#chartership chat on Twitter – the evaluative statement, 29 March 2012

Date and time: 29 March, 6.30pm-7.30pm BST
Topic: the evaluative statement
Participants: 14
Tweets: about 160

I tuned in to the first #chartership chat on Twitter last month but I missed the last two so it was great to get involved again. Tonight’s theme was the evaluative statement, and while there weren’t as many of us present this week (@joeyanne was missing and we were competing with the hottest day of the year, as @cjclib pointed out!), @tinamreynolds did a great job keeping the conversation going and the discussion was just as fast-flowing and crammed with useful tips.

@joeyanne will be archiving the tweets as usual and you can still read write-ups of the previous #chartership chats. The next chat is on 12 April at 6.30pm BST, and the theme will be the mentor/mentee relationship.

16 February, #Chartership chat on Twitter blogpost by @joeyanne
Storify on #chartership chat by @ellyob
1 March, Chatting about Chartership blogpost by @el399
17 March, collecting and reporting evidence blogpost by @Library_Quine

I’ve taken the approach of previous bloggers and tried to pull out the main areas we discussed, as well as the best practical tips for writing your statement.

Planning and drafting the evaluative statement

There was some debate over when to start thinking about the evaluative statement. @Misteemog collected a mass of evidence first, drew it together in the statement, writing about each item, then “pruned the best bits”. @Readyourbook suggested arranging your evidence into a coherent order first, then writing a sentence about each piece of evidence as a first draft:

Some said they’d been thinking about the evaluative statement while they were collecting evidence – @ellyob jots down ideas for the statement under each of her chartership objectives, alongside possible evidence. @tinamreynolds and @Readyourbook both wished they’d started thinking about the statement at an earlier stage. Whether or not you draft your statement as you’re going along, we all agreed it was advisable to think about the criteria as well as your PPDP goals while you’re gathering evidence.

@Readyourbook pointed out that drafting the statement can help you to focus on reflection, and to weed out evidence that doesn’t add anything to your portfolio.

What to focus on

I’ve reached the point where I want to draft my evaluative statement, but I’m struggling to set out a framework, so it was great to get some input from other chartershippers (charterers? Hmm).

@AnabelMarsh “parachuted in” to pass on some advice from a recent chartership meeting she attended. The assessors she met prefer the statement to be based on the criteria, because it makes their job easier, though they’re not opposed to other approaches. @annetteearl followed this framework, writing 250 words on each of the four criteria.

We agreed it didn’t matter if your evidence applied to more than one of the criteria – they’re bound to cross over (most activities, as @tinamreynolds pointed out, will count as commitment to CPD), and applying to multiple criteria can strengthen your evidence – although it may make writing the statement harder!

If there isn’t room for in-depth reflection in the statement, where else can you put it?

The statement is limited to 1,000 words, so there isn’t much room for proper reflection – @Schopflin repeated the mantra, “Make every word count”, and pointed out that “your statement should be supported by evidence, not contain it”. @Misteemog was advised to think of the statement as an executive summary of your application.

@tinamreynolds posed a question:

@johnmcmahon31 writes a reflective report on each event he attends. The portfolio I currently have on loan from CILIP (by Simon Ward) makes very good use of this – every training day and course is written up in a report, including aims and achievements, so the author is reflecting on lessons he’s learned and applied in the workplace as well as just describing the experience. The statement can then be limited to one or two lines for each objective.

The CV is another place to add reflection:

By describing your key achievements in each job role and how you applied what you learned on training courses to the workplace, you can save space in your statement. Four pages is a lot to play with; even if you’re as prolific as @tinamreynolds and have reems of training to draw on, you can add a line or two of reflection on the most useful courses if you’re selective.

@Readyourbook suggested adding some reflection to an explanatory note at the top of each piece of evidence, to make it absolutely clear to the assessors why the evidence is included.

Other issues covered

• @ellyob wondered how many objectives you should identify in the PPDP – most people had four or five development areas but could bundle different objectives together under each one
• How much evidence do you put in the portfolio?
• Ways of organising evidence – whiteboards, physical piles of evidence, post-it notes in a matrix
• The benefits of including an explanatory statement at the top of each piece of evidence, making it clear why it is included
• Reassurance that any changes to the chartership process following the Future Skills consultation won’t apply to anyone who is already registered for chartership
• What to include in the CV

Top tips on writing the evaluative statement

• It’s never too early to think about the evaluative statement – if you have it in mind while you’re gathering evidence it’ll be much easier to write
• Think of your statement as an executive summary
• Assessors prefer it if you base your statement on the criteria (though it’s not the only way) – the clearer you make it the easier their job is
• It’s all about reflection not description – the place to describe activities is in the evidence…
• …and if you go over the word limit try to fit more reflective writing into your evidence
• Ensure everything in the portfolio is referred to in the statement – don’t let evidence sit alone
• Arrange the statement with headings, bullet points etc to break up the text – it’s easier for the assessors to read and navigate (although long headings might eat up the word count!)

Chartership update: getting motivated

So I’ve had a bit of a break from blogging in general – it was sunny outside, and warm, and there was something on the telly… – but I’m getting back into Chartership again now it’s autumn (just).

I only got as far as week six with my to do lists, so I’m going to try and do one a fortnight instead from now on. Bit more of a chance I’ll keep it up!

My PPDP has been approved by my mentor so I’ve got to send that off to CILIP this week, and I need to organise my CPD spreadsheet so that I can start compiling my portfolio. I’m at the point now where I know what I want to do, it’s just a case of doing it and documenting it, then reflecting. It sounds so easy when I put it like that!

To do in the next few weeks:

• Send PPDP to CILIP
• Properly start CPD spreadsheet – with a column for reflecting
• Catch up on CPD23 course – woefully behind!
• Finish reorganising what’s already on the intranet

 

Blogging From the archive: CILIP Update article

I had an article published in CILIP Update magazine last week, but I was away (good timing!) so I couldn’t blog it then. If you’ve ever wondered how the Guardian library runs the From the archive blog, here’s the place to find out.

Update were kind enough to link to it directly (Blogging from the archive: it’s all old news). Have a read if you’re interested (please!).

Digested version (John Crace style) – We used to blog. It was rubbish. Now we’ve focussed the remit and published it through the Guardian site, it’s great. Oh, and Twitter helps. Read it.

If anyone has feedback I’d be really interested. Do you run a similar project? How have you found the process of blogging for work? Disagree with any points?

Chartership to do list week 6: outcomes

Not too bad but I still need to make time in my life for reading all my RSS’d articles. I need a few telly-free nights I think!

• Get mentor to sign PPDP and send to CILIP – PPDP is with mentor
• Write up notes from recent events – done
• Reflect on work since return from leave – doing
• Catch up with Google Reader articles – um…
• Start writing CPD audit – I’ve created a Google spreadsheet (I do love a Google spreadsheet)

Chartership: Body of professional knowledge

Cilip: Body of Professional Knowledge

The body of professional knowledge is one of the things about Chartership that I can’t quite get my head around, a bit like the more theoretical aspects of reflective practice.

I understand the basic idea – that at the core of the information profession, there is a basic level of knowledge that is essential for any professional to have, regardless of the specifics of their role.

I understand, too, that providing a diagramatic framework helps to highlight any shortcomings in your current knowledge, and possible routes for continuing development.

What I struggle with is applying the theoretical concepts to my job. I’ve read the CILIP document, and the sections on the body of knowledge in several Chartership handbooks, but I’m not sure where to go from there.

Do I draw a diagram for the roles I perform at work, to include in my portfolio, or do I assume that reading it is enough? Any advice from chartered professionals gratefully received!

Chartership to do list week 6: Back on track

After a brief hiatus (weekends away + busy office = too many distractions!) I’m getting back into chartering. A bit of progress – I’ve written my PPDP, hurrah!

• Get mentor to sign PPDP and send to CILIP
• Write up notes from recent events
• Reflect on work since return from leave
• Catch up with Google Reader articles
• Start writing CPD audit

CPD23 Thing 7: Face-to-face networks

Bethan’s Thing 7 blogpost

In terms of career development, this is the area I think I need to work on most. I’ve never been good at approaching people I don’t know – I’d be the one loitering by the tea/biscuits/wine waiting for someone to take pity on me. But I decided when I started Chartership last year – really when I started to take my career seriously – that I needed to expand my professional network, and improve my networking skills in the process.

Most of my professional networking is done online, but face-to-face offers something lacking in online contact – a chance to engage in natural conversation, to talk without other distractions. I feel like I know someone better once I’ve met them in person.

There isn’t a lot of career progression available in my role – we’re such a small department that there isn’t a ‘ladder’ as such – so I need to look outside for ways of furthering my career.

So which professional organisations have I been involved with so far?

AUKML

When I joined the Guardian as a researcher nine years ago the department was heavily involved in AUKML (the Association of UK Media Librarians), and automatically paid membership. I attended social events, AGMs and the conference in London (funding wasn’t available to send me to the residential conferences elsewhere). I also wrote for the quarterly newsletter Deadline.

Unfortunately the sector has shrunk over the past decade, and the decision was made to fold a couple of years ago. Another reason to expand my professional horizons.

CILIP

I’ve been a member for just over a year, and I’m working towards Chartership. A couple of weeks ago I attended the Umbrella conference in Hatfield (which I will blog about when I find my notes!). I’ve written a couple of articles for CILIP Update too, and I’d like to write more.

I went along to Cilip in London‘s tie-in event for Thing 7, and as well as enjoying the free wine I made some really good connections – people I follow online but hadn’t met, people I knew but hadn’t touched base with in a while, and some people I’d never met before. My online community has expanded as a result, meaning the connections I made will continue.

The talks and discussions were interesting (and not just the ones about wedding dresses!) – more to write up when I find that notebook! I would definitely consider getting involved in a committee, but I don’t think now is the time for me. I’m already juggling babies and work, and I know being a committee member would benefit my Chartership but I’m not sure I would find time to write my portfolio if I got involved! I barley have time to keep up with CPD23 – did I mention this post was late?

SLA Europe

I’m not a member, yet, but I’ve been to several SLA events (and we’re the reigning champions of the Winter Warmer quiz). I’m considering joining now that my company pays for professional membership of CILIP.

LIKE

I went to my first LIKE event last week, a guided walk which was purely social – I skipped the tour of the Guardian! – but still afforded a chance to chat to other professionals. I might get a bit more involved with the next event.

To do:

• Join SLA Europe?
• Follow up on contacts I made at Cilip in London event
• Get involved with LIKE?
• Chase up suggestion for Update article

Chartership to do list week 5 – outcomes

So I’m a bit behind on my blogging… Found this in my draft folder, oops. I’m looking at it as a two-week holiday, and now I’m back to chartership and CPD23. Promise.

• Take a look at Cilip databases for background info on relevant topics – done
• Set up RSS feeds to blogs I read regularly – done, through Google Reader – now I just need to remember to check it!
• Email PPDP draft to mentor – done
• Talk to manager about goals – still not found time

CPD23 Thing 7: CILIP in London event

My first CILIP in London event, to tie in with Thing 7 of CPD23 (real world networks), was a great success.

The discussion part of the evening was really useful in introducing me to some of the work that committee members do in CILIP, and the discussion format introduced me to a few new faces (as well as letting me chat with some old ones!).

The social side afterwards (as well as giving me a stinking hangover) meant I got to meet some great fellow professionals in what is an increasingly isolated profession. Plus free wine (did I mention the hangover?).

Notes:

Francis – CILIP

• Hard to get committee members at outposts, looking at merging some branches – pilots going on
• Reassessing the CILIP input agreement – some groups may continue without CILIP input
• New model rolls out in 2012

Committee involvement helps PPD:

• managing and planning experience
• managing budgets
• leadership
• publicity
• networks
• advocacy
• plug the gap if there’s no opportunity at work

Franko – Career Development Group

• chair, secretary, treasurer – hard posts to fill, lots of work
• events organiser – visits, workshops, socials
• candidate support officer – came to it through qualifications – workshops, speaking
• mentor for chartership
• New Professionals conference
• About getting people involved, engaged to help

Helen, HLG – CPD panel chair

• needed to enhance CV, found CPD panel interesting – study days, workshops, conferences

Benefits:

• increased knowledge of sector
• increased respect for collaboration
• network stretches across the country
• more confidence in tackling new tasks
• apply skills to job
• good for CV, promotion
• share good practice, increase your network

Increases the workload on top of your job but it’s worth it.

Neil – SLA Europe

CILIP was useful in the early days, then SLA filled the gap – more personal benefit – it’s important to look at your own needs and decide which organisation to join.

Contacts through the network helped to get new job!

Reflections:

I need to look into which CILIP groups I’m a member of, and consider getting involved (although I think I want to focus on Chartership at the moment). I need to join SLA Europe, too, to widen my network.

Umbrella conference: Beyond Web 2.0 session

Nick Stopworth (@nickstopforth), Developing libraries online

Notes:

New technologies have a ‘hype cycle’ – a typical life cycle from inflated expectations, through disillusionment to an eventual plateau (as seen with Twitter at the mo). You don’t want to jump onto the bandwagon of a tool just to find it loses popularity. The trick is to roll with the flow then jump to the next platform before people lose interest.

Some interesting developments in technology that can benefit libraries – Internet of Things, context-aware computing, location-based data, tablets, open source data, QR codes (nice tattoo!). They’re not all for everyone – beware of “social network overload”, privacy issues – but libraries “need to position themselves with the big players”, see what you can do.

Reflections:

I agree that libraries should consider carefully before they adopt a new technology – do they have the time and manpower to dedicate to it? Will it really benefit their users? You don’t have to be on Twitter just because it seems like everyone else is! At work we have a blog and a Twitter account but we aren’t involved in Facebook at all because that wouldn’t be particularly useful to us.

I’m a bit wary of the idea that you can platform-hop though, keeping up with the latest trends in technology or sites. Nick raised some really interesting new developments but there are risks involved in adopting something that doesn’t take off, or of giving yourself too much work to do – having to update information on your blog, Twitter, Facebook, Google+… We found that when we first took to blogging as a department years ago, and it’s only now that we have a well-designed blog with a clear remit that it works for us.

Alan Brine, Beyond Pathfinder – currency of staff IT skills

At De Montford they undertook a staff audit of IT skills to spot gaps in knowledge, where they need to learn new skills.

IT skills matrix

• review feedback
• collate IT queries and enquiry desk queries -> matrix
• intranet staff survey (did it twice – it’s important to update and build on the first attempt)
• study results
• prioritise, target the important ones
• team manager looks at the list, addresses problems, feeds into appraisal, solve problems
• gaps – bespoke areas (Other…), quite specific
• Basic matrix – SKILL   /   I CAN   /   NEED REMINDING   /   I CAN’T

Solutions

• review group
• training sessions
• staff who can show each other ad hoc
• wikis – how to…
• printed guides

Wiki – the67things – keeps growing to meet the changing needs of users. The wiki provides information as needed in nuggets, rather than as a deluge as with large training sessions.

Reflections

I definitely want to adopt the wiki idea – we have all sorts of how to… documents at work on individual tasks, but no central store. There are definite gaps – everyone knows how to do different tasks, but we’re not always good at sharing that knowledge.