The IDP Process: Maintaining Participation

You are the prime beneficiary of IDP. To gain the greatest benefit from participation, you should pursue it as a cooperative arrangement with your employer. You must recognize that employers cannot charge IDP training costs to clients; therefore, a commitment of time apart from normal working hours is often necessary to ensure that project schedules are maintained while training is being acquired.

Although firms are responsible for providing training opportunities, you are responsible for documenting your training, scheduling meetings with your supervisor and mentor, and using supplementary education resources. These activities typically involve at least two hours (beyond normal working hours) each month.

The periodic documentation of training is a fundamental program activity. Most architectural firms use time sheets for recording time spent in various project phases. The time sheets may be easily adapted to encompass the IDP training areas. Many interns use computer spreadsheets to display weekly and monthly activity. NCARB provides a downloadable Microsoft ® Excel spreadsheet.

You should prepare employment verification/IDP training reports approximately every four months until all training requirements are satisfied. NCARB recommends that you submit these reports to the Council office on or about January 1, May 1, and September 1, if employment is continuous.

Each time you submit a new IDP training report, NCARB will update your IDP Periodic Assessment Report, which is a detailed summary of your training progress. The IDP Periodic Assessment Report is a tool that can help you determine where additional training is needed. You can view your IDP progress online by visiting the My Council Record section.

To maintain IDP participation, you must meet periodically with your supervisor and mentor to review the quality of your work, verify employment and IDP training reports, identify weak training areas, plan for future involvement, and refine career objectives.

Changing Employment
During the course of IDP participation, personal circumstances or external factors can result in new employment opportunities. If you change employers, the following procedures apply:

record all activity occurring prior to leaving your current employer on an employment verification form and an IDP training unit report form—your report for training units earned at your current employer must be signed by that supervisor;
indicate employment separation in the diary section of your report form;
identify a new supervisor;
select a new mentor if your ability to maintain adequate contact with your original mentor is impaired;
record your next reporting period at your new employer (after minimum duration) on a new IDP training unit report form—this report must be signed by your new supervisor.


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