Assessment 1: Workforce Planning Individual Report Weight 40%
Due Date:Week 4, Friday, at 5.00 pm
Length: 1500 words. (NOTE: Executive Summary, References and Appendices are not included in the word count and excess words will not be marked.)
Submission Details: Through the Turnitin link on the unit website.
Feedback Details: Via Grade mark.Students should note that presentation in this first assignment e.g. grammar, spelling, punctuation, use of report format, academic writing style and referencing are worth 15/40 marks. This is because the number one generic competency expected of health graduates by health managers, potential future employers, is communication skills, both written and oral. Furthermore, integrity and ethical conduct e.g. honesty, accurate referencing and acknowledgement of sources has been found the most important single competency. It is strongly recommended that you read the detailed feedback provided to avoid errors in further assignments.

You will also notice that the rest of the marks for content in this assignment require that students engage in critical analysis, without which a mark of credit or higher cannot be awarded as per UWS Assessment Policy. This means that students must learn to weigh up strengths and weaknesses in academic argument, identifying short comings, limitations and what works well, and questioning of how things are done now. This can be achieved by reading widely and finding current literature from refereed journal articlesespecially recent international literature. Here current means published in the last five years or from 2010 onwards unless the source is considered a seminal source and therefor worthy of inclusion. Use of ten recent readings is minimal. The quality of recommendations to improve upon current practice also identifies students’ ability to critically analyse current literature and practice. Recommendations should be original and emerge from the readings cited in the assignment.

Rationale
The assignment is designed to focus students on researching recent strategic workforce planning of the Commonwealth Government Department of Health and the extent to which proposed strategies are reflected in funding priorities. In addition students will analyse and present workforce data to show recent trends.
Task
Following the 2014/15 Commonwealth Government budget it was decided to bring the functions of Health Workforce Australia under the Commonwealth Department of Health (DoH). Therefore the most recent statement of national health workforce policy is that documented in the Department of Health Annual Report2013-14, Volume 1 as outlined under Section 2.1, Performance by Outcome- Outcome 12 Health Workforce Capacity (p. 119-125).

Outcome 12 aims to ensure that Australia has the workforce necessary to address its current and future health needs. In 2013-14, the Department worked to achieve this outcome by managing initiatives under the programs 12.1 and 12.2 as follows:

Program 12.1: Workforce and rural distribution
Program 12.1 aims to increase the number of health professionals in regional, rural and remote Australia; increase investment in health workforce training; and increase access to health services through overseas recruitment. Specific strategies include:
• Increase the supply of health professionals in rural, regional and remote Australia.
• Increase access to medical services through recruitment support.
• Increased investment in medical training and education.
• Building Emergency Department (ED) workforce capacity.
Program 12.2: Workforce development and innovation
Program 12.2 aims to increase health workforce capacity. The specific strategy identified is for increased investment in the dental workforce.
Question: Determine the extent to which the current national strategic policy direction stated above has been implemented by the Commonwealth Government. This should include:
• Analysis of current Commonwealth funding programs and the extent of recently allocated funding under programs to support the strategies identified above (distribution, recruitment, medical training and education, EDworkforce capacity);
• Analysis of recent trend data on the health workforce to determine the extent to which there has been growth in the supply of health professionals in rural, regional and remote Australia.
Criteria
You will be assessed on the following:
• Academic writing skills, use of report format and APA.
• Ability to introduce the topic and findings in a well summarised Executive Summary.
• Identification and analysis of trends in funding that supports development of health workforce capacity.
• Use of charts and or tables to support argument.
• Critical analysis and synthesis of the relevant literature to support of argument.
• Ability to make recommendations to support achievement of required national workforce outcomes.
Resources
Provide your answers based on the unit materials, recommended readings in Modules 1 and 2, and any other academic publications including the Study Guide. See the hints.doc on vUWS for report writing.