Judith Liddell, Secretary General of The European Federation of the Associations of Dietitians. www.associationscongress.com

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Secretary General
How a network was built to develop and implement
standardised education and practice on a European scale
JUDITH LIDDELL
The European Federation of the
Associations of Dietitians
© Associations Network 2015

2. A network to standardise education
and practice across Europe
Judith Liddell
EFAD Secretary General
(DIETS Network Manager)

3. • EFAD History and Background
• What is a Dietitian?
• What is a Thematic Network?
• Challenges and Legacy
• Rewards
• Sustainability

4. • The European Federation of the Associations of
Dietitians (EFAD) founded in 1978
• In 2015 EFAD has:
– 29 Member Associations and 4 Affiliated
Members, representing over 32,000 dietitians in 26
countries
– 21 Education Associate Members
• EFAD is the only EU Platform advocating for
development of the dietetic profession

5. A dietitian is a person with a qualification in Nutrition
& Dietetics recognized by national authority(s).
The dietitian applies the science of nutrition to the
feeding and education of groups of people and
individuals in health and disease.

6. ** Majority of nutritionists in Europe do not
Roles:
• Clinical, Administrative (Food Service), Public Health, General Dietitian
• Work as Consultant (UK expert), Autonomous (SE), privately (Greece)
Safety of the public:
• Governments (most) recognise the legality of dietitians to practice and
maintain safe advice and intervention of nutrition practice
– strict ethical, educational and professional standards**
– educated to degree level (European Standards apply) and undertake
periods of practical placement training before we qualify as dietitians**

7. Total length of dietetic education program (theoretical and practical)
2
5
0
3
6
Range 2 - 5 years
70
200
0
150
300
Range 70 - 200 weeks
2124
7360
0
5000
10000
Range 2124 - 7360 hours
50
197
0
100
200
Range 50 - 197 weeks
0
69
0
30
60
Range 0 - 69 weeks
Theoretical Practical (0-65%)

8. A thematic network is a co-operation between departments of
higher education institutions and other partners (e.g. academic
organisations or professional bodies)
The main aim of Thematic Networks is to enhance quality and
to define and develop a European dimension within a given
academic discipline or study area

9. To embed Bologna concepts and principles:
• Promote employment and mobility of the workforce
• Flexible access and learning pathways for a diverse ‘student body’
• European system of portable educational credits (ECTS)
• Higher education and the concept of life long learning (LLL)
• Three cycles education across Europe (Dublin Descriptors)
• Curricular design based on learning outcomes and competency (Tuning)
• Internal and external quality assurance procedures (European
Qualifications Framework)

10. Dietitians Improving Education Training Standards
for dietitians across Europe (DIETS)
Aims and objectives of the network:
build a network of dietetic practitioners, dietetic educators, nutritional
scientists and others involved in the pursuit of nutritional health and
wellbeing in Europe.

11. • € 1.2 million over 3 years (2006 – 2009)
• 75% co-funding
– Staff time (network coordinator; network manager
and IT officer, accounting staff)
– Travel & Subsistence (visits)
– Consumables (including IT equipment)
– Conferences

12. • € 1.2 million over 3 years (2006 – 2009)
• 75% co-funding
– Staff time (network coordinator; network manager
and IT officer, accounting staff)
– Travel & Subsistence (visits)
– Consumables (including IT equipment)
– Conferences

13. • € 1.2 million over 3 years (2006 – 2009)
• 75% co-funding
• 112 partner institutions
– EFAD members
– Higher Education Institutes
– National Dietetic Associations
– Non-governmental organisations
• Increased to 129
• 29 EU countries, 2 non-EU

14. • Dietitians ensuring Education, Teaching and Professional Quality
• 2010 – 2013
• €600.000 (maximum possible)
• 75% co-funding

15. 107 Partners
in 36 countries
unknown number of
lecturers, students, researchers and other
stakeholders.

16. • Practice placement standards
• Visits
• Education mapping results
• First cycle competences
• Re-usable Learning Objects

17. • Lifelong Learning opportunities toolkit
• Advanced (second cycle) competences
• Student eJournal
• Database tools for teaching research
• eCourses on evidence-based practice
• Innovative practice placements
• ICT guidelines (webinars, YouTube)
• Pedagogic standards

18. • Large network
– using VOIP became the norm for
meetings across Europe for dietitians
• Language barriers
– using English has improved the communication
skills of many dietitians (and now students)

19. • Flagging work packages
– informed EFAD on motivating/ managing working groups
• Non-active WP members
– lead EFAD to a structured recruitment process
• Sustainability
– EFAD adopted and built on the outcomes of DIETS and DIETS2

20. • Increasing standards of education and training
– Bachelor level education for dietitians in all but 2 EU countries
– Practice placement training improving
• Increased contact between professional
associations and higher education institutes
• Increased political astuteness
– now included in European Commission/ WHO initiatives

21. • European Specialist Dietetic Networks
• Increased Erasmus placements
• Creation of European masters degrees
• Increased collaboration with EU partners
• EU-wide network of willing, committed dietitians
• Increased number of EFAD member associations and Education
Associate Members
• Growing community of students/young dietitians
• Increasing attendance at conferences
– more delegates
– more posters

22. Network sustained by EFAD through:
• Education and Research committees
• Education Associate Members
• Newsletters joined
• Web sites joined
• Facebooks joined
• EFAD LinkedIn Group extended to DIETS partners

24.  de Looy A, Markaki A, Joossens S, Spyridaki A, Chatzi V (2014). Practice learning prelude to work: studies
by DIETS2. Nutr F Sc (in press)
 de Looy, A. Naumann, E. Govers, E. Jaeger, M.J. Liddell, J. Maramba, I.D.C, Cuervo M. (2010) “Thematic
Network DIETS mapping dietetic education in Europe 2006-2009: comparisons to the European Academic and
Practitioner Standards of Dietetics”, Act Diet Vol. 14 No. 3, pp. 109-119
 DIETS (2013). Guide to good practice for dietetic practice placements in Europe. Available at:
www.thematicnetworkdietetics.eu (accessed on 25 September 2014)
 EC (2010) Europe 2020 “A strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth” COM (2010). Availabe at:
http://eurlex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2010:2020:FIN:EN:PDF. (accessed on 27 August
2014)
 EFAD (2013) Pedagogic standards for dietetic placement teachers. Available at:
http://www.efad.org/everyone/3969/5/0/32. (accessed on 25 September 2014)
 EFAD (2010). European Dietetic Practice Placement Standards. Available at http://www.efad.org
/iextranet/1893/5/0/70. (accessed on 10 September 2014)
 Markaki A, Spyridaki A, Chatzi V, Joossens S, de Looy A (2014). Analysis of working practice to ensure a quality
learning experience in dietetic practices. Nutr F Sc 2014 (submitted)
 WHO (2011) “The new European policy for health – Health 2020: vision, values, main directions and
approaches”. EUR/RC61/9, available at:
http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/147724/wd09E_Health2020_111332.pdf (accessed on
27 September 2014)

25. Judith Liddell
EFAD Secretary General
www.EFAD.org
secretariat@EFAD.org

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