Discussion
In this short communication, we highlight the process and results of a SWOT analysis regarding worldwide occupational therapy workforce development and research. In doing so, we integrated the results of a three-pronged scoping review – especially for internal-system components of the SWOT framework (i.e., Strengths andWeaknesses ), and then used current health workforce development frameworks and expert consultation – especially for the external-environment components (i.e., Opportunities andThreats ). This work is part of a wider, multi-staged project of the WFOT to build the first ever global strategy for strengthening the occupational therapy workforce. The initial design of the strategy must be preceded by a comprehensive, yet balanced, situational assessment. Here, we described the completion of that assessment using a SWOT analysis.
Among the elements included in our SWOT analysis, Weaknesses were the most frequently identified. This finding may arise from the lack of a systematic program, agenda, or capacity toward developing and investigating the occupational therapy workforce and its strengthening, globally or in varying health system contexts.21,34-37The numerous weaknesses reinforce the need to build global strategic directions for the occupational therapy workforce strengthening. In turn, the mapping of precise weaknesses may prove very helpful to the task of designing strategies that aim to specifically address the areas of concern.
Methodologically, the SWOT framework proved to be a useful and intuitive tool. Initially used in the management literature,20the SWOT analysis has been now utilised in health policy and service research topics, including in the disability and rehabilitation field21,38-43 and toward informing health workforce developments.21-25 The framework facilitated the identification of Strengths and Opportunities to be seized, as well as Weaknesses and Threats to be addressed by global strategies, thus aligning with our development purposes. Moreover, the SWOT methodology focuses on both factors internal (i.e.,Strengths and Weaknesses ) and external (e.g.,Opportunities and Threats) , which is also congruent with our development tenets. We acknowledge the need to develop profession-specific workforce strategies that are responsive to profession-specific gaps and strengths. Yet, we also recognise the need to synergistically frame those developments within other (cross-professional) activities toward building the health and rehabilitation workforce.2,21,29,44 The SWOT framework was therefore instrumental for our strategy development.
The work has the following limitations. Although we consulted a range of experts, including those outside of the profession, we did not develop a wide stakeholder consultation. We plan to develop a larger consultation process on the strategies that will arise from this situational assessment. Also, experts were selected and invited by the researchers. Although it helped achieve a representative pool of experts, this approach can contribute to bias in the review of the SWOT analysis.