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Executive Summary
Currently there is no formal process for health protection officers to undertake ongoing professional competence activities under the Health Act 1956. However, recent legislation, such as the Biosecurity Act 1993 and the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996, stipulates experience, training, qualifications, and ongoing competence for health protection officers. Other public health professionals have also developed programmes for assessing ongoing competence programmes. The purpose of this report is to:
- set out the findings of a consultation exercise on the ongoing competence requirements for health protection officers
- identify a proposed option for establishing an ongoing competence scheme and, as part of this, identify broad level areas in which health protection officers are required to maintain competence
- make both in-principle strategic and operational recommendations regarding the adoption of a formal ongoing competence programme for health protection officers.
Key objectives
Key objectives in an ongoing competence programme for health protection officers should include the following:
- Enhance the continuing professional development of health protection officers, including continuing public health education, output-orientated activities, and peer review and audit of work and competencies
- Provide a process for improving and monitoring the competence of health protection officers in New Zealand
- Provide the Director-General of Health with assurances that health protection officers are competent and are actively participating in continuing professional development and quality assurance activities
- Ensure that health protection officers who have difficulty in meeting the above objectives are provided with clear information about the forms of assistance and options available to them.
Key features
Key features of the ongoing competence programme for health protection officers are as follows:
- It recognises a range of activities in the following three areas:- participation in continuing public health education- output orientated activities that are visible to colleagues and therefore amenable to peer review- participation in professional peer review processes
- It will run on a calendar year and also look at average performance over a three-year period
- It will be necessary to accumulate an average of 100 points a year over a three-year period, with minimum average points in each of the three areas specified above, and a minimum of 50 points in each year
- Participants will self-report activities via website to minimise time and resources for the Ministry and participants
- A certificate of completion will be issued to each participant each year advising him or her if they have met the requirements of the guidelines. This certificate will ensure the health protection officer remains designated for the next year
- An audit process and appeals process should be developed.
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