On approval of the Rules for Confirming the Results of Continuous Professional Development, Assignment and Confirmation of the Qualification Level of Healthcare Workers

Updated Unofficial translation

Order of the Minister of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated December 20, 2020 № ҚР ДСМ -283/2020. Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan on December 22, 2020 № 21843.

      Unofficial translation
      Footnote. The title - as revised by order of the Minister of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan № 43 of 28.06.2024 (shall come into effect upon expiry of ten calendar days after the day of its first official publication).

      Under sub-paragraph 41) of Article 7 of the Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On Public Health and the Healthcare System”, I HEREBY ORDER:

      Footnote. The preamble - as revised by order of the Minister of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan № 43 of 28.06.2024 (shall come into effect upon expiry of ten calendar days after the day of its first official publication).

      1. That the attached Rules for Confirming the Results of Continuous Professional Development, Assignment and Confirmation of the Qualification Level of Healthcare Workers shall be approved.

      Footnote. Paragraph 1 - as revised by order of the Minister of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan № 43 of 28.06.2024 (shall be enacted ten calendar days after the date of its first official publication).

      2. The Department of science and human resources of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan, in accordance with the procedure established by the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan, to ensure:

      1) state registration of this order in the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan;

      2) posting this order on the Internet resource of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan after its official publication;

      3) within ten working days after the state registration of this order in the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan, submission of information to the Legal Department of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan on implementation of the measures provided for in subparagraphs 1) and 2) of this paragraph.

      3. The supervising vice minister of health of the Republic of Kazakhstan is authorized to control the execution of this order.

      4. This order comes into effect upon the expiration of ten calendar days after the day of its first official publication.

      Minister of health of the
Republic of Kazakhstan
A. Tsoi

      AGREED
Minister of labor and social protection
of the Republic of Kazakhstan
"____"________________2020

  Appendix to the order
Minister of health of the
Republic of Kazakhstan
dated December 20, 2020
№ ҚР ДСМ-283/2020

Rules for Confirming the Results of Continuous Professional Development, Assignment and Confirmation of the Qualification Level of Healthcare Workers

      Footnote. The Rules as revised by order of the Minister of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated 16.07.2025 № 66 (shall come into effect upon expiry of ten calendar days after the day of its first official publication).

Chapter 1. General provisions

      1. These Rules for Confirming the Results of Continuous Professional Development, Assignment and Confirmation of the Qualification Level of Healthcare Workers (hereinafter referred to as the Rules) have been drawn up under subparagraph 41) of Article 7 of the Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On Public Health and the Healthcare System” (hereinafter - the Code) and establish the procedure for confirming the results of continuous professional development, awarding and confirming the level of qualification of healthcare workers who have technical and vocational, post-secondary, higher, postgraduate education in “Healthcare” field of training.

      2. The results of continuous professional development (hereinafter referred to as CPD) of healthcare workers shall be confirmed by the personnel management service and the head of the healthcare organization as per the criteria for confirming the results of continuous professional development of healthcare workers, pursuant to Appendix 1 hereto.

      3. The following concepts are used in these Rules:

      1) an accredited evaluation institution is an institution accredited by the authorized body of healthcare, evaluating the knowledge and skills of students and professional preparedness of graduates of educational programmes, specialists in the field of healthcare;

      2) a credit unit in the system of continuous professional development of healthcare workers (hereinafter - CU) is a unified conventional unit of measurement of the volume of participation of a specialist in activities that contribute to continuous professional development for a certain period of professional activity;

      3) a healthcare worker is an individual who has professional medical education and is engaged in healthcare activities;

      4) additional education of healthcare workers (hereinafter - additional education refers to the process of training undertaken to meet the educational needs of healthcare personnel to maintain, expand, deepen and improve professional knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as to master new (additional) competencies;

      5) professional qualification is a degree of professional training characterizing the possession of competences required to perform labor functions in a profession;

      6) professional standard is a written official document establishing general requirements for knowledge, skills, abilities, work experience with regard to formal and (or) non-formal and (or) informal education, level of qualification and competence, content, quality and conditions of labor in a specific area of professional activity;

      7) sectoral qualifications framework (hereinafter – SQF) is a document developed on the basis of the National Classifier of Occupations of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the national qualifications framework and classifying in the sector the requirements for qualification of a specialist by levels depending on the complexity of the work performed and the nature of knowledge, skills and competences used in the sector;

      8) non-formal education is a type of education planned, organized and implemented by entities that offer educational services rendered without regard to the venue, timing and form of education, and accompanied by the issuance of a document confirming the results of studies.

      4. The results of the CPD of healthcare workers shall be documents certifying the results of additional, non-formal education, additional competences and other professional development activities, with due regard to the requirements under paragraph 3 of Article 269 of the Code.

      The results of the CPD of health professionals shall be validated for the certification of health professionals under Article 27 of the Code.

      5. Assignment and (or) confirmation of the level of qualification, as per the SQF of the sphere “Healthcare” to healthcare workers shall be effected based on the results of assessment of professional preparedness, issued by an accredited organization for assessment, in a manner consistent with order of the Minister of Healthcare of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated December 11, 2020 № ҚР ДСМ-249/2020 “On approval of the rules for assessing the knowledge and skills of students, assessing the professional preparedness of graduates of educational programs in the field of healthcare and healthcare specialists” (registered in the Register of State Registration of Regulatory Legal Acts under № 21763).

      Medical workers, upon receipt of a conclusion from an accredited assessment organization, within the framework of the state services “Issuance of a specialist certificate for admission to clinical practice”, “Issuance of a foreign specialist certificate for admission to clinical practice”, receive or confirm a specialist certificate in a specialty (specialization) taking into account the assigned or confirmed level of qualification, in the manner according to order of the Minister of Healthcare of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated December 15, 2020 № ҚР ДСМ-274/2020 "On approval of the rules for conducting certification of a healthcare specialist, confirmation of the validity of a healthcare specialist certificate, including foreign specialists, as well as the conditions for admission to certification of a healthcare specialist of a person who has received medical and (or) pharmaceutical education in the field of healthcare outside the Republic of Kazakhstan" (registered in the Register of State Registration of Regulatory Legal Acts under № 21818).

Chapter 2. Procedure for confirming the results of continuous professional development of healthcare workers

      6. The results of the CPD of healthcare workers shall be confirmed for the last 5 years by the head of the healthcare organization.

      7. Upon availability of certifying documents of the CPD results, the healthcare worker shall file the supporting documents envisaged by the criteria, as per Appendix 1 hereof to the human resources management service at the place of his/her main activity.

      Documents issued in a foreign language shall be furnished with a notarized translation in the Kazakh or Russian language.

      8. The human resources service and the head of the healthcare institution shall award CU for each CPD outcome criterion.

      9. The final outcome of the CPD shall be summarized by adding together the CU for additional education, non-formal education and additional competences.

      Following the results of additional education (advanced training) CU shall be calculated for the last 5 years as per Chapter 1 of Appendix 1 hereto.

      Based on the outcomes of non-formal education, the CU shall be calculated pursuant to Chapter 2 of Appendix 1 hereto, for additional competences - pursuant to Chapter 3 of Appendix 1 hereto.

      10. The confirmed results of the CPD shall be drawn up in the form as set out in Appendix 2 hereto.

      11. The grounds for refusal to confirm the results of the CPD shall be non-compliance of the documents certifying the results of the CPD with the requirements to the criteria.

Chapter 3. Procedure for awarding and confirming qualification levels

      12. A healthcare worker applying for awarding or confirmation of the qualification level shall submit to the accredited organization for the assessment of CPD results according to paragraph 6 hereof.

            To assign the next level of qualification to a healthcare worker it shall be essential to:

      1) have education in the field of healthcare corresponding to the level of qualification, confirmed by a diploma of education;

      2) A result of professional qualification assessment issued by an accredited assessment organization.

      3) performance of work functions corresponding to the stated qualification level in accordance with the requirements of the professional standard, confirmed by a report from the electronic service registry or a report on professional activity signed by the head of the structural unit;

      4) confirmed CPD results, certified by the human resources management service and the head of the healthcare organization.

      Healthcare workers whose certificate of qualification category assignment expired after January 1, 2021, are eligible to receive the corresponding (equivalent) qualification level without undergoing the knowledge assessment stage and case testing (solving situational problems).

      13. To achieve the appropriate level of qualification, CPD activities shall be required, including additional, non-formal education and additional competences based on the criteria for confirming the results of continuous professional development of healthcare workers as per Appendix 3 hereto.

      14. The total amount of continuing professional development activities for qualification levels shall not be less than 210 ЗЕ.

      15. Additional and (or) non-formal education received by healthcare workers in foreign organizations included in three international academic rankings and among the first 250 (two hundred and fifty) positions of two or more of them (QS World University Rankings), (Academic Ranking of World Universities), rating of the best universities in the world according to the Times Higher Education World University Rankings stipulated by order of the Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated June 12, 2023 № 268 “On Approval of the Rules for Recognition of Education Documents” (registered in the Register of State Registration of Regulatory Legal Acts under № 32800), shall be recognized as valid in the Republic of Kazakhstan upon presentation of the original document.

      16. Healthcare professionals shall be assigned the initial or next level of qualification based on the result of the evaluation of professional preparedness, issued by an accredited evaluation entity in the manner prescribed by order of the Minister of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated December 11, 2020 № ҚР ДСМ-249/2020 “On Approval of the Rules for Evaluating the Knowledge and Skills of Students, Evaluating the Professional Preparation of Graduates of Educational Programmes in the Field of Public Health and Specialists in the Field of Public Health” (registered in the Register of State Registration of Regulatory Legal Acts under № 21763).

      17. Initial qualification levels 4.0, 5.0, 6.0, 7.0 (I), 7.1 (R) shall be assigned to graduates of educational and scientific institutions in the field of public health in compliance with the SQF in the field of public health as per Appendix 4 hereto.

      18. The level of qualification in a specialization shall be assigned within the framework of the major specialty, under order of the Minister of Healthcare of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated November 30, 2020 № ҚР ДСМ-218/2020 “On Approval of the List of Specialties and Specializations Subject to Certification of Healthcare Professionals” (registered in the Register of State Registration of Regulatory Legal Acts under № 21699).

      19. When assigning the next level of qualification, the sequence of qualification levels established by the SQF of the sphere “Public Health” shall be observed as per Appendix 5 hereto.

            Healthcare professionals having indefinite certificates of category assignment shall reissue them for a certificate of a professional in a specialty with an appropriate level of qualification without undergoing assessment of professional preparedness.

      Healthcare workers in the specialty of "Nursing" upon receiving post-secondary or higher medical education in the same specialty renew their specialist certificate while maintaining the qualification level of an equivalent qualification category, taking into account their previous work experience.

  Appendix 1
to the Rules for Confirming
the Results of Continuous Professional
Development, Assignment and
Confirmation of the Qualification
Level of Healthcare Workers

Criteria for confirming the results of continuous professional development of healthcare workers

Name of criterion

Requirement for criterion

Measuring unit

Supporting document

1

2

3

4

5

Chapter 1. Additional education

1

Additional education (advanced training cycle)

in accordance with the profile of the declared specialty; in accordance with the level of the educational program; indication of the number of hours or credits

1 hour = 1 credit unit

a copy of the certificate of completion of advanced training

Chapter 2. Non-formal education

2

Internship in the field of specialty

of regional, city, republican significance

1 week = 10 credit units

a copy of the report on the implementation of the individual internship plan, information on the knowledge, skills and abilities acquired during the internship, a review by the head of the structural unit of the healthcare specialist based on the results of the internship

of international significance

1 week = 30 credit units

3

Participation in face-to-face training seminars, trainings, masterclasses

in accordance with the profile of the declared specialty; indication of the number of hours or credits

1 hour = 0,5 credit unit

a copy of the training certificate

4

Participation in webinars, online courses, and other educational events conducted using distance learning technologies

in accordance with the profile of the declared specialty; indication of the number of hours or credits

1 hour = 0,5 credit unit

a copy of the training certificate

Chapter 3. Aditional competences

5

Participation in the work of a meeting, congress, conference

of regional, city, significance

1 day = 5 credit units; report = 10 credit units

a document of the participant and/or conference program indicating the full name of the speaker, topic, venue, organizer, date

of republican significance

1 day = 10 credit units; report = 50 credit units

of international significance

day = 40 credit units; report = 100 credit units

6

Publication of a monograph, guidelines, methodological recommendations

in accordance with the profile of the claimed specialty; first author or mono-authorship

1 monograph = 180 credit units; guidelines, methodological recommendations = 30 credit units

an electronic copy of a monograph, guidelines, methodological recommendations, first author

7

Publication of a textbook (book)
 

in accordance with the profile of the claimed specialty; first author or mono-authorship

1 textbook (book) = 180 credit units

an electronic copy of a published textbook (book)

8

Publication of a scientific article in periodicals included in the list of those recommended by the Quality Assurance Committee in Science and Higher Education of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan

in accordance with the profile of the claimed specialty; the first 3 authors

1 article = 20 credit units

an electronic copy of a published article, first 3 authors

9

Publication of an article in national and foreign editions not included in the list recommended by the Quality Assurance Committee in Science and Higher Education of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

in accordance with the profile of the claimed specialty; the first 3 authors

1 article = 10 credit units

an electronic copy of a published article, first 3 authors

10

Publication of a scientific article in periodicals indexed in Scopus, WebofScience, Springer

in accordance with the profile of the claimed specialty

1 article, journal quartile Q4 = 90 credits; 1 article, journal quartile Q3 = 120 credit units; 1 article, journal quartile Q2 = 150 credit units; 1 article, journal quartile Q1 = 180 credit units.

link to the published article in Scopus, Web of Science, Springer databases

11

Obtaining a patent

in accordance with the profile of the declared specialty

1 national level patent = 60 credit units; 1 foreign level patent = 180 credit units

patent copy

12

Obtaining an Intellectual Property Certificate of the Republic of Kazakhstan

in accordance with the profile of the declared specialty

1 certificate = 30 credit units

a copy of the intellectual property certificate

13

Tutoring, teaching activities

in accordance with the profile of the declared specialty

within a year as a tutor or mentor for trainees of medical education organisations = 10 credit units

a copy of the order from the medical organization on the appointment as a tutor, and (or) a certificate of advanced training in tutoring and (or) mentoring

14

Tutoring for young and newly hired specialists

in accordance with the profile of the declared specialty

within a year as a tutor = 10 credit units

a copy of the order on the appointment as a tutor

15

Introduction into practice of innovative scientific or practical methods of diagnostics, treatment, prevention of a disease

in accordance with the profile of the declared specialty

1 act of implementation = 60 credit units

an implementation report with the participation of the local health authority

16

Membership in a professional association

in accordance with the profile of the declared specialty; at least 1 year with active membership at the time of confirmation

regional level = 10 credit units; national level = 30 credit units; international level = 60 credit units

a copy of the document confirming membership
 

17

Membership in expert bodies

in accordance with the profile of the declared specialty; for 5 years with at least 1 year of active membership at the time of confirmation

national level = 90 credit units

a copy of the document confirming an expert activity
 

18

Expert and/or coaching activities

in accordance with the profile of the declared specialty;
within one year at the time of confirmation

1 document = 10 credit units

a copy of the document confirming expert and coaching activities
 

19

Participation in the development of regulatory legal and other regulatory acts

In accordance with the profile of the declared specialty;
at the national level (clinical protocols, clinical nursing guidelines, operating procedure standards, industry programs, state educational standards)

1 document = 30 credit units

a copy of the order on the composition of the working group

20

Participation in the substantive or testing expertise of the examination material (test questions and clinical scenarios) of an accredited institution to evaluate the knowledge and skills of students, professional preparedness of graduates and health professionals

In accordance with the profile of the declared specialty

50 test questions = 1 credit unit; 10 clinical scenarios = 1 credit unit

a copy of the act of examination of the examination material

21

Participation in the work of an independent expert commission for the purpose of establishing and confirming the existence (absence) of the fact of causing harm to a patient's life and health as a result of medical activities

In accordance with the profile of the declared specialty within 5 years at the time of confirmation

1 document = 90 credit units

an extract from the minutes of the meeting of the independent expert commission on the participation of the expert and a copy of the order approving the composition of the independent expert commission

  Appendix 2
to the Rules for Confirming
the Results of Continuous Professional
Development, Assignment and
Confirmation of the Qualification
Level of Healthcare Workers

      Form

Confirmation of the results of continuous professional development of healthcare workers

      1. Surname, first name, patronymic (if any) ___________________________

      3. Total work length of service of the healthcare worker (years, months, days) ________

      4. Length of service in the declared specialty (years, months, days) _______

      5. Current place of employment _________________________________

      6. Position held _________________________________________

      7. Labour activity in the declared specialty

      (at the time of confirmation of the results of continuing professional development in the declared specialty)

Date of acceptance

Date of dismissal

Place of employment

Position held
 

Number of the order
 

Date of issuance of the order
 













      8. Level of sectoral qualifications framework ____________

      9. Qualification category (if any) ______________________

      10. Postgraduate education (if any) ____________________

      11. Results of the CPD ______________________________

Name of criterion

Result in credit units

Chapter 1. Additional education

1



Chapter 2. Non-formal education

2



3



4



5



Chapter 3. Additional competences

6



7



8



9



10



11



12



13



14



15



16



17



18



19



20



21




Total results of CPD:


      Head of Human Resources Management Service _____________________________

                                    surname, first name, patronymic (if any)

      __________________________________

                  (signature) date of issuance

      Head of the healthcare organization ________________________________

                                    surname, first name, patronymic (if any)

      _____________________________

            (signature) date of issuance

  Appendix 3
to the Rules for Confirming
the Results of Continuous Professional
Development, Assignment and
Confirmation of the Qualification
Level of Healthcare Workers

Continuous professional development of healthcare workers

Name of continuous professional development activity

1

Levels of the sectoral

4.0;
5.0;
6.0;
7.0 (I);
7.1 (R)

4.1;
5.1;
6.1;
7.1 (I);
7.2 (R)

4.2;
5.2;
6.2;
7.2 (I);
7.3 (R)

4.3;
5.3;
6.3;
7.3 (I);
7.4 (R)

Qualification category

No qualification category

Second qualification category

First qualification category

Highest qualification category

2

Total volume of continuous professional development activities (sum of credit units of additional education, non-formal education and additional competencies)

-

At least 210 credit units
over 5 years
or participation in an Independent Expert Commission during an insurance claim review at least three times in the last three years

At least 210 credit units
over 5 years or
participation in an Independent Expert Commission for an insurance claim review at least three times in the last three years.

At least 210 credit units
over 5 years or
participation in an Independent Expert Commission for an insurance claim review at least three times in the last three years.

3

Additional education

-

at least 150 credit units (hours) of advanced training at the basic or intermediate level

at least 120 credit units (hours) of advanced training at the intermediate or highest level

at least 60 credit units (hours) of advanced training at a highest or specialized level

Non-formal education
and additional competencies

-

at least 60 credit units

at least 90 credit units

at least 150 credit units

  Appendix 4
to the Rules for Confirming
the Results of Continuous Professional
Development, Assignment and
Confirmation of the Qualification
Level of Healthcare Workers

Initial qualification levels

SQF qualification level

Level of education in the healthcare sector

4.0

technical and vocational education

5.0

post-secondary education (applied bachelor's degree)

6.0

higher education (academic bachelor's degree)

7.0 (I)

Postgraduate education (master's degree based on a completed bachelor's programme) and/or practical work experience; or higher basic medical education (internship) and/or continuing integrated medical education

7.1 (R)

postgraduate education (residency) certification course (for specialisation*)

8

PhD doctoral studies, PhD degree, (Candidate of Medical Sciences, Doctor of Medical Sciences) or higher medical education and managerial experience in the sector.

  Appendix 5
to the Rules for Confirming
the Results of Continuous Professional
Development, Assignment and
Confirmation of the Qualification
Level of Healthcare Workers

Ordinary qualification levels

Level of education in the healthcare sector

SQF qualification level

Qualification category

Availability of continuous work experience in the declared specialty and (or) specialization from the date of obtaining the previous level of qualification

Technical and vocational education

4.1

second

at least 5 years

4.2

first

at least 4 years

4.3

highest

at least 3 years

Post-secondary education (applied bachelor's degree)

5.1

second

at least 5 years

5.2

first

at least 4 years

5.3

highest

at least 3 years

Higher education (academic bachelor's degree)

6.1

second

at least 5 years

6.2

first

at least 4 years

6.3

highest

at least 3 years

Basic medical education (internship)

7.1(I)

second

at least 5 years

7.2(I)

first

at least 4 years

7.3(I)

highest

at least 3 years

Postgraduate education (clinical residency, retraining, residency)

7.2(R)

second

at least 5 years

7.3(R)

first

at least 4 years

7.4(R)

highest

at least 3 years

Degree of Candidate of Medical Sciences, Doctor of Medical Sciences, PhD

8



 

If you found any error on the page, please highlight a word or a phrase and then press «Ctrl+Enter» key combination

 

On-page search

Enter text to search

Hint: Browser has internal on-page search. It works faster and is usually activated by pressing ctrl-F.