How to Improve Mobility for Planners in Europe

Hendrik W van der Kamp

Dublin Institute of Technology

European Council of Spatial Planners

Recognition of Qualifications

• Regulated Profession with automatic recognition (e.g. Architecture)

• Common Platform

• Europass

• Mutual Recognition

Common Platform

A common platform can be described as a set of criteria of professional qualifications which are suitable for compensating for substantial differences which have been identified between training requirements existing in the various member states for a given profession. Such substantial differences would be identified through a process of comparing the duration and content of the training in at least 2/3 of member states, including all member states that regulate the profession.

Europass

Europass consists of five documents that help potential employers, educational establishments and training providers understand which subjects have been studied, what training has been completed or how much experience has been gained working. It also records non-formal learning and language skills. The Europass portfolio comprises Curriculum Vitae, Language Passport, Diploma Supplement, Certificate Supplement and Mobility. All of these documents are presented in a standardised format, to ensure maximum transparency across Europe.

Mutual Recognition

• Concept: bi-lateral agreements recognising each other’s members

• Mechanism: Planner from country A wanting to work in country B first becomes member of ECTP member association in country B

• Organic expansion of agreements overseen by ECTP-CEU

Professional Institutes

• ECTP-CEU: Umbrella Body of Professional Institutes for Planners

• www.ectp-ceu.eu• Members range from: large and long

established (RTPI) to small and new (e.g. Estonian Institute)

• Executive Committee• General Assembly• Lobbying role

Study on the Recognition of Planning Qualifications in Europe

• Supported with finance from French Government, AESOP and ECTP-CEU

• Stage 1 concluded

• Welcomed by General Assembly

• Main conclusion: mutual recognition agreements

Mutual Recognition Agreements

Seeks to achieve the same goals of a ‘Common Platform’ but is based on voluntary mutual agreement between member organisations which would not be restricted by the overly prescriptive requirements of the Directive. Criteria that the ECTP-CEU as well individual member organisations would have to address in drawing up such mutual agreements including:

the scope of the planning professionthe planning education systempractical experience and internshipplanning practice in the country in question.

Protocol

• Need to recognise that there is no agreed definition, paradigm or even understanding of what constitutes ‘spatial planning’

• Therefore: no agreed curriculum• Score minimum number of list of

competencies• Common core optional• ‘Unity in Diversity’

Models of Spatial Planning in Europe (Nadin, 2008)

Land UseManagement

ComprehensiveIntegrated

Regional Economic

Urbanism

Effect on Planning Education

• Need to recognise that many members of professional institutes may not have a qualification from a ‘planning school’

• In many countries engineers, architects or even lawyers are dominant

• Therefore: AESOP members and ECTP members may not overlap greatly

AESOP & ECTP-CEU

AESOP ECTP-CEU

AESOP & ECTP-CEU

AESOP ECTP-CEU

Stage 2 of the study: aims

• List educational courses in Europe which are the dominant qualifications of full members in each member association of ECTP-CEU  

• List subjects, skills and competences that are contained in the curriculum of each of these educational courses

• List skills and competences that could form the basis of a ‘protocol’

Ultimate Aim

• Self-regulation of the profession instead of European Directive

• Organic instead of top down

• Gradual integration of curricula

• Role for professional institutes as well as planning schools

The Question of the Paradigm

• What is planning?

• Planning lacks an agreed paradigm

• Professional institutes can help formulate common understanding

• ECTP-CEU has published useful books: New Charter of Athens, Try it This Way.