Robert Bryce¹
1 Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists 

Until 2023, RANZCOG's only WBA was 6-monthly summative assessments presented by the trainees' supervisors and DOPS assessed by a limited number of consultants. Consequently, the general fellowship is naive to structured WBA or principles of effective feedback. 

RANZCOG plans the introduction of more WBA in the form of mini-CEX (2023), MSF (2024) and CbD (2025 tbc). However, it is not prepared to move to "formal" programmatic assessment until there is confidence in the validity and reliability of our WBA. 

For mini-CEX, at least 12 assessments by 6 different assessors (Norcini & Burch, 2007); and, for MSF, 3 assessments by at least 5 assessors (Moonen-van Loon, 2013) would be required to provide acceptable reliability in their assessment components. 

Impediments to acceptance of WBA have been previously identified, especially lack of available time, trainer knowledge and understanding of WBA and trainer and trainee perceptions of the value of WBA to training (Massie & Ali, 2015). Suggested solutions were clarifying the purpose of WBA, managing the problem of time and addressing the quality of feedback provided. 

RANZCOG predicts that, if managed carefully, initial pushback against the commitment required by WBA can be minimised and that our committed fellowship will eventually find it engaging and empowering. 

RANZCOG has embarked on a pragmatic approach to the introduction of WBA by: 

A staged introduction of one new WBA per year 

A simplification of the instruments to make them more efficient and accessible to the fellowship 

Only requiring the numbers of assessments and assessors that are considered achievable Focussing on the feedback components over the assessment components 

Education of trainees and fellows of the nature, purpose and value of WBA Education of fellows and trainees in effective feedback. 

References (maximum three) 

Norcini j & Burch v. Workplace-based assessment as an educational tool. AAME Guide No.31. Med Teach. 2007; 29 (9): 1087-1102 

Moonen-van Loon LM, Overeem L, Donkers HH et al. Composite reliability of a workplace- based assessment toolbox for postgraduate medical education. Adv Health Sci Educ Theory Pract. 2013; 18: 1087-1102 

Massie J & Ali JM. Workplace-based assessment: a review of user perceptions and strategies to address the identified shortcomings. Adv Health Sci Edu DOI 10.1007/s10459-015-9614-0