APSCA  
CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL  
DEVELOPMENT POLICY  
1. INTRODUCTION  
Continuous Professional Development (CPD) is vital for maintaining and enhancing professional  
competence in a constantly changing environment. Each Certified Social Compliance Auditor  
(CSCA) must keep their knowledge and skills up to date by earning CPD credits through various  
learning and developmental activities.  
1.1 Purpose: CPD training ensures CSCAs maintain and enhance their knowledge, skills, and  
competence throughout their careers. It keeps professionals updated on emerging issues  
and the latest regulatory and standard advancements in the social auditing industry.  
1.2 Scope: The APSCA CPD Policy applies to all CSCAs, Member Firms, and training providers.  
CPD requirements takes effect upon a Member Auditor achieve the CSCA level.  
2. CPD REQUIREMENT  
2.1 All CSCAs must complete at least 48 hours of CPD per year, consisting of 32 hours of  
training and 16 hours of onsite audit.  
2.2 Training hours shall be obtained from the following categories:  
Minimum  
CPD Category  
Training Type and Description  
Requirement  
Mandatory  
Training  
2 hours  
Ethics & Integrity Training  
Two categories:  
Elective Training 30 hours  
•ꢀ APSCA Recognized Training a minimum of 18 and up to  
30 hours of APSCA Recognized Training courses.  
•ꢀ Independent Submission – up to 12 hours of learning  
activities including the combination of Independent  
Courses, Training Material Development, Training an ASCA,  
and Self-study.  
A minimum of Two (2) onsite audit1 days totaling 16 hours.  
Onsite Audits  
16 hours  
1
Onsite audit should meet the definition of APSCA’s Social Compliance Audit.  
Refer to APSCA Glossary of Terms.  
Document Name:  
Version & Date:  
Replaces:  
APSCA Continuous Professional Development Policy D:-105  
Version 5 – September 2024  
Version 4 – April 2024  
This document is no longer version controlled once printed.  
Author/Owner:  
Authorized by:  
Director of Exams & CPD  
APSCA Board of Directors  
Page 1 of 5  
2.3 Mandatory Training: each CSCA is required to undergo a minimum of 2 hours of  
Mandatory Ethics training annually. CSCA must take a course that has been recognized  
by APSCA to meet this requirement and assigned a unique code. The Mandatory Ethics  
training can be re-taken annually.  
2.4 Elective Training: a minimum of 30 hours of Elective Training is required annually, which  
includes APSCA Recognized Training and Independent Submission. The intent of elective  
training is to provide CSCAs greater flexibility to choose training courses that best suit their  
individual development goals.  
2.4.1 APSCA Recognized Training: a minimum of 18 hours and up to 30 hours of  
Recognized Training courses are required. All Recognized Training courses must  
undergo review by APSCA to ensure they align with the APSCA Competency  
Framework. Each Recognized Training Course can only be submitted once towards a  
CSCA’s CPD requirements.  
2.4.2 Independent Submission: CSCA may complete up to 12 hours of learning activities  
cross the following training types:  
2.4.2.1 Independent Course: Any course not recognized by APSCA but aligned with the  
Foundational Skills and Functional Knowledge Areas in the APSCA Competency  
Framework. CSCAs may claim up to 12 hours of this type of course.  
2.4.2.2 Training Material Development: CSCAs can claim CPD hours for developing  
training materials. For each hour of training created, they can claim 3 CPD hours.  
Additionally, CSCAs can claim CPD for presenting the training for the first time.  
The training material must be relevant to the APSCA Competency Framework. A  
maximum of 9 hours per year can be claimed in this category.  
2.4.2.3 Training an ASCA During an Onsite Audit: CSCAs can claim 2 CPD hours per audit  
day, up to a maximum of 8 hours per year, for supporting and actively developing  
an Associate Social Compliance Auditor (ASCA) during an onsite audit.  
2.4.2.4 Self-study: CSCAs can claim up to 4 hours of self-learning per year. This includes  
studying books, publications, documents, white papers, and articles related to  
social compliance. To be accepted, CSCAs must submit a study guide, learning  
notes, synopsis, or key points from their learning.  
2.5 Onsite Audit1: A minimum of 2 person-days of audits, totaling 16 hours, are required. Any  
remote, desktop, or virtual audits are not accepted for CPD.  
2.6 New CSCAs: Upon achieving the CSCA level, the CPD requirement is assessed and added  
to the CSCA’s CPD profile automatically. New CSCAs are required to complete 2 hours of  
Mandatory Ethics training. The Elective Training and Onsite Audit CPD requirements  
are pro-rated based on their date of becoming CSCA.  
2.7 CPD Exemptions: CSCAs who require a hiatus for 3 or more months can request to change  
their status to “Inactive” by emailing dataadministrator@theapsca.org. Inactive CSCAs are  
still required to submit 2 hours of Mandatory Ethics training and 50% of their Elective CPD  
Training requirement for the Inactive period but have no requirement (zero hour) of Onsite  
Social Compliance Audit.  
Document Name:  
Version & Date:  
Replaces:  
APSCA Continuous Professional Development Policy D:-105  
Version 5 – September 2024  
Version 4 – April 2024  
This document is no longer version controlled once printed.  
Author/Owner:  
Authorized by:  
Director of Exams & CPD  
APSCA Board of Directors  
Page 2 of 5  
A Member Auditor returning to In Good Standing will be required to follow the steps within  
APSCA’s Auditor Membership Status Policy. A pro-rated CPD requirement will apply, based on  
the timing of their return to In Good Standing.  
2.8 Responsibility: Each CSCA is responsible for maintaining their CPD profile by accurately  
recording CPD hours and fulfilling all necessary CPD requirements to uphold their level.  
2.9 CPD Portfolio: A CSCA’s yearly CPD portfolio shall include a mixture of training courses  
that sharpen the skills and knowledge in the APSCA Competency Framework and address  
emerging issues in social compliance.  
3. TRAINING COURSES AND ACCEPTANCE  
3.1 Training organizations, including Member Audit Firms, Collaborative Programs, brands, and  
other training entities, may submit courses for consideration as APSCA Recognized Training  
Courses and Mandatory Ethics Courses to meet the CPD Training requirements.  
3.2 Criteria for Course Acceptance  
3.2.1 Acceptance for Mandatory Ethics Courses is based on the Ethics CPD Approval Matrix.  
Refer to Appendix F in APSCA CPD Handbook.  
3.2.2 Acceptance for Recognized Training Courses is based on the following criteria,  
including objective, relevance, alignment, quality of content, qualification of  
instructors and presenters and documentation.  
3.3 Training Course Acceptance Process  
3.3.1. Submission of courses for review:  
3.3.1.1. A training provider may submit their course(s) by completing the APSCA  
Application Form for Recognized Training Course. The process accommodates  
the submission for new courses or advising of updates to course content and/  
or information for an existing course.  
3.3.1.2. Supporting documents shall be uploaded when applying for a new course  
or requesting training content updates for an existing course. Insufficient  
evidence may lead to the ‘Partially Accepted’ or ‘Declined’ status of the course.  
3.3.1.3. Trainers for Recognized Training should hold relevant knowledge and have  
substantial practical experience on the training topic. If a Member Auditor  
seeks to host or serve as a trainer for a Recognized Training, the Member  
Auditor should be in good standing per APSCA Auditor Membership Status  
Policy and have achieved CSCA status.  
3.3.2. Review process: the submitted information is reviewed to ensure the course meets  
the minimum criteria identified in section 3.2 in this document.  
3.3.3. Decision: there are three categories of decision including ‘Accepted’, ‘Partially  
Accepted’, and ‘Declined’.  
• Accepted: The application is fully accepted, granting all CPD hours.  
• Partially Accepted: Some elements do not meet the criteria, granting only partial  
CPD hours.  
• Declined: The application does not meet the minimum acceptance criteria in  
section 3.2.2 of this document.  
Document Name:  
Version & Date:  
Replaces:  
APSCA Continuous Professional Development Policy D:-105  
Version 5 – September 2024  
Version 4 – April 2024  
This document is no longer version controlled once printed.  
Author/Owner:  
Authorized by:  
Director of Exams & CPD  
APSCA Board of Directors  
Page 3 of 5  
3.3.4 Appeal process: Applicants may appeal the decision by contacting the CPD Team. A  
formal review session will be conducted to discuss the decision, in which the applicant  
may provide additional information and evidence to support their claim regarding the  
CPD course and hours.  
4. CPD DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENT  
4.1. Documentation Requirement: CSCA must record all CPD activities in their My Account of  
APSCA Profile.  
4.2. CPD Requirement Submission:  
4.2.1. Yearly CPD requirements must be submitted by January 15 of the following year.  
4.2.2. Supporting documents specified in the Submission Form in the CPD Profile of CSCA’s  
‘My Account’ must be uploaded for each CPD learning activity.  
5. CPD APPROVAL AND VERIFICATION:  
5.1. APSCA reviews the submitted CPD records to ensure compliance with the CPD Policy.  
5.2. APSCA may conduct periodic verification to confirm the accuracy and completeness of  
CPD records of individual CSCA’s CPD submissions. CSCA’s and all associated Member  
Firms will be notified.  
5.3. When requested to clarify CPD records, CSCAs must comply by providing any additional  
information or evidence requested within six weeks of the notification.  
5.4. Insufficient evidence or incomplete documentation may result in delayed approval or a  
decline in CPD hours. If the CSCA does not meet the annual CPD requirement due to the  
CPD Verification process, their status will be adjusted to the ASCA level, as specified in  
Section 6 of this policy.  
6. COMPLIANCE WITH CPD REQUIREMENTS:  
6.1. If a CSCA has not met their CPD requirement for the previous calendar year by January 15,  
they will be notified to complete the outstanding hours. Member Firms will also be informed.  
The auditor must submit the remaining CPD requirement by March 31. Failure to comply will  
result in a change to ASCA level, rendering the auditor ineligible to lead audits as a CSCA.  
Both the CSCA and their associated Member Firm will be notified of this status change.  
6.2. To restore CSCA level, the auditor must complete and submit the remaining CPD hours  
from the previous year. The auditor will be placed on a list for potential selection for further  
CPD verification in the following year.  
After CSCA level is restored, the auditor must fulfill the current year’s CPD requirements.  
6.3. Submission of inaccurate CPD information or records, or refusal to comply with the CPD  
requirements, may be presented to the Disciplinary Board depending on the severity of the  
infraction. Consequences may include:  
• Warning,  
• Revocation of APSCA membership, and  
• Suspension,  
• Level change to ASCA, and  
• Alternative disciplinary actions assigned by the  
Disciplinary Board  
Document Name:  
Version & Date:  
Replaces:  
APSCA Continuous Professional Development Policy D:-105  
Version 5 – September 2024  
Version 4 – April 2024  
This document is no longer version controlled once printed.  
Author/Owner:  
Authorized by:  
Director of Exams & CPD  
APSCA Board of Directors  
Page 4 of 5  
APPENDIX A - DEFINITIONS  
Continuous Professional Development: Continuous Professional Development (CPD) refers to the  
ongoing process of learning, developing, and enhancing professional skills and knowledge based  
on the APSCA Competency Framework. It involves actively seeking out learning opportunities that  
are relevant to social compliance auditing, staying updated with emerging issues in the field, and  
reflecting on and applying new knowledge and skills to improve professional practice.  
Mandatory Training: the obligatory training courses required to meet the APSCA CPD requirement.  
Elective Training: Learning activities that allow CSCAs to choose based on personal interests,  
career goals, or skill development needs, provided they align with the Foundational Skills and  
Functional Knowledge Areas in the Competency Framework. Elective Training falls into two  
categories – APSCA Recognized Training or Independent Submission.  
APSCA Recognized Training: Under the category of Elective Training, Recognized Training includes  
courses that have been reviewed and accepted by APSCA to ensure the topics are aligned with  
the APSCA Competency Framework. A unique Course Code is assigned to each training course.  
Independent Submission: Any learning activity that is relevant to furthering the knowledge of a  
social compliance auditor but has not been recognized by APSCA can be submitted toward a  
CSCA CPD requirement under this Elective Training category.  
Self-study: any self-learning or reading of books, publications, documents, or articles related to  
the social compliance profession.  
Onsite Audit: A social compliance audit conducted at the auditee’s physical location. For the  
definition, see ‘APSCA Social Compliance Audit’ in the APSCA Glossary of Terms.  
Document Name:  
Version & Date:  
Replaces:  
APSCA Continuous Professional Development Policy D:-105  
Version 5 – September 2024  
Version 4 – April 2024  
This document is no longer version controlled once printed.  
Author/Owner:  
Authorized by:  
Director of Exams & CPD  
APSCA Board of Directors  
Page 5 of 5