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Careers/Portfolio Pathway/Evidence generic capabilities
06
Build the evidence

Generic professional capabilities: leadership, improvement, teaching and research

Show how leadership, quality improvement, education, scholarship, communication and professional values operate in real practice.

18 min readSAS doctorsLocally employed doctorsPortfolio Pathway applicants
Download module PDF ↓Go to knowledge check ↓
The short answer

Generic capabilities are not an appendix to clinical work. Applicants must demonstrate how they lead, improve systems, teach, use evidence, communicate and practise professionally at the required level. Titles and attendance certificates are weak unless linked to action, assessment, impact and sustained application.

Use this now

Three next actions

  1. 1

    Map every generic capability separately rather than using one broad ‘non-clinical’ folder.

  2. 2

    For each claim, capture role, action, evidence of quality, outcome, feedback and what changed next.

  3. 3

    Plan at least one longitudinal improvement and one assessed education or leadership activity where current evidence is weak.

Learning objectives

By the end of this module, you should be able to:

  • Identify persuasive evidence for leadership, QI, teaching and scholarship.
  • Distinguish participation from capability and impact.
  • Present unsuccessful or incomplete work honestly and usefully.

Leadership without relying on a title

Leadership evidence may include chairing a multidisciplinary meeting, coordinating a rota, redesigning a pathway, managing risk, contributing to appointments, supervising colleagues, mentoring, resolving operational problems or influencing policy. The GMC supporter guidance gives examples such as chairing meetings, appointment panels, rotas and mentoring.

Show the purpose, stakeholder engagement, decision, accountability, challenge, outcome and reflection. A committee membership list or honorary title alone does not demonstrate effective leadership.

  • Describe action and accountability.
  • Include feedback or outcome.
  • Leadership can occur without formal authority.

Quality improvement and audit

A complete audit compares practice with an explicit standard, implements change and remeasures. Quality improvement may use iterative testing, process measures and sustained team learning. Service evaluation, research and clinical audit have different governance and should be labelled accurately.

Evidence can include an approved proposal, baseline data, meeting records, intervention, remeasurement, presentation, adoption and reflection on limitations. If the project did not improve the measure, explain what was learned and what changed; do not rewrite it as success.

  • Name the method correctly.
  • Show change and remeasurement.
  • Discuss limitations honestly.

Teaching, supervision and assessment

A single lecture shows participation. Stronger education evidence demonstrates needs assessment, learning objectives, delivery, inclusive method, feedback, evaluation and improvement over time. Supervisory evidence should show appropriate responsibility, trainee support, feedback quality and escalation.

Use lesson plans, anonymised feedback summaries, peer observation, programme design, assessment roles and reflective change. Do not upload identifiable learner information or confidential assessment material without authority.

  • Show the education cycle.
  • Include peer or learner evaluation.
  • Protect learner confidentiality.

Research, publications and evidence use

The required level varies by specialty. Evidence may include research governance, recruitment, data analysis, authorship, peer review, guideline development, critical appraisal or implementation of evidence. Authorship order or journal status alone does not explain contribution.

For each output, state the question, governance route, personal role, method, result, dissemination and effect. Where an abstract, article or guideline is publicly available, cite it; where it is not, use authorised documents and a clear contribution statement.

  • Describe personal contribution.
  • Show governance and integrity.
  • Link scholarship to practice.

Communication, teamwork, equality and professionalism

Generic capabilities include communication with patients and colleagues, shared decision-making, team contribution, equality, safeguarding, ethical reasoning, resource stewardship and professional values. Use evidence across settings and groups, not only a single favourable feedback exercise.

Possible evidence includes multisource feedback, observed consultations, complaint learning, accessibility improvements, safeguarding work, reasonable-adjustment practice and supervisor reports. Context matters, but claims should remain specific and assessed.

  • Sample different settings and people.
  • Show inclusive practice.
  • Use feedback with action.

Integrate generic capabilities with clinical work

Generic evidence is strongest when it shows how professional capabilities improve clinical care: leadership in an emergency pathway, QI that reduces delay, teaching that improves handover, or scholarship that changes prescribing. A separate folder of courses can obscure this integration.

Map one activity to multiple outcomes only where the evidence truly demonstrates each one. Explain the different link rather than repeating the same description. Keep the overall portfolio proportionate.

  • Connect capability to patient care.
  • Map honestly across outcomes.
  • Avoid a certificate dump.
Pause and reflect

Which generic capability is visible in your daily practice but currently lacks independent evidence of quality or effect?

Keep in mind

Three takeaways

  1. 1Leadership and generic capabilities are demonstrated through action, accountability and effect.
  2. 2QI, audit, research and service evaluation should be named and evidenced accurately.
  3. 3Integrating professional capabilities with clinical work produces more authentic evidence.
Situational judgement exercise

Check your understanding

Six questions on Generic professional capabilities: leadership, improvement, teaching and research test process and practical judgement. This is educational: it does not assess your health, evidence sufficiency or decide a legal issue.

Question 1 of 6
Which item best supports a leadership claim?
Choose one answer to continue.
Apply the learning

Recommended workbooks

Use only authorised, anonymised information. These files remain on your device.

Generic Capabilities Evidence WorkbookDevelop leadership, QI, teaching, research, communication and professional-capability evidence.Download PDF ↓Evidence Map and Verification ControlIndex claims, exact references, triangulation, anonymisation, provenance, translation and final versions.Download PDF ↓
Check the source

Official and professional guidance

Use the current specialty-specific guidance and live GMC instructions at submission.

Page last reviewed 7 September 2026. Independent educational guidance; not a GMC, College or individual application assessment.