Automating Quality Assurance and CPD Processes for Regulated Professions

1. Automating Quality Assurance and CPD Processes for Regulated Professions Overarching Issues

2. Competing Legislation • Legal requirement for mandatory QA of professional membership vs. personal privacy protection legislation • Know (or develop) your policy on these matters: • What registrant data will the College need to see to assure compliance? • What registrant data will be accessible only to the registrant and NOT the College? • What about a record of completion, only? • What about aggregated data?

3. Fit With Existing IT and Website • Registrant/Member database • A bridge required to registrant data base, what data will be passed (minimum), initial import, frequency of updates? • Password protected area on website • Single log on for users

4. Fit with existing QA/CPD processes • If it can be described it can be automated • A generic solution will not do • Bad news: in all cases a custom build is required but... • Good news: across professions there are common elements to the QA/CPD process

5. Common elements of QA/CPS Processes 3 user profiles: Registrant, Assessor and Administrator • Registrant: • Reflective practice • Assessment/Self Assessment • Plan learning • Record learning activity • E-portfolio

6. Common elements of QA/CPS Processes 3 user profiles: Registrant, Assessor and Administrator • Assessor/Auditor: • Sample • Assess against criteria • Report outcomes

7. Common elements of QA/CPS Processes 3 user profiles: Registrant, Assessor and Administrator • Administrator: • Monitor • Report • Remind • Plan process development

8. Reflective Practice (P) Automation is typically wizards for recording information RE: • Scope of practice (automated checklists) • Practice environment (automated checklists • Emerging technology for the profession (pre-populate) • Emerging issues for the profession (flagged by administrator across all registrants) • Personal profile (uploads to an e-portfolio): PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE • Current job role • Performance review(s) • Prior education, certifications • Further education • References • Presentations • Articles

9. Assessment/Self Assessment (P) Automation is typically: • Self assessment against professional standards (rating scale, feedback on aggregated data) • 3rd party (peer, co-worker) assessment against professional standards • Objective test of professional knowledge, case studies (on line quizzing, scrambled, timer, etc.), can pre-populate learning plan.

10. Learning Plan (A) Auto populated but registrant can add delete using typically a wizard to record: • Learning Goal • Rationale for this Goal • Resources for the Goal (can be live link to learning material) • Planned activity • Anticipated outcome • Anticipated completion date • Evaluation of Learning goal

11. Record of Learning Activity (A) Automation is typically a wizard: • Learning activity (drop box) • Title • Start end date • Hours • Accredited activity • Outcome • Action taken

12. Audit/Assess Auto generate random sample Auto inform selected registrants Assign assessor (admin) Assessor does on line review against online criteria Reports online to Administrator Administrator informs registrant

13. Administrator Needs administrative functionality for: • Administration and monitoring; add delete record • Run Reports; completed not completed, item discriminators • Remind (can be automated) 30 days left before end of CPD complete period • Review aggregate data; plan process development • Annual enhancements to process; revised standards, revised test of knowledge

14. Self Assessment

15. Benefits • Relational database, powerful reporting, data mining • Accessible archive • Manageable system that enhances compliance • Annual costs of compliance are reduced • Ease of use for registrants • Auditable records