As political climate change occurs, feelings of instability and uncertainty can threaten work in performance improvement. This uncertainty can incite crisis mode, where poor planning and quick responses lead to increased stress when solutions do not address the root causes of problems. However, these winds of change can be seen instead as an opportunity to activate quality improvement (QI) tools in your organization. By activating QI, public health organizations can build an organizational culture that sees instability and uncertainty not as cause for panic, but instead as a chance to improve.

In 2012, the Public Health Foundation (PHF) published the Public Health Quality Improvement Encyclopedia, a practical guide to using 75 tools for QI practitioners in public health organizations. These tools proved useful for health departments as they navigated serious economic challenges. These QI tools have also supported Public Health Accreditation Board accreditation preparation, and have led public health agencies to make marked improvements to processes and systems.

• Action SWOT Analysis - Use identified strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to identify action steps
• Change Management Questionnaire Checklist - Use a series of questions before, during and after an improvement process to keep the process on track
• Investigating Change - Explore changes through eight parameters to build on strengths and avoid challenges that can derail efforts
• Managing Disruptions and Distractions Matrix - Chart a course for accomplishing urgent and important tasks through avoidance of distractions
• Modular kaizen: Dealing with Disruptions - Achieve quick improvements in the midst of disruptive environments
• Nine Windows - Visualize alternatives to the current state by viewing a problem through nine different lenses
• PESTLE Chart - Understand an organization’s current operating state by scanning the external environment for factors that could affect strategy development