What is a PDP?

A Performance Development Plan or Performance Development Process (known as a PDP) is a training programme used to develop a weakness/weaknesses. 

In your Higher PE course you will experience a PDP and be asked to write about it in the exam. 

Your physical PDP will last 8-12 weeks and an emotional, mental or social PDP will last around 6 weeks. 

A PDP template is shown below. 

When creating a PDP we need to careful plan the programme and whilst completing the PDP we need to consider certain things.

• Specific – specific to you and your weakness/ your level of skill or fitness

• Progressive – as the PDP goes on it should gradually become harder 

• Overload – sessions become more difficult by increasing the stress on the body. This can be done by increasing one of Frequency, Intensity and Time (FIT)

• Reversibility – rest days should be incorporated to avoid burnout and overtraining and changes to programme due to injury 

• Tedium – boredom could ensue if your sessions are not varied or fun

• Time - time period to complete the programme/review

• Frequency – how often you train

• Intensity – how hard you train/work 

• Time – how long you train

Past paper question

Explain why the following two principles should be considered when producing a Personal Development Plan for physical factors.

(a) Specificity. (1)

(b) Time allocation. (1

Adapting a PDP - Fitness Session

Extending/Reprioritising a PDP

At the end of your PDP you will retest (evaluating performance). This will be done to measure how effective the PDP has been and set future performance development goals. You may decide at this point with your coach to extend your PDP - this means to carry it on for longer as there has not been enough improvement in your weakness. 

During your PDP when monitoring (use of training diary or retests) you may see that you have made significant progress towards your goal or even already met them. If this is the case you may reprioritise your PDP - this means to focus on a new weakness.  This could also be due to; a change in position, change in performance, an injury.

Following the end of a PDP, analysis of monitoring and evaluating data may show that a performer has not made sufficient progress in improving their performance. Extending and making changes to their PDP would allow them time to achieve the goals set within an acceptable time frame.

A performer may choose to reprioritise the focus of the PDP if they have not made sufficient progress, for example, changing the goals set (applying the SMARTER principles to ensure this is done effectively). The performer may also refocus or reprioritise different factors that have emerged as development needs during the PDP.

Through discussion with a coach, they will be able to prioritise any changes to their goals, ensuring they are the most effective for the performer.

Adapting a PDP if not making progress

Analysis of monitoring data may show that a performer is not making any progress in achieving their set goals at the start of a PDP.

For example, data from retesting of an Illinois Agility test may show a performer is now slower at completing the test that they were when initial data was collected.

In order to get back on track to achieving their goal, adaptations should be made to the PDP. This might include, for example:

• Changes to the approaches being used

• Increasing/decreasing intensity of training

• Increasing/decreasing frequency of sessions

• Increasing/decreasing duration of sessions

• Changing training partner

• Increase/decrease pressure during sessions

The changes implemented by a performer should be those which have the maximum positive benefit on the performance development process.

Where a goal is unlikely to be achieved a performer may re-evaluate their goals and change those. In doing so, SMARTER principles should be used to ensure that the new goals are suitable for the performer.