Competency development in public health leadership.

The professional development of public health leaders requires competency-based instruction to increase their ability to address complex and changing demands for critical services. This article reviews the development of the Leadership Competency Framework by the National Public Health Leadership Development Network and discusses its significance. After reviewing pertinent literature and existing practice-based competency frameworks, network members developed the framework through sequential use of workgroup assignments and nominal group process. The framework is being used by network members to develop and refine program competency lists and content; to compare programs; to develop needs assessments, baseline measures, and performance standards; and to evaluate educational outcomes. It is a working document, to be continually refined and evaluated to ensure its continued relevance to performance in practice. Understanding both the applications and the limits of competency frameworks is important in individual, program, and organizational assessment. Benefits of using defined competencies in designing leadership programs include the integrated and sustained development of leadership capacity and the use of technology for increased access and quality control

Leadership in Public Health Study Programs: Results from Lithuanian Public Health Students Survey

The aim of the study was to evaluate the attitudes of public health undergraduate students regarding the need of leadership training. Metho?- dology. The cross sectional survey was carried out in the year 2011. The questionnaires has been distributed to all public health undergraduate students (3rd and 4th year) from Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Vilnius University and Klaipeda University (N=187). Response rate was 93%. The anonymous questionnaires included both multiple-choice and open-ended questions. Results: The findings suggested that undergradu?- ate public health students were interested to study leadership. More than a half (53.4%) of students responded that they do not have leadership course in their study programmes. More over, 54.9% of them expressed the will to have it. Majority (86.6%) of students were convinced that public health leadership skills are necessary for modern public health specialists; 63.8% considered that leadership training is the same importance as development of competences in public health area. Conclusions: The undergraduate public health students agreed that leadership skills are necessary in public health practice. Majority of students has expressed the will to have leadership training in their public health studies.No Full Tex