capitol Composite Squadron Professional Development Officer, then follows the progress and steps of accomplishment of each member on a graph he designed. He regularly talks with the new members to see how they are progressing and to see if they have any questions he can help them with." 3 Jan 2005.

The Learning Process - Susan McMillian from AZ Wing uses this handout to promote experiential education. While the handout applies for the adolescent learner, the principles also apply to the adult learner.

29 November 2004

Best Practices White Paper - Leland Smith from WI Wing recently published a white paper about best practices as part of his doctoral requirements. This white paper contains a number of reference sites for those wanting to know more about effectively using best practices.

8 November 2004

Senior Member Progression - Joe Windes from OK Wing sent in his squadron's Senior Member Progression Chart that easily helps members track the steps they need.

Your Idea Here  - Submit your great ideas for consideration by clicking here. Ideas submitted and approved will be posted on this web page. 20 Oct 2004.

 

 
 
 
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