Proposing a Best Practice Resource

Individuals or groups within or outside the RANZCP may propose Best Practice Resources (BPRs). 

A BPR can emerge from the development of a new resource, the adaptation of an existing resource, or the RANZCP’s recognition of an external resource. The recognition of a BPR includes ‘Endorsed’ clinical guidelines and ‘Supported’ resources/positions.

Every proposal must demonstrate a clear and viable strategic direction on how it will be resourced and implemented to a high standard. Proposals to develop or adapt a resource will benefit from prior engagement with relevant RANZCP expert committees, and ideally, secure their agreement to lead or support the proposal.

BPRs are a distinct pathway from the RANZCP’s review of education and training resources, which include the Continuing Professional Development program.

The lived experience of illness and recovery from consumers, carers and community members provides critical insight for equitable, choice-focused mental health care. Resources can benefit from this knowledge through a range of methods, including consultation, co-design, and co-development. All proposals should consider if and how a resource reflects relevant non-clinical perspectives.

Before preparing a proposal, consideration should also be given to the:

• purpose and value alongside other resources already available in the topic area
• relevance to Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand
• appropriateness to diverse cultural needs and First Nations peoples
• funding and other resourcing requirements

Submitting a BPR proposal

To submit a BPR proposal, please review the key points below and contact policy@ranzcp.org.

Key points

• The BPR Framework does not accept external resources that require a fee for access/use.
• Resources are expected to be openly accessible upon approval and either linked or hosted via the RANZCP website.
• Decision timelines cannot be provided at the outset due to the iterative assessment and consultation process. Where appropriate, further information will be provided as a proposal progresses.
• Where proposals exceed available committee/staff capacity, they will be prioritised on contemporary relevance, need, and potential impact. Proposals from RANZCP Committees will be prioritised for assessment by default.
• Typically, audio-visual resources (e.g., podcasts, webinars) will not be considered for BPR status when ‘standalone’. Such resources will generally be viewed as part of a BPR’s dissemination and engagement strategy. Audio-visual resources may be considered for BPR status in select cases, including where they are an integral supplement to another BPR or ‘BPR package’.
• While external resource developers retain intellectual property rights, the RANZCP’s recognition of an externally developed ‘BPR’ is subject to republication and reuse conditions. The RANZCP may republish the resource on its website for public access, or use the resource in its educational and continuing professional development (CPD) activities.
• Recognition of an externally produced resource as a ‘BPR’ will lapse at the conclusion of a 2-3 year period unless the initial proposer seeks prior approval for an extension.
• The RANZCP’s attribution of ‘BPR’ status to a resource only applies to the version as at the time of approval and cannot be misattributed to subsequent updates/revisions without the RANZCP’s reassessment.
• Details on the assessment of BPR proposals can be found in the Best Practice Resources (BPR) Framework -preliminary [PDF; 213 KB]

For questions regarding the above, please contact policy@ranzcp.org.