Volume 4 No. 3 

EDDIE HUGHES

What is a Portfolio?

The term Portfolio is often used but what does it mean in relation to the Chartership Candidates application for Registration? Many professionals such as Artists, Graphic Designers, Clothing Designers, Marketing Managers and high-flying Business Managers now request students to "build" Portfolios. Executive Personnel also pay large sums of money to have Portfolios produced for them when competing for High Powered Jobs.

One of the most common forms of Portfolio is the NVQ (National Vocational Qualifications) Portfolio, which is based on the concept of Candidates collecting sufficient and relevant evidence to prove their competence against a set of detailed Standards. One of the most current methods of Assessment is through Professional Discussion. This involves a series of discussions between an NVQ Candidate and the Assessor, which are captured on Audio or Video tape with supporting evidence from key persons.

It is important to emphasise the difference between a Chartership Portfolio and an S/NVQ Portfolio. A Chartership Portfolio is an evaluative and critical review of professional development, not simply a description of work done, and skills developed. 

Once you have started to develop your Chartership Portfolio, it will become a way of life and can be quite addictive! When completed it will be something you should be proud of, and will be the foundation of your future Professional Career.

Your Portfolio is your Professional Profile and should include the following concepts:-

* A collection of evidence demonstrating your ability, understanding, knowledge, skills and attitudes
* A record of your learning experiences
* A way of demonstrating what you know and what you can do
* A record of what you have done
* A method of utilising your professional judgement in selecting material to be included
* An expansion of your Continuing Professional Development file (if you have one)
* A method to demonstrate your understanding of service objectives and your ability to evaluate and appraise them
* A record of your Professional interests and involvement

Before you start

Ask yourself
· Has my professional career to date provided me with enough evidence to enable me to produce my portfolio?
· Do I think I can generate enough evidence over a period of time e.g. 2-3 years.

THEN-

Discuss your ideas with your Line Manager, Chartership Supervisor and your local Registration Liaison Officer.

Ask your R.L.O. to obtain a sample Portfolio for you to examine.

Introduce some aspects of critical self analysis. You could discuss this with your Chartership Supervisor, RLO or Line Manager.

Read the Associatship Regulations and Notes of Guidance (1997 Edition), particularly the sections on Portfolio of Professional Development (pages 23 - 24) and Professional Development Proforma (page 31) this will provide some ideas for your Portfolio content.

Obtain a copy of the Library Association Framework for Continuing Professional Development and use it in conjunction with your Portfolio building.

Try to borrow an Information and Library Services NVQ Portfolio, Levels 3 or 4, this will give you an idea of how to organise, present and Index your Portfolio. The ILS Scheme Booklet Levels 3 or 4 would be useful in providing ideas in relation to aspects of your portfolio compilation. The booklets are available from the ILS NTO.

What should I include?

* My C. V. including titles and job descriptions of relevant posts. 
* Evidence of the full period of practical experience
* An annotated contents list
* An evaluative introduction-you can be critical as well as analytical
* Evidence that you understand the Aims and Objectives of your Organisation; i.e. the Mission and Policy Statements and Strategies, with evaluation against service delivery.
* Examples to demonstrate your commitment to your own Professional Development and Needs. 
* Your involvement in Professional Groups.
* Details of relevant Development and Training received to date. Include a list of events/courses attended. Provide your own Evaluation and Analysis as to its effectiveness. Follow up by identifying any gaps in your training needs.
* Examples of what you have done-Sources of evidence
* Evidence of your awareness and understanding of contemporary professional issues and current Legislation
* Identification of your Strengths and provide examples of experiences and achievements.
* You understanding of the role of Library Association and Career Development Group 
* A Bibliography
* A Visits List e.g. trade exhibitions, other types of library or related services.

What type of evidence do I include? 

* Examples of work you have done in your workplace
* Responses to Customers/Colleagues-Questions, Enquiries, Correspondence
* Projects and Assignments you have led or have being involved with
* Press Releases you have written
* Photographs of projects and activities that you have been involved with.
* Team Meeting Reports, Evaluation Reports, Minutes of Meetings
* Letters/Memos
* Guidance notes to staff on new policies and procedures * Publications/Leaflets you have produced
* Contributions to Professional Literature
* Development and Training - completed course Evaluation forms.
* Personal Reports of work activities and visits to conferences, professional meetings and events
* Briefing notes
* Diary entries
* Case Studies
* Witness Testimonies/Observations by Colleagues, Line Managers, Supervisors and Customers
* Audio/Video/IT Evidence

Presenting your evidence

As a starting point, have a box or file and initially ‘throw‘ into it anything that you think is relevant. You can make a short list of material at a later stage. Your Portfolio must be very well presented in order to impress the Registration Board. Your Evaluative Introduction is one of the most important sections of your portfolio; don’t forget a maximum of 1000 words. The sort of information you should include is:- 

· The length of time your portfolio covers.
· How and why you have selected the material for inclusion.
· How you have organised and indexed the Portfolio.

You must sell your strengths by evaluating what you feel are the your best sections of your portfolio. Discuss the positive aspects of your job/s. Include an annotated contents table indicating the purpose of each section of the portfolio with a reference/cross reference to where the information can be located in your Portfolio e.g.
.

SECTION 1 - MY CAREER 
1.1 Curriculum Vitae PORTFOLIO RECORD NO.1
1.2 Job Description(s) PORTFOLIO REDORD NO.2

SECTION 2 - MY UNDERSTANDING OF MY ORGANISATION’S AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
2.1 Mission statement PORTFOLIO RECORD NO 3

The most important point to remember is that your portfolio is the method of demonstrating your professional knowledge, ability and skill to the Board. My advice in presenting and organising your Portfolio is KEEP IT SIMPLE. Base your portfolio on the QUALITY NOT QUANTITY concept and ensure that all material is RELEVANT.

Your Portfolio Index should be as conventional as possible, remember the Registration Board Members need to locate your evidence by the simplest route. You can also use colour codes and if you want to index a wide range of evidence your could produce a Matrix. .Don’t duplicate evidence, instead make cross references whenever possible.

Your portfolio should be presented in triplicate, preferably in a Ring Binder, Lever Arch File or Spirally Bound. Failing this, it could be submitted in a well-organised box file. If your are Welsh speaking you can submit your Portfolio in Welsh.

Your Portfolio checklist

When you think you have completed your Portfolio, check it out by asking the following questions;

HOW HAVE I –

* Developed my Professionalism.
* Built on my Experiences.
* Demonstrated my ability to transfer Theoretical Knowledge into Practical Skills.
* Developed and Demonstrated my Analytical Skills.
* Critically Analysed my Organisation.
* Identified my Training and Development Needs both present and more importantly, for the future; Evaluated my Training and Development Activities, Proved that I am Committed to Continuing Professional Development
* Provided Evidence that I understand aspects of Management and Policy, Explained/Discussed what my Professional Viewpoint is on current Professional Issues within my own particular sector, and ideally in other related sectors as well.

FINAL THOUGHTS

WHERE IN YOUR PORTFOLIO ARE THE ABOVE QUALITIES DEMONSTRATED?

HOW DOES YOUR PORTFOLIO EVIDENCE RELATE TO YOUR ORGANISATION’S AIMS , OBJECTIVES, POLICIES AND STRATEGIES?

Bibliography

Hall, Cathy and Redfern, Liz. Profiles and portfolios : a guide for midwives and nurses. Macmillan, 1996.
Mandell, A. and Michelson, E. Portfolio Development and Adult Learning, Chicago, Council for Adult and Experiential Learning.

Redman, W.(1994) Portfolios for Development : a guide for trainers and managers, London Kogan Page. 
Developing a portfolio. Management Charter Initiative, 1992.

The Open University (1994) People and Potential (OU Pub. no. K502) - available to consult at LAHQ and OU regional centres.

The Open University (1995) Building a Portfolio, Milton Keynes, The Open University.

Personnel Training and Education Group (1999) A Reading List For Supervisors, London, Library Association PT&EG Group.

About the Author

Eddie Hughes is now retired but has worked in Libraries for over 33 years. He is a part time External Verifier for OCR. He is also the Co-ordinator of the Wales Training Group and the Supervisor’s Liaison Officer for Wales. He is also a trained Investors In People Assessor. Since his retirement 3 years ago he has turned his long time hobby as a magician into a small business as a professional Children’s Entertainer.

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