​Public health organizations can be more effective when the competencies of their staff match the types of activities they do in their jobs. Developing job descriptions that include competencies needed for the position​s is a good practice for all organizations and supports successful recruitment, hiring, and professional development.

For any position, critical Core Competencies will vary depending on the responsibilities and activities of individuals in that position. When developing a job description, it is important to determine which competencies are most essential for that position. This tool describes a process for prioritizing competencies for job descriptions using the 2021 version of the Core Competencies​. A public health organization can use this process in a workshop setting to help engage staff members to identify and prioritize the Core Competencies that they feel are most important for their roles. This process is grounded in the Core Competencies, and workshop facilitators should have a working knowledge of the Core Competencies for the process to be successful. Additional information about the Core Competencies is available at www.phf.org/corecompetencies.