STEP 2: LEARN ABOUT CORE COMPETENCY WORK IN BC.
Please explore this section of the website to see how the nationally defined public health core competencies have been applied and prioritized in British Columbia.Learn more about how core competencies relate to the Core Public Health Functions for BC. Navigate the ‘BC Project’ drop-down menu to view key documents from the BC Core Competencies Project in greater detail.
The Project
Funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Ministry of Health Services and managed by the Public Health Association of BC, this project attributes its success to the inter-professional work of diverse stakeholders from BC post-secondary academic institutions, BC health authorities, the BC Academic Health Council and multiple provincial and federal health ministry representatives.
Project Goal
To ensure that the public health workforce in British Columbia has a diverse mixture and proficient level of skills,
knowledge and attitudes in order to support the implementation of the BC Ministry of Health Framework for Core Public Health Functions in an appropriate, timely and effective manner.
For more information about the BC Framework for Core Public Health Functions see:
http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/about-bc-s-health-care-system/public-health
Project Objectives
- To identify and define the core and technical competencies for and learning needs of the public health workforce in British Columbia.
- To identify and develop the tools, resources and processes necessary to support core and technical competency development for the public health workforce in BC.
- To increase inter-professional dialogue and collaboration across the health and education sectors to support effective public health core competency planning and development.
Project Findings
The nationally defined public health core competencies outlined by PHAC (Release 1.0) were affirmed as relevant in BC. The following core competencies were prioritized, including:
- Community capacity building
- Leadership
- Health Ethics (equity/social accountability)
- Inter-professional collaboration
- The application of new technology
- Knowledge exchange
- Health literacy
Core competency work in BC has centered upon community capacity building, leadership and health ethics as initial focal points for research, consultation and educational development. Efforts to increase dialogue and collaboration across the health and education sectors has been a major priority of this project.
For more information about the BC Core Competencies Project please contact the Public Health Association of BC at staff@phabc.org.
*** Please continue to the “Tools” (STEP 3) section of the website to see how you can assess your own public health core competencies levels and learning needs:Â Tools/Assessment
Project Future Directions
Future directions for this initiative include the development of a Western Canadian Public Health Workforce Development Network to expand and sustain the leading edge work of the BC Core Competencies Project. This network would serve to strengthen the momentum and connections needed to continue the exchange of information and collaborative planning processes for core competency development at the systematic, organizational and individual level.