Mainpro+® Certification Education Standards for Faculty Development Activities
Effective December 16, 2024
Introduction
In this section:
- Designing your program to meet the Certification Standards
- Defining Faculty Development Activities
- Understanding Mainpro+ Certification Terminology
Designing Your Program to Meet the Certification Standards
All continuing professional development programs (CPD) seeking Mainpro+® certification must meet or exceed the criteria established by the CFPC. Standards established by bodies external to the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC)—including the Canadian Medical Association (CMA)—are also considered when determining certification eligibility.Defining Faculty Development Activities
The education standards described in this document apply only to activities without the financial or in-kind support of for-profit organizations that meet the following definition of faculty development:Providers seeking Mainpro+ certification for activities that do not meet the definition above should refer to Understanding Mainpro+ Certification: Standards for Continuing Professional Development Providers for more information.
Understanding Mainpro+ Certification Terminology
Continuing professional development categories, formats, and providers
The CFPC has three recognized CPD activity categories: Certified Activities, Certified Assessment Activities, and Non-Certified Activities.
- Certified credits are awarded for those activities that have been reviewed and approved by the national CPD department, a CFPC Chapter, or a Canadian university’s CPD office accredited by the Committee on Accreditation of Continuing Medical Education (CACME) and judged to have met the Mainpro+ standards for certified CPD
- Non-certified credits are for those activities that have not been formally reviewed by the CFPC but that comply with the CFPC’s definition of CPD
Table 1. Examples of CPD activities
Certified Activities | Certified Assessment Activities | Non-certified Activities |
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Activity Categories
Certified Assessment Activities – Certified activities (practice audits, practice assessments, chart audits, simulation activities etc.) in which data analysis, including providing or receiving feedback, stimulates self-reflection and leads to practise/performance improvement. These may be self-directed or conducted with others.
The Standards for Mainpro+ Certification have been divided into three sets of standards that must be met for activities to be eligible for Mainpro+ certified credits. These are the Administrative, Ethical, and Educational standards. The Administrative standards focus on relevant definitions, eligible organizations, eligible topics, scientific planning committee requirements, CPD marketing, and the violation and audit standards. The Ethical standards cover conflict of interest requirements, funding of CPD activities, and acknowledgment of support. The Educational standards contain the Mainpro+ quality criteria that set out the activity development and delivery requirements. Providers of faculty development activities should review the Administrative and Ethical standards in the general standards document and refer to the Education standards contained in this document.
Promotion of Social Justice and Accountability in CPD Program Development
Activities Process Overview
In this section:
The information below applies to Certified Activities and Certified Assessment Activities.Application review process
Faculty development activities undergo an administrative review by the staff of university CPD offices accredited by the Committee on Accredited CME (CACME). However, should a faculty development unit not be associated with a CACME accredited CPD office they may submit their application directly to the CFPC for certification via the CERT+ platform.Application fee
CACME accredited university CPD offices establish their own fees. For details on the CFPC’s certification application fee for faculty development activities contact [email protected]. Note that taxes will be applied to the application fee.Application process
All applications must be submitted via the preferred process of the CACME accredited CPD office or the CFPC’s CERT+ platform.Content review: Content review is not required for activities that meet the definition of faculty development.
Standards and Quality Criteria – Certified Activities
Certified Activities – Activities (seminars, conferences, clinical rounds programs, webinars, asynchronous online activities, etc.) that have been formally reviewed and approved as per the standards for certified CPD set by the CFPC.In this section:
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Educational design and delivery requirements
Needs assessment
- Identifies learner needs through gap analysis of learners’ performance and curriculum, material, and modality of teaching
- Addresses teaching, education, administration, leadership, and research competency through the Fundamental Teaching Activities (FTA) Framework and CanMEDS-FM Roles
- Obtains information on current knowledge and practise experience as well as potential barriers to implementing change
- Ensures that diverse needs of the target audience of learners are considered
Learning objectives
- Required for each activity
- Tied to the needs assessment results and demonstrates what a learner will be able to do after completing the activity
- Written in a measurable and learner-centred format addressing CanMEDS-FM competencies and/or the faculty development domain identified at time of application (e.g., clinical coach, competency coach, teacher, education leader, etc.)
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Examples of compliance
Needs assessment data can be gathered by:
- Surveys
- Literature reviews
- Teaching assessments
- Student feedback
- Student assessment results
- Accreditation reports
- Evaluation of feedback from previous events
- Medical education literature
- Institutional/departmental position papers
- Strategic plans
- Personal learning plans
- Interviews with stakeholder(s)
- Departmental goals/plans
- Surveys
- Curriculum planning retreats
Learning objectives can be created using:
- Bloom’s taxonomy
- Moore’s level of outcome measurement
- Kirkpatrick, ADDIE model, etc.
Planning committee:
- The planning committee includes representatives of learners or people with lived experience, or there is evidence that learners have contributed to the needs assessment creation
Submitters must include the following with their application related to this criterion:
- Evidence that a needs assessment was performed, including a description of how data regarding teaching, education, administration, leadership, and research competency through FTA Framework and CanMEDS-FM Roles were acquired and what learning needs were identified
- A description of how the planning committee members were selected and how they represent the target audience
- An explanation of how the diversity of learning populations was addressed/considered in the needs assessment process. If this was not addressed providers will be asked to explain what barriers they encountered and how they could include this in future programs.
- The sources used to guarantee both perceived and unperceived needs are identified
- A description of how the learning objectives and CanMEDS-FM competencies and/or FTA Framework domains are relevant to the needs assessment results
Quality Criterion 2: Active learning, engagement and program format
The minimum standards that must be met are outlined below.-
Educational design and delivery requirements
- At least 25 per cent of the program is conducted in an interactive manner
- Live in-person/virtual activities must include interaction with other participants and a facilitator
- Asynchronous independent learning activities must include a means for participants to ask questions and receive answers about the material being taught
- All activities should allow participants to engage actively with the subject matter through the incorporation of interactive tools (see examples below)
- Program providers must demonstrate how the learning objectives are achievable considering the participants’ current level of knowledge and skills and how this is supported by the learning activity design including resources and time frames
- To promote social justice education, the program design should consider issues of EDI to create learning activities that demonstrate acknowledgment of racial, ethnic, cultural, and gender diversity, as well as other identities
- It should consider information and perspectives from various cultural, social, and demographic backgrounds
- Instructional and learning design should accommodate different learning preferences, abilities, challenges, interests, and background knowledge
- Program providers should consider options to accommodate learners who may experience barriers to learning due to physical limitations and may request accommodation
- At least 25 per cent of the program is conducted in an interactive manner
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Examples of compliance
Some examples of active learning for live in-person/live virtual include:
- Audience question and answer period
- Audience response systems
- Case discussions
- Role playing
- Simulation activities
- Quizzes and multiple choice questions
Some examples of active learning for asynchronous online activities include:
- Quizzes and multiple-choice questions built into online program content
- Interactive, multi-scenario case exercises
- Game-based learning
- Immersive scenarios
- Discussion boards
Demonstration of learning format appropriateness can include:
- Slide count is reasonable for the program time frame
- Appropriateness of content for online learning versus in person
- Simulation used to teach technique versus didactic lecture
Examples of incorporating social justice education and/or inclusive education include but are not limited to:
Accessible learning environments
- Colours and contrast are accessible to learners with low-vision and colour-vision deficiencies
- Screen reader-friendly documents
- Alternative (alt) text is included for visual content
- Size and type of font is accessible
- Text equivalents are provided for all audio and video content (transcripts and/or captions)
- Audio descriptions of visual information for learners who are visually impaired are provided, including alt text for images
- The learning program includes frequent scheduled breaks
Diversity and inclusion
- Incorporate case studies and scenarios in the program that highlight diverse learner experiences, emphasizing the importance of understanding and addressing disparities in health care education
- Include case studies and examples from different cultural and social contexts to broaden the learners’ understanding of how health care practices and health care education may vary and impact diverse populations
- Include guest speakers from different cultural, social, and demographic backgrounds to share their experiences and insights, providing diverse perspectives on health education challenges
- Offer a variety of learning formats such as workshops, online modules, and interactive discussions to cater to different learning styles, ensuring that participants can engage in ways that suit them
- Use activities that include everyone, and education methods that are thoughtful and supportive of equality among all genders
- Review materials for gendered, racialized, and otherwise oppressive language
- Use a teaching approach that considers past traumas when discussing sensitive topics related to systemic oppression or racism
Submitters must include the following with their application related to this criterion:
- Demonstrate how the design and format of the activity leads to the achievement of the learning objectives
- Include an activity agenda or lesson plan outlining time spent in each intervention as well as the interactive elements
- Explain how participation is tracked for asynchronous online learning activities as well as how learners can ask and receive answers about program content
- Provide an explanation of how information and perspectives from various cultural, social, and demographic backgrounds were considered to enrich the learning experience
- Explain the specific strategies used to make sure the program content reflects the diversity of perspectives relevant to the topic/content discussed
- Describe the approach to designing instructional and learning activities that accommodate diverse learning preferences, abilities, challenges, interests, and background knowledge
- Provide examples of how they create an inclusive learning environment that considers the accessibility needs of diverse participants
Providers who are unable to meet the requirements in items 4 through 7 will not have their application for certification rejected but will be asked to identify how they might consider these concepts for future activities.
Quality Criterion 3: Incorporation of evidence
The minimum standards that must be met are outlined below-
Educational design and delivery requirements
- Demonstrate that the activity content is evidence based, is up to date with current practice trends, and is within the scope of family medicine teaching. Emerging evidence from peer-reviewed sources that challenge currently approved practice may be included for discussion.
- Use the best available clinical evidence when designing faculty development activities for clinical teaching
- Use evidence to develop strategies and resources for learning interventions
- Review resources for discriminatory, outdated, and oppressive language and images
- Provide references for all evidence cited
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Examples of compliance
Sources of non-clinical evidence discussed:
- Pedagogical literature
- Social sciences literature
- Humanities literature
- Business literature
- Educational theory
- Qualitative studies
Appropriate clinical evidence:
- Systematic reviews of studies with/without a meta-analysis
- Observational studies such as prospective or retrospective cohort studies, case-control studies, and case reports
- Randomized control trials and non-inferiority studies
- Clinical guidelines or resources that summarize evidence
Submitters must include the following with their application related to this criterion:
- A description of how evidence is identified and selected
- References displayed on slides and content provided to learners
Quality Criterion 4: Evaluation and outcome assessment
The minimum standards that must be met are outlined below.-
Educational design and delivery requirements
- Participants must be able to:
- Evaluate the effectiveness of all elements of the learning activity (format, design, facilitators, relevance, etc.) including facilitation and delivery of the activity, and to what extent the instructors/facilitators were able to provide a safe, accessible, and productive learning environment in which to explore and advance knowledge and skills
- Evaluate self-reported change in teaching, education, administration, leadership, and research competencies through the FTA Framework and/or CanMEDS-FM Roles (as identified in the learning objectives)
- Evaluate their confidence in achieving/implementing program learning objectives
- Evaluate potential biases within the program
- Participant evaluations should include the ability to collect (non-identifiable) demographic data where learners can self-identify if they belong to a systematically marginalized and under-represented identity group (e.g., Indigeneity, race, citizenship status, gender identity, sexuality, ability and health status, language, etc.) to inform future planning and support more inclusive learning opportunities
- Participants have the option to provide feedback on how well the activity addressed and incorporated concepts of EDI with respect to the program content
- Programs intended for delivery in the province of Quebec must include the mandatory evaluation question regarding the Quebec Council for the Continuing Professional Development of Physicians (CQDPCM) Code of Ethics
- Program developers must have a plan in place to review and respond to evaluation feedback for quality improvement purposes
- Participants must be able to:
-
Examples of compliance
Evaluation forms/format
- Self-reported change in knowledge/skill/performance
- Inclusion of bias evaluation related to financial interests, as well as other types of bias (gender, race, speaker, etc.)
- Electronic or paper-based evaluation format
- Evidence of demographic collections in the evaluation form
- Likert scale measurements of confidence
- Mandatory Quebec question:
- Did the activity respect the CQDPCM Code of Ethics? Yes or No
Evaluation review and response plan
- Summary of previous evaluation feedback
- Evidence of previous evaluation review and response (meeting minutes)
- Evidence of a plan to review and act on evaluation feedback
Submitters must include the following with their application related to this criterion:
- A description of the evaluation strategy selected and how it serves as a measure of learning objectives effectiveness
- A description of how participants will be engaged in evaluation of the proposed activity, and how the evaluation approach and tools:
- Generate data that can be disaggregated to make certain that feedback from equity-seeking learners can be highlighted and analyzed
- Elicit learners’ feedback on the facilitation and delivery of the activity, and how well the instructors or facilitators created a safe, accessible, and productive learning environment for exploring and advancing knowledge and skills
- A description of how evaluation feedback is used, who reviews it, how frequently and how it is used for quality improvement
- A copy of the evaluation form/format selected. Program providers should retain copies of evaluation feedback for a minimum of one year post-program certification period in the event of a CFPC audit.
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Enhanced activity requirements
Providers who wish to create opportunities for participants to earn additional optional credits may include the following elements in their program:
- A needs assessment activity that can be completed by actual program participants that incorporates data from their teaching practice
- Teaching tools and resources with follow-up to assess the impact on teaching to increase relevance and reinforce learning after the program
- An exercise that includes formal reflection on the application of learning to teaching over a realistic period to assess practise change
- An objective measurement of change for participants, such as:
- Knowledge test
- Commitment to change with follow-up
- Student outcome measurement
Submitters seeking enhanced activity approval must submit the additional activities for review and describe how these additional activities serve the program learning objectives. Submitters must also provide an estimate of the additional time required to complete the enhanced activities to validate additional optional credit allocation.
Standards and Quality Criteria – Certified Assessment Activities
Certified Assessment Activities – Certified activities in which data analysis, including providing or receiving feedback, stimulates self-reflection and leads to practise/performance improvement. These may be self-directed or conducted with others.
In this section:
-
Educational design and delivery requirements
- Method(s) used to collect needs-assessment data, and rationale/evidence to support the use of each method must be provided
- The needs assessment addresses teaching, education, administration, leadership, and research competency through the FTA Framework and CanMEDS-FM Roles
- Should make certain that it has considered the diverse needs of the target audience being assessed when creating the assessment activity
- Outline of how the need for the assessment tool/process was determined
- Outline of the assessment tool and process
- Learning objectives must be:
- Tied to the needs assessment results and demonstrate what a learner will be able to do or change after completing the assessment activity
- Written in a measurable and learner-centred format addressing the CanMEDS-FM Competencies and or the FTA Framework domain identified in the needs assessment
-
Examples of compliance
Sources of needs assessment data:
- Surveys representative of the intended target audience
- Institutional based data
- Teaching assessments
- Student feedback
- Student assessment results
- Departmental goals/plans
- Curriculum planning retreats
- Accreditation reports
Demonstration of assessment process:
- Literature supporting the use of assessment methodology
- Validated assessment tools/templates
- Assessor training plan
Learning objectives can be created using:
- Bloom’s taxonomy
- Moore’s level of outcome measurement
- Kirkpatrick, ADDIE model, etc.
Submitters must include the following with their application, related to this criterion:
- Describe how they considered the validity of the chosen assessment
- Describe how assessors, if they are used, are trained
- Include a summary of the data used to determine the assessment needs. When applicable, explain how the diversity of learner populations were addressed/considered in the needs assessment process.
- Establish the relevance of the learning objectives according to the needs assessment results
- Identify the CanMEDS-FM competencies and/or FTA Framework domains assessed in the activity
-
Educational design and delivery requirements
- Must include the review of and reflection on teaching practice/performance data relative to previously established standards, protocols, and norms
- Assessment activities may be self-directed or conducted with others
- Participants must receive feedback on teaching practice and/or performance that compares the learners’ performance to expected standards and is designed to encourage improvement. For self-directed activities feedback includes reminders and/or prompts to review and reflect on progress/performance change.
- When applicable, the assessment considers issues of EDI, reflecting an acknowledgment of racial, ethnic, cultural, and gender diversity, along with other identities
- Information, perspectives, and feedback from diverse cultural, social, and demographic backgrounds to enrich the assessment experience should be considered
- Assessment providers should consider options to accommodate learners who may encounter barriers accessing the assessment activity due to physical limitations and may request accommodation
-
Examples of compliance
Practice data sources
- Teaching assessments
- Student feedback
- Patient feedback on student performance
- Accreditation reports/standards
Feedback
- Self-assessment of practice questionnaire with results compared to standards
- Teaching assessment review exercise
- Peer observation of teaching with feedback
- Debrief and feedback from simulation
- Feedback from coaches, peers, students, mentors
- Knowledge-based assessments alone, such as multiple-choice questions, are not sufficient forms of interaction and engagement and should be combined with other activities as part of a more comprehensive reflection on practice
Demonstration of feedback incorporation
- Feedback templates, guides
- Guide for assessors
Examples of incorporating EDI:
- Implement a peer review system for teaching materials that explicitly considers diversity and inclusion. Faculty members can exchange feedback on each other's content so that a variety of perspectives are taken into account.
- Encourage reviewers to provide constructive feedback on how the material can be more inclusive and accessible
- Develop interactive simulations that present scenarios involving diverse student populations. Faculty members can navigate through these scenarios, making decisions that consider EDI aspects.
- Include debriefing sessions where participants can discuss their choices, share insights, and learn from each other’s experiences
- Create surveys that assess faculty members’ awareness of EDI issues. Include questions related to their understanding of racial, ethnic, cultural, and gender diversity.
- Include scenarios and examples that address issues of EDI, encouraging participants to reflect on their own teaching practices and consider diverse perspectives
Examples of accessible learning:
- Colours and contrast are accessible to learners with low-vision and colour-vision deficiencies
- Screen reader-friendly documents
- Alt text is included for visual content
- Size and type of font is accessible
- Text equivalents are provided for all audio and video content (transcripts and/or captions)
- Audio descriptions of visual information for learners who are visually impaired are provided, including alt text for images
Submitters must include the following with their application related to this criterion:
- Describe how feedback is provided to learners
- Provide an example of the assessment tool/format used
- Demonstrate how learning outcomes can be measured and achieved within the assessment activity time frame
- Provide a description of what practice data will be used and how they will be accessed
- Provide an explanation of how information and perspectives from various cultural, social, and demographic backgrounds have been incorporated to enrich the assessment experience
- Specify the strategies used for the assessment activity to reflect the diversity of perspectives relevant to the assessment activity’s focus
- Describe the approach to designing assessment activities that accommodate diverse learning preferences, abilities, challenges, interests, and background knowledge
- Provide examples of how an inclusive assessment activity is created that considers the accessibility needs of diverse participants
Providers who are unable to meet the requirements outlined in items 5 through 8 will not have their application for certification rejected but will be asked to identify how they might consider these concepts for future activities.
-
Educational de sign and delivery requirements
- Assessment methodology should be evidence-based as well as valid and reliable
- Content considers the Canadian context and diverse communities across Canada when making recommendations or speaks to implementation of evidence
- References for evidence cited and tools/templates used must be provided to participants
- Resources and assessment activity should be reviewed for discriminatory, outdated, and oppressive language and images
-
Examples of compliance
Sources of non-clinical evidence:
- Pedagogical literature
- Educational theory
- Qualitative studies
- Social sciences literature
- Humanities literature
- Business literature
Appropriate clinical evidence:
- Systematic reviews of studies with/without a meta-analysis
- Observational studies such as prospective or retrospective cohort studies, case-control studies, and case reports
- Randomized control trials and non-inferiority studies
- Clinical guidelines or resources that summarize evidence
Submitters must include the following with their application related to this criterion:
- A description of how evidence is identified and selected
- References on content provided to learners
-
Educational design and delivery requirements
Outcome Assessment
- Includes an objective measurement of change in competence and/or performance for learners
- This should include evaluation of the change in teaching, education, administration, leadership, and research competencies through the FTA Framework and/or CanMEDS-FM Roles (as identified in the learning objectives)
Evaluation
- Learners must be provided with the means to evaluate the effectiveness of the assessment activity and give feedback to the program providers about the facilitation and delivery of the assessment, and to what extent the instructors/facilitators/coaches were able to provide a safe, accessible, and productive environment in which to explore and advance knowledge and skills
- Participants must be able to:
- Evaluate their confidence in achieving/implementing program learning objectives
- Evaluate potential biases within the program
- Participant evaluations include collecting (non-identifiable) demographic data where learners can self-identify if they belong to a systemically marginalized and under-represented identity group (e.g. Indigeneity, race, citizenship status, gender identity, sexuality, ability and health status, language) to inform future planning and support more inclusive learning opportunities
- Participants have the option to provide feedback on how well the activity addressed and incorporated concepts of EDI with respect to the program content
- Programs intended for delivery in the province of Quebec must include the mandatory evaluation question regarding the CQDPCM Code of Ethics
- Program developers must have a plan in place to review and respond to evaluation feedback for quality improvement purposes
- Includes an objective measurement of change in competence and/or performance for learners
-
Examples of compliance
Objective measurements of change
- Fulfillment of a quality improvement cycle
- Commitment to change contract with follow-up
- Observation and feedback in a practice setting
- Summative assessment of change in knowledge/skill/performance
- Goal setting with follow-up/feedback
Evaluation of assessment activity
- Overall activity evaluation form
- Inclusion of a self-reported measure of change in competence/performance
- Inclusion of bias evaluation related to financial interests, as well as other types of bias (e.g., gender, race, speaker, etc.)
- Electronic or paper-based evaluation format
- Evidence of demographic collections in the evaluation form
- Likert scale measurements of confidence
- Mandatory Quebec question:
- Did the activity respect the CQDPCM Code of Ethics? Yes or No
- Inclusion of questions regarding the use of inclusive language, avoidance of stereotypes etc.
Evaluation review and response plan
- Summary of previous evaluation feedback
- Evidence of previous evaluation review and response (meeting minutes)
- Evidence of a plan to review and act on evaluation feedback
Submitters must include the following with their application related to this criterion:
- Describe the selected evaluation strategy and how it measures learning objectives accomplishment
- Describe how evaluation feedback is used, who reviews it, how often, and how it is used for quality improvement
- Provide a description of how participants will be engaged in evaluating the proposed activity, and how the evaluation approach and tools:
- Generate data that can be disaggregated so that feedback from equity-seeking learners can be highlighted and analyzed
- Elicit learners’ feedback about the activity facilitation and delivery, and how well the instructors/facilitators/assessors created a safe, accessible, and productive learning environment for exploring and advancing knowledge and skills
- Include a copy of the evaluation form/format selected. Program providers should retain copies of evaluation feedback for a minimum of one year post-program certification period in the event of a CFPC audit
-
Enhanced activity requirements
Providers who wish to create opportunities for participants to earn additional optional credits may include the following elements in their program.
- Formal reflection on the application of changes to teaching/education administration/leadership/research because of the assessment activity
- Meeting with coach or peer related to teaching, education, administration, leadership, or research improvement plan
- Completion and implementation of a practice improvement plan with follow-up after a realistic period
- Completion of a knowledge test after a realistic period
Submitters seeking enhanced activity approval must submit the additional activities for review and describe how these additional activities serve the program learning objectives. Submitters must also provide an estimate of the additional time required to complete the enhanced activities to validate additional optional credit allocation.
Contact Mainpro+ certification
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Toll-free: 1-866-242-5885
Email: [email protected]
1Adapted with permission from: Silver I, Leslie K. Comparing and Contrasting: Faculty Development and Continuing Professional Development. In: Rayburn WF, Turco MG, Davis DA, eds. Continuing Professional Development in Medicine and Health Care: Better Education, Better Patient Outcomes. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer; 2017.