STRATEGIC PLAN

The Strategic Plan for the COCOO was approved by Council on February 25, 2022. It is a 3–5-year plan outlining the Vision, Mission Statement, Values and Objectives of the College.

Vision

The College demonstrates effective regulation of a podiatry profession dedicated to the delivery of regulatory excellence to contribute to the foot health of all Ontarians.

Mission Statement

The College ensures Ontarians have access to comprehensive foot care of the highest professional podiatry standards to best meet the foot health needs of Ontarians and demonstrates its commitment to continuous improvement in regulatory oversight.

Values

Service

The College commits to serve the public interest in all its regulatory activities.

Fairness and Impartiality

The College ensures its regulatory processes and procedures adhere to the law including principles of procedural fairness and impartiality. Everyone is treated equitably with dignity, courtesy and respect.

Integrity

The College’s commitment to uphold the values of honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility, and courage is foundational in supporting all the other values to which the College is committed.

Transparency and Accountability

The College’s regulatory processes and policies are clear; are informed by appropriate stakeholder consultations and are based upon verifiable information and data. The College’s mandate is accessible and clearly stated. The status of members and accredited facilities are current and accessible to all stakeholders.

Innovation

The College is committed to continuously seek opportunities for innovation and creativity in fulfilling its mandate as a professional health regulator, to protect the public.

Collaboration

The College will engage with all stakeholders to ensure regulation of a podiatry model that adheres to best practices and optimizes accessibility for Ontarians.

Objectives

The Objectives will allow the College to focus on its work for the next 3-5 years.

Right-Touch Regulation

The College regulates according to risk of harm to the public, applying its greatest resources to the greatest risk. The College assesses and continues to improve on regulatory and governance processes to enhance public trust and promote the use of best available data and evidence in decision-making.

Governance Oversight

The College will ensure that best, leading and emerging governance practices are adopted by its Council and Committees. This will include a skills-based competency framework for professional member recruitment, current and modern new member onboarding and continuing education as well as the regular evaluation of Council and the College’s governance structure.

Financial Oversight

The College will maintain financial sustainability by engaging a rigorous annual budgeting process with regular follow-up including exploring cost-saving opportunities in collaboration with other professional health regulators.

Communications and Community Engagement

The College will create a communications and community engagement strategy to support the delivery of its strategic plan. The strategy will emphasize transparency in communications in all interactions with the public and professional membership.

Modernization and Innovation

The College will effectively regulate members of the College with the goal that members will practice to their full scope of demonstrated competencies as determined by the College. The College’s regulatory approach will support a model of footcare delivery that is reflective of best Canadian practices in podiatry. In supporting this model of podiatry, the College will ensure there is enhanced choice for patient access to a comprehensive range of proven and effective footcare services, reducing pressure on the healthcare system while avoiding negative health and lower limb outcomes. The College, in its role as a healthcare stakeholder, acknowledges and will actively support access to care in extending podiatry services to equity seeking groups such as indigenous and rural populations for improved health.

Continuous Improvement

The College will continuously improve its monitoring and measuring of compliance with the standards of practice in podiatry. Where required, the College will work with stakeholders to improve footcare delivery in Ontario with nimbleness to pivot, adapt and react to changes as necessary in a responsible manner.