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Training ePortfolio

About the ePortfolio

The FPH electronic portfolio (ePortfolio) system provides Specialty Registrars with a central platform for the management of information and documentation on progression of learning against the public health specialty training curriculum (http://www.fph.org.uk/specialty_training) during their time in training. The ePortfolio allows trainees to relate documentation and evidence to the curriculum and incorporates the ability to record various sign offs.

The information within the ePortfolio is the responsibility of the Registrar to maintain and keep up to date. The ePortfolio is to be used in conjunction with the 2010 and 2015 public health curriculum and assessment systems. Policy on how training is organised and arranged can be found within the Gold Guide.

The training ePortfolio is managed by the registrar who must reflect on and record their achievements on an on-going basis. The ePortfolio system has NOT been designed to replace face-to-face meetings, or be used as the sole method of communication between registrars and supervisors, but is intended to be used as a complimentary tool to aid recording training activity.

Latest update 9 June

Following the last communication from the Faculty regarding the ePortfolio in February we subsequently received further queries regarding the system from Registrars and Educational Supervisors. As such a teleconference with ePortfolio champions was held in May to discuss concerns and progress.

Specifically two areas of concern have been highlighted which we are addressed here:

When should Registrars should transfer to the ePortfolio?

In order to be as pragmatic as possible we suggest the approach below is followed regarding method of recording training:

1. For Registrars within approximately 12-18 months of CCT there is the option to continue to use paper record of training if preferred.

2. For Registrars approaching an ARCP in the next 12 months there is an option to have a hybrid approach (for example use of paper based record for the year from last ARCP and preceding the access to e portfolio and use of ePortfolio subsequent to access to e portfolio to next upcoming ARCP (all registrars should have access by May 2017) ).

3. After their next ARCP registrars should aim to use the e portfolio to record training. All preferences should be discussed and agreed with local TPD.

When would historic progress be updated on user’s accounts?

Originally this was to be managed with an IT solution, with Registrars historic progress being automatically updated. However the subsequent discussion with the provider described a complicated process, which they could not guarantee would be entirely successful due to complexity of the system.This means that we will need to look at a potential manual process of updating Registrars account. Unfortunately due to limited resources in the Faculty this will need to be revisited in the later part of the year or beginning of 2018. Registrars within this process will use the Transition Progress Log, signed off by their Educational Supervisor, as evidence of their progress.

In order to provide further clarity in regards to the process we created two brief documents which can be downloaded on this page: Registrars QA and Educational Supervisors QA.

We are aware that there are still a number of challenges in regards to supporting users on the system and as such we will be having regular meetings with ePortfolio Champions to discuss these.

Any questions please contact:

20 February 2017

Following discussion with the SRC, Directors of Training and our IT providers, we have now made a decision regarding the ePortfolio, the transitioning of Learning Outcomes and Registrars access to the system.

All Registrars will be given access to the latest version of the ePortfolio, so that they can use the system to capture their progress as they go through training. This will come into effect immediately. If you have any issues regarding accessing the system please email

Subsequently we have developed the gudiance document “Transition Guide to the 2015 Curriculum Specialty Registrars” which has been circulated via TPDs and ePortfolio Champions and is available on this page. Registrars will upload their Training Progress Log aka Transition spreadsheet to the ePortfolio so that they have a record of progress accessible via the system.

We are still working with the developers to look at how people’s ePortfolio accounts are to be updated with the Learning Outcomes which have been signed off, with the minimum of burden on either Registrars or supervisors. This is an ongoing piece of work and we will seek to provide regular updates you in regards to progress.

Once again apologies for the delay in the process and the frustration this has caused and thank you for your patience.

18th January 2017

Following up on our last communication made in December in regards to progress on the ePortfolio and transitioning of Registrars to the new system.

In this interim period the Faculty has been involved with further discussions with Registrars, including a meeting between the Vice-Chair of the SRC and the Head of Education and Standards, CEO and President, providing further assurance that we are currently working with our IT developers to provide an solution which meets the needs of all those involved. We hope to announce a timetable and guidance for this transitioning shortly.

The guidance remains the same: we ask that Registrars who have been requested to complete a Progress Log continue to update the document but do not submit it to the FPH at the current time.

We also still advise that those are due to CCT in the next 18 months - 2 years should complete their portfolios on paper for the remainder of their training. We would also like to reassure Registrars that there are no plans to currently in place to switch off the old ePortfolio system.

FPH apologise for this delay and inconvenience caused and we expect to provide an update on the 16th February regarding progress with this work.

16 December 2016

Following on from our last update regarding the ePortfolio on the 5th December we are now making progress in reviewing options around the ePotrfolio in collaboration with the Directors of Training and our IT Providers and we hope to provide clear direction to stakeholders early in the new year.

To reiterate the last communication, following concerns with the current transitional arrangements and a forthcoming formal review of the ePortfolio project commissioned by the FPH Education Committee, we have taken the decision to pause the transitioning process. This decision has been made after discussion with the Academic Registrar and the Chair of the Specialty Registrars Committee.

We ask that registrars who have been requested to complete a Progress Log continue to update the document but do not submit it to FPH at the current time.

Following feedback from registrars, we would also advise that those that are due to CCT in the next 18 months – two years should complete their portfolios on paper for the remainder of their training. We would also like to reassure registrars that there are no plans currently in place to switch off the old ePortfolio system.

FPH do appreciate and apologise for this delay and inconvenience caused and we and expect to provide an update on the 16 January regarding CCT in the next 18 months – 2 years should complete their portfolios on paper for the remainder of their training. We would also like to reassure registrars that there are no plans currently in place to switch off the old ePortfolio system.FPH apologise for this delay and inconvenience caused and we and expectprogress with this work.

5th December 2016

Following the launch of the new e-portfolio, the latest group of registrars who enrolled in August 2016 have now been given access to the system.

However, following concerns with the current transitional arrangements and a forthcoming formal review of the e-portfolio project commissioned by the FPH Education Committee, we have taken the decision to pause the transitioning process. Unfortunately, the significant resources needed to complete the work will necessitate exploring other options with our IT provider. This decision has been made after discussion with the Academic Registrar and the Chair of the Specialty Registrars Committee.

In light of this, we would ask that registrars who have been requested to complete a Progress Log continue to update the document, but do not supply it to FPH at the current time. We will let you know when we would like you to send us the document.

Following feedback from registrars, we would also advise that those that are due to CCT in the next 18 months – 2 years should complete their portfolios on paper for the remainder of their training. We would also like to reassure registrars that there are no plans currently in place to switch off the old ePortfolio system.

FPH do appreciate and apologise for the frustration caused by the implementation of the new system. We are working hard to identify appropriate solutions and will update again as soon as possible, and certainly by 16 December.

November 2016

As part of our on-going effort to keep you updated on ePortfolio developments, a new communication has been put together and circulated to all ePortfolio stakeholders. The latest communication can be found below. For reference, we have also published all the most historically significant ePortfolio communications below in date order.

Instructions have now been to the majority of Registrars inviting them to begin the process of transitioning to ePortfolio v2.

Instructions have been provided to Registrars in an invitation email, which they need to read carefully in conjunction with the instructions on the first worksheet in the Training Progress Log (attached here). It is important that the instructions are respected and followed if FPH are to complete this process efficiently.

The instructions include a spreadsheet which Registrars need to use to inform us of their training progress to date. There are instructions on the first worksheet which are intended to explain the process and guide Registrars through it. FPH aim to start the work of updating a Registrar’s ePortfolio once their Activity summary sheet has been approved by their Educational Supervisor (ES). At that point FPH will temporarily restrict access to their account, so before a spreadsheet is uploaded we recommend discussing progress with the ES and agree a convenient point to update to. N.B. it is important that the ES completes assessment of any LOSOS that have submitted to them (that does not mean the level of achievement should be ‘Full’, just that the LOSOS should not be ‘In Progress’)

Once the work of updating a Registrar’s account has been completed they will be switched to v2 and FPH will inform them that this has happened. On their next log in they will see the v2 interface. The v1 Evidence and Activity items will appear in this interface, although it should be noted that these items will be locked and will not be linked (or linkable) to any Learning Outcomes. This means that Evidence files will be downloadable still, and Activity Summary Sheets can be referred to for content if needed.

FPH will complete the transition process for each Registrar as soon as it can from the point that the Training Progress Log is approved by the ES. It is difficult to estimate how long it will take to complete an individual transition, but for a degree of reference it takes around 20 minutes to update the account of a 2015 curriculum Registrar with 10 LOSOS to sign off. The backend process will be slightly more complicated for a 2010 curriculum Registrar and they will likely have far more LOSOS to update; response time will be affected this and also by the volume of files FPH receive from the approximately 300 Registrars involved and by the amount of human resource FPH can allocate to the work. FPH will also prioritise work on the ePortfolios of those closest to CCT. We appreciate your patience during this time.

FPH are hoping after a few weeks to have a better estimate of how long it will take to complete the entire process and will update again at that point.

ePortfolio Communication Update - 31 August 2016

ePortfolio Communication Update - 22 August 2016

ePortfolio Communication Update - 15 August 2016

ePortfolio Communication Update - 08 August 2016

ePortfolio Communication Update - 03 August 2016

ePortfolio Communication Update - 29 July 2016

ePortfolio Communication Update - 27 July 2016

ePortfolio Communication Update - 22 July 2016

ePortfolio Communication Update - 20 July 2016

ePortfolio Communication Update - 18 July 2016

ePortfolio Communication Update - 6 July 2016

ePortfolio Communication Update - 18 May 2016

ePortfolio Communication Update - 25 April 2016

ePortfolio Communication Update - 9 February 2016

ePortfolio Communication Update – 8 December 2015

ePortfolio Communication Update – 2 October 2015
ePortfolio Communication Update – 11 August 2015
ePortfolio Communication Update – 3 July 2015
ePortfolio Communication Update – 19 May 2015
ePortfolio Communication Update – 24 March 2015
ePortfolio Communication Update – 27 February 2015
ePortfolio Communication Update – 13 February 2015
ePortfolio Communication Update – 22 January 2015
ePortfolio Communication Update – 22 December 2014

New ePortfolio system

In February 2015, FPH launched a new ePortfolio system which can be accessed here:

https://eportfolio.fph.org.uk/

Please note that passwords issued for the former ePortfolio system will not work with the new system.

Prior to go-live, each person who had a login for the old portfolio will have been sent an automated email confirming the URL of the new ePortfolio as well as their username and password. In the case of those registrars who were sent these after the initial data migration in November last year, the log-in details will be the same. If you are a previous user of the ePortfolio and have not received your log-in, please email: educ@fph.org.uk

Dealing with Migration Anomalies/Issues

We are aware that there are some registrars who identified anomalies in the migration of their data to the new system. The Education and Training team are reviewing these on a case-by-case basis.

Guidance

Manuals on the functionality of the new system are available for download. Many thanks to Anna Seale, one of the FPH ePortfolio champions, who has created a series of video tutorials on the new system which can be accessed via the links below:

*Please note that some menu/page and link titles have changed since production of the video tutorials. In addition, deanery administrator access and Educational and Academic Supervisor Report and Learning Agreement Form functionality has been added to the system. Please refer to the latest user manuals for further information.*

Feedback

In order to manage feedback, including any questions or issues you might have around the new system, we would ask you to contact your local ePortfolio champion in the first instance. If they are unable to resolve your query, please email your query to

Useful forms

The below document templates can be used for ARCP’s. Please note that these documents are provided for guidance only – this is not a definitive list of all the forms that may be required at an ARCP. This should always be agreed locally between Trainees, Educational Supervisors and Training Programme Directors.

Attachments

Documents

FPH