SACNASP/ CPD

South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP) is the legislated regulatory body for natural scientists. By law SACNASP membership is required to practice in a particular field of natural science. Groundwater science can be registered under:

• Earth Science
• Geological Science
• Water Resources Science

SACNASP’s main objectives are to:

• Promote the practice of the natural science professions in South Africa.
• Ensure and administer the mandatory registration of natural scientists as required in terms of The Natural Scientific Professions Act of 2003.
• Exercise control over the standard of conduct of professional natural scientists.
• Monitor the standard of education and training of natural scientists.
• Set standards for the recognition of education and training of natural scientists.
• Ensure that prospective registrants meet the educational standards required for registration.

From 2017, all registered SACNASP members in Earth Science/ Geological Science and Water Resources Science will require Continuing Professional Development credits (accumulated over a 5-year cycle) to enable renewal of SACNASP membership.

What is required?

Professionals need to accumulate 25 credits per five-year cycle (3 credits annually where 1 credit is 10 hours = 30 hours p/annum). These CPD’s can be issued by educational institutes, training providers and/ or voluntary natural scientific associations.

How can I accumulate credits?

Category 1: Development activities (max 4 credits/year)
Category 1 activities include structured educational or developmental meetings, with 1 credit obtained for a full-day event and half credits for half-day events. This will include conferences, congresses, large group workshops, lectures, seminars, refresher courses and colloquiums.

Category 2: Work-based activities
Natural Scientific Work (max 2 credits/year)
Mentoring of Candidates (max 1 credit/year)
Category 2 includes the pursuit of natural scientific activities in the workplace, limited to 2 credits a year. Mentoring or conducting in-house skills training will attract a maximum of 1 credit a year.

Category 3: Individual activities
Memberships of associations (max 1 credit/year)
Other activities (max 3 credits/year)
Category 3 includes membership to recognised professional bodies (GSSA and SAIEG for example) and other activities which include, but are not limited to, part-time lecturing, oral examinations of students, external examination for university courses, publication of journal articles, technical articles, presentations at technical events, and participation in professional, technical or non-technical committees.

How can the GWD assist?

The GWD, through the GSSA, will endeavour to support its professional GWD membership by:

• Offer Category 3: 1 x CPD credit for Professional Membership with the GWD for membership.
• Offer Category 1: CPD accredited courses / lectures for professional development.
• Offer Category 1/ Category 3: CPD accredited conferences and technical events (attendance and/or presentations).

GSSA/ SACNASP Code of Conduct

All membership subscribe to the GSSA Code of Conduct.
Professional Membership subscribe to both GSSA and SACNASP Code of Conduct.

GSSA-Code-of-Ethics-Disciplinary-Procedure PDF