We live in changing times! The 21st century is fast becoming an age of assessment, of quality assurance - and of accountability. What does this all mean for the professional statistician? It means that potential clients need assurance of "professional competence". It also requires that this "professional competence", once achieved, is maintained in the light of advancements in both technical and analytical tools. This paper will illustrate the philosophical underpinning of the CPD process which will be implemented and used by the Royal Statistical Society as a vehicle to ensure the maintenance of professional standards within the statistical profession, in support of its professional status award of Chartered Statistician (CStat.). The paper will also seek to initiate and encourage a continuing rational debate between Academic Statisticians (who are increasingly being encouraged to generate commercial revenue for their universities) and practising commercial statisticians (who are increasingly finding academic developments in statistics irrelevant for their current needs).
The CAUSE Research Group is supported in part by a member initiative grant from the American Statistical Association’s Section on Statistics and Data Science Education