In calling for expressions of interest, which were due at the end of November, Board Chair Colin Waldron said the “key objective” is the “implementation of a sustainable and stable CPD accreditation process that is independent, impartial and promotes access to accredited CPD activities for the optometry profession”.
“This will be of great benefit to the profession itself by ensuring ongoing monitoring and measurement of accredited CPD activities,” he said.
The OBA said organisations interested in tendering should assume that the cost of accrediting CPD activities would not be met by the Board or registrant fees, and may be based on a cost-recovery/user-pays model.
The Board expects to make a decision at the end of February, with any appointment being granted for three years.
Currently, organisations meeting certain criteria are recognised as approved CPD providers. Non approved providers must submit an application for assessment of activities to the Optometrists Association of Australia.
The current process only accredits activities and approved providers prior to the delivery of CPD. The successful bidder will be asked to develop and implement an additional audit component, to verify that the delivery of the CPD activities met the agreed objectives.
