Case Studies for using the competency framework

23Strands is an early-stage Australian company working in the complex areas of precision medicine and has built a platform to accelerate the integration of genomic, digital and AI empowered personalised health information into the healthcare system. The 23Strands team is made up of talented individuals with competencies across multiple areas including translational health and various clinical specialties, together with IT, data science, artificial intelligence and genomics. The team needs to have the ability to work efficiently and effectively as an internal cross-functional organisation as well as with external partners. Below are two case studies on how we have used the InGeNA Precision Medicine Workforce Competency Framework and Precision Medicine Workforce Planning Tool to allocate the right team members to projects and build multi-disciplinary competencies.

Case Study 1: Strategic Workforce Planning

As with many start-ups, consultancies, medical technology and device companies in this innovative and rapidly evolving space, the 23Strands team members have hybrid roles across academia, research and industry. We may have a PhD in a particular discipline or be a Medical Practitioner with specialist skills, and they all bring diverse research, clinical and industry experience. With each new project we need to assemble the right team to deliver on the new technologies and solutions we are bringing into the healthcare system.

Traditional gap analysis does not work effectively in such a rapidly evolving discipline due to its lack of context and simplicity. This is why the Australian Industry Genomics Network (InGeNA) invested in developing a new framework that provides a robust and fit-for-purpose scaffold.

23Strands used the InGeNA Precision Medicine Workforce Competency Framework to assess the interdisciplinary skills needed when planning for a new project. Firstly, we defined the project scope using the domains outlined in the framework and allocated the competency levels needed to deliver on the project. We then, assigned team members with complementary skills and experience, and identified the gaps in the skillset.  We were able to manage the gaps by insourcing specific skills and including some on-the-job training and  identify hidden / transferable skills in the genomics workforce and rapidly determine gaps.  By knowing where to allocate resources such as training, recruitment and partnership development, innovative and lean companies such as 23Strands can be confident in creating a workforce that can deliver for future needs.

Figure 1 Strategic Project Planning

Case Studies for using the competency framework

23Strands is an early-stage Australian company working in the complex areas of precision medicine and has built a platform to accelerate the integration of genomic, digital and AI empowered personalised health information into the healthcare system. The 23Strands team is made up of talented individuals with competencies across multiple areas including translational health and various clinical specialties, together with IT, data science, artificial intelligence and genomics. The team needs to have the ability to work efficiently and effectively as an internal cross-functional organisation as well as with external partners. Below are two case studies on how we have used the InGeNA Precision Medicine Workforce Competency Framework and Precision Medicine Workforce Planning Tool to allocate the right team members to projects and build multi-disciplinary competencies.

Case Study 2: Building Multi-Disciplinary competencies

In planning for a marketing role, we used the Precision Medicine Workforce Planning Tool, to scope out the capabilities and competencies required from entry to advanced competency level. The tool has the Blooms Taxonomy fields included (Table 1), which allow a consistent assessment of level of competency required for each capability.

Table 1 Blooms Taxonomy

We found that the competencies needed across the Medical Science and Technology capabilities were fairly consistent with the improved knowledge and understanding of the technologies that could be gained through work place experience. However, for the Translation and Clinical Application domain, the competencies levels needed across the marketing function were far higher and crossed multiple disciplines from genomics to data science to clinical application. The role needed someone who had strong analytical and creative skills in order to progress.

Figure 2 Change in competency levels across the Marketing function: Translation and Clinical Application Domain

The value the tool brings to these evolving roles, is a validated set of capabilities, and a consistent method of defining the level of competency needed.

The case studies demonstrated the tool can be used in multiple ways, from proactively mapping out the capabilities and competencies required before drafting role descriptions, to identifying formal training needs in current staff. Alternatively the tool can be used to intentionally match employees to projects based on skills gaps and capabilities and either way the tool can provide invaluable assistance in hiring the right staff and putting in place appropriate support and training to support development of required competency.

For a small, innovation focused company like 23Strands managing complexity is critical and ensuring a continuous improvement and integrated team approach to problem solving is necessary. It is particularly important in the transition into a growth trajectory to better understand the competencies of the team and identify the areas for improvement and gaps. Through the use of the InGeNA Precision Medicine Workforce Competency Framework and addressing these gaps early, 23Strands can now continue to build a comprehensive skills base from which it can meet its growth targets and capitalise on its partnership arrangements.

The advancement of precision medicine, including gene therapies, holds significant promise for many of the estimated two million Australians living with rare genetic diseases.^1,2 By seeking to address underlying genetic causes and modifying progression of disease ^3,4  these therapies have the potential to provide transformational clinical benefit and shift the focus from management of illness to preservation of health and wellbeing.

Pfizer's near-term pipeline includes gene therapies for diseases that have single-gene alterations, such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and haemophilia.⁵ Our main approach is to use our recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) platform to develop highly specialised, potentially once-in-a-lifetime gene therapies that use custom-made vectors.

The successful integration of clinical genomics, development of infrastructure, health system readiness and a highly skilled precision medicine workforce are critical enablers of the success and speed in which these pipeline investigational agents can be translated from clinical research into therapies delivered within person-centred models of care.

The InGeNA Precision Medicine Competency Framework ⁶ provides a novel platform to contextualise these interdependencies and the taxonomy built into the framework allows us to use a common language for genomics across stakeholders. By transcending these silos, Pfizer and other precision medicine manufacturers have a much better opportunity to connect, gain early visibility, develop a common understanding and influence the changes required to existing systems, which are essential to realise the potential of these novel therapies.

In addition, this early visibility provides us with an opportunity to ensure our future go to market model and internal capabilities reflect the emerging needs of our evolving healthcare system.

The detailed assessments within the InGeNA Precision Medicine Competency Framework also provide valuable insight, as we plan and advance go-to-market model, of the capabilities required to successfully deliver our pipeline. This includes identifying and quantifying internal competency gaps, and the potential to build an informed upskilling program tailored to Pfizer's needs but anchored in a common industry approach which will in turn, enhance our human resource (HR) function in the positioning and recruitment of future roles.

As we get closer to the arrival of these therapies, Pfizer is also enthusiastic about the possibilities for innovative approaches to recruitment and knowledge sharing. For example, there is potential to leverage the competency framework to launch innovative partnerships such as preceptorships and skills transfer programs that seek to bridge the gap between biopharma and clinical research, which will benefit translational research and commercialisation opportunities.

The future of the Australian healthcare system is a targeted, genetically informed and personalised one. Future proofing Biopharma organisations' greatest capital – its people, ensures that colleagues are equipped to engage broadly, predict, and translate the impact of important disruption to positively impact the patient and health care communities we all strive to serve.

REFERENCES

1. Australian Government Department of Health: What we are doing about Rare Diseases. (Accessed 13 April 2022)
2. Global Genes: Rare Disease Facts. (Accessed 11 October 2021)
3. Kumar SR, et al. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2016;3:16034.
4. Murphy SL, High KA. Br J Haematol 2008;140:479-87.
5. Pfizer Global Pipeline (Accessed 13 April 2022)
6. InGeNA Precision Medicine Competency Framework (Accessed 13 April 2022)