The Key to a Prepared Workforce:2006 Public Health

Lifelong Learning Conference

Lifelong Learning StrategiesFrom Assessment to Performance Management: A brief history of the Lifelong Learning Initiative in NC

Lisa Macon Harrison

Warning: Adventure Ahead

Warning: Adventure Ahead

• Who is doing what? Partnering for Preparedness

• Lifelong learning for preparedness: What is it exactly?

• History: Academic Health Department Project

• Assessment to Performance Management

Fitting it all together… Partners in Preparedness

Mission: Improving the capacity of the public health workforce to prepare for and respond to

terrorism and other public health threats

Fitting it all together… Partners in Preparedness

Serving our state: Leading the Nation

Fitting it all together… Partners in Preparedness

Fitting it all together… Partners in Preparedness

Working for a healthier and safer North Carolina Everywhere. Everyday. Everybody.

Fitting it all together… Partners in Preparedness

Many Entities Working Together to Serve, Assist, Provide Resources

Back to Where I Began…

Mission: Improving the capacity of the public health workforce to prepare for and respond to

terrorism and other public health threats

Centers for Public Health Preparedness

The five-year CPHP Program goals are to:• Strengthen public health workforce readiness

through implementation of programs for lifelong learning;

• Strengthen capacity at State and local levels for terrorism preparedness and emergency public health response; and,

• Develop a network of academic-based programs contributing to national terrorism preparedness and emergency response by sharing expertise and resources across State and local jurisdictions.

Centers for Public Health Preparedness

Key priorities for CPHP activities:• Collaborate with healthcare organizations and

public health agencies across the nation to help them meet preparedness education and learning needs;

• Maximize outreach of existing preparedness materials; and

• Enhance the evidence base for effective preparedness education.

Combining Efforts and Leading Initiatives:

How do we combine what we know about the public health workforce (who they are and what they are working on), what the preparedness competencies and essential services guide us to perform, and how do we effectively train and educate the workforce as they carry out the many and varied duties of a local or state health department?

Lifelong Learning Vision

A more prepared, responsive, and knowledgeable public health workforce.

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Accomplished through valued, supportive, ongoing partnerships across NCCPHP, NCIPH, UNC SPH,

state and local public health that connects resources and enhances a culture of lifelong

learning among public health workers.

Official Definition of LLL (at least one of them!)

A lifelong learning approach for public health assumes a combination of training and educational opportunities to ensure self-directed learning, just-in-time learning, collaborative learning, informal learning, learning-on-demand, and organizational learning (Fischer, 2000).

“Lifelong Learning – More than Training” (2000)

Journal of Interactive Learning Research. 265-272

Academic Health Department (AHD) Project

Back up 2 years

Piloting Lifelong Learning

Lifelong learning grew out of a one-year Academic Health Department project that studied three approaches to academic and practice links:

–Service learning

–Lifelong learning and preparedness–Practice research

AHD Project Objectives2003

Assure access to preparedness learning opportunities for the public health workforce

Assess the public health workforce to recognize training needs Determine appropriate training plan for individuals and the organization Connect the resources of UNC SPH with the health department

AHD Lifelong Learning Model

Framework•Structure & Accountabilities•Measurement

Learning Environment•Process •Tools & Technology•Resources•PH Content & Curriculum

Culture•Continuous Learning•Learning Organization

Progress: AHD Activities

Oriented staff to learning management system Provided overview of the assessment process

(presentation/demonstration/Q&A session) Conducted training needs assessment online Prepared data report of aggregate findings Presented program to local board of health Created a facilitated learning team to ID barriers

Progress: AHD Activities

Provided directory of available training options Enhanced a learning library space at the LHD Established training program with LHD leaders Leadership encouraged collaborative learning Leadership initiated a pay-for-performance model Provided a training plan for the agency Implemented the training plan with on-site

preparedness trainings for staff

Assessment Component

Another curve in the road:

Conducting an online self-assessment process through a learning management system as part of academic health department model and lifelong learning

NC Public Health Workforce Development Assessment

Assessment in preparedness response and core public health competencies

Online!

• The system offers feedback and training options on multiple levels– Individual level

• Automatically provided by the system

– Occupational level • Addressed through reports and trainings

– Organizational level: statewide, PHRSTs, local health departments

• Addressed through reports and trainings

Connecting the Dots

Assessment data lead to training plan development

Connecting the Assessment effort, the Academic Health Department pilot, and creating the new

Lifelong Learning initiative for 2005-2006

LHD Agency Training Plans

Training Plan Policy for Agency includes:

• Profile of Area and Agency

• Current Workforce Development Status

• Staff Training Needs Assessment Results

• Recommendations for Workforce Development

• Workforce Development Plan of Action for Implementation

See Toolkit for Examples

Strategies for Lifelong Learning

• Convene and manage dialogue• Lead efforts to generate and market workforce

development plans• Adopt and/or develop system standards and

assure their use• Provide oversight in coordination for human,

technical, and operational performance• Develop partnerships and support leadership

activities among academic institutions

CDC/ASTDR Strategic Plan for PH Workforce Development

Lifelong Learning Counties 2005-2006

Alamance Buncombe Cabarrus Carteret Catawba Cherokee Craven Dare Gaston Harnett Hertford New Hanover Northampton Pamlico Wilkes Yadkin

Preliminary Findings From Lifelong Learning Initiative

• It takes more than just offering training– It’s time for a culture change in public health– Preparedness training is everyone’s responsibility

• Basic Infrastructure needs include– Equipment (e.g. computers, headsets)

– Space – Time (establishing priorities and a culture for learning)

– Budget– Support from leadership – Access to quality training programs

What Will Make LLL Happen in Local Health Departments?

• Policies

• Practices

• Expectations

• A culture that prioritizes learning

• Incentives for learning/training

• Identification of roles and responsibilities for emergencies

• Consequences for not being prepared

Performance Management

Now that we have: Assessed the public health workforce Identified training priorities Provided training plans Identified resources for training Implemented training plans Initiated strategies to continue a

lifelong learning path How do we make it stick?

Performance Management

Those agencies finding the most success so far are doing making lifelong learning a part of a performance management system – either established or new.

Performance management can include helping employees establish a development plan - and a training plan that’s appropriate to their job duties.

Performance management helps guide a process of expectation/requirement up front, and allows for better documentation of learning progress.

Preliminary Findings From Lifelong Learning

And you will hear much more from local public health departments for the rest of today… Stay tuned about what works, what needs more work, and what new ideas come about

Questions?