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Public health professionals today are being asked to do more with limited resources while also demonstrating meaningful results. Performance management and quality improvement provide practical ways to focus on the work that matters most and show how programs are making a difference.

These workshops are designed as an introduction for public health professionals who want to begin thinking more intentionally about how they measure success and improve their work. Participants will learn how to identify meaningful measures, use quality data to guide decision-making, and explore opportunities to improve programs and processes.

The Performance Management Workshop introduces participants to the essential components of a performance management system and what makes that system effective in a public health setting. The workshop helps participants understand how the different components work together to support stronger decision-making and improved organizational performance.

Participants will explore how to develop meaningful goals, objectives, and performance measures that reflect the work that matters most. The workshop also highlights how performance data can be monitored and used as a feedback mechanism to assess progress, identify trends, and guide decisions about the direction of a program, division, or health department.

In addition to the foundational concepts, the workshop emphasizes practical application. Participants will work through exercises designed to help them identify measures, interpret data, and understand how performance management can support accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement across programs.

The Quality Improvement Workshop introduces participants to practical methods that can be used to examine how work is currently being done and identify opportunities to improve programs and processes. The focus is on helping public health professionals think more intentionally about how small, structured improvements can lead to better outcomes for the communities they serve.

Participants will learn how to clearly define problems, explore potential root causes, and test changes using common improvement approaches such as Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles.

Through interactive exercises and real-world examples, participants will see how these tools can be applied in everyday public health practice. The goal is to help participants feel confident identifying opportunities for improvement and contributing to quality improvement efforts within their organizations.

One of the most valuable aspects of these workshops is the focus on practical application. Rather than only discussing concepts, participants work through exercises and examples that reflect the kinds of challenges they encounter in their day-to-day work.

The workshops also help participants understand how performance management and quality improvement complement one another. Performance management helps organizations monitor their work and identify areas where improvement may be needed, while quality improvement provides the methods and tools to explore those opportunities and test potential solutions.

By understanding how these two approaches work together, participants gain a clearer understanding of how to move from simply tracking data to using that information to guide meaningful improvements in programs and processes.

PHF’s workshops are designed specifically for the public health workforce and focus on practical skills that participants can apply immediately in their organizations. The sessions combine foundational concepts with hands-on activities that help participants translate ideas into real-world practice.

Participants also benefit from learning alongside peers from a variety of public health settings. The discussion and shared experiences that emerge during the sessions often provide valuable insight into how other organizations are approaching similar challenges.

In addition, the workshops are highly interactive. Participants have the opportunity to ask questions, work through exercises, and explore examples that reflect real situations public health professionals encounter in their work. The goal is for participants to leave not only with new knowledge, but with greater confidence in applying performance management and quality improvement approaches within their programs and teams.