When Does Your Program Need a Consultant’s Expertise?

As presented by Medea Valdez, Ph.D.

From her webinar, “Consultants and Accreditation Support”

Welcome back, and thank you for joining me once again. Last week, my blog focused on a consultant’s skills in promoting a “team” mindset in compliance and accreditation processes. Today, I’d like to follow that up by asking how you know when your program can use a consultant's help.

Every program has questions

In a perfect world, your PA program is stable, with effective processes continually mindful of accreditation. 

• You monitor the resources and bring them to the program for consideration. 

• You determine if operational changes need to be made and have a process for implementing changes to ensure that you remain in compliance. 

• You have a stable assessment plan that allows you to determine your strengths, areas needing improvement, and, based on your data analysis, create action plans.

But reality is different! Younger programs have an opportunity to establish these processes early, and they may need assistance and advice to do so. 

However, let’s not assume that a program that has operated for decades has no need for a consultant. Established programs, especially those approaching a milestone of accreditation in the next few years, must be aware of the potential slipping out of compliance. I call this “losing focus.” There are many possible reasons why your program could have lost its focus, particularly in light of updated Standards. 

When might a program have lost focus on accreditation?

“If it ain’t broke…”

The trap of “We have always done it this way!” exists for well-established programs. Unless there is a process for continually monitoring, reviewing, and updating compliance, the program is likely to have fallen behind on compliance.

Faculty Turnover

Turnover is always inevitable, but sometimes it seems to come in waves. If your program has experienced an unusually high turnover rate in the past few years, it can result in inexperience and a need for ongoing faculty development. 

Or over the years, new principal faculty have come in and taken over roles. They just haven’t had the chance to experience what it’s like to go through accreditation. There may be a need for ongoing faculty development. 

Likewise, suppose your program is short on faculty or staff, even briefly. In that case, those responsibilities are distributed to the remaining team, and the time crunch may lead to a gradual loss of focus.

Difficulty and Delays in Implementing New Policies

We mustn’t discount the simple stress of day-to-day operations. Busy times can derail the best intentions..  

I’m personally a huge proponent of attending conferences and workshops and gaining knowledge for faculty development. But to be realistic, even after an outstanding workshop, sometimes when you walk back into the program, the day-to-day implementation of what you learned can be challenging. A consultant can be beneficial in implementing new processes.

New / Less Experienced Program Director 

New Program Directors have steep learning curves. Often, they are promoted to the position from being a faculty member (who may not have been fully immersed in the accreditation process). Perhaps they have never been through an accreditation visit! Having support from a consultant is extremely helpful at this point.

Institutional Concerns

Your institution may have had a change in leadership. The new president or provost may not be familiar with PA education or what the accreditation Standards require. There might also be a shift in the institution's goals.

Additionally, there may have been a change in resource availability. This often happens due to outside factors beyond the institution’s control (a prime example was 2020’s pandemic). Despite that, programs still must demonstrate compliance. Navigating those situations can be awkward, and it's helpful to have someone there to assist.

Disconnect from Administration 

One of our work’s great ironies is that we’re often too good at what we do. PA programs can easily become siloed. We make things happen when needed, whether we get help or not. We ensure that our students get their education. Sometimes, the program doesn’t want the institution looking over its shoulder or upsetting the apple cart. Everything is going fine. Conversely, the institution doesn’t see a problem and lets the PA program manage itself.  

But programs should not run autonomously without oversight. They need to work with their administration, and both parties must be involved and engaged. If this starts to happen as you approach the accreditation cycle, it’s time to ensure that the connection is established moving forward.

Probation.

Alas, it does happen sometimes. In my world, probation is the “ultimate” example of losing focus. The program needs to get back on track. You can’t ignore probation. A consultant with an external perspective can truly help fix the problems that the ARC has pointed out.

Catching up with the times

Things have changed dramatically over the past twenty years. Technology has advanced incredibly; meanwhile, a certain pandemic completely changed business. We cannot assume that what worked ten years ago is sufficient now.

Next Week…

It’s all about working together. What can you expect when your program hires a consultant? In turn, what should they be able to expect from your program? In next week’s blog, we’ll look at best practices for ensuring that your time with a consultant is as effective and productive as possible.

I look forward to seeing you then.