Public health leadership: Competencies to guide practice

Strudsholm, Tina; Vollman, Ardene Robinson

In 2013, the Community Health Nurses of Canada in partnership with the Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors and the Manitoba Public Health Managers Network received funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada to develop a set of interdisciplinary leadership competencies for seven public health disciplines. The Leadership Competencies for Public Health Practice in Canada project comprised a multimethod research approach that included a scoping literature review, on-line survey, webinar-based focus groups, and a modified Delphi process. The 49 leadership competencies for public health practice were organized according to the LEADS Canada capabilities. The leadership competencies extend the core public health competencies and discipline-specific competencies and reflect foundational values of public health. The leadership competencies can be applied to professional development pathways, mentoring programs, and performance appraisals to advance public health practice. How these competencies have been enacted by public health leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic is discussed.