Core Competencies for Public Health: An Overview

Introduction:

Various skills and aptitudes are called core competencies; these are the "must haves" employers seek in candidates, not the "would be nice" ones. The abilities that employees need should always be seen as a collection that can be built up because no single profession just calls for one core competency. As expected, the core competency criteria for various vocations will cover multiple talents and abilities. The capacity to effectively communicate, solve problems, be flexible, and be aware of strategic thinking are a few of the most prevalent.

What Are Core Competencies for Public Health?

The core competencies for public health professionals (Core Competencies) serve as a planning and implementation framework for workforce development. The 10 Essential Public Health Services, which define the core competencies, are a consensual set of knowledge and abilities for the broad practice of public health. They can act as a springboard for public health professionals and organizations seeking to comprehend better and address workforce development needs, increase community health, perform better, be ready for accreditation, etc.

These competencies are divided into three tiers, which reflect various roles within public health organizations and eight domains, representing diverse skill sets in the field of public health.

How Are Core Competencies Organized?

56 competency statements in the Core Competencies apply to the public health workforce for individuals working in public health practice, instruction, and research. These competency statements are divided into eight domains corresponding to different public health skill sets. Three tiers are also included in the Core Competencies, explaining various roles in public health organizations. Subcompetencies, which define more specific knowledge and abilities for people with duties related to each tier, are organized using the tiers.

What Are the Domains?

• Skills in data analytics and evaluation.

• Competencies in program planning and policy development.

• Skills in communication.

• Skills in health equity.

• Skills for community partnerships.

• Skills in public health sciences.

• Skills in management and finance.

• Skills in systems thinking and leadership.

What Are the Tiers in Core Competencies of Public Health?

• Tier 1: Frontline and program support responsibilities are in Tier 1. These may involve gathering and analyzing data, performing restaurant inspections, determining environmental risks, providing health education, fostering community ties, rendering services, coordinating meetings, maintaining records, assisting with programs, and offering technical know-how.

• Tier 2: Project governance and supervisory responsibilities are under Tier 2. These may involve duties including creating, putting into practice, reviewing, and enhancing programs; managing timetables, work plans, and budgets; supervising and mentoring workers; creating and sustaining connections with the community; hiring a diverse workforce; offering knowledge on the subject and making policy suggestions.

• Tier 3: Third-tier responsibilities include senior leadership and executive leadership. These duties could include managing the organization's most important programs or operations, developing the organization's strategy and vision, fostering an inclusive and equitable workplace, fostering a culture of quality within the organization, working with policymakers and politicians, arguing for organizational resources, collaborating with community leaders, and leading the organization's efforts to achieve equity in health and social and environmental righteousness.

What Are the Competency Statements Under Each Domain?

These competency definitions apply to all public health professionals and workplaces. These competencies apply to professionals who exercise, teach and conduct research in public health, regardless of the work environment, whether an educational discipline, society organization, healthcare system, or another place. Different knowledge and abilities are required to meet these competency criteria depending on a person's role within an organization.

1. Skills in Data Analytics and Evaluation:

   1. Explains elements that impact a community's health.

   2. Utilizes already available quantitative and qualitative data.

   3. Gathers both qualitative and quantitative data.

   4. Examining both quantitative and qualitative data.

   5. Manages data, including quantitative and qualitative.

   6. Uses both qualitative and quantitative data.

   7. Utilises data, information, and expertise from public health informatics.

   8. Evaluates the state of the local health.

2. Competencies in Program Planning and Policy Development.

   1. Creates regulations, plans, and services.

   2. Places policies, programs, and services into action.

   3. Assesses the effectiveness of organizational policies, programs, services, and management.

   4. Enhances the efficiency of policies, programs, services, and organizations.

   5. Influences outside-of-the-organization policies, initiatives, and services.

   6. Actively participates in organizational strategic planning.

   7. Conducts plans for enhancing community health.

3. Skills in Communication.

   1. Establishes communication techniques.

   2. Reaches out to both internal and external audiences.

   3. Responds to facts, rumors, and false information.

   4. Encourages interaction between people, groups, and organizations.

4. Skills in Health Equity:

   1. Applies the values of justice, equity, inclusiveness, and diversity.

   2. Carries out ongoing self-reflection regarding one's biases.

   3. Acknowledges the variety of people and populations.

   4. Address the underlying causes and underlying structures of health inequalities.

   5. Carries out organizational policies, programs, and services to achieve social and environmental justice and health equity.

   6. Helps create and maintain a skilled, diverse, and inclusive public health workforce.

   7. Supports social and ecological justice, as well as health equity.

5. Skills for Community Partnerships:

   1. Describes the factors, programs, and regulations influencing the resilience and health of communities.

   2. Builds connections to enhance the strength and wellness of the community.

   3. Maintains relations that enhance the stability and wellness of the community.

   4. Collaborates with organizations and members of the community.

   5. Distributes authority and ownership to others, including community members.

6. Skills in Public Health Sciences:

   1. Describes the structures, laws, and occurrences that affect public health.

   2. Delivers the 10 Essential Public Health Services using public health sciences.

   3. Provides facts to create, carry out, assess, and enhance policies, programs, and services.

   4. Increases the body of evidence for bettering health.

7. Skills in Management and Finance:

   1. Explains the elements that impact an organization's health.

   2. Protection of human resources.

   3. Administers human resources.

   4. Actively pursues professional improvement.

   5. Makes financial resources secure.

   6. Takes charge of financial resources.

   7. Carries out organizational policies, programs, and services to achieve justice, fairness, and diversity.

   8. Supervises services and programs.

   9. Carries out emergency planning.

   10. Uses critical thought when making decisions.

8. Skills in Systems Thinking and Leadership:

   1. Makes chances for cross-sector alignment possible.

   2. Carries out a community-healthy vision.

   3. Focuses on the enablers and impediments that affect the 10 Essential Public Health Services provision.

   4. Provides an opportunity for innovation and creativity.

   5. Reacts to fresh requirements.

   6. Controlling organizational change.

   7. Enlists the public, decision-makers, and legislators to promote public health infrastructure.

   8. Supports public health.

Why Are Core Competencies in Public Health Important?

Across all public health subdisciplines, essential competencies in public health are necessary for frontline practitioners, consultants, specialists, managers, and supervisors. The creation and use of public health core skills aid in the following

• Confirm and enhance the fundamental knowledge, aptitudes, and dispositions needed for public health practitioners and specialists.

• To encourage individual professional development and efficient staff management, create and use precise job descriptions and performance metrics.

• Work well in multi-jurisdictional and inter-professional teams to facilitate information and resource sharing to enhance excellence in practice.

• Establish a link between and contextualize public health core competencies in light of fundamental public health frameworks, initiatives, and organizational and strategic planning.

• Create the organizational and cultural frameworks required to promote lifelong learning, information exchange, and knowledge application in the workplace.

• Determine the public health employees' changing training needs and address them

• Engage senior professionals in public health and education to work together on identifying, addressing, and promoting public health competencies.

Who Requires Core Competencies in Public Health?

It is encouraged for all public health practitioners and professionals to grow and maintain their public health core competencies. With the creation of Competency Profiles, specific jobs for the public health workforce have been identified and grouped. Frontline provider, consultant/specialist, and manager/supervisor are the three primary professional jobs that serve as a reference for categorizing key competencies.

Conclusion:

The core competencies of public health professionals are essential since they are the ones who protect people from all sorts of deadly diseases and dangers. They will develop their skill to meet the core competencies and keep maintaining them.