1. EMERGING AS PUBLIC HEALTH POLICY PROFESSIONALS: TRAINEES’ REFLECTIONS ON THE CIHR STRATEGIC TRAINING PROGRAM Tuesday, May 27, 2014

2. OUTLINE Background Overview of CIHR Strategic Training Program in PHP Alignment with public health (PH) competencies Assessment & Analysis Policy & Program Planning Partnerships, Collaboration & Advocacy Recommendations for PHP training

3. BACKGROUND Need for PH practitioners trained in effective, systematic & evidence-based policy to respond to PH challenges STIHR (2009-2015) developed to respond to this need PH core competencies affirmed by PHAC (2008)

4. PUBLIC HEALTH COMPETENCIES 1.Public Health Sciences 2.Assessment & Analysis 3.Policy & Program Planning, Implementation & Evaluation 4.Partnerships, Collaboration & Advocacy 5.Diversity & Inclusiveness 6.Communication 7.Leadership

5. LESSONS LEARNED… … can inform broader public health policy (PHP) training

6. PROGRAM OVERVIEW: OBJECTIVES Capacity-building for PHP & research Interdisciplinary learning for trainees & professionals Collaborative research across academic, government, & non-profit sectors

7. PROGRAM OVERVIEW: COMPONENTS Core courses in policy theories, tools, & analysis Policy rounds Lunch & learns Policy institutes Mentorship Practicum/work opportunities in PH organization Group/pod work

8. ALIGNMENT WITH PH COMPETENCIES 1.Public Health Sciences 2.Assessment & Analysis 3.Policy & Program Planning, Implementation & Evaluation 4.Partnerships, Collaboration & Advocacy 5.Diversity & Inclusiveness 6.Communication 7.Leadership

9. EMERGING PHP COMPETENCIES  Linking PHP theory to practice  Theoretical training in core PHP theories & tools  Participation in topical working groups (i.e. ‘pods’) on key PH issues (i.e., built environment, sodium reduction)  Mentorship from leading PH researchers, practitioners & advocates

10. EMERGING PHP COMPETENCIES  Interdisciplinary learning  Shared language & tools for conceptualizing PHP issues  Diffusion & promotion of PHP perspective into other disciplines  Collaborative learning between students, mentors, & community partners

11. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PHP TRAINING 1. The role of attitudes & values in policy training  Recognized need to understand how values of sustainable development, equity & social justice can be adopted in the policy process, however “difficult to teach & harder to assess” (PHAC 2008) Recommendation: Integrate critical analyses of the role of attitudes & values across the PHP process

12. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PHP TRAINING 2. Innovative methods in PHP  PHP increasingly marked by ‘wickedness’ & ‘complexity’  New tools (i.e., interpretive approaches or ‘Health in All’ policies) required to respond to these challenges Recommendation: Complement traditional policy theories & approaches with practice-based, self- directed learning (i.e., practicum placements, collaborative programs, etc)

13. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PHP TRAINING 3. Interdisciplinary learning  Cross-sectoral learning is required to meet the complexity of PH challenges  Training program structure provides unique opportunity to identify/understand disciplinary languages & their impact on the policy process Recommendation: Identify opportunities for interdisciplinary training & collaboration

14. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Dr. Robert Schwartz & Joanna Cohen (principal investigators) & the CIHR Strategic Training Program in Public Health Policy investigator team Sandra Caswell, Program Administrator Past and present STIHR policy fellows & mentors