The Competencies for Performance Improvement Professionals in Public Health (PI Competencies) are a set of skills desirable for performance improvement (PI) professionals working in public health. Based on the Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals (Core Competencies) and the Core Competencies for Performance Improvement Managers, these competencies were developed to offer additional guidance in PI for public health professionals with responsibilities related to developing or implementing plans and activities in the areas of quality improvement, performance management, workforce development, accreditation readiness, or community health assessment and improvement planning.
The PI Competencies align with the Core Competencies, a set of foundational skills for all professionals working in public health. The PI Competencies expand upon PI concepts present in the Core Competencies and describe additional skills focused more specifically on the work of PI professionals in public health settings, such as state, Tribal, local, and territorial health departments. The PI Competencies can be used along with the Core Competencies to help guide development of job descriptions, performance objectives, training, workforce development plans, academic curricula, tools, and other resources to support the activities and growth of PI professionals.
To support public health professionals and organizations in using the PI Competencies for these workforce development activities, a supplemental resource, Competencies for Performance Improvement Professionals in Public Health: Alignment with the Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals, that presents the PI Competencies along with a list of competencies from the Core Competencies that may be especially relevant for PI professionals is available. In addition, tailored course searches have been developed for the TRAIN Learning Network to help in finding training opportunities related to select PI Competencies.
Development of the PI Competencies was supported by the PI Competencies Subgroup of the Council on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health Practice’s Core Competencies Workgroup and shaped by input from numerous PI professionals working in public health. Development was informed by a comprehensive environmental scan that included listening sessions and other opportunities for PI professionals to provide feedback about the key knowledge, skills, and abilities needed for working in this area, as well as a review of literature and resources related to competency development. In addition, the PI Competencies reflect input from national organizations and technical assistance providers and trainers who have worked with over 500 health departments on PI activities.
For more information about the PI Competencies, please contact Kathleen Amos at kamos@phf.org or competencies@phf.org.
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This project is supported by Cooperative Agreement Number NU38OT000211, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Department of Health and Human Services.