Building Consensus on Domains of Core Competencies in Health Promotion

This session builds on an international collaboration to identify domains of core competency in health promotion, that is jointly organised by the International Union for Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE), the Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and with the participation from international leaders in the field.  In 2009 the Galway Consensus Statement was published (Allegrante et al., 2009; Barry et al., 2009), which outlines core values and principles, a common definition, and eight domains of core competency that are required to engage in effective health promotion practice.  A global consultation on the domains of core competency was undertaken during 2009 and a follow-up meeting will be held in 2010 to consolidate the consensus process with representatives from low and middle income countries.  This sub-plenary session builds on these developments, bringing the consultation findings to conference delegates in order to promote further dialogue, understanding, and critical discussion of the process and outcomes of building international consensus on health promotion core competencies and quality assurance mechanisms.

Objective: 
To stimulate critical dialogue and discussion on why consensus on domains of core competency is needed and the implications of its development for health promotion capacity-building among the global health promotion community.

Key questions:

1. Is a consensus on domains of core competency in health promotion across diverse world regions needed and, if so, will it make a difference and how?
2. Are the domains of core competency that were identified in the Galway Consensus Statement applicable across diverse cultural contexts?
3. Is there a need for a specific set of health promotion competencies as distinct from those already identified for public health?
4. Are the domains of core competency for health promotion and health education the same or different?
5. Will a focus on core competencies really have an impact on improvements in workforce education, training, and development?
6. To what extent is a focus on competencies for professional practice contrary to a more inclusive approach to engaging a wider workforce in health promotion practice?
7. How can we ensure that the domains of core competency continue to be appropriate for future practice and workforce planning in a rapidly changing global environment?
8. What health promotion competencies are needed to ensure population health improvements based on equity and sustainable development?
   

Links to conference theme(s):
The future development and sustainability of health promotion is dependent on having a competent, skilled, and informed workforce.  Building a competent health promotion workforce is identified as one of the IUHPE priorities and is critical to delivering on health equity and sustainable development.  Developing consensus on the domains of core competency for health promotion is a key component of capacity building for the future and is fundamental to delivering on the vision, values, and commitments of global health promotion. This session critically considers what competencies are required by health promoters in addressing current health challenges, including health inequities and the social determinants of health, within rapidly changing social, economic and political contexts.

Debate & dialogue format:
This sub-plenary session will take the form of a debate and dialogue session on the development of global consensus on domains of health promotion core competency.  Panelists offering perspectives from different world regions will be asked to react thoughtfully to a set of critical questions posed by the moderators, and audience members will be facilitated to engage critically in the flow of the debate and dialogue, posing their own questions to the panel on the substantive issues raised.

Chairs:

• Professor Margaret Barry, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
  
• Professor John Allegrante, Columbia University, New York, USA
  Presentation (PPS, 578 kB)
  

Moderators:

• Professor Margaret Barry, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
  
• Professor John Allegrante, Columbia University, New York, USA
  

Panel members:

• Dr. Hans Onya, Director, Public Health Practice & Health Promotion Unit, University of Limpopo, South Africa
• Professor Peter Howat, Director, Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer Control (CBRCC), Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Australia
• Dr. Hiram V. Arroyo, Director Regional UIPES/ORLA, Programa de Maestría en Educación en Salud Pública, Universidad de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
  
• Professor Mala Rao, Director, Institute of Public Health in Hyderabad, India