Continuing the Development of the Integrated Food Safety System (IFSS) National Curriculum Standard (NCS) Curriculum Frameworks

RFA-FD-20-024 - Project Summary
IFPTI has been the lead architect of the National Curriculum Standard (NCS) for more
than ten years. In close collaboration with FDA's Office of Training Education and
Development (OTED), along with long-time collaborators including the Association of
Food and Drug Officials (AFDO), the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA),
and the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL), IFPTI will continue to lead the
development of the NCS through the continued buildout of the Integrated Food Safety
System (IFSS) Curriculum Framework and its sub-frameworks (Manufactured, Retail, and
Animal Food); the development of new curriculum frameworks as directed by OTED, and
the development of an enhanced version of the Interactive National Curriculum Standard
that will allow for real-time updating of competencies and behavioral anchors developed
during IFPTI-facilitated Subject Matter Expert focus groups.
As content and program areas within the curriculum frameworks are built out, IFPTI will
incorporate the competencies and behavioral anchors into course blueprints and course
design documents, which will form the foundation for the development and delivery of
knowledge-based eLearning and performance-based learning experiences. The course
blueprints and design documents will adhere to OTED specifications, and eLearning
courses will be programmed using the Lectora content authoring tool.
IFPTI will collaborate with APHL to develop and deliver a Leadership Program based on
the Leadership Level competencies in the IFSS and Laboratory Curriculum Frameworks.
Additionally, IFPTI will continue to deliver its flagship program, the Fellowship in Food
Protection: Leadership Development for the Integrated Food Safety System. Eight
Cohorts have successfully completed the Fellowship, with the majority of Fellows
advancing their careers in food safety. IFPTI will also continue to deliver the Instructor
Skills Training program, on a quarterly basis, to both FDA trainers and non-FDA trainers
who deliver FDA courses. The Instructor Skills Training will also include newly developed
modules devoted to virtual instruction and enhanced facilitation skills.
IFPTI will continue to advance the NCS through a series of outreach and coordination
activities, including attendance at stakeholder meetings and conferences, the submission
of papers and articles for publication, and the delivery of presentations on the NCS. IFPTI
will also collaborate with OTED on the standardization of an instructor management
process and the course design and delivery process. Additionally, IFPTI will facilitate
regularly scheduled Tactical Meetings among Cooperative Agreement recipients in order
to leverage resources and avoid redundancy of effort.