Health and care workforce is one of Australia’s long standing national policy priorities. Health workforce planning and public policy responses in this area have been ineffective and compromised by a complex mix of fractured system governance arrangements; deficient data, intelligence and planning systems; and an insufficient evidence base to inform public policy, program design and evaluation.
This course provides participants with knowledge and understanding of the health and care workforce as a complex adaptive system. It analyses the governance, policy, design, regulation and policy/investment choices available to government, employers and industry to address entrenched labour force problems of scarcity, productivity and maldistribution. The course provides a framework for analysis of system dynamics and problems, development of policy, planning and investment options to address them and parameters for evaluation of programs.
The course syllabus will include
• Health workforce system functions, actors and policy overview
• Framework for analysing key policy issues i.e. supply, demand, governance, policy levers, data, intelligence and surveillance
• Policy variables underpinning health workforce planning , modelling & projections
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Analyse and critique the absence of a coherent organising framework for conceptualising the health and care workforce as a complex adaptive system, and how, in its place, layered governance and divergent stakeholder logics shape—and limit—approaches to workforce sustainability and performance.
- Critically assess the information and data required to address health workforce issues with regard to policy development, implementation and evaluation.
- Analyse a range of workforce problems and challenges and develop investment and public policy options to secure a sufficient, productive, and equitably distributed workforce for the health and care system.
- Evaluate and critically assess the policy and investment options available to government, employers and industry to address and respond to health and care workforce scarcity, productivity and distribution problems
Indicative Assessment
- A written essay on workforce system governance and functions (20) [LO 1]
- An oral presentation that analyses health and care workforce problems and challenges, and develops policy choices and investment options to address scarcity, productivity and distribution of the health and care workforce (30) [LO 1,3]
- An analytical report to evaluate a particular policy available to government, employers and industry to address health workforce challenges, including proposed data and information to support this policy analysis and evaluation (40) [LO 2,3,4]
- In-class discussion activities (4 out of 6 Lecture Sessions) (10) [LO 1,2,3,4]
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Workload
This course can be taken either online, or in person. This course will be offered in the non-standard summer sessions via dual delivery.
For both online and in-person classes, the lectures will be taught semi-intensively with compulsory contact hours of approximately 36 hours. The lecture sessions consist of 6 hours per lecture session over 6 sessions in total in the summer term.
The course will also require advanced preparation through assigned readings, and self-directed study which will include listening/viewing the online lectures and materials, engagement in and contribution to the online discussion forms and other assessment tasks. In total, it is anticipated that the hours required for completion of this course (class preparation, teaching and completion of assessment) will not exceed 120 hours.
Inherent Requirements
No specific inherent requirements have been identified for this course.
Prescribed Texts
Required readings and resources will be identified for each session and listed (or uploaded) on the course site in the Learning Management System throughout the course.
Assumed Knowledge
Experience in or understanding of the heath and care system
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 2
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
Summer Session
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1841 | 18 Jan 2027 | TBA | TBA | 22 Feb 2027 | In Person | N/A |
| 1842 | 18 Jan 2027 | TBA | TBA | 22 Feb 2027 | Online | N/A |