Research Request for Proposal - CDAA

Posted on January 11 2013

Researcher
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Request for Proposal
For the preparation of a research paper on needed levels of supervision for Dental Assistants

Who we are and what we do:
The Canadian Dental Assistants? Association (CDAA) is the national voice for dental assistants, supporting its Corporate Members by placing itself at the forefront of issues such as labour mobility, occupational analysis and workplace health and safety. The CDAA advances the profession of dental assisting by maintaining its involvement in these programs and remaining accessible to its Corporate Members, by offering information to dental assistants. For more information about us, please visit our website: http://www.cdaa.ca/

Background:
Dental assistants are represented via their provincial association. The provincial association provides individual services to dental assistants. Dental assistants in the military are represented via the Canadian Forces, Dental Service. Through this arrangement, provincial associations who subscribe to CDAA are represented at the national level. CDAA refers to its subscribed membership (the provincial bodies/Canadian Forces) as Corporate Members. CDAA membership is comprised solely of provincial/federal bodies. Individual dental assistants are represented by virtue of their provincial body membership in CDAA or in the case of the armed forces, via the Canadian Forces Dental Services (CFDS).

Currently, CDAA has the following Corporate Members:

? The College of Alberta Dental Assistants
? Saskatchewan Dental Assistant Association
? Manitoba Dental Assistant Association
? Association des Assistant(es) Dentaires Du Qu?bec
? New Brunswick Dental Assistant Association
? Nova Scotia Dental Assistant Association
? Newfoundland Dental Assistant Association
? The Canadian Forces Dental Services

Provincial organizations represent the individual dental assistants in their province. They provide direct services and representation to their members and in some cases, regulation. Direct member services can include communication on relevant issues, continuing education and other direct support initiatives. CDAA is a federation that represents the provincial dental assistant organizations and the dental assistant arm of the Canadian military and it?s through this arrangement that CDAA speaks on behalf of the dental assistant profession nationally.

CDAA?s services to the profession include:

? Federal level advocacy
? Capacity building of provincial organizations serving the profession
? Knowledge sourcing and sharing, of research in the profession of oral health

At CDAA?s recent annual general meeting, its Corporate Members (provincial and military dental assisting organizations) identified the need for CDAA to begin peer-review ready research on issues relevant to the profession of dental assisting in Canada. Starting in 2013, CDAA has been mandated to sponsor a research report on the needed amount of supervision dental assistants require in different situations in the delivery of oral health care. While dental assistants must perform the majority of their tasks under the supervision of dentists, anecdotal information suggests that effective and efficient delivery of care could be provided with remote supervision, limited supervision, or where required other reporting mechanisms that do not require a dentist on site. Issues where this might be particularly relevant include the delivery of oral health in remote and northern communities as well as cosmetic dentistry.

CDAA is seeking to have a paper developed that will also serve as a reference source for other services relating to the particular issue at hand. The report will need to aim to identify and inform, about a variety of issues, some issues more high profile than others.

PREVIOUSLY RELEASED RESEARCH
2007 ? National Occupational Analysis

Project Goals and Objectives:
The report CDAA is seeking must contain statistical and anecdotal information, as well as recommendations to address the issue at hand. This study will help to identify attitudes, barriers, the effects of changing demographics, and the needs of delivering effective oral health to assist the profession in becoming more efficiently utilized, while making recommendations. Research methodology may include the use of localized surveys, focus groups, and interviews. This report will also provide a literature review, including identifying relevant best practices in Canada in general and provincially.
The successful candidate will work closely with select stakeholders in the community to ensure local ownership of the project and provide an engaging, dynamic report that employs the following:
? Includes a literature review of the state of dental assisting in Canada as it pertains to the issue of supervision
? Describes a sample of other health and oral health professions:
? Conduct a comparative study of other professions with similar levels of education as dental assistants
? Consider practices across Canada and in other countries where dental assisting is a recognized profession
? Identifies any additional issues than cosmetic dentistry or remote oral health care delivery where supervision of dental assistants may be relevant
? Considerations for the different regulatory environments for dental assistants in Canada
? Assesses the impact of supervision requirements on oral health delivery in under serviced regions of Canada
? Suggests recommendations for future collaborations, and methods to increase/improve oral health delivery with the involvement of the dental assisting profession
? Present research that would be acceptable for publication in peer-review publications
? In a magazine style format, uses clear language to ensure the report is understood by a cross section of our communities.
? Additional elements may be considered in further review of the project plan and as information becomes available.

Bid:
Funding for the project is provided by CDAA. The budget for this project will include all expenses and HST. This proposed budget must include research, writing, travel costs, and basic word processing report layout costs and should not exceed $18,000.
Requirements:
Only candidates with a dental assisting background will be selected. The successful applicant will demonstrate familiarity with and competency in: interviewing and investigative research, collating and interpreting statistical data, formal and informal writing styles, knowledge of the dental assisting profession, demonstrated ability to deliver on the objectives of the project. They will also possess an academic research background with knowledge of how to publish research in peer review publications.

Deliverables:
A comprehensive report as outlined above provided in MS Word format with a midterm progress report presentation in Ottawa in late June 2013.

Time Line:
January 2013: RFP Released
February 2013: Successful Proponent Selected
March 2013: Work Plan Approved and Project Start
April ? May 2013: Research using a Variety of Methodologies
June 2013: Midterm progress report presentation
May 2013 ? September 2013: Research using a Variety of Methodologies
October 2013: Final report due

Application Procedure:
Please submit your CV, a preliminary work plan, two samples of similar work and the names of three references who can speak to your ability to complete this project to:

Mark Buzan, APR
Executive Director
Canadian Dental Assistants Association
110 Clarence Street, #202
Ottawa, Ontario K1N 5P6
or email to: mbuzan@cdaa.ca

by 12:00 noon on January 21st, 2013

Contact:
Direct your inquiries to:
Mark Buzan, APR
Executive Director
Canadian Dental Assistants Association
110 Clarence Street, #202
Ottawa, Ontario K1N 5P6

(613) 521-5495

Thank you for your interest. Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

Source: http://www.cdaa.ca/main-feature/research-request-for-proposal/

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