Global Strategy for the Occupational Therapy Workforce – WFOT Global Occupational Therapy Workforce Hub

Introduction

WFOT led a multistage development process to develop the Global Strategy for strengthening the occupational therapy workforce.

This global framework articulates key strategic development directions that aim to inform and guide the development of national or local context-sensitive situation assessments, priorities, and action plans. The Global Strategy is expected to be used by professional organisations, educators, regulators, researchers, governments, policymakers and non-government organisations, including WFOT. The Global Strategy can be downloaded from the WFOT Resources.

Strategic Directions

The Global Strategy for the Occupational Therapy Workforce has a three-level structure with seven major strategic directions, each with two to four specific actions, plus examples of tasks to operationalize the strategic and specific guidance into practice. The aim, problem, opportunity and long and short-term objectives are explained for each strategic direction.

Click on a strategic direction above to learn more.

Strategic Direction 1

Strengthening occupational therapy workforce data

A lack of comprehensive and reliable occupational-therapy workforce data impedes the accurate assessment of the workforce. Development plans of policy-makers, system planners, and other decision-makers are dependent on workforce data. Strengthening the availability of occupational therapy data is a seminal step necessary to better identify workforce development needs. Mechanisms are required to systematically collect, integrate, and compare disaggregated occupational therapy workforce data for appropriate workforce monitoring, research, advocacy, and development.

Strategic Direction 2

Determining supply shortages in the occupational therapy workforce

Workforce data can help determine the current and future supply of the occupational therapy workforce and promote supply comparisons. However, improving access to workforce data is not enough. To further determine supply gaps of the occupational therapy workforce, it is necessary to align the data with population needs and health system demands for occupational therapy. For example, combining workforce data with labour-market analyses, where available, can identify vital gaps in access and provision of occupational therapy services.

Strategic Direction 3

Investing in the expansion of the occupational therapy workforce

In many contexts, especially but not limited to some low- and middle-income countries, the occupational therapy workforce is scant or inexistent, with scale up or expansion efforts often impeded by a lack of local capacity for occupational therapy education. National or international investment and technical support is needed for expanding education; developing local capacity to absorb, deploy, and manage a workforce expansion; and estimating and measuring both the cost and benefit of expansion efforts.

Strategic Direction 4

Improving workforce distribution for equitable access

Even within nations, inequities exist in the distribution of occupational therapists and population access to occupational therapy services. Inequities in access are commonly defined by factors such as geographic region, urban /rural / remote location, and sector, service, or practice area. With strengthened workforce data and supply shortage determinations, these inequitable distributions within nations can be identified and addressed. Actions may include enhancing recruitment or retention packages, building professional development programmes for those working in underserved areas, or using innovative service delivery models or workforce strengthening approaches that extend the outreach of the occupational therapy workforce to vulnerable populations.

Strategic Direction 5

Assuring workforce competency, engagement and diversity

In addition to improving availability and accessibility of occupational therapists, workforce planning must ensure requirements are met for workforce competency, engagement and diversity. To do so, there is a need for strong and progressive regulatory mechanisms and human-resources governance and management practices to ensure the occupational therapy workforce: meets continuing competency standards; attains optimal performance, work engagement, and job satisfaction; is diverse to reflect and be acceptable to the populations served; and eliminates race, gender, or other demographic-based barriers to career opportunities, development or compensation.

Strategic Direction 6

Developing and using workforce evidence for policy and management

Workforce policy and management affects the capacity of occupational therapists to meet population needs. However, the use of research and evidence in workforce planning to influence policy and planning has been limited. The need exists to foster development and utilization of scientifically-sound, solution-oriented and context-sensitive occupational therapy workforce research. Actions involve developing workforce research structures, networks, and agendas to generate needed evidence, and systematically using evidence to inform and evaluate policies, planning, regulation, and management practices.

Strategic Direction 7

Building workforce leadership and planning capacity

Enacting occupational therapy workforce strategic developments requires strengthening the capacity of current and future professional leaders at the local, national and international level to promote workforce situational analyses, action plans, and monitoring. This involves assuming a leading role in profession-specific workforce development and serving as skilled advocates and participants in broader health workforce policy and planning.

Global Occupational Therapy Workforce Resource Hub

To advance accessibility to occupational therapy, WFOT developed a hub of resources that can assist with addressing the priority actions and goals articulated in the Global Strategy for the Occupational Therapy Workforce. The Occupational Therapy Workforce Resource Hub contains resources developed by WFOT and other organisations.

Contribute

WFOT welcomes your submissions to the Hub that are relevant to workforce planning in occupational therapy.