Workforce Development Framework for NS Public Health To meet the needs for population health, there are some key HR issues that need to be addressed through the planning process:  diverse set of public health challenges  aging workforce and aging population  specialized skills hard to find  difficulty in recruiting  regional considerations  difficulty in accessing data  lack of competency-based training and development  current JD/compensation inflexible  competition for skills  new organization=lots of change The Core Competencies for Public Health in Canada are the foundation for the recruitment, development, and retention strategies. The goal of workforce planning is to determine how many people are needed to provide a desired level of health services to a given population. This framework is a systems-based and needs-based approach which uses Core Competencies for Public Health as its base for planning and meeting objectives

The Asset Mapping Survey was developed as a tool to help us identify our our current talent. The results will allow us to begin focused development planning (as individuals and as a system) Some Background The process of developing and implementing the survey was collaborative and effective:  representative working group  leadership commitment  ongoing and wide-spread communication  high response rate—78%!  model for other jurisdictions

Some Background What did we ask? How skilled? (strength, working knowledge, aware, but not sure what it means, don’t know) How necessary? (very, necessary, unnecessary, very unnecessary, don’t know what it means) How often do you use? (always, often, sometimes, rarely, never) Would like to develop? (yes, no) Type of employment (full, part time, etc). Union? (yes, no) Job role (clerical, community home visitor, etc.) Grouping (front line, consultant/specialist, etc.) How long working in public health (< 1yr, 1-4, 5+) How long in current role (< 1yr, 1-4, 5-9, 10+) Location (DHA) Willing to mentor or coach? (yes, no) Demographics Competencies

Our workforce: A snap shot in time Key “strength” domains are Communication, Partnerships, Collaboration and Advocacy and Public Health Sciences Correlation between skill level and frequency and importance In general, importance of competencies was rated high Respondents are eager for development opportunities Less eager to mentor staff

System-wide employee working group Purpose: To develop a plan to formally incorporate the Core Competencies for Public Health in the public health system workforce. Make the public health core competencies “real” for individuals Workforce development priority (at the provincial level) under Public Health Renewal. Living the Core Competencies