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Update a competency assessment

A guide to managing updates, understanding the impact on in-progress assessment attempts and clinical governance

Who this article is for:

  • Users participating in the Ausmed Competency™ pilot program
  • Users with Organisation Manager permissions
In this article:

How to edit a competency

If you are creating a brand new assessment rather than editing an existing one, please refer to this guide: 🔗 How to add a competency assessment.

Step 1: Open the competency builder

  1. From the top main navigation bar, select Competency.

  2. Navigate to Competency Library > Your Competencies in the left-hand menu.

  3. Locate the competency you wish to update in the list.

  4. Choose one of the following ways to open the competency builder:

    1. Hover over the competency row, click the three dots icon ... , and select Edit.

    2. Click the competency title to open the details page, then click Edit in the top right. 

Step 2: Edit the competency

  1. Make your required changes, then click Update in the top right. 

  2. When prompted, choose the update type: Trivial, Minor or Major. Refer to Choosing the right version type below for guidance.

  3. Add internal notes describing what changed (e.g. “Fixed typo in Q3” or “Updated to 2024 Standards”). These notes are for your internal audit trail.

Step 3: Finalise the changes

  1.  Click the green Update buton to finalise the changes.

Choosing the right change type

When you update a competency, you can categorise the change type as minor or major. Since the impact on assessors is always the same (non-disruptive), this choice is primarily for your organisation's audit trail and version history.

When to apply a minor change:
  • Apply a minor change when updating information about the assessment or making small improvements that don’t change the assessment criteria. 
  • This includes correcting spelling mistakes, updating competency details (such as the title, description, assessors, or related job roles), and modifying references or linked resources.
  • A minor change is indicated by an increment to the second digit of the version number (e.g. v1.1 -> v1.2)
When to apply a major change:
  • Apply a major change when you’ve altered the structure of the assessment or changed the evaluation standard. 
  • This includes moving or restructuring sections or criteria, adding or removing criteria or checklist items, or updating wording in a way that changes what is required.
  • A major change is indicated by an increment to the first digit of the version number (e.g. v1.8 -> v2.0).

Impact on in-progress assessments

When you update a competency, it does not disrupt assessments that are currently underway, regardless of whether the change is Major, Minor, or Trivial.

  • Active sessions: If an assessor has already started an assessment on their device, they will finish and submit it using the version they started with (e.g., v1.0.0). They are not forced to restart.

  • Saved attempts: Assessments that were saved prior to the update will remain locked to the version they were started on. The assessor can resume and submit them without interruption.

  • New assessments: Any assessment initiated after you publish the update will automatically use the latest version.


Why version control matters for clinical governance

In a clinical setting, version control is not just a document management tool; it is a safety and accountability mechanism. It ensures that every assessment is evidence-based, every record is defensible, and every change is transparent.

Establishing the "chain of evidence"

  • For an assessment to be legally and clinically defensible, you must be able to prove exactly what standards were used at the time of the evaluation.

  • Version control ensures that historical records are never overwritten. If an audit occurs three years from now, the system retrieves the exact criteria (e.g., v1.1.2) used on that day, providing an indisputable "snapshot" of competence.

Ensuring current standards

  • Clinical guidelines evolve. Governance fails when staff are accidentally assessed against retired or unsafe standards.

  • While historical records are preserved, the system prevents the accidental reuse of old assessment criteria. You cannot start a new assessment using a prior version (e.g., v1.0.0) once a newer version (e.g., v2.0.0) is live. This guarantees that all new assessments align with your organisation's most current evidence-based standards.

Accountability through transparency

  • Clinical governance requires a clear "narrative of change" to satisfy regulatory bodies. 

  • By enabling you to categorise updates (Trivial, Minor, Major) and add notes, the system builds a clear narrative of how your competencies have evolved over time. This transparency helps auditors understand when and why an evaluation standard was changed.