In order to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of the portfolio’s structure and functionality, let’s start by introducing a key concept: EPAs.
Definition EPA
EPAs, or Entrustable Professional Activities, are a framework originally developed within the medical education system. They serve as a powerful tool for assessing and developing essential skills and competencies in a specific professional context. EPAs focus on practical skills rather than just theoretical knowledge. They provide a way to assess the competence and readiness of medical professionals by evaluating their ability to carry out specific tasks. EPAs help ensure that medical professionals are well-prepared to provide quality care and make informed decisions.
By adapting the EPA framework to the realm of business, we have created a robust and effective system to help your employees showcase their business skills and achievements.
So, how did we make the transition from medical to business EPAs? We recognized the fundamental value of the EPA framework and its ability to capture the core elements of professional practice. Building upon this foundation, our team of experts meticulously identified the key business skills and competencies necessary for success in today’s dynamic corporate landscape.
We designed a set of unique EPAs that specifically target the business domain. These EPAs serve as the building blocks of the digital portfolio for your organization.
Ten Cate (2015) defines EPAs as follows:
"EPAs are professional tasks or responsibilities that the supervisor entrusts to a student to perform without or with limited supervision once the student has acquired the necessary competencies."
Understanding EPAs: theoretical and practical components
Executing an EPA successfully requires proficiency and the simultaneous application of a combination of several competency areas. It is only after the employee has demonstrated competence in performing an EPA that the respective task will be entrusted to them with reduced supervision or independently (Guidelines for Training Plans based on EPAs, 2015).
The execution of an EPA is measurable and observable. EPAs are delimited professional activities (core activities), which consist of multiple (process or procedural) steps and have a clearly defined level of complexity. The professional activity lends itself to being entrusted to the employee. The employee gradually progresses through competence levels towards the proficiency certification of the EPA.
There are five levels of proficiency distinguished, as depicted in the table below:
|
Proficiency level |
Description |
|
1 |
The employee is allowed to observe but not perform the EPA. |
|
2 |
The employee is allowed to perform the EPA under direct supervision of someone with proficiency level 5, who is physically present in the same room. |
|
3 |
The employee is allowed to perform the EPA under indirect supervision of someone with proficiency level 5, who is not physically present but readily available if needed. |
|
4 |
The employee independently carries out the activity. |
|
5 |
The employee provides supervision to junior employees. |
Level 4 is equivalent to the ability to independently perform the EPA. The EPAs in the portfolio are designed to gradually increase an employee’s responsibility and autonomy in a safe and responsible manner. Successfully completing an EPA results in the formal declaration of competence, granting the employee permission to independently carry out that professional activity.
Competence for an EPA is declared when there is a justified level of trust (Ten Cate and Wijnen-Meijer, in Inge Pool et al., Dec 2018). This requires multiple observations, agreement among multiple observers (assessors), and the use of different sources of information for assessment, such as product evaluation and case discussions (Ten Cate and Wijnen-Meijer, in Inge Pool et al., Jan 2018).
During the execution of the professional activity and its debriefing, the employer assesses whether the employee can apply the knowledge in practice (Inge Pool et al., Dec 2018).