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. 2021 Feb 17;36(Suppl 1):14–19. doi: 10.1002/hpm.3131

TABLE 1.

Areas of critical public health competences and examples

Areas of competences Examples
Flexibility, adaptation, motivation, communication
  • Inspires and motivates others to work towards a common vision, programme, and/or organisational goals (5.1)

  • Acts as a role model, builds trust and demonstrates positive and engaging behaviour (5.2)

  • Demonstrates practicality, flexibility and adaptability in the process of working with others, emphasising the achievement of goals as opposed to rigid adherence to traditional and commonly used work methods (5.6)

  • Communicates and shares information and responsibility effectively at different organisational levels to gain political commitment, policy support and social acceptance for a particular health goal or programme (7.2)

  • Communicates facts and evidence effectively within the context of translating science and evidence into practice and policy for various actors in the system and populations of concern in particular to increase the effectiveness of responses to risks, threats and damages to health (7.3)

Research, analytical sensitivity, ethics, diversity
  • Designs and conducts qualitative and/or quantitative research which builds on existing evidence and adds to the evidence base for public health practice, involving relevant stakeholders in this process (1.7)

  • Evaluates local public health services and interventions applying sound methodology based on recognised evaluation models (1.8)

  • Understands and applies cultural awareness and sensitivity in communication with diverse populations (7.5)

  • Acts according to ethical standards and norms with integrity, promotes professional accountability, social responsibility and the public good (9.3)

  • Acts upon and promotes evidence‐based professional practice (9.5)

Epidemiology
  • Knows the features of demographic structure in a given society/community and understands the process of demographic change and its implications for public health (1.1)

  • Is able to describe the key features of the epidemiology of the significant causes of morbidity and mortality in the population for which they have responsibility (1.2)

  • Uses vital statistics and health indicators effectively to increase knowledge and generate evidence about population health, including within at‐risk and vulnerable groups (1.3)

Preparedness
  • Understands the local implications of the One Health approach, its global interconnectivity (interdependencies among human, animal, plant, environment) and its impact on health conditions in the population (4.1)

  • Critically analyses the changing nature, key factors and resources that shape One Health in order to influence actions (emergency preparedness planning and response) at the local and international level (4.2)

  • Knows and participates in the development and application of multi‐sectorial evidence‐based guidelines and systems for surveillance, prevention and control of diseases and other acute public health events (4.7)

  • Performs surveillance of risks and threats to the full continuum of factors that influence and determine health in order to identify intervention needs (4.8)

  • Knows and correctly identifies the main features of the climate change process, along with its implications for public health and understands the public health responsibility for the natural environment (4.11)

Employability
  • Demonstrates practicality, flexibility, and adaptability in the process of working with others, emphasising the achievement of goals as opposed to rigid adherence to traditional and commonly used work methods (5.6)

  • Shows entrepreneurial orientation through pro‐activeness, innovativeness, risk‐taking, generating potential solutions to critical situations and evaluating their feasibility (10.1)

  • Demonstrates persistence, perseverance resilience and the ability to call upon personal resources and energy at times of threat or challenge (10.2)

  • Applies methodologies, (digital) technologies and good practices for the management, analysis and storage of data and health information (10.6)

  • Understands and applies a range of relevant information technology tools, social media and software (10.7)

Sources: Authors' own table, based on the WHO‐ASPHER Framework 12 ; numbers in brackets relate to the numbering in the Framework.