Anyone who intends to pursue a career in a particular field must continually review changes occurring that field in order to maintain an up-to-date, state-of-the-art background. If a person does not do this, he/she will become stagnant and be unable to function or compete effectively in that career field. This means that an individual must have a continuing education plan for himself/herself and stay in touch with what's happening in his/her career choice.
Individual Development Plans (IDP) are an one approach to this continuing education process. They provide a road map for development activities during a specific period of time. The purpose of this web page is to provide links to information on IDPs as used within the Department of Commerce (DOC).
The following links are provided to help you understand what IDPs are all about: