The Professional Development Award (PDA) in Resilience Management was launched on 22nd March 2010 by Kenny MacAskill, Justice Secretary, it is aimed at those personnel within key responder agencies who have a responsibility in developing their skills, knowledge and understanding of key components of resilience management. 

There were requests from students who had completed the PDA to look at the next level of qualifications and what options are available for higher level study. This met with the Scottish G overnment drive to professionalise the resilience sector and provide progression paths for higher level study, as well as creating a route into resilience for non-resilience specialists (mainstreaming resilience). Higher level study options also provide opportunities for CPD study for other practitioners within the resilience community. A consultation piece with the resilience community was carried out, and the preferred option identified was a post graduate study programme, potentially up to Masters level, with exit route options at Certificate and Diploma. It was also to be set within a resilience context but generic Leadership and Management in nature.

ScoRDS (Scottish Resilience Development Service) worked with the University of Highlands and Islands (UHI) through Perth College to agree a framework to develop this programme. 

Funding was requested from the NCR to support the work completed by Perth College UHI as they needed to bring in a resilience specialist to complete the work. The tutor who developed and delivered the PDA (ARM) module for the last 9 years, as well as carrying out a review of the module was recommended as he brought extensive practical and academic resilience experience. In October 2018 the PG Cert in Resilience Leadership and Management programme was approved to recruit students at Perth College UHI from January 2019. 

First published: 3 April 2017

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