Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals

The Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals (Core Competencies) are a consensus set of knowledge and skills for the broad practice of public health, as defined by the 10 Essential Public Health Services. Developed by the Council on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health Practice (Council on Linkages), the Core Competencies reflect foundational or crosscutting knowledge and skills for professionals engaging in the practice, education, and research of public health. These competencies provide a framework for workforce development planning and action. Organizations are encouraged to interpret and adapt the Core Competencies in ways that meet their specific organizational needs.

The Core Competencies support workforce development within public health and can serve as a starting point for public health professionals and organizations working to better understand and meet workforce development needs, improve performance, prepare for accreditation, and enhance the health of the communities they serve. The Core Competencies can be used in assessing workforce knowledge and skills, identifying training needs, developing workforce development and training plans, crafting job descriptions, and conducting performance evaluations. The Core Competencies have been integrated into curricula for education and training, provide a reference for developing public health courses, and serve as a base for sets of discipline-specific competencies.

Organization of the Core Competencies

The Core Competencies contain 56 competency statements that apply across the public health workforce for those engaged in the practice, education, and research of public health. These competency statements are organized into eight domains representing skill areas within public health. In addition, the Core Competencies include three tiers, which describe different types of responsibilities within public health organizations. The tiers are used to organize subcompetencies, which articulate more detailed knowledge and skills for individuals with responsibilities related to each tier.
Domains

• Data Analytics and Assessment Skills
• Policy Development and Program Planning Skills
• Communication Skills
• Health Equity Skills
• Community Partnership Skills
• Public Health Sciences Skills
• Management and Finance Skills
• Leadership and Systems Thinking Skills

Competency Statements

Domain 1: Data Analytics and Assessment Skills
1.1. Describes factors that affect the health of a community
1.2. Accesses existing quantitative and qualitative data
1.3. Collects quantitative and qualitative data
1.4. Analyzes quantitative and qualitative data
1.5. Manages quantitative and qualitative data
1.6. Uses quantitative and qualitative data
1.7. Applies public health informatics in using data, information, and knowledge
1.8. Assesses community health status

Domain 2: Policy Development and Program Planning Skills
2.1. Develops policies, programs, and services
2.2. Implements policies, programs, and services
2.3. Evaluates policies, programs, services, and organizational performance
2.4. Improves policies, programs, services, and organizational performance
2.5. Influences policies, programs, and services external to the organization
2.6. Engages in organizational strategic planning
2.7. Engages in community health improvement planning

Domain 3: Communication Skills
3.1. Determines communication strategies
3.2. Communicates with internal and external audiences
3.3. Responds to information, misinformation, and disinformation
3.4. Facilitates communication among individuals, groups, and organizations

Domain 4: Health Equity Skills
4.1. Applies principles of ethics, diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice
4.2. Engages in continuous self-reflection about one’s biases
4.3. Recognizes the diversity of individuals and populations
4.4. Reduces systemic and structural barriers that perpetuate health inequities
4.5. Implements organizational policies, programs, and services to achieve health equity and social and environmental justice
4.6. Contributes to achieving and sustaining a diverse, inclusive, and competent public health workforce
4.7. Advocates for health equity and social and environmental justice

Domain 5: Community Partnership Skills
5.1. Describes conditions, systems, and policies affecting community health and resilience
5.2. Establishes relationships to improve community health and resilience
5.3. Maintains relationships that improve community health and resilience
5.4. Collaborates with community members and organizations
5.5. Shares power and ownership with community members and others

Domain 6: Public Health Sciences Skills

6.1. Describes systems, policies, and events impacting public health
6.2. Applies public health sciences in delivering the 10 Essential Public Health Services
6.3. Uses evidence in developing, implementing, evaluating, and improving policies, programs, and services
6.4. Contributes to the evidence base for improving health

Domain 7: Management and Finance Skills
7.1. Describes factors that affect the health of an organization
7.2. Secures human resources
7.3. Manages human resources
7.4. Engages in professional development
7.5. Secures financial resources
7.6. Manages financial resources
7.7. Implements organizational policies, programs, and services to achieve diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice
7.8. Manages programs and services
7.9. Engages in contingency planning
7.10. Applies critical thinking in decision making
7.11. Engages individuals and teams to achieve program and organizational goals
7.12. Facilitates collaboration among individuals, groups, and organizations
7.13. Engages in performance management

Domain 8: Leadership and Systems Thinking Skills
8.1. Creates opportunities to achieve cross-sector alignment
8.2. Implements a vision for a healthy community
8.3. Addresses facilitators and barriers impacting delivery of the 10 Essential Public Health Services
8.4. Creates opportunities for creativity and innovation
8.5. Responds to emerging needs
8.6. Manages organizational change
8.7. Engages politicians, policymakers, and the public to support public health infrastructure
8.8. Advocates for public health

Official Link: Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals, Revisions Adopted: October 2021 (Read more information)