LCDR Darrlyn Cornelius-Averhart, MPH, MCHESCDCU, School of Public Health Science, Research &

MedicineLCDR Letia Boseman, MPH CHES

CDC, Division of Diabetes Translation

2011 USPHS Scientific and Training SymposiumWednesday, June 22, 2011

3:15-3:45 P.M.

Objective of Presentation

Purpose of Presentation

Define Competency

Background on Competency Development

CDCU Priorities

Types of Competencies

CDCU, School of Public Health Science, Research & Medicine (5) Occupational Competencies Define Series

Competencies & USPHS

Conclusion/Recommendations

To build public health workforce capacity through competency development and

targeted planning of professional development activities as it relates to the

United States Public Health Service (USPHS)

Describe HHS & CDC’s definition of a competency and the details of the competency development process

Describe efforts to build public health workforce capacity through competency development

Identity strategies used to address proficiency gaps and interventions to address those gaps

A complex combination of knowledge, skills, and abilities demonstrated by the organization members that are critical to the effective and efficient function of the organization. J. Nelson, 1997 Collaborative competence in the public health agency: Defining performance at the organizational and individual employee level.

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) defines a competency as “an observable, measurable pattern of skills,

knowledge, abilities, behaviors and other

characteristics that an individual needs to perform work roles successfully.”

US Office of Personnel Management (OPM), by way of Human Capital Assessment and Accountability Framework (HCAAF), by way of HHS, mandates yearly measurement of mission-critical occupations 2007

Ten Essential Services of Public Health. CDC, 2004

Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals. Council on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health Practice, 2004

Institute of Medicine (IOM) Report

Monitor health status to identify and solve community health problems.

Diagnose and investigate health problems and health hazards in the community.

Inform, educate, and empower people about health issues.

Mobilize community partnerships and action to identify and solve health problems.

Develop policies and plans that support individual and community health efforts.

Enforce laws and regulations that protect health and ensure safety.

Link people to needed personal health services and assure the provision of health care when otherwise unavailable.

Assure competent public and personal health care workforce.

Evaluate effectiveness, accessibility, and quality of personal and population-based health services.

Research for new insights and innovative solutions to health problems.

Because:They make explicit the expected performance of agencies and people.They link content to skills.They identify gaps in performance.They outline strategies to improve performance.They serve as indicators for quality assurance.They characterize professional practice.

Are statements of complex performance within the workplace, akin to the KSAs of job classifications.

Can consist of a series of embedded tasks that are either sequential or parallel.

Are demonstrated over long periods of time.

Require contextual measurement.

Allow for a range of indicators to measure competence.

Training

Education

Other Professional Activities Career Mapping Mentoring

HHS University

CDC University

Other Agency Training Units (11) NIH (National Institutes of Health) HIS (Indian Health Service) ATSDR (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease

Registry)

Identify competencies for all CDC occupations

Construct a competency-based curriculum to elevate the knowledge and skill level of the workforce

Use competencies as a foundation to build career maps for employees

Develops competency models for mission-critical occupations

To assess individual employee needs

To identify appropriate developmental opportunities

Defines a competency for CDC context

To ensure preparedness for ongoing and emerging public health challenges

Details a competency development process engages the workforce solicits feedback from employees and

supervisors employs rigorous self- and supervisor

assessment measures determines core, functional, and occupational

competencies

Addresses mission-critical components and critical gaps in attaining targeted competencies

Creates developmental curricula and opportunities to sustain a workforce equipped to improve health and prevent disease and injury

Defines and implements • Strategies to address proficiency gaps • Interventions to address gaps through

education and training

Uses technology and performance assessments to determine competency gaps

Core

Functional

Occupational

Applicable to all U.S. Department of Health and Human Services employees Collaboration/Partnering Continuous Development Customer Service Decision Making Diversity Integrity Oral Communication Problem Solving Results Driven Written Communication

Applicable to a specific function that might span multiple job series (e.g., leadership and management or preparedness and emergency response) Crisis Leadership Global Public Health Health Policy Leadership & Management Development Preparedness & Emergency Response

Identified for specific job series or series groupings. School of Public Health Science, Research &

Medicine 39 Existing Competencies

Highlight Five Examples

Job Classification Occupational Series

Knowledge Test

School of Leadership and Management Development (I LEAD)

School of Preparedness and Emergency Response

School of Public Health Science, Research and Medicine (50.5%)

School of Information Resource Management (5%)

School of Public Health Education and Communication (7%)

School of Public Health Administration (20%)

School of Business Management (17%)

CDCU School of Public Health Science, Research & Medicine 5 Occupational Series

1. General Health Scientists 2. Epidemiologists3. Medical Officers4. Mathematicians/Statisticians5. General Physical Scientists

Integrity Health Science Knowledge Research Data Collection Data Analysis and Interpretation Synthesis of Data Information Knowledge

Research Surveillance Systems Data Analysis and Interpretation Etiology Research Ethics

Integrity

Identification of two distinct roles within the occupation

Identification of mission-critical competencies

No Specific Gaps Identified

Focus on Strengthening Writing (Basic & Scientific) Public Speaking Communication Courses Time Management Increase Field Training

• Competency Model for Epidemiologist Subgroup

• Previously Developed Competency Model and Proficiency Requirements for General Health Scientist • Revised to Reflect Narrowly Defined

Population

Mathematicians/Statisticians divided competency and proficiency requirements to separate roles

General Physical Scientists Focus on Additional Marketing to Target

Audience

Creation of School of Public Health Science, Research & Medicine Advisory Council This advisory group is made up of

organizational representatives from across CDC within the target series along with CDCU, use of the competency gap analysis to drive curriculum priorities

2011 Joint Training: Protocol Development

1. Partnering between academia and practice in the adoption and use of overarching competencies.

2. Translating the existing competency sets into formats that inform training and workforce preparation.

3. Selecting competency indicators that measure the “effects” of training.

4. Designing instrumentation that measures the competence of individuals and of groups.

5. Collecting the data.6. Finding the time.

Series Target Audience should set Proficiency Levels

Use information to plan Professional Development

Use competency models to develop Individual Development Plans (IDPs)

Report gaps and interventions to human capital planning stakeholders

In developing curriculum, continually monitor and synthesize pertinent data elements Competency Work Employee Demand for Specific Training Environmental Scans Input from Advisory Groups

Know and Understand Your Series Check with your office Examine colleagues series as your series may

likely be the same or closely link

000 Miscellaneous Occupations Group

0100 Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare Group

0200 Human Resources Management Group

0300 General Administrative, Clerical, and Office Services Group

0400 Natural Resources Management and Biological Sciences Group

0500 Accounting and Budget Group 0600 Medical, Hospital, Dental, and

Public Health Group 0700 Veterinary Medical Science

Group 0800 Engineering and Architecture

Group 0900 Legal and Kindred Group 1000 Information and Arts Group

1100 Business and Industry Group 1200 Copyright, Patent, and

Trademark Group 1300 Physical Sciences Group 1400 Library and Archives Group 1500 Mathematics and Statistics

Group 1600 Equipment, Facilities, and

Services Group 1700 Education Group 1800 Inspection, Investigation,

Enforcement, and Compliance Group

1900 Quality Assurance, Inspection, and Grading Group

2000 Supply Group 2100 Transportation Group 2200 Information Technology

Group

Know the Competencies Within Your Series Core Functional Occupational**

Link training, new opportunities, deployments, etc. with IDPs, COER & Officer Statements (if applicable)

Align your work with your competencies, roles and responsibilities

Take advantage of agency offerings (i.e.: courses, trainings, etc.)

Darrlyn Cornelius-Averhart, MPH, MCHESzrv4@cdc.gov770.488.1235