Workforce Process Quality Certification (WPQC)
Driving Workforce Excellence Across The Clinical Research Industry
Transform your Workforce with Quality-built-in Processes and Elevate your Organization’s Profile, Visibility and Impact
Enhanced attraction, engagement and retention of staff
Assurance of quality and commitment to a ‘right first time’, ‘quality built in’ approach
Improved confidence for sponsors & CROs
A clear point of differentiation as a ‘certified’ service provider demonstrating workforce excellence
Improved performance, cost reduction and increased efficiency
Strong foundations for scalable growth
Established health and wellbeing processes to safeguard your team
“This Gold award allows us to market for commercial research, as it’s an indicator of our quality. It provides a layer of assurance for the Trust in terms of an external assessment and where we’re at in terms of our clinical research workforce”
Heather Rice
RDaSH
Director of Research & Innovation
“Workforce Quality Accreditation is one of the most rewarding programs I have ever worked on. It is not a check box exercise, it’s part of a continual improvement process—we learned a lot about ourselves: what we do well, what we can improve upon and how to fill gaps. IAOCR will not waiver from their standards—gaining the Clinical Operations Workforce Quality Accreditation really means something!”
Richard Wood
Syneos Health
Senior Director, Global Operations
How and Why the WPQC Quality Standard Was Developed:
The WPQC assessment framework was developed in collaboration with clinical research industry experts from around the world, to address some of the specific challenges faced by the clinical research industry in relation to workforce, including staff engagement and retention, workforce competence and performance, and employee health and wellbeing (the latter being added after the pandemic).
The tiered structure for WPQC includes Bronze, Silver and Gold, which offers a progressive pathway for organizational development and ongoing quality improvement. Organizations that achieve the WPQC standard send a clear and credible message to clients, stakeholders, and employees that they are dedicated to best‑in‑class workforce practices and to fostering a culture where people truly matter.
Enhance your Reputation and Recognition as a Trusted Service Provider for Clinical Research:
WPQC is a transformative process that positions your organization as a leading provider and trusted Partner of Choice for clinical trials.
By integrating globally recognized best-practice workforce processes, developed with, and endorsed by, industry leaders, WPQC certification demonstrates your organization's commitment to excellence across all critical workforce operational areas.
Achieving WPQC reassures clients, employees, and trial participants that your organization has been independently assessed, and quality assured against rigorous international benchmarks, ensuring the consistent delivery of safe, effective, and efficient clinical trials.
Demonstrate your Commitment to Quality and Continuous Improvement:
WPQC provides a system of assessment, gap analysis, improvement support and certification for . The process is more than ‘just an assessment’ – it is a collaborative, supportive and transformative journey, and after award of certification, post-certification marketing support is provided by IAOCR.
WPQC provides your organization with an evidenced-based framework to review and improve workforce processes, streamline operations, improve capacity and reduce risk. Areas of high-performance are identified in addition to providing a roadmap for continual quality improvement, assuring clients and participants of your capability to deliver exceptional clinical studies.
Inspire and Empower Your Teams:
For your clinical research staff, achieving WPQC both acknowledges their hard work and reflects the value they bring to your organization. The review and assessment process is inclusive, inviting input from team members at every level so they feel genuinely involved and appreciated throughout the journey.
By embedding strong, evidence-based workforce practices, WPQC helps ensure your teams are competent, confident, and consistently supported. The result is an engaged and motivated workforce that feels valued and is empowered to deliver clinical research to the highest standards.
Certification Journey Highlights
Certification Highlights
Unrivalled understanding of your workforce processes - critical to the effective management of a engaged, competent and high performing workforce
Gap analysis report – identifying areas of excellence and areas for improvement/development
Support to achieve workforce process excellence – provision of comprehensive recommendations and actions following gap analysis
‘Trusted Global Clinical Research Partner’ status – through achievement of the distinctive WPQC Certification Mark
Continual quality improvement – annual recertification process demonstrates commitment to continual quality improvement
Post-certification marketing support – share your success and enhance your international visibility with support form the IAOCR marketing team
Representation on the IAOCR Clinical Research Global Best Practices Board – raise your organizations’s profile and status by working alongside global sponsors, CROs and other certified sites on important industry initiatives.
Learn from our WPQC Clients
Start your Certification Journey Today
WPQC is a supportive collaborative journey, and we work with our clients every step of the way to ensure achievement of the standard. Contact us to find out more about the certification process, how it works, and how we can work together to help you achieve your organizational development and workforce goals.