Workforce development needs analysis

Page content: Overview | The workforce development needs analysis tool | Evidence based | Process for collaborative review of diabetes services | Practical application | Download documents

Overview

How do you determine the workforce training needs of a region that encompasses the range of health settings from acute care through to community and aged care?

After a review of the literature failed to identify an appropriate diabetes workforce needs analysis tool the workforce development (WD) team developed one.

The workforce development needs analysis tool

The workforce development skills analysis tool (WDSAT) aimed to assist agencies across the Primary Care Partnerships (PCP) to assess both organisational and workforce capacity in order to implement best practice diabetes prevention and management.

Evidence based

The WDSAT was developed through the identification and tailoring of best practice pointers from:

1. The Australian Diabetes Educators Association, National Standards for Diabetes Education Programs (2001)¹
2. American Diabetes Association, National Standards for Diabetes Self Management Education (2003)²
3. Department of Human Services (Victoria), Integrated Disease Management Interim Policy Directions and Guidelines (2001)³
4. Department of Human Services (Victoria), Health Promotion Skill Assessment Tool for Organisations (2001)⁴.

The format of the tool was adapted from the Department of Human Services (Public Health) Health Promotion Skill Assessment Tool for Organisations, 2001.

Process for collaborative review of diabetes services

The WDSAT was designed for implementation within a facilitated workshop format with key diabetes service providers across a designated catchment.
Participants worked through a process that:

1. Assisted agencies to reflect on the role they can play in promoting best practice within a community setting, and the corresponding skills and infrastructure required for best practice.
2. Reviewed the agency’s current skills in diabetes prevention and management.
3. Established priorities for skill development.

Practical application

The WD team consulted with Local Diabetes Service Development (LDSD) service providers and DHS Diabetes Prevention and Management Initiative (DPMI) personnel to ensure the tool was acceptable and appropriate.

Workshop participants indicated that the process had raised awareness of diabetes care and practices within their organisation.

Evaluations have indicated that LDSD projects felt the needs analysis allowed for representation of key local diabetes service providers and agreement on priorities for workforce development⁵.

Download documents

The PDF below is a printable version of the above information.

Chapter 2 - Diabetes Prevention and Management Initiative - Workforce development needs analysis (22kb, pdf)

Attachments

A guide for implementation of the Workforce Development Skills Analysis Tool (WDSAT) (53kb, pdf)

The WDSAT tool template (113kb, pdf)

References

1. Australian Diabetes Educators Association. National Standards For Diabetes Education Programs. Canberra,:Australian Diabetes Educators Association; 2001.
2. America Diabetes Association. National Standards for Diabetes Self Management Education. Diab Care 2003; 26:S149-S156.
3. Department of Human Services (Primary Care Partnerships). Integrated Disease Management Interim Policy Directions and Guidelines. Victoria 2001
4. Department of Human Services (Public Health). Health Promotion Skill Assessment Tool for Organisations. Victoria 2001
5. Program Evaluation Unit. School of Population Health. Summary Report on the Second Project Self-Assessment Evaluation of the Local Diabetes Service Development Program. Melbourne: The University of Melbourne ; 2004.
   

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