Wellbeing Matters
An Okanagan Charter Implementation Toolkit
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Develop and Implement Health-Promoting Policy
Review, develop, and coordinate policies and practices that embed health, wellbeing, equity, and sustainability into institutional planning, decision-making, and accountability processes.
Policy: At-a-Glance
What is this strategic direction about?
Embedding wellbeing into all faculty policy.
Why does it matter?
Policy shapes daily experience, equity, and culture.
What will I do here?
Learn how to review, develop, and implement health-promoting policies.
What you’ll find in this section
- Overview: Why Policy Matters
- Key Components of Effective Health-Promoting Policy
- Putting Policy into Practice
- Case Studies
- Explore Your Role in Policy
- Tools and Resources
Overview
Why Policy Matters
Policy is one of the most powerful levers for shaping our day-to-day experiences. It determines how decisions are made, how people are treated, and how resources and responsibilities are distributed across an institution. When policies are intentionally designed with wellbeing in mind, they can promote equity, reduce unnecessary burden, and create conditions that support healthy, inclusive, and sustainable learning and work environments.
Embedding health and wellbeing into policy requires a coordinated, systems-level approach. This includes strong leadership commitment, clear governance structures with accountability, and meaningful engagement across the institution and beyond. Health-promoting policy relies on those who can critically assess how policies function in practice, identify unintended harms, and advocate for equitable approaches.
Given the complexity of this work, some institutions have invested in dedicated wellbeing leadership roles and increased resources to support policy review and development. These roles help ensure that wellbeing is not approached as an ‘add-on’ but is embedded in the core functioning of the institution. A well-resourced and strategically aligned approach to policy is essential to advancing a health-promoting working and learning environment.
The Canadian Medical Association recently updated the CMA Physician Health and Safety Policy & CMA Code of Ethics and Professionalism, which can serve as a starting point.
How Policy Connects to Other Strategic Directions in the Okanagan Charter
Health-promoting policy creates the structures, expectations, and accountability mechanisms that shape wellbeing across the institution. Policy provides the foundation that supports action across all other Strategic Directions.
Policies influence how spaces are designed, maintained, accessed, and used to support wellbeing, inclusion, accessibility, and sustainability.
Policies help establish expectations for respectful behaviour, psychological safety, equity, and accountability, influencing the culture experienced by learners, faculty, staff, and researchers.
Policies can enable protected time, access to development opportunities, mentorship, accommodations, and support for lifelong learning.
Policies influence access to health services, leave processes, confidentiality protections, accommodations, and organizational supports.
Policies help establish expectations for measurement, accountability, reporting, and the use of evidence to inform decision-making and improvement.
Key Components of Effective Health-Promoting Policy
Developing and implementing health-promoting policy requires several foundational elements. Together, these components create the conditions for meaningful, sustainable change.
Governance and Leadership
Effective policy change begins with clear governance and strong leadership. Different roles across the institution contribute in distinct but complementary ways:
Provides strategic direction, ensures alignment with institutional priorities and accreditation, and holds final accountability for policy decisions.
Translate strategy into action by leading policy development, coordinating consultations, and supporting implementation.
Brings essential insight into how policies function in real-world teaching and care environments, and applying policy in practice.
Contributes lived experience and feedback, helping identify unintended impacts on learning, wellbeing, and equity.
Ensures policies align with research standards and contribute subject-matter expertise where needed.
A coordinated approach across these levels helps ensure that policies are both strategically aligned and practically effective.
People and Participation
Health-promoting policies are strengthened by inclusive and meaningful engagement. Involving a diverse range of perspectives helps ensure policies are relevant, equitable, and responsive to real needs.
Other key contributors may include:
Align policies with employment, equity, accommodations, and legal requirements.
Identify inequities and ensure policies support fairness, inclusion, etc.
Ground policies in health, safety, and wellbeing considerations.
Ensure ethical application of policies and apply biomedical principles.
Represent collective agreements, standards, codes of conduct, and advocate for member protections.
Engaging these groups supports more comprehensive policy development and helps surface potential unintended consequences early in the process.
Resources and Infrastructure
Sustainable policy work requires dedicated resources and support. Without this foundation, policy review and development can become fragmented or deprioritized.
Key resources include:
Dedicated time for individuals to participate in policy work in a meaningful way, not “off the side of the desk”.
Access to policy analysts, facilitators, and subject-matter experts (e.g., legal, HR, EDIA, wellbeing, ethics).
Use of institutional data, evaluation findings, and research evidence to inform decisions.
Structured approaches to assess policies through wellbeing, equity, and ethical lenses.
Represent collective agreements, standards, codes of conduct, and advocate for member protections.
Budget to support activities such as consultations, materials, and external expertise where needed.
Investing in these resources signals institutional commitment and enables policy work to be carried out rigorously and effectively.
The most important component: A Shared Commitment to Wellbeing
At its core, health-promoting policy depends on a shared understanding that wellbeing is a collective responsibility. This includes recognizing the influence of institutional structures on individual experiences and committing to policies that promote fairness, dignity, and sustainable ways of working and learning.
Putting Policy into Practice
Embedding wellbeing into policy is an ongoing, iterative process, not a one-time initiative. The steps below provide a structured pathway to help you move from intention to action, whether you are just getting started or building on existing efforts.
Begin by creating the conditions that will enable this work to move forward.
- Identify or confirm leadership accountability for policy review and development.
- Establish a dedicated working group or committee with clear roles and responsibilities.
- Clarify your overall approach or strategy for embedding wellbeing into policy.
- Ensure alignment with broader faculty and institutional priorities.
If these structures are not yet in place, this is your starting point.
Before making changes, take stock of what already exists.
- Identify whether there is a formal policy review process in place.
- Map existing policies that impact learners, faculty, and staff.
- Assess current strengths, gaps, and areas of potential concern.
- Gather initial input from key groups to understand lived experiences, pain points, and legalities.
This step helps you move from assumptions to informed action.
Not all policies can be reviewed at once. Focus your efforts where they will have the greatest impact.
- Identify high-impact or high-risk policies (e.g., those affecting wellbeing, equity, workload, or safety).
- Consider areas of known concern, complaints, or unintended harms.
- Sequence priorities to ensure the work is manageable and sustainable over time.
Start focused. Momentum builds credibility.
Undertake a deliberate and consistent review process.
- Apply wellbeing, equity, and ethical lenses to assess policies.
- Examine policy purpose, language, implementation, and impact.
- Identify unintended consequences, barriers, or inequities.
- Document findings and develop clear, actionable recommendations.
Learn more about different wellbeing lenses in the next section.
Meaningful engagement is essential to developing policies that are both effective and equitable.
- Consult with individuals and groups affected by the policy.
- Include voices from equity-deserving and historically underrepresented groups.
- Validate findings, refine recommendations, and identify practical considerations.
- Foster shared ownership of both the problem and the solution.
Policies are more effective and sustainable when co-created.
Translate insights into action through formal processes.
- Revise policies based on review findings and consultation input.
- Ensure alignment with legal, regulatory, and institutional requirements.
- Bring policies through appropriate governance and approval structures.
- Clearly document changes and their intended impact.
Clarity and transparency at this stage build confidence and accountability.
A strong policy is only effective if it is understood and applied in practice.
- Develop a clear communication and dissemination plan.
- Ensure policies are accessible, easy to understand, and widely available.
- Support implementation through guidance, training, or tools where needed.
- Clarify expectations, roles, and available supports.
Implementation is where policy becomes lived experience.
Policy work does not end at implementation. It requires continuous improvement.
- Establish metrics and indicators to assess impact and progress.
- Gather feedback on how policies are functioning in practice.
- Identify emerging issues, unintended consequences, or gaps.
- Commit to regular review cycles and continuous improvement.
Sustainable policy work is adaptive, responsive, and iterative.
A Continuous Cycle
These steps are not strictly linear. As you evaluate and learn, you may revisit earlier stages, refine your approach, and expand your scope over time. Embedding wellbeing into policy is a continuous cycle of learning, engagement, and improvement.
Indicators of Progress
The indicators below are aligned with each step in the policy implementation pathway. They can help you assess where you are, identify gaps, and track progress over time.
Establish Foundations: Clear governance structure, leadership accountability, and defined roles are in place and communicated.
Understand Your Current State: Policies are mapped, and strengths, gaps, and lived experiences are understood.
Identify Priorities: Priority policies are identified, sequenced, and aligned with capacity.
Conduct Structured Policy Reviews: A consistent, structured review process is used (e.g., applying wellbeing and equity lenses).
Engage and Co-Create: Diverse partners are meaningfully engaged, and their input shapes policy decisions.
Revise and Approve Policies: Policies are systematically revised, aligned, and approved through formal governance.
Communicate and Implement: Policies are clearly communicated, accessible, and supported in practice.
Monitor, Evaluate, and Improve: Regular reporting, evaluation, and continuous improvement are embedded.
Use the Policy Implementation Scorecard in Tools to quickly assess progress across each step of the policy implementation pathway.
Identifying Priority Policies for Review
As you begin your policy review process, it can be helpful to identify which policies to prioritize. Focus on those that have the greatest impact on wellbeing, equity, workload, and day-to-day experiences.
High-impact policies often include those that shape progression, assessment, work expectations, safety, and support.
Common Examples of Policies to Review:
- Leave of Absence Policies
- Attendance Policies
- Promotion and Advancement Policies
- Appeal and Grievance Policies
- Mistreatment and Respectful Learning Environment Policies
- Professionalism Policies
- Service and On-Call Scheduling Policies
- Email and Communication Policies
- Workplace Violence and Harassment Policies
- Mental Health and Psychological Wellbeing Policies
- Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (EDIA) Policies
- Occupational Health, Safety, and Wellbeing Policies
Applying Lenses to Policy Review
When reviewing policies, applying different “lenses” helps uncover hidden biases, unintended harms, and missed opportunities to better support wellbeing, equity, and inclusion. Each lens represents a perspective that highlights different aspects of human experience and institutional impact.
Core Lenses for Health-Promoting Policy Review
This lens examines whether policies address or reinforce inequities.
- Does this policy create or perpetuate barriers for certain groups?
- Are historically underrepresented or marginalized groups meaningfully considered?
- Does it promote equitable access to opportunities and resources?
- Does it promote PPC Safety and respect diverse identities and experiences?
Specific lenses within Equity & Social Justice: Anti-racism, gender equity, Indigenous reconciliation, socioeconomic equity, disability inclusion
This lens centers the human impact of policy on individuals and communities.
- Does this policy support PPC Safety and wellbeing?
- Could it create unnecessary stress, burden, or harm?
- Does it reflect compassion, dignity, and respect?
- Is it trauma-informed and mindful of diverse lived experiences?
Specific lenses within Wellbeing & Human Experience: Mental health, trauma-informed, dignity, belonging
This lens ensures policies are inclusive in both design and implementation.
- Were the people affected by this policy involved in its development?
- Is the policy accessible and usable for all (e.g., language, format, flexibility)?
- Does it support meaningful participation in decision-making?
- Are multiple perspectives reflected?
Specific lenses within Inclusion & Accessibility: Universal design, inclusive language, participatory governance
This lens examines how policies shape culture and institutional behavior.
- Does this policy align with stated institutional values and commitments?
- Are roles and responsibilities clearly defined?
- Are decision-making processes transparent and fair?
- Does it foster trust, psychological safety, and accountability?
Specific lenses within Organizational Culture & Accountability: Ethical governance, leadership accountability, psychological safety
This lens looks beyond immediate effects to consider broader responsibilities.
- What are the long-term impacts of this policy?
- Does it support sustainable ways of working and learning?
- Does it align with commitments to community, environmental, or global wellbeing?
- How might it affect future learners, staff, or systems?
Specific lenses within Sustainability & Responsibility: Climate, global citizenship, intergenerational impact
This lens examines the spirit and intention behind the policy.
- Does it reflect core values such as kindness, compassion, humility, and integrity?
- Is it written and enacted in a way that feels human, not purely procedural?
- Does it reinforce a culture of respect, care, and shared responsibility?
Specific lenses within Human Values: Kindness, gratitude, humility, integrity
You do not need to apply every lens every time. Instead, select a few that are most relevant based on the policy context.
Case Studies
Case studies are powerful learning tools because they can transform complex issues into relatable situations and guide a deeper understanding to tangible solutions. They allow us to explore how policies shape lived experiences and how intentional policy design can foster a health-promoting work and learning environment.
Case Study 1# “Workplace Accommodation and Policy Clarity”
Case Study #2 “Environmental Sustainability in Clinical Education”
The case studies in this toolkit connect the strategic directions of the Okanagan Charter and the pathways for turning principles into practice.
Case Study #1
“Workplace Accommodation and Policy Clarity”
Dr. Chen, a researcher experiencing long COVID, encounters unclear processes for accessing workplace accommodations. Multiple offices (HR, occupational health, faculty affairs) provide conflicting information, resulting in delays, stress, and uncertainty.
Accommodation policies are fragmented, difficult to navigate, and inconsistently applied across the Faculty.
When policies are unclear or inconsistently applied, they can unintentionally increase burden and contribute to inequity, particularly for individuals already navigating health challenges. Clear, coordinated health-promoting policies are essential to creating a supportive and equitable environment.
Understand Current State: Identify confusion and gaps
Identify Priorities: Focus on high-impact policies
Review Policies: Assess clarity, equity, coordination
Engage & Co-Create: Engage lived experience in design
Monitor & Improve: Ensure accountability
Understand the Current State
- How easy is it to access and understand accommodation policies?
- Where do confusion, delays, or conflicting information typically occur?
- What legal and labor requirements are involved?
Identify Policy Priorities
- Which aspects of the current process are creating the greatest burden or risk?
- Which policies or procedures should be prioritized for review (e.g., leave, accommodation, return-to-work, workload)?
- Where could a small change have the greatest impact?
Review Policies – General
- Are current policies clear, accessible, and written in plain language?
- Are timelines, expectations, and responsibilities applied consistently across departments or sites?
- Do current policies support confidentiality, protection from retaliation, and legal requirements?
Review Policy – Apply the lenses!
Equity & Social Justice: Does it promote equitable access to opportunities and resources?
Wellbeing & Human Experience: Does the process reduce burden, or harm, or add to it? Is it trauma-informed and mindful of diverse lived experiences?
Inclusion & Accessibility: Were the people affected by this policy involved in its development?
Human Values: Is it written and enacted in a way that feels human, not purely procedural?
Engage and Co-Create
- How are people with lived experience of disability or chronic illness currently involved in shaping policy?
- Are there safe and meaningful ways for faculty and staff to share experiences of barriers or harm?
- Which groups need to work together to create a more coordinated process and ensure legal requirements are met?
Monitor and Improve
- Who is responsible for ensuring the policy is followed?
- How are delays, complaints, or inconsistencies tracked and addressed?
- How will you know whether the revised process is more timely, fair, and effective?
- If Dr. Chen worked in your institution, what would their experience have looked like?
- Where do similar gaps exist in your current system?
- What would a unified and supportive accommodation process look like in your institution?
Applying the policy implementation pathway, you might:
- Conduct a policy audit to map current processes and identify gaps.
- Prioritize accommodation-related policies for review.
- Review policies using wellbeing, accessibility, and equity lenses to assess clarity and consistency.
- Co-design policy revisions with individuals who have lived experience, including legal expertise.
- Develop and implement a unified accommodation policy that may include:
-
- Clear entry points and contacts
- Defined timelines and responsibilities
- Confidential and trauma-informed processes
- Anti-retaliation protections
Health-promoting accommodation policies are clear, coordinated, equitable, and centred on the lived experiences of those they are intended to support without unnecessary barriers.
“Workplace Accommodation and Policy Clarity”
Case Study #2
“Environmental Sustainability in Clinical Education”
A Faculty of Medicine relies heavily on disposable materials in simulation centres and teaching labs. Students express concern about environmental impact and feel discouraged that healthcare education is contributing to excess waste and emissions.
No formal sustainability policy exists for teaching and educational spaces.
Environmental sustainability is closely linked to human health and wellbeing. When institutional practices conflict with values of care and responsibility, learners may feel disengaged or conflicted.
Understand Current State: Assess environmental impact
Identify Priorities: Focus on high-impact policies
Review Policies: Review gaps in policy & accountability
Engage & Co-Create: Engage partners across the system
Communicate and Implement: Support behavior change
Monitor & Improve: Measure and sustain progress
Understand the Current State
- What environmental impacts are associated with current teaching practices (e.g., waste, energy use)?
- What concerns or values are being expressed by learners and staff?
- Where does the absence of policy create uncertainty or inaction?
Identify Policy Priorities
- Which areas offer the greatest opportunity for impact (e.g., plastics, procurement, waste)?
- What changes are feasible in the short term?
- Where could early wins build momentum?
Review Policies – Apply the lenses!
Wellbeing: How might sustainability efforts support meaning, engagement, and morale?
Equity: Could changes unintentionally burden certain groups (e.g., cost, workload)?
Systems Thinking: How do procurement, operations, and teaching practices interact?
Global Responsibility: How does this align with broader health and climate commitments?
Engage and Co-Create
- How are people with lived experience of disability or chronic illness currently involved in shaping policy?
- Are there safe and meaningful ways for faculty and staff to share experiences of barriers or harm?
- Which offices or groups need to work together to create a more coordinated process?
Monitor and Improve
- Who is responsible for ensuring the policy is followed?
- How are delays, complaints, or inconsistencies tracked and addressed?
- How will you know whether the revised process is more timely, fair, and effective?
- What sustainability challenges exist in your Faculty’s teaching spaces?
- Where is there existing interest or momentum for change?
- What is one practical step you could take to begin?
Applying the policy implementation pathway, you might:
- Conduct a sustainability or waste audit
- Prioritize high-impact areas (e.g., plastics, procurement)
- Identify gaps in existing policies and expectations
- Co-design policy revisions with individuals who have lived experience.
- Engage learners, faculty, and operations teams in co-design
- Develop and implement a sustainable operations policy that includes:
-
- Reduced reliance on single-use materials
- Sustainable procurement practices
- Clear waste reduction targets
- Defined roles and accountability
- Monitor outcomes and refine based on feedback and data
Sustainability policies can strengthen both planetary health and a sense of purpose, alignment, and wellbeing within an institution.
Exploring Your Role in Policy
Health-promoting policy depends on more than policy writers and senior leaders. Decisions made across all levels of the institution influence how policies are developed, implemented, interpreted, and experienced in practice. While responsibilities differ, everyone has a role in shaping policies that support wellbeing, equity, safety, and sustainability.
This section explores how different roles contribute to creating accountability, informing decision-making, and advancing health-promoting policy.
Reflect on Your Role
Where do I have influence in policy (formal or informal)?
What perspectives or insights can I contribute?
What is one action I can take to support more health-promoting policy?
Every role can contribute by helping ensure that policies, practices, and decisions support equitable, safe, and sustainable learning and work environments.
Provides strategic direction, ensures alignment with institutional priorities and accreditation, and holds final accountability for policy decisions.
How Senior Leadership Contributes to Health-Promoting Policy
- Ensure policies undergo appropriate review (e.g., safety, ethics, HR, clinical, research).
- Align policies with legislation, institutional bylaws, and regulatory requirements.
- Approve policies that reflect strategic priorities and support wellbeing.
- Address disputes and identify when policy updates are needed.
- Signal the importance of health-promoting policy through leadership and resourcing.
Tip for Leadership: Signal priorities through what you resource, not just what you endorse.
Translate strategy into action by leading policy development, coordinating consultations, and supporting implementation.
How Operational Leadership Contributes to Health-Promoting Policy
- Lead policy development, review, and revision processes.
- Ensure policies are clear, feasible, and aligned with workflows.
- Identify unintended consequences, risks, or equity concerns.
- Support teams in understanding and implementing changes.
- Monitor implementation, track issues, and escalate barriers as needed.
Tip for Staff: If a policy isn’t workable in practice, it won’t be effective. Test it against real workflows early.
Brings essential insight into how policies function in real-world teaching and care environments and applying policy in practice.
How Academic & Clinical Faculty Contribute to Health-Promoting Policy
- Identify when policies are not working in real-world settings.
- Highlight risks, gaps, and opportunities for improvement.
- Contribute expertise through consultations and policy review.
- Apply and integrate policies in teaching, clinical care, and practice.
- Model and reinforce the intent of policies with learners and colleagues.
Tip for Faculty: If something feels misaligned in practice, it’s worth raising. Your insight is essential for making policy realistic.
Contributes lived experience and feedback, helping identify unintended impacts on learning, wellbeing, and equity.
How Learners & Trainees Contribute to Health-Promoting Policy
- Share how policies impact learning, wellbeing, and fairness.
- Participate in consultations, focus groups, or feedback processes.
- Identify unintended harms or inconsistencies.
- Raise concerns (directly or through trusted channels).
- Engage with and follow policies once implemented.
Tip for Learners: Your lived experience is critical data. Sharing it can directly improve policies for those who come after you.
Ensures policies align with research standards and contribute subject-matter expertise where needed.
How Researchers & Scientists Contribute to Health-Promoting Policy
- Provide input on how policies affect research activities and workflows.
- Identify barriers or unintended impacts on research operations.
- Contribute expertise on areas such as data governance, ethics, and lab practices.
- Raise concerns through appropriate channels.
- Support awareness and adherence to relevant policies within research teams.
Tip for Researchers: Small policy barriers can have large downstream impacts on research. Flagging them early can prevent bigger issues later.
Tools and Resources
This section provides practical tools and resources to support the development, review, and implementation of health-promoting policy.
What you’ll find in this section
Adapt and use what is most relevant to your context.
Continue exploring the toolkit:
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Developed by the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada’s Culture of Academic Medicine Initiative (CAMI) in collaboration with the Okanagan Charter Collaborative.
Suggested Citation
Do, V. Wellbeing Matters: An Okanagan Charter Implementation Toolkit. Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC), Culture of Academic Medicine Initiative – Towards Improved Provider Safety (CAMI-TIPS); 2026. Available from: [URL placeholder]
Help Improve the Toolkit
We welcome your feedback to help improve future versions of the toolkit. Questions, suggestions, and corrections are always appreciated.
Developed by the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada’s Culture of Academic Medicine Initiative (CAMI) in collaboration with the Okanagan Charter Collaborative.
Suggested Citation
Do, V. Wellbeing Matters: An Okanagan Charter Implementation Toolkit. Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC), Culture of Academic Medicine Initiative – Towards Improved Provider Safety (CAMI-TIPS); 2026. Available from: [URL placeholder]
Help Improve the Toolkit
We welcome your feedback to help improve future versions of the toolkit. Questions, suggestions, and corrections are always appreciated.
Wellbeing Matters: An Okanagan Charter Implementation Toolkit ⋅ Version 1.0 ⋅ September 2026