Tier Advancement

Cycles of Tier Advancement

Tier Advancement is offered once annually. Employees may complete assessments, and managers may score them, at any time during the year.  Proctored testing is held only during the Tier Advancement cycles. Managers are encouraged to use the assessments as tools for onboarding, training, and evaluating staff performance.

Eligibility (official policy can be found here)

Staff mapped into, or hired into, any of the four classifications below may be eligible:

• Clinical Research Coordinator (1201)
• Clinical Research Nurse Coordinator (1203)
• Regulatory Coordinator (1219)
• Clinical Data Manager (1334)
• Research Program Leader (1280)

These staff are eligible if they:

• Have not reached the top tier for the classification (Tier 3, except in the case of Research Program Leader, which is Tier 2).
• Have not received an overall “Needs Improvement” on their most recent performance appraisal or mid-year review (if applicable) prior to announcing intent to go through tier advancement.
• Appropriate parties believe the candidate is ready for tier advancement.  Appropriate parties may include faculty, managers, and those in human resources – those who are associated with the professional development of the clinical research staff member.

 

Process Overview

• The RPM will be responsible for serving as the Single Point of Contact (SPOC; official policy can be found here) and completing a REDCap survey for each employee applying for Tier Advancement. The link to complete this survey can be located on the RPM Wiki.  It is the department/center/institute’s responsibility to ensure appropriate parties (faculty, HR, others) are included in the conversation about whether an employee is ready for advancement.
• WE-R will contact employees participating in tier advancement. Employees will:
  • Complete a survey to record the competencies and level at which they would like to be tested.
  • Drive the process and complete assessments in a timely manner.
• The manager will:
  • Review the employee’s survey submission and make necessary adjustments.
  • Review with the employee the list of assessments that will need to be completed.
  • Conduct and score relevant assessments.
  • Input the results of employee assessments into REDCap by the cycle due date.  We strongly encourage early submissions.
• WE-R will:
  • Input scores from centrally-reviewed and proctored assessments.
  • Confirm final point tally.
  • Convene committees for review of applications for staff advancing to Tier 3 (CRC, CRNCs, Reg Coordinators, and CDMs) or those advancing to Research Program Leader Tier 2; input outcome of committee meetings.
  • Communicate employee results to the department/center/institute RPM in October. It is the department/center/institute’s responsibility to share the results with the employee.

 

Tiering Results & Salary Implications

Staff and their managers will be notified of results of their testing in September, with an expected effective date of November 1st. The salary increases will be as follows:

• 3% for advancement to Tier 2
• 5% for advancement to Tier 3, or for those advancing from a Research Program Leader Tier 1 to Research Program Leader Tier 2

Welcome Packets

These documents provide employees and managers with a comprehensive look at the Tier Advancement process.

Employee Welcome Packets

CRC, CRNC, and Regulatory Coordinator Welcome Packet
Research Program Leader Welcome Packet

Manager Welcome Packets

Manager of CRC, CRNC, and Regulatory Coordinator Welcome Packet
Manager of Research Program Leader Welcome Packet

 

Sign Up for Office Hours

Virtual Office hours for WE-R Tier Advancement will be held every Monday (with the exception of Holidays), 12PM-1PM, from April 8 to July 8. We will speak individually with people who have questions; please prepare your questions in advance. To sign up for a 15 minute slot, click this link. Sign up for Office Hours. A WE-R team member will call you during your designated time. If you become unavailable during your selected time, please contact WER-jobs@dm.duke.edu.

 

Readiness Tool

Use this tool to plan for Tier Advancement for clinical research job classifications at Duke. This is to be used by employees and their supervisors, faculty, and HR managers to decide whether tier advancement is appropriate. Note – this is a self-assessment tool. Candidates applying for Tier 3, and Tier 2 for RPLs, will also receive committee review of their application.  

CRC, CRNC, and Regulatory Coordinator Readiness Tool
Research Program Leader Readiness Tool

 

Certifications in relation to Tier Advancement: 

As part of the Tier Advancement program for CRCs, CRNCs, and Regulatory Coordinators, staff members who hold a professional certification through a clinical research organization, and are current on their certification, will receive credit. In their next Tier Advancement cycle, staff members will receive two points for being certified, provided that they upload documentation of their certification. Furthermore, staff members may receive an additional two points if they have a current certification that they have maintained for at least one renewal cycle, but please refer to the specific certification requirements of your organization as they may vary. It's important to note that staff members may receive a maximum of four points throughout the Tier Advancement process. If you have additional questions about this program, please check the FAQ on the program's website. If you still have unanswered questions, you may email WER-jobs@dm.duke.edu for further assistance.

Note: Please do not submit to Tier Advancement just to add these points.

 

Assessments

 

Below are the assessments for tier advancement. If you have questions, please contact wer-jobs@duke.edu.

Note: * This is a proctored assessment and learning objectives are provided below.

 

Research Operations

 

Competency assessment or guideline	Scored by	Mode of testing
Contracts and Agreements *	WE-R	Knowledge
FDA Regulatory Submissions	Manager	Self-Report
Institutional Regulatory Policies and Processes *	WE-R	Knowledge
International Regulatory Documentation	Manager	Self Report
Investigational Products *	WE-R (+ Manager for Advanced Self-Report)	Knowledge (+ Self-Report for Advanced Only)
Monitoring and Audits	Manager	Self Report
Participant Level Documentation	Manager	Self Report
Participant Retention	Manager	Self Report
Recruitment	Manager	Self Report
Screening	Manager	Self Report
SOPs	Manager	Self Report
Specimen Handling	Manager	Self Report
Study Level Documentation *	WE-R (+ Manager for Advanced Self-Report)	Knowledge (+ Self-Report for Advanced Only)
Study Visits	Manager	Self Report
Team Meetings	Manager	Self Report

 

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Safety and Ethics

 

Competency assessment or guideline	Scored by	Mode of testing
Adverse Events *	WE-R (+ Manager for Advanced Self-Report)	Knowledge (+ Self-Report for Advanced Only)
Consent Procedures	Manager	Direct Observation
Development of Informed Consent Doc and Plan *	WE-R (+ Manager for Advanced Self-Report)	Knowledge (+ Self-Report for Advanced Only)
Navigating the Ethics Review Process (IRB)	WE-R	QA
Sponsor/Regulatory Reporting *	WE-R	Knowledge

 

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Data

 

Competency assessment or guideline	Scored by	Mode of testing
Data Collection and Entry	Manager	Self Report
Data Quality Assurance	Manager	Self Report
Data Security and Provenance *	WE-R	Knowledge
Mapping Data Flow *	WE-R	Case Study
Innovative Technology Use	Manager	Self Report

 

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Scientific Concepts

 

Competency assessment or guideline	Scored by	Mode of testing
Funding Proposal Development	Manager	Self Report
Literature Reviews	Manager	Self Report
Protocol Development	Manager	Self Report
Research Design *	WE-R	Knowledge
Scholarly Works	Manager	Self Report

 

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Site and Study Management

 

Competency assessment or guideline	Scored by	Mode of testing
Coordination with Sponsor/CRO	Manager	Self Report
Electronic Management of Research Participants	WE-R (+ Manager for Advanced Self-Report)	Knowledge (+ Self-Report for Advanced Only)
Electronic Management of Research Protocols	WE-R (+ Manager for Advanced Self-Report)	Knowledge (+ Self-Report for Advanced Only)
Feasibility	Manager	Self Report
Managing Resources	Manager	Self Report
Managing Risk	Manager	Self Report
Operational Plans	Manager	Self Report
Study Closeout	Manager	Self Report

 

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Expert/Senior and Other

 

Competency assessment or guideline	Scored by	Mode of testing
Expert/Senior	Manager	Self Report
**Other	Manager	Self Report

 

**Employees may only test for one “Other Competency”. Employees and managers will alert WE-R to the chosen “other competency” via a separate process, using this survey: Other Competency REDCap Survey. This survey will need to be completed by the employee and confirmed by the manager no later than April 22nd to be considered for approval. You will receive an email from WER-jobs@duke.edu with a final determination by April 26th.

 

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Competency assessments for RPLs

Complete this template, upload into your Box folder

Leadership assessments for RPLs

Complete this template, upload into your Box folder

Leadership assessments for CRCs, CRNCs, Reg Coordinators seeking Tier 3

Complete this template, upload into your Box folder

 

Guidelines for Portfolio Submissions

Cover page for RPLs
Guidelines for RPLs
Cover page for CRC, CRNC, Reg Coordinators seeking Tier 3
Guidelines CRC, CRNC, Reg Coordinators seeking Tier 3

Training for Tier Advancement

Training for All Staff and Managers

Tier Advancement Overview (Updated 3/2024) This course will provide an overview of the Tier Advancement process and tips on navigating the Duke Office of Clinical Research Workforce Engagement and Resilience (WE-R) web page to access important tools and resources available.	Register
Self-Report Assessments: Overview and Scoring Guide (NEW: 1/2024) This self-guided course provides a detailed look at the manager-scored Self-Report Assessments used during the Tier Advancement process for clinical research professionals at Duke. This course is intended for managers and employees, to understand how the form is completed by employees, and how the form is used by the manager to assess competency level and provide a final score.	Register
Building Your Portfolio for Tier Advancement The information in this course will help Duke Clinical Research Professionals (CRC, CRNC, Reg Coordinators, and RPL) prepare a portfolio for Tier Advancement into the highest tier for their role.	Register
Tips on Navigating Tier Advancement From a CRC II and Manager Perspective This session was presented by Laura Van Althuis, Clinical Research Coordinator II and Diane Bresch, Research Practice Manager, on February 15, 2024 for the Research Professionals Network. Laura and Diane describe tips for the Tier Advancement process from a CRC and manager perspective.	View Slides  View Recording

Training for Managers and Leaders

Difficult Conversations: Tier Advancement Guide for Managers This course will provide Duke Clinical Research Managers with resources, best practices, and communication tips for potentially difficult conversations they may face before, during, and after the Tier Advancement process.	Register
Manager Tips for Advancement Success This session for managers provides tips and strategies for successfully navigating the Tier Advancement process with your employee. Topics that are covered include: how to reduce the time burden for yourself and your employee, how to strategize competency and level selection to maximize opportunities for success, and the manager’s and employee’s distinct roles in the Tier Advancement assessment submission.	View Slides
RPM/ARPM Overview of WE-R Initiatives and Tier Advancement Responsibilities This course will introduce new RPMs and ARPMs to responsibilities related to WE-R initiatives and the tier advancement process as a whole. This module is included in RPM/ARPM Express Start.	Register