Where is the next quantum leap in professional development?

The challenge for professional developers in higher education is to understand the emergent operating environment and to develop appropriate and efficient tactics relevant to the transformational change context that support and align to the organisation's vision and strategies.

This requires that professional developers play a pre-emptive leading role rather than a reactionary role. This will involve re-conceptualising their roles in order to implement programs that effectively meet the diverse needs of key employee groups who are negotiating change.

The Professional Development centre at Edith Cowan University took a proactive and strategic approach and has developed a new model for providing strategically based training at ECU. The foundation of this model is the Service Level Agreement and an account manager concept.

In addition, the Professional Development centre Action Research Project will be discussed in the context of the implications for professional development theory and practice which include:

• a re-conceptualisation of professional development practice
• role clarification for developers
• a need for developers to build partnerships and network within the organisation