Professional Development Portfolio

The self-assessment helps midwives identify learning needs and serves as the foundation for the Learning Plan.

• This component is used for personal reflection only and is not submitted to or reviewed by the College.
• Reporting is required every three years, but completing your learning goals annually is recommended.
• Midwives may use the Canadian Midwifery Regulators Council self-assessment tool or another appropriate tool that meets their learning needs.

Every three years, midwives establish learning goals based on:

• Self-assessment results
• Case review discussions
• Clinical or communication challenges
• Any area of professional practice requiring development

Midwives should:

• Complete at least one goal per year
• Set:
  • One short-term goal (Year 1)
  • Two long-term goals (Years 2 and 3)

The College does not prescribe specific goals, but midwives are encouraged to include both technical and non-technical competencies.

Case reviews are formal gatherings to discuss specific clinical cases with the goal of learning. The College does not specify the details of how to conduct a case review. However, case reviews should be conducted in accordance with a framework that is agreed upon by all participants. Additionally, case reviews must be held with at least two midwifery practice groups or among a group of interprofessional colleagues.

Requirements:

• Midwives registered for 12 months or more in general, supervised, or transitional classes must:
  • Attend 4 case reviews per year
  • Complete 12 total over three years
• Those registered for less than 12 months are not required to participate

Inactive registrants may have modified requirements depending on time spent in active classes during the cycle.

Table: required number of case reviews per months in general class

All midwives, including those in the inactive class, must submit a declaration of completion through the Registrant Portal once every three years. Submission occurs during the annual renewal period, which typically runs from August 1 to October 1.

A midwife may be considered non-compliant if they:

• Do not submit a declaration of completion by the required deadline; or
• Do not provide the required documentation if randomly selected for audit.

In these circumstances, the Registrar will issue a written notice of non-compliance.

The notice will explain:

• The reason for the non-compliance
• The steps required to become compliant
• That the matter has been referred to a panel of the Quality Assurance Committee (QAC)
• The deadlines for responding and meeting the requirements

The midwife will have 30 days from the date of the notice to:

• Submit any outstanding requirements, including a Learning Plan, Case Review Record (if applicable), and supporting documentation for completed learning activities
• Pay the applicable administrative fee
• Make written submissions to the QAC panel regarding the non-compliance

The College issues non-compliance notices and referrals to the QAC in accordance with applicable legislation, regulations, and College by-laws.

Midwives experiencing exceptional circumstances (e.g., illness, parental leave, disability) may apply for an exemption. See Quality Assurance Program Exemption Policy.

Exemption requests must be submitted using the QAP Exemption Request Form no later than 15 business days before the October 1 reporting deadline.

Meeting the eligibility criteria does not guarantee approval of an exemption. If an exemption is not approved, and the midwife remains unable to meet the program requirements, they will be considered non-compliant with the Professional Development Portfolio Program.

The College is committed to reducing barriers that may prevent midwives from participating fully in the Quality Assurance Program, including barriers related to professionally recognized disabilities.

Midwives who require accommodations may request support to help meet program requirements.

To request an accommodation:

• Contact the Quality Assurance Program at qap@cmo.on.ca as soon as possible, and at least 15 business days before the October 1 reporting deadline
• Provide details about the requested accommodation and the reason for the request

Requests are reviewed within five business days to ensure timely, fair, and appropriate support.

If circumstances significantly limit a midwife’s ability to meet program requirements, applying for an exemption under the QAP Exemption Policy may also be appropriate.

Reporting midwives must declare that they have completed the requirements of their Professional Development Portfolio which include:

• Self-Assessment
• Learning Plan
• Evidence of learning activities (e.g., certificates, agendas, participation records)
• Case Review Record (if applicable)

You will have the entire renewal period, which opens annually by August 1 and closes on October 1 to submit your declaration.

Midwives who are randomly selected for audit must log in to the Registrant Portal and navigate to the Professional Development Portfolio section to upload their completed portfolio, which includes:

• Learning Plan
• Evidence of learning activities (e.g., certificates, agendas, participation records)
• Case Review Record (if applicable)

Midwives are encouraged to save their supporting documents somewhere that is easy for them to access if you are randomly selected for audit.

The Professional Development Portfolio audit is a routine check to make sure midwives have completed the required parts of their Professional Development Portfolio. It is not a test of what you learned or how well you learned it. The audit simply confirms that you have completed the required components and kept records of your learning activities.

Each year, 20% of reporting midwives are selected for audit and asked to submit their portfolio documents. If you are selected, the College will contact you with instructions and timelines for submitting your information.

Being selected for an audit does not mean there is a concern about your practice. It is a standard process that helps the College ensure midwives are meeting their professional development requirements.

Midwives who are randomly selected for audit will be notified by the College after October 1 and will have 30 days following the notification to upload their Learning Plan, Case Review Record (if applicable), and supporting documentation of completed learning activities through the Registrant Portal to be compliant with the Quality Assurance Program.

Under the Quality Assurance Regulation under the Midwifery Act, 1991 all registrants of the College regardless of their registration class are required to participate in the Quality Assurance Program.

Midwives in the inactive class are not currently practising, but they remain registered with the College. Participating in the QAP helps them keep up with changes in the profession and maintain their knowledge and skills.

If an inactive midwife decides to return to practice, participating in the QAP can help make that transition easier. It also supports the College’s responsibility to ensure that all registrants continue to meet professional requirements, even when they are not actively practising.

Maybe. The requirement depends on how many months you were registered in the general class during the three-year reporting cycle.

Midwives in the inactive class have different case review requirements based on the amount of time they were registered in the general class. You can find a summary of the requirements in the table on our website here.

Midwives can include many different types of learning activities in their Professional Development Portfolio. A suitable learning activity is one that helps you meet your learning goals and supports your ongoing professional development as a midwife.

Examples of suitable learning activities include:

• Attending workshops, conferences, webinars, or courses
• Completing online learning modules or certification programs
• Reading clinical practice guidelines, journal articles, or other professional resources
• Participating in peer learning, case discussions, or mentorship
• Teaching, presenting, or developing educational materials
• Engaging in research, quality improvement, or leadership activities

Examples that are not usually suitable learning activities include:

• Routine clinical work or providing client care as part of your normal practice
• Administrative tasks (such as scheduling, billing, or documentation)
• Informal conversations with colleagues that are not part of a structured learning activity
• Activities unrelated to your learning goals or professional development as a midwife

There is no required number or specific type of learning activities. The most important thing is that your activities are purposeful, related to your learning goals, and support your professional growth.

Midwives are encouraged to keep records of their learning activities, as they will be required for submission if randomly selected for audit.

As regulated health professionals, midwives are expected to complete learning activities and report them honestly. We trust that when a midwife says they attended or completed a learning activity, they did so.

You should keep enough information to show that you completed the activity. For example, if you attend a webinar, you could provide:

• A screenshot or copy of your registration or attendance confirmation
• The title of the webinar
• Information about the presenter(s) or organization offering it
• The date of the webinar
• The length of the session
• The platform used (for example, Zoom or Teams)

When documenting your learning goal, include a reflection on what you learned. Referring to specific topics, ideas, or resources discussed during the activity can help demonstrate your participation and learning.

Definitely! Learning goals related to clinic administration, team building, communication, conflict resolution, and change management are all in line with appropriate learning goals. As long as they are relevant to midwifery, and you complete related learning activities, this is a great option.

No. You do not need to present a case review for it to count. The requirement is to attend a specific number of case reviews during the three-year reporting cycle.

Case reviews are counted by the number of cases discussed, not by the number of sessions attended. For example, if you attend a case review session where three midwifery practices each present two cases, that would count as six case reviews.

Be sure to keep documentation showing the date of the session and the number of cases reviewed.

If you do not submit your declaration of completion by October 1, the College Registrar will send you a written notice of non-compliance.

The notice will explain:

• Why you are considered non-compliant
• What you need to do to become compliant
• That your matter has been referred to a panel of the Quality Assurance Committee (QAC)
• The deadlines for responding and meeting the requirements

You will have 30 days from the date of the notice to:

• Submit your completed portfolio, including your Learning Plan, Case Review Record (if applicable), and supporting documentation for completed learning activities
• Pay the applicable late fee
• Make written submissions to the QAC panel about your non-compliance

The College issues non-compliance notices and referrals to the QAC in accordance with the applicable legislation, regulations, and College by-laws.

Midwives experiencing exceptional circumstances (e.g., illness, parental leave, disability) may apply for an exemption. See Quality Assurance Program Exemption Policy.

Exemption requests must be submitted using the QAP Exemption Request Form no later than 15 business days before the October 1 reporting deadline.

Meeting the eligibility criteria does not guarantee approval of an exemption. If an exemption is not approved, and you remain unable to meet the program requirements, you will be considered non-compliant with the Professional Development Portfolio Program.