Performance Management Toolkit

There are two self-assessment tools, one designed for state health departments and the other designed for local health departments. Both are based on a model for PM that follows a quality improvement cycle in which organization performance information and population outcome data are fed back into the system to improve future decisions. In this model, the main components of the PM System are Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA). The assessment questions are based on key types of alignment and select practices needed for a robust PM System.

This self-assessment tool will help identify the extent to which an agency has the necessary components in place to achieve results and continually improve performance. This self-assessment tool is a guide that was designed to be completed as a group and can be adapted to fit an organization’s or system’s specific needs.

Provides a framework for noticing and assessing agency characteristics and then taking action to enable the transition to the next stage of performance management. This guide addresses selecting standards, measuring and determining the status of standards, reporting measurement data, prioritizing areas needing improvement, and developing a system that helps improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization.

The Stages of Process Performance is a guide to help an organization assess how its business processes function and how effectively they provide needed products or services to the organization’s customers on a regular basis.

Developing and implementing a performance management (PM) and quality improvement (QI) plan in any public health agency can be an overwhelming task. Any employee or staff member within the agency should be able to read a PM and QI Plan and understand the goals of these efforts, the support structure in place, training options that are available, and how to participate in PM and QI efforts. This tool provides a checklist of items to consider when developing the PM and QI plan.

There needs to be an infrastructure to support the performance management plan’s development by putting a Performance Management/Quality Improvement (PM/QI) Council in place. This paper presents some general guidelines when implementing a PM/QI Council. This includes a template of activities to support the sustainability of a PM System.

This paper outlines how a public health department can use the Foundational Public Health Services framework to build and enhance its PM system.

The Implementation Plan tool can be used to assist and guide an organization through the stages of PM System implementation.

A comprehensive and successful rollout of performance management and continuous improvement efforts includes ongoing engagement and communication. A communication plan can support these efforts and keep the organization and the PM/Quality Improvement Council on task through the development, deployment, and sustaining stages of a PM System.

This worksheet will help you develop goals, objectives, and measures for a PM System.

To achieve measurable improvements, we must have a systematic and continuous process of measuring and assessing the performance and outcomes of our products and services. To make improvements, it is essential for a health department to have a robust PM System that collects progress and performance data and presents it as information. This paper details various QI tools to present data as information.

For organizations struggling with aligning strategic plan goals and objectives with organization activities, this paper and worksheet will assist with operational alignment around the strategic objectives and measures.

Implementing a PM System or an organization-wide quality improvement program requires careful planning and execution. Unfortunately, many times, we try to do this too quickly and skip key implementation steps. We may start off on the wrong foot, communicate mixed messages about what it is, or get derailed when we encounter unplanned opposition. Additionally, a key supporter might leave, or the idea might be abandoned if it falls out of favor. When any of these things happen, the change gets derailed and the people in the organization view it as a failure or another unsuccessful attempt at change. This paper outlines the stages of change management and explains how to prepare for each subsequent stage.

This paper discusses how performance management models can be integrated with quality improvement efforts to achieve public health goals.

The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), in partnership with the Public Health Foundation (PHF), hosted a webinar series designed to help health departments ​advance performance management in their agencies.

• Performance Management Techniques for Successful Decision-Making (2024)
• Operationalizing Performance Management in a Health Department (2024)
• Building a Performance Management System Using the Foundational Public Health Services Framework (2025)
• Best Practices and Insights for Designing Effective Performance Management Systems in Public Health (2025)

Use the TRAIN Learning Network to search for online performance management training.

This blog from ASTHO explores how Licking County, Ohio’s Environmental Health Department has successfully integrated performance management practices aligned with public health reaccreditation standards, using tailored tracking systems, strategic quality improvement initiatives, and clear communication methods to enhance efficiency, equity, and health outcomes while continuously refining their approach for sustained impact.

This blog from ASTHO looks at how effective PM systems in public health drive efficiency, resource optimization, and accreditation, as demonstrated by the Columbus, Philadelphia, and San Antonio health departments, which emphasize leadership support, data-driven decision making, quality improvement, and strategic staff engagement to enhance public health outcomes.

This blog post explores how the Manitowoc County Health Department is transforming how it approaches performance management by using the Foundational Public Health Services framework as the structure for its PM System.

In this webinar, the Public Health Foundation and ASTHO showcase best practices for establishing and enhancing performance management systems within public health departments. Two jurisdictions, one local and one state, share insights from navigating their own real-world experiences, successes, and challenges establishing a robust performance management framework within their organizations.