41404 Health policy researchers, consultants and program officers

What this occupation covers

Health policy researchers, consultants and program officers conduct research, produce reports and administer health care policies and programs. They are employed by government departments and agencies, consulting establishments, universities, research institutes, hospitals, community agencies, educational institutions, professional associations, non-governmental organizations and international organizations.

Official main duties

The NOC profile lists 12 main duties for this code.

• Assist in developing government health policy by reviewing relevant literature, conducting interviews, collecting and analysing statistical data, and providing advice to senior managers and officials on issues such as health promotion, regulation, standards and financing
• Design and implement health projects or programs
• Maintain, update and manage health information databases
• Compile and analyse statistical information provided by private and public health care institutions and organizations and produce reports
• Monitor and evaluate health care programs operated by government departments and agencies or private organizations
• Assess compliance with health standards and identify remedial action if necessary
• Conduct evaluations and assessments of health projects and programs
• Provide consulting services to clients in private establishments or government departments or agencies
• Respond to internal and external program and policy information requests
• Produce newsletters, magazines and other documents to provide information to association or organization members or the general public
• Present the views of an association or organization to politicians, government officials, the media or the general public.
• Health policy researchers, consultants and program officers may specialize in a particular area of health policy development, research or program administration such as addiction research.

Do not copy these lines into your reference letter. The letter has to describe what you actually did, in your employer’s words. DUTYPROOF flags wording lifted from the NOC as something to review, and an officer reading a letter that mirrors the NOC reads it the same way.

What DUTYPROOF screens for

This is DUTYPROOF’s screening threshold, not IRCC’s decision. For this NOC, screening requires at least 2 of its 12 official duties to be evidenced in your own words, plus the required letter elements. IRCC asks that you performed the actions in the occupation’s lead statement and a substantial number of its main duties — so treat the duty coverage as the number that matters, not the badge.

Codes this one is confused with

The NOC profile names these itself. Choosing the wrong code of a look-alike pair is the most common way genuine work experience fails to establish eligibility.

• 41405 Education policy researchers, consultants and program officers
• 40010 Government managers - health and social policy development and program administration
• 30010 Managers in health care
• 42201 Social and community service workers
• 41403 Social policy researchers, consultants and program officers

Excluded from this code

• Education policy researchers, consultants and program officers (See 41405 Education policy researchers, consultants and program officers)
• Government managers - health and social policy development and program administration (See 40010 Government managers - health and social policy development and program administration)
• Managers in health care (See 30010 Managers in health care)
• Social and community service workers (See 42201 Social and community service workers)
• Social policy researchers, consultants and program officers (See 41403 Social policy researchers, consultants and program officers)

Job titles filed under this code

A title on this list does not by itself put your experience in this code — the duties in your letter decide that.

child health care programs planning officer · decision support analyst - health · decision support specialist - health · dental health consultant · drug and alcohol abuse consultant · health and social services institution accreditation officer · health and social services liaison officer · health care association program officer · health care consultant · health care planner · health care planning consultant · health care planning officer · health care program administration officer · health care researcher · health educator · health policy development officer · health policy research analyst · health program information analyst · health promotion program officer · health research officer · health services consultant · health services program consultant · health services research officer · health services researcher

Employment requirements

• A bachelor's degree or college diploma in health science, public administration, recreation administration or hospital administration, or a bachelor's degree in social science, is required.
• A graduate degree in health, social science or an administrative discipline may be required.
• Several years of experience in the health field as a health care professional or as a community or social service worker are usually required.