The Authority's Human Resources Unit has for some years been working on new initiatives whereby its staff is exposed to a new dimension of professional development structured on short working experiences abroad. This ensures that staff development within our respective fields is expanded, whilst providing them with a new dimension to capture knowledge, which they may adopt in the course of their work. The familiarity of our planning system with the British one tends to favour our choice of seeking UK planning agencies.The Authority carried out this project with a view to allow its personnel to experience work in organisations undertaking similar work and tasks. In this way the participants could experience different work practices to those found in Malta and thus brought back new and fresh ideas of how work is undertaken in other overseas organisations.The primary objectives of this project were to ensure that participants are kept abreast with new developments and to become more conversant with general management aspects, primarily those related to the planning process. Furthermore, the project was also a means to expose participants to different technologies and systems that the host organisation used to support planning, building control and enforcement functions. The number of participants who participated in this project was two. The two participants have been working with the Authority for over twenty years. David Cassar is a Customer Relations Unit Manager working in the Customer Care Unit who also works closely with all the various units and sections within the Authority, especially the Development Control Unit and Information Communications Technology Unit. Sven Farrugia is a Principal Officer (ICT Operations Support) working in Information Communications Technology. Both the Customer Care Unit and the Information Communications Technology Unit fall under the Operations Section of the Authority. The two participants carried out their placement during the same two-week period. During the first week of the placement the two participants participated in the same activities. Amongst others, they were introduced to the various functions, policies and processes, attended a presentation on the processes involved in street naming, carried out a number of site visits and inspections, attended planning committee meetings and had briefings on how information is inputted and recorded. The second week of the placement was different for the two participants. David Cassar continued to focus on the planning function of the Council and hence reviewed in more detail the role of the planning technician, how major project applications are dealt with, how decisions and records are managed, how reports are processed and followed-up, attended more planning committee meetings and had discussions with service managers. Sven Farrugia on the other hand, was introduced to the GIS function in planning and transport, P & BS systems, reporting using MS access databases, social media outreach, forums and surveys and overviewed mini-projects incorporating GIS. Throughout the two weeks, both officers had daily reviews with the host organisation’s project coordinator, Mr. Mike Bell.The end result of the project was successful. Both participants stated the placement allowed them to acquire knowledge and specific know-how from good practice abroad and to gain practical skills relevant to their current job and professional development. Furthermore, it also allowed them to expand their professional network and to improve on the services currently offered by the Authority.