Kathleen Amos, MLIS, Project Manager, Council on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health Practice, Public Health Foundation
Over the past eight months, the
Council on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health Practice (Council on Linkages) has been collecting feedback on the Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals (Core Competencies) from the public health community. The Core Competencies describe skills desired for professionals working in the field of public health; as that field changes, the Core Competencies are reviewed and revised to ensure these competencies continue to meet the needs of the workforce.
Feedback from public health practitioners, educators, researchers, governing bodies, volunteers, students, and others is critical to guide
revision of the Core Competencies. Hearing about the knowledge and skills needed for working in public health now and into the future, current uses of the Core Competencies, challenges to using the Core Competencies, and resources and tools that would make the Core Competencies easier to use will help the Council on Linkages determine what changes to make as it revises the Core Competencies in early 2014.
During the recent
American Public Health Association Annual Meeting, a
town hall meeting was held to provide an open forum for public health professionals and others to discuss the Core Competencies. The approximately 55 meeting participants spent 90 minutes sharing their experiences, feedback, and suggestions of ways to help facilitate Core Competencies use. Messages heard include:
- The Core Competencies can seem overwhelming, both in terms of length and language. Organizing the individual competencies into domains and tiers does help, but more guidance of how these competencies apply to various positions could be useful. Simplifying the language, thinking about the terminology used within different disciplines of public health, and translating abstract terms into concrete work examples could help with understanding.
- Communication and dissemination are critical to use of the Core Competencies. Strategies and tools that highlight the importance of competencies and help to generate buy-in among leadership and frontline staff would be valuable. As well, considering and encouraging Core Competencies use outside of health departments and academic institutions is important for reaching many individuals who influence public health.
- Tools that make the Core Competencies more tangible, such as job descriptions that incorporate the Core Competencies and examples that show use or attainment of the Core Competencies, are a priority for the field. Job descriptions and examples that are specific to disciplines, positions, or geographic regions help to support a diverse workforce. A toolkit to assist organizations with implementing the Core Competencies into their workforce development efforts could be considered.
- More resources and training are needed to help professionals build competence in Financial Planning and Management Skills, as these skills are often learned on the job rather than in school. The field might benefit from more discussion of what skills are better learned in school versus in the workplace and vice versa, as well as what competencies should be expected, and at what level, of graduates entering the workforce.
- The growing emphasis on collaboration, integration of public health and healthcare, and interprofessional education may mean that public health professionals need new skills or that existing skills may take on new importance. Reviewing other competency sets and drawing on the expertise of a wide variety of groups may help ensure the Core Competencies remain relevant for professionals working in a more integrated environment. As a foundational competency set, the Core Competencies may also present an opportunity to highlight connections between different disciplines and professions involved in public health.
Now it’s your turn. What changes would help the Core Competencies better meet your needs? What knowledge and skills do public health professionals need now and moving forward? What resources would make the Core Competencies easier to use? Thoughts shared in the Comments section below will be considered as the Core Competencies are revised.
As well, several other opportunities to provide feedback on the Core Competencies exist, including:
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