1. OPHPR Practice-based Research Agenda
Prepared for
NEMA-ASTHO-GHSAC Meeting
Ed Rouse
Deputy Director, Division of Emergency Operations
11 January 2017

2. Research Agenda Scope
The focus of this first OPHPR internally-developed research agenda is to address the knowledge gaps and inform best practices of OPHPR’s Divisions, including extension to STLT operations and capabilities.
Intended to build the evidence-base for OPHPR and yield findings that can be applied to OPHPR Divisions’ practice.
Primary audience for this research agenda is OPHPR -- its Divisions and Offices. Secondarily, the research agenda should be informational for STLT health departments and other public health system partners.
Components of CDC's EMAP accredited EMP are distributed among the CIO's with OPHPR/DEO as the hub
ECs are a bridge between:
               -distributed EMP functions and OPHPR/DEO hub,
               -staff day-to-day work and emergency response,
               -IMS and CIO Leadership.
EC’s are the CIO’s “go-to” person for emergency preparedness and response.
When CDC is activated for a response, ECs are involved as recruiters or responders themselves
When CDC is not activated, ECs are helping the CIO and staff prepare for response
 (Response Staffing)
As just mentioned, even when they themselves are not directly working in a response role, most EC’s play a vital role in responses by:
identifying potential volunteers and facilitating their engagement in the response,
helping CIO volunteers navigate the maze of pre-deployment requirements, and
mentoring new volunteer responders throughout their EOC rotation or field deployment.
This has tremendous value to CEDC’s response effort not only by filling needed slots but, maybe more importantly in the long view, by acting as a trusted agent to help others who would not otherwise volunteer to become responders, and by helping them have a positive volunteer experience so they volunteer for future responses.

3. Practice-Based Research: Definition
Practice-based research is the systematic inquiry into the systems, methods, policies, and programmatic applications of public health preparedness, response, and recovery practice.
Includes science-based inquiry that occurs in public health system practice or community settings to the extent that such inquiry produces generalizable knowledge to improve the outcomes of practice or to inform policy making.
Components of CDC's EMAP accredited EMP are distributed among the CIO's with OPHPR/DEO as the hub
ECs are a bridge between:
               -distributed EMP functions and OPHPR/DEO hub,
               -staff day-to-day work and emergency response,
               -IMS and CIO Leadership.
EC’s are the CIO’s “go-to” person for emergency preparedness and response.
When CDC is activated for a response, ECs are involved as recruiters or responders themselves
When CDC is not activated, ECs are helping the CIO and staff prepare for response
 (Response Staffing)
As just mentioned, even when they themselves are not directly working in a response role, most EC’s play a vital role in responses by:
identifying potential volunteers and facilitating their engagement in the response,
helping CIO volunteers navigate the maze of pre-deployment requirements, and
mentoring new volunteer responders throughout their EOC rotation or field deployment.
This has tremendous value to CEDC’s response effort not only by filling needed slots but, maybe more importantly in the long view, by acting as a trusted agent to help others who would not otherwise volunteer to become responders, and by helping them have a positive volunteer experience so they volunteer for future responses.

4. Division Priority Questions By Domain
Incident Management
(1) CIO participation in training & meetings: Expectation is that every CIO will be represented in-person or virtually at every Bi-Monthly meeting; critical to continuing to advance the Program.
(2) Formal notification of EC designation: Expectation is that CIOs will formally designate ECs, incorporate EC duties in PMAS, and communicate personnel updates directly with OPHPR/DEO to foster greater accountability.
(3) Responder Readiness Tier III qualification: A comprehensive training program has been outlined which includes RR Tier III topics, an EC-specific onboarding course, and a tiered curriculum to enhance EC professional development; you will hear more about this today and in the coming months.
(4) New EC onboarding completed by 6th month: This enhancement promotes baseline competency for new ECs within a shorter time frame.

5. Division Priority Questions By Content Area
(1) CIO participation in training & meetings: Expectation is that every CIO will be represented in-person or virtually at every Bi-Monthly meeting; critical to continuing to advance the Program.
(2) Formal notification of EC designation: Expectation is that CIOs will formally designate ECs, incorporate EC duties in PMAS, and communicate personnel updates directly with OPHPR/DEO to foster greater accountability.
(3) Responder Readiness Tier III qualification: A comprehensive training program has been outlined which includes RR Tier III topics, an EC-specific onboarding course, and a tiered curriculum to enhance EC professional development; you will hear more about this today and in the coming months.
(4) New EC onboarding completed by 6th month: This enhancement promotes baseline competency for new ECs within a shorter time frame.

6. Domain Definition: Incident Management
The Incident Management domain refers to a public health agency’s ability to assess, manage, respond to, and sustain the public health response to emergencies. This domain includes research topics related to how to direct and support an event or incident response with public health or medical implications and how to establish and implement a standardized, scalable system of oversight, organization, and supervision consistent with jurisdictional standards and practices and with the National Incident Management System (NIMS).
Components of CDC's EMAP accredited EMP are distributed among the CIO's with OPHPR/DEO as the hub
ECs are a bridge between:
               -distributed EMP functions and OPHPR/DEO hub,
               -staff day-to-day work and emergency response,
               -IMS and CIO Leadership.
EC’s are the CIO’s “go-to” person for emergency preparedness and response.
When CDC is activated for a response, ECs are involved as recruiters or responders themselves
When CDC is not activated, ECs are helping the CIO and staff prepare for response
 (Response Staffing)
As just mentioned, even when they themselves are not directly working in a response role, most EC’s play a vital role in responses by:
identifying potential volunteers and facilitating their engagement in the response,
helping CIO volunteers navigate the maze of pre-deployment requirements, and
mentoring new volunteer responders throughout their EOC rotation or field deployment.
This has tremendous value to CEDC’s response effort not only by filling needed slots but, maybe more importantly in the long view, by acting as a trusted agent to help others who would not otherwise volunteer to become responders, and by helping them have a positive volunteer experience so they volunteer for future responses.

7. Priority Research Question OPHPR Division Sponsor
Near-Term Priority Research Questions by Domain, Content Area, and Division Sponsor
Domain
Content Area
Priority Research Question
OPHPR Division Sponsor
Incident Management
Community Needs & Assessment
What methods have been used to conduct jurisdictional risk assessments for the purposes of public health emergency preparedness and response planning? How has jurisdictional risk assessment information been used for public health preparedness and response decision-making?
DSLR

8. Priority Research Question OPHPR Division Sponsor
Near-Term Priority Research Questions by Domain, Content Area, and Division Sponsor
Domain
Content Area
Priority Research Question
OPHPR Division Sponsor
Incident Management
Community Needs & Assessment
How have state and local health departments utilized the NHSPI to monitor program performance and identify areas for performance improvement? 
Can the NHSPI be used to measure the efficacy of CDC technical assistance to enhance PHP capability performance?
DSLR

9. Priority Research Question OPHPR Division Sponsor
Near-Term Priority Research Questions by Domain, Content Area, and Division Sponsor
Domain
Content Area
Priority Research Question
OPHPR Division Sponsor
Incident Management
Integration, Coordination & Process Improvement
What are the characteristics of effective IMS in the context of public health emergencies and public health organizations? What are the most useful and feasibly implementable best practices employed within, or as part of, effective IMS that can be shared or scaled up in other public health agencies? Given social, cultural, economic, and political factors and differences, to what extent can they be applied in international contexts?
DEO

10. Priority Research Question OPHPR Division Sponsor
Near-Term Priority Research Questions by Domain, Content Area, and Division Sponsor
Domain
Content Area
Priority Research Question
OPHPR Division Sponsor
Incident Management
Integration, Coordination & Process Improvement
What are the best predictors of an effective IMS in the context of public health emergencies and public health organizations (e.g., health department, Ministry of Health)?
DEO

11. Priority Research Question OPHPR Division Sponsor
Near-Term Priority Research Questions by Domain, Content Area, and Division Sponsor
Domain
Content Area
Priority Research Question
OPHPR Division Sponsor
Incident Management
Integration, Coordination & Process Improvement
What does good decision-making look like in the context of managing the response to a public health emergency? What factors are associated with good decision-making in the context of managing the response to a public health emergency?
How does the IMS facilitate or hinder good decision-making?
DEO

12. Priority Research Question OPHPR Division Sponsor
Near-Term Priority Research Questions by Domain, Content Area, and Division Sponsor
Domain
Content Area
Priority Research Question
OPHPR Division Sponsor
Incident Management
Integration, Coordination & Process Improvement
What best practices or evidence-based practices have been identified to support the PHEP capabilities, e.g. which preparedness practices implemented by state or local programs have become routine public health practices due to their effectiveness?
DSLR

13. Priority Research Question OPHPR Division Sponsor
Near-Term Priority Research Questions by Domain, Content Area, and Division Sponsor
Domain
Content Area
Priority Research Question
OPHPR Division Sponsor
Incident Management
Integration, Coordination & Process Improvement
What exercise or drill performance metrics best predict improved response or recovery performance during real emergencies?
How does this vary by emergency scenario or capability?
DSLR

14. Priority Research Question OPHPR Division Sponsor
Near-Term Priority Research Questions by Domain, Content Area, and Division Sponsor
Domain
Content Area
Priority Research Question
OPHPR Division Sponsor
Incident Management
Integration, Coordination & Process Improvement
What is the AAR recommendation and corrective action implementation experience of federal, state, or local public health organizations? What organizational or program characteristics increase the likelihood that AAR corrective actions will be implemented following emergency response and recovery?
DSLR

15. Priority Research Question OPHPR Division Sponsor
Near-Term Priority Research Questions by Domain, Content Area, and Division Sponsor
Domain
Content Area
Priority Research Question
OPHPR Division Sponsor
Incident Management
Integration, Coordination & Process Improvement
How often do drills and exercises need to be conducted to maintain readiness with respect to response timelines?
DSLR

16. Priority Research Question OPHPR Division Sponsor
Near-Term Priority Research Questions by Domain, Content Area, and Division Sponsor
Domain
Content Area
Priority Research Question
OPHPR Division Sponsor
Incident Management
Responder resilience, health & safety
What (individual, system, process, structural, organizational) factors are associated with good / adverse deployment outcomes?
DEO

17. Discussion & Questions

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