Requests for Proposals (RFP): Extended Scopes of Practice Project

Background to the Requests for Proposals

On 10 February 2012, Requests for Proposal (RFP) were published for three component sub projects of the Extended Scopes of Practice Project

Sub-Project 1: Extended Scopes of Practice - Nurse Endoscopists
Sub-Project 2: Extended Scopes of Practice - Physiotherapists in Emergency Departments
Sub-Project 3: Extended Scopes of Practice - Nurses in Emergency Departments.

For sub-projects 1 and 2, HWA is adopting an approach in which it will seek to work with both lead organisations and implementation sites in developing models for health workforce reform. For sub-project 3, HWA will work directly with implementation sites.

The role of lead organisation will, in essence, pilot sector leadership roles that will be intended for national uptake. Such organisations will already have relevant functioning models of workforce reform and will be funded by HWA to extend and further develop their models to selected implementation sites.

In February and early March 2012, HWA conducted four concurrent RFPs:

Sub-Project 1: Nurse Endoscopists - Lead Organisations
Sub-Project 1: Nurse Endoscopists - Implementation Sites
Sub-Project 2: Physiotherapists in Emergency Departments - Lead Organisations
Sub-Project 3: Nurses in Emergency Departments - Implementation Sites

These four RFPs were closed to submissions on 9 March 2012.

Submissions are now required for implementation sites associated with sub-project 2. Accordingly, HWA is now conducting an RFP:

Sub-Project 2: Physiotherapists in the Emergency Department – Implementation Sites

The role of the implementation site will be to implement and evaluate an expanded scope of practice physiotherapist role that is intended for national uptake. If selected the organisations will be funded by HWA to collaborate with a Lead Organisation and funded to implement the model already in place in that Lead Organisation. This will mean undertaking corresponding workforce reform measures over an 18 month period and inform the evidence-base in implementing workforce models that are intended for large scale national uptake.

HWA is making available a total of $1.3million in funding for this RFP, to be distributed amongst the successful respondent to the RFPs.

Invitation to Apply for Funding

Sub Project	Suitable Organisations	Total Funding Provided	Lead Organisation or Implementation Site
Extended Scope of Practice - Physiotherapists in the Emergency Department	Healthcare organisations from the government run or private sectors that have one or more Emergency Departments with Physiotherapists in attendance.	$1.3million	Implementation sites

Each proposal will be evaluated on its merits independently from any other proposal from the same organisation.

Timeframe for Requests for Proposal:

Closing time: 2pm Adelaide time, Friday 11 May 2012

Registrations of Interest for this RFP have now closed

Registrations of Interest in the Request for Proposals under Physiotherapists in the Emergency Department (Implementation Sites) (HWA-RFP/2011/008) have now closed.

Proposal updates

For the benefit of all respondents or potential respondents, HWA will update the website with Questions and Answers (Q&As) in relation to each of these RFPs. The questions raised by organisations will be published in a non-identifying way. It is the obligation of all respondents to keep themselves informed and review the Q&As which may be updated frequently.