Methods:
We used a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT)
framework to develop the given situational assessment. A SWOT
framework20, is an analytical tool often used for
informing health workforce development,21-25 and
focuses on identifying which Strengths and Opportunitiesmight be optimized, as well as Weaknesses and Threats to
be minimized or overcome for advancing a system. Here, we used a SWOT
analysis to lay the foundations, of need and opportunity, for the
development of strategies for strengthening the worldwide occupational
therapy workforce.
Within a SWOT framework,20 Strengths and
Weaknesses are considered internal factors, where Strengthsrepresent a competitive advantage for that system or its own
development, while Weaknesses refer to limitations of the system
or organization that may hamper its progress; hence, both refer to
properties of the system under study. In turn, Opportunities are
any factors that may act as a facilitator to the progress of the system
or organization, whereas Threats refer to barriers that serve as
a disadvantage; both Opportunities and Threats refer to properties
external to the system under review.