Published Research Article
Toward a Public Health Leadership National Training Agenda: A Review of Conceptual Frameworks and Core Competencies
August 6, 2025
In a new article published in Frontiers in Public Health, Toward a public health leadership national training agenda: a review of conceptual frameworks and core competencies, presents the ASPPH Public Health Leadership Competency Mapping and Training Agenda: a foundational framework designed to strengthen capabilities across current and future governmental public health professionals.
Key Findings
- Leadership is essential to public health
- Effective leadership drives system improvement and community health. The COVID-19 pandemic revealed how critical it is, especially in government settings.
- Workforce challenges highlight the need
- High turnover, limited development opportunities, and political pressure make structured leadership training more urgent than ever.
- Current training efforts are fragmented
- Many leadership models exist, but they are inconsistent, often theoretical, and not tailored to public health realities.
- ASPPH created a unified framework
- An expert panel developed the 4P Framework of Public Health Leadership:
- Problem: Understanding complex public health issues
- Person: Building self-awareness and leading teams
- Pathway: Driving systems change and strategic action
- Purpose: Staying grounded in mission, values, and equity
- An expert panel developed the 4P Framework of Public Health Leadership:
- A national training agenda was developed
- The framework informed a set of 41 leadership competencies across 10 themes, offering a practical guide for education and workforce development.
- Designed to be scalable and inclusive
- The agenda supports leadership growth at all career levels and roles, using real-world methods like mentoring, simulations, and case-based learning.
- Institutions are urged to take action
- Schools, employers, and agencies should embed this framework into training and curricula to prepare resilient, equity-focused leaders for the future.
Implications
This framework and training agenda offer a much-needed, unified approach to public health leadership development. By aligning leadership competencies with real-world demands, it helps prepare a more resilient, equity-focused workforce capable of navigating complex challenges and driving systemic change.
Access the Full Report
To read the complete analysis and explore the findings, download the full report.