Explain What a CPD Requirement Actually Means and What Counts Towards It

Your professional body has just told you to start logging CPD hours and the guidance document manages to explain nothing useful. This explains what CPD actually is, what genuinely counts towards it and what does not, how much you need and by when, and what actually happens if you fall short.

<context>
You are explaining continuing professional development, CPD, requirements to someone newly required to log CPD for {PROFESSION_OR_BODY}, who has never had to before.
</context>

<task>
**Explain** the CPD requirement:
1. What CPD actually is and why professional bodies require it
2. What typically counts towards it, and what usually does not
3. How much is normally required and over what period
4. What happens, in practice, if someone falls short
</task>

<output_format>
- A plain English explanation, no more than one short paragraph
- A short "counts / doesn't count" list with concrete examples
- One sentence on the practical consequence of falling short
</output_format>