Researching and analysing the European and global anti-doping workforce will form a strong foundation for the rest of the project. This will be achieved through a combination of desk research, stakeholder interviews and a European/global survey of anti-doping organisations. This will result in a comprehensive Occupational Map and Occupational Descriptors for key selected roles.

The Functional Map is a graphic representation that will precisely describe the functions that need to take place in the antidoping industry for its goals to be achieved. The Functional Map will be created by agreeing a key purpose (overarching mission) for the whole anti-doping industry and then identifying a complete breakdown of all primary and sub functions which practitioners need to carry out to achieve the key purpose.

The Professional Standards will be developed by identifying the performance criteria required for each function identified in the Functional Map and the skills and knowledge needed to achieve the performance criteria. This will provide a competence framework of good practice for each role addressed by the project and will be crucial in addressing the needs identified regarding Testing, Compliance, for Government Officials/advisors and for MEOs. Professional Standards will be concerned with what anti-doping practitioners can do (competence), not just what they need to know. The Professional Standards will include Key Competences (i.e., the technical functions specific to each role) and Core Competences (transversal competences in areas such as Communication, Self- Management and Teamwork, which may apply to several roles).

Training curricula, modules and learning pathways will be developed for the roles of Testing Manager/ Officer, Compliance coordinator, and MEO anti-doping manager/officer. A competence-based blended educational offer including e-learning modules and training materials will be made available to anti-doping practitioners via WADA’s existing online learning platform and also through face-to-face workshops.

Developing a competence-based curricula, e-learning modules learning pathways and guidance through research and consultation alone will not be sufficient. For the purposes of good practice, it will be important to test these products through piloted and evaluated training with anti-doping practitioners. The pilot training seminars will enable the partners to test the innovative outputs using real trainers and learners for the four identified roles. Training will be blended using a combination of online learning and face-to-face sessions and will be delivered in Europe and through the other three WADA regional offices.

For the purpose of good practice, it will be important to ensure there is a cohort of industry experts trained to deliver the trainings developed in output 5, yet these professionally trained industry trainers currently do not exist. Potential trainers will be recruited from Europe and other regions to ensure that the products have global application. The partners will design the content of a fit-for-purpose train the trainers programme to equip potential trainers for implementing and delivering the competency-based blended training.

A pilot seminar gathering potential trainers for each role and each WADA Region in the world (EU and global participants) will be organised to test the relevance and quality of the innovative learning developed through the project.

The goal will be to design and launch an online self/peer assessment tool which will enable anti-doping practitioners in all the selected roles to identify the areas in which they need continuing professional development with signposting links to the appropriate training modules, resources and professional development opportunities.

A second online self-assessment tool, similar to the first but with appropriate adaptations, will be developed to enable the evaluation of existing training programmes to ensure these programmes meet the requirements of the Professional Standards.

The overall objective of this final event will be to bring together national and European/International stakeholders and present new knowledge about the anti-doping workforce, discuss the main findings from the research, and introduce the innovative outputs developed through the funded period.

The final output will be a Quality Assurance and Sustainability Plan. In terms of quality assurance, the Plan will provide clear criteria and guidelines for the implementation of the professional standards, competency-based curricula, blended learning modules, self-assessment tools and train the trainer programmes, together with an evaluation framework to ensure these criteria and guidelines are met by anti-doping organisations and others who provide training for the industry. In terms of Sustainability, the Plan will map out the main activities, responsible stakeholders and timelines for the implementation of the project’s outputs over a five-year period.