Strengthening Public Health Practice: Using Core Competencies for Public Health Canadian Public Health Association 2008 Annual Conference

The Need to Strengthen the Public Health Workforce Public health events & reports emphasized the need to re-examine public health

Workforce Challenges Lack of: qualified public health professionals in Canada, aging workforce & uneven distribution of existing practitioners (especially in rural & remote areas) common measure & data to quantify the gap ‘surge’ capacity of public health practitioners in the case of an emergency skills development & training opportunities for existing public health practitioners

National Response to Strengthen the Public Health Workforce Creation of the Public Health Agency of Canada (October 2004) Federal/Provincial/Territorial Advisory Groups –Develop pan-Canadian strategies to strengthen public health capacity –2 Components: Develop public health core competencies common to all public health professionals Enhance knowledge & skills among the public health workforce

Core Competencies for Public Health in Canada Set of essential skills, knowledge & attitudes necessary for the broad practice of public health Basic building block to develop the workforce Independent of discipline & program

HOW were they developed? 2005: Pan-Canadian Framework for Public Health Human Resource Planning recommends development 2005: Draft statements/preliminary consultation 2006: Revised draft statements, glossary 2006/7: National consultation

Consultation Activities Communication & promotion Consultation components: –Survey –Regional consultation meetings –Implementation Pilots –Discipline specific work Develop tools to assess & use for agencies, educational institutions & employers

Core Competencies for Public Health in Canada: Release 1.0 Launched at Canadian Public Health Association 2007 Annual Conference Ottawa, ON

Core Competencies for Public Health in Canada: Release statements organized under 7 categories: 1. Public Health Sciences 2. Assessment & Analysis 3. Policy & Program Planning, Implementation & Evaluation 4. Partnerships, Collaboration & Advocacy 5. Diversity & Inclusiveness 6. Communication 7. Leadership

Recommendations from Consultation Keep the momentum going!!! Communicate & Market to get endorsement & raise profile of public health Build infrastructure to support use & maintain competencies (e.g., education, training & professional continuing education; Human Resource planning & management) Monitor & evaluate use Keep the Core Competencies for Public Health current Continue to involve public health community & promote/support collaboration

Next Steps… Strategic Plan Dissemination – Communication & Marketing Strategy Support for use – materials & tools for –Practitioners –Organizations –System (e.g. Self assessment tool, Orientation to Public Health, proficiency levels, practice examples, Skills Online professional continuing education program) Evaluation Plan

A Shared Responsibility

For More Information Core Competencies for Public Health in Canada Skills Online