1. Acknowledgements
Department of Public Health
Workforce Development Needs Assessment
Objectives
Methods
Results
References
This project was possible through funding by the Directors of Health Promotion
and Education (DHPE) Health Equity Internship Program.
The project development was accomplished with the collaboration of Angela
Mora, Health Deputy Director, Juan A. Aguilera, Master of Public Health Intern
and Diane Huerta, Public Health Emergency Preparedness Planner at the City of
El Paso Department of Public Health.
Carlos R. Alvarez, MPH1 , Juan A. Aguilera, MD, MPH student1 , Angela Mora, MEd 2
1 College of Health Sciences, The University of Texas at El Paso
2 City of El Paso Department of Public Health
INSTRUMENT
• Developed and programmed on Survey Monkey
• Reponses: Likert-Like scale (Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Somewhat Agree,
Agree, Strongly Agree) and Demographic Information
• Tier-1 = 51 questions, Tier-2 = 82 questions, Tier-3 = 92 questions
• Modified to meet Project Public Health Ready and assess training needs
related to daily activities and emergency responses
ADMINISTRATION
• Distributed among EPDPH employees (n=249)
• From January 26, 2015 through February 16, 2015
• Approximately 25 minutes to be completed
• Link sent via email privately to employees work email (@elpasotexas.gov)
• Includes consent form at the beginning of instrument
Introduction
The objective of this project was to assess public health core competency and
emergency preparedness training needs among EPDPH employees and to create
a report that will assist identifying the highest need for training, so the focus of
future training activities can be determine.
Among Tier-1 employees, all the domains seem to be equally distributed when
analyzing the employee’s confidence level. However; there seems to be a
higher need for training in the Emergency Preparedness domain.
In order to analyze the results provided, a series of diverging bar charts for both
confidence level and training needs are presented. The analysis was conducted
and includes the information for all of the domains by tier.
Among the employees for Tier-2, there seems to be a reduced confidence;
hence, the higher need for training for the Public Health Sciences and the
Financial Planning and Management domains. Communication and Cultural
Competence domains seem to have less training need.
Among the employees for Tier-3, there seems to be a reduced confidence level
among most of the domains; however, the majority of employees report either a
low need or no need of training at all among most of the domains except for
policy development/program planning.
Recommendations
Conclusion
Based on similar reports *, additional demographic information could be
collected in following reassessments to the EPDPH workforce. Specifically,
questions regarding:
• Education level
• Work experience (years in public health)
• Years at currency agency
• Years at current job
• Occupational classification
• Internet access and online courses
This report discusses the findings of the Competency Assessment and list the
competencies identified as having the highest need for training. This will be used
to help determine the focus of future training activities and will result on the
modification of the EPDPH Workforce Development Plan.
Furthermore, a training plan will be developed specifically focusing on the
highest domain needs for each of the 3 tiers as a response to the reflected need
for training.
Contact
• Carlos R. Alvarez (915) 207-5387 cralvarezhdz@gmail.com
Tier-1 Domains Tier-2 Domains Tier-3 Domains
Emergency Preparedness Financial Planning and
Management
Policy Development/Program
Planning
Analytical/Assessment Public Health Sciences Emergency Preparedness
Community Dimensions of
Practice
Leadership and Systems
Thinking
Financial Planning and
Management Skills
Communication Skills Community Dimensions of
Practice Skills
Cultural Competency
Cultural Competency Analytical/Assessment Leadership and Systems
Thinking
________________________ Emergency Preparedness Public Health Sciences
________________________
_
Communication Skills Communication Skills
Cultural Competency Community Dimensions of
Practice Skills
________________________ Analytical/Assessment Skills
In January 2015, the City of El Paso Department of Public Health
(EPDPH) Public Health Preparedness Program (PHEP) developed a web-based
survey to assess the training needs of the department’s workforce. This
instrument was based on the Council on Linkages Between Academia and
Public Health Practice’s Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals
(Core Competencies). The following table indicates the domains specific to
each tier of employees.
Tier 1: Front Line/ Entry Level
Staff
Tier 2: Program
Management/Supervisory level
Tier 3: Senior
Management/Executive
Analytical Assessment Analytical Assessment Analytical Assessment
Communication Communication Communication
Cultural Competency Cultural Competency Cultural Competency
Community Dimensions of Practice Community Dimensions of Practice Community Dimensions of Practice
Emergency Preparedness Emergency Preparedness Emergency Preparedness
-- Public Health Sciences Public Health Sciences
-- Financial Planning and
Management
Financial Planning and
Management
-- Leadership and Systems Thinking Leadership and Systems Thinking
-- -- Policy Development/Program
Planning
• *Harrison, L.,, Davis, M., MacDonald, P., Alexander, L., Cline, J. ,
Alexander, J., Stevens, R. (2005). “Development and implementation of a
public health workforce training needs assessment survey in North Carolina”.
Public Health Reports, 120 (Suppl 1), 28.