Library resource guides: CPD for clinical support roles: I have a policy development role

Guide index

Key areas to consider in planning your CPD are guided by your role and may include:

Determining the need for, purpose and scope of the policy/guideline
Considering policy frameworks and other contextual factors
Sourcing relevant material, including systematically locating and critically appraising evidence
Considering the diversity of views to include and mechanisms of stakeholder involvement (for example: co-design, consultation)
Effective leadership and organisational skills
Effective written and verbal communication skills
Working collaboratively
Planning and evaluating policy implementation
Ensuring regular review to meeting changing demands over time

Practice evaluation (category 1)

Facilitate or participate in an analysing healthcare outcomes (AHO) activity with a small group of colleagues on a published report of outcome data and evidence-based care relevant to your policy development practice. Topic examples are in the AHO CPD guideline.
Participate in a cultural safety activitySee the Support across work roles > Providing a culturally safe practice tab for more information with a view to better understanding cultural safety and implications for policy development. Following this activity, consider undertaking a critical reflection on what you have learnt and what it means for your practice.
Formally engage with a mentor to support your professional goals for your policy development practice. Claim hours spent doing so under the mentoring activity.

Knowledge & skills (category 2)

Undertake a formal qualification related to policy development and claim time spent doing this under formal courses. Relevant topics include communication and leadership skills.
Read peer-reviewed journals relevant to your scope of practice (see key areas to considerDetermining the need for, purpose and scope of the policy/guideline; Considering policy frameworks and other contextual factors; Sourcing relevant material, including systematically locating and critically appraising evidence; Considering the diversity of views to include and mechanisms of stakeholder involvement (for example: co-design, consultation); Effective leadership and organisational skills; Effective written and verbal communication skills; Working collaboratively; Planning and evaluating policy implementation; Ensuring regular review to meeting changing demands over time) and claim this as journal reading. Refer to international guidelines and jurisdictional regulations applicable to the policy/guideline.
Attend face-to-face or virtual learning sessions relevant to your policy development practice (for example: conferences, podcasts, webinars; an example is a plain English writing course; see key areas to considerDetermining the need for, purpose and scope of the policy/guideline; Considering policy frameworks and other contextual factors; Sourcing relevant material, including systematically locating and critically appraising evidence; Considering the diversity of views to include and mechanisms of stakeholder involvement (for example: co-design, consultation); Effective leadership and organisational skills; Effective written and verbal communication skills; Working collaboratively; Planning and evaluating policy implementation; Ensuring regular review to meeting changing demands over time). Claim time spent doing this under learning sessions.

The college welcomes suggestions on additional resources and topics for CPD on policy developments roles.

ANZCA & FPM resources

CPD Activity Guide
This guide contains a list of all the activities associated with the ANZCA and FPM CPD Program, as well as links to associated individual activity guides and forms.
CP24(G) Policy for the development and review of professional documents 2019
This policy provides the framework to meet these requirements in an efficient manner to ensure that ANZCA professional documents are relevant and contemporaneous, which requires a rigorous, standardised process.

External resources

ACSQHC: Standards
The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care aims to ensure that the health system is better informed, supported and organised to deliver safe and high-quality care.
NSW Government Clinical Excellence Commission: CEC Academy
The CEC Academy brings people together to learn, share and apply the principles of safety and quality improvement in clinical practice.
NHMRC: Guidelines for Guidelines Handbook
To support the development of the highest quality guidelines, NHMRC also provides Standards for Guidelines, Guidelines for Guidelines Handbook, and an approval program for certain high quality national guidelines.
Te Tāhū Hauora, Health Quality and Safety Commission
Te Tāhū Hauora provides various resources (for example: policy implementation assessment tool).

Mentoring Guide: A Resource for Mentors and Mentees by NSW Government Graduate Program
Publication Date: December 2020
This guide outlines critical information and processes to set up the mentoring relationship for success and sustain momentum.
Policy Implementation Assessment Tool by Te Tāhū Hauora Health Quality & Safety Commission The purpose of this assessment tool is to support health and disability service providers to implement the healing learning and improving from harm policy 2023 | Te whakaora, teako me tewhakapaiakeite kino: Te kaupapa here ā-motu mōngā mahi tūkino 2023 (the policy)when reviewing health care harm. The tool is designed as a maturity assessment checklist to evaluate both operational processes and the completed review of harm to see where gaps exist in meeting the criteria within the policy.
Publication Date: June 2023