Planning & Research Collaboration

The National Health Workforce Planning and Research Collaboration (the Collaboration) is a consortium comprising the Australian Health Workforce Institute (AHWI), PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and Health Workforce Australia.

AHWI itself is a consortium of the University of Melbourne (UoM) and the University of Queensland (UQ) and for the purposes of the project has established links with the Australian National University (ANU), the University of Adelaide (UA) and Monash University (MU).

The Collaboration was initiated by the former National Health Workforce Taskforce and assumed the task of undertaking a substantial program of national health workforce planning and research projects over three years.

Earlier work of the Collaboration initially conducted under the auspices of the NHWT included studies involving supply and demand modelling for several specific medical and nursing specialty workforces.  The methodology and outcomes of these studies have provided useful input in the contemporary workforce planning activities of HWA, including the development of the National Training Plan.

Recently completed projects conducted through the Collaboration include:

Non-government mental health sector workforce:

The purpose of this project was to design and test a methodology to support mental health workforce planning for the diverse non-government community mental health sector. The project forms the basis of plans for improved and ongoing data collection on workforce supply and trends in this sector. Read more on the Non-Government Mental Health Sector Workforce Project page.

Workload measures for allied health professionals:

As a result of this project possible data sources for measuring workload/productivity of the allied health workforce have been identified. This project also examined how utilisation, workload and productivity differ between private and public sectors.

Refining the national workforce planning model:

This project has added to the development of the Health Workforce Planning Tool (HWPT) as a useful resource for workforce planning. This included improvements in functionality and flexibility whilst maintaining ease of use. Recommendations made by this project for specific changes to the current model, as well as defining and scoping future work, have been considered and incorporated into the revised HWPT.

The final reports for these three projects can be downloaded directly from the Australia’s Health Workforce Online website.

During 2011-12, the final year of the Collaboration’s three year program, a suite of projects will be undertaken to support the ongoing work plan of HWA including ongoing workforce planning and innovation and reform initiatives.

HWA is now developing an approach to its forward research program for the period 2012-13 to 2015-16.

The HWA Workforce Planning and Research Advisory Committee (PRAC) has been established to provide advice on the research directions of the organisation, on the feasibility and relevance of research proposals and technical sustainability of reports to be published. The PRAC had its first meeting in June 2011.

Further Information

Ian Brownwood
Tel.: +61 8 8409 4614