Supporting Public Health
Technical Assistance
The Public Health Infrastructure Grant (PHIG) offers specialized technical assistance for health agencies, focusing on areas like workforce development, data systems, and public health strategy. Through partnerships with national organizations, agencies can access tailored guidance to strengthen their operations and improve health outcomes.
The Public Health Infrastructure Grant (PHIG) national partners are proud to offer on-demand technical assistance to all recipients. We encourage all agencies to submit via the PHIVE portal.
Technical Assistance Request Process: What to Expect
Once you submit a technical assistance (TA) request in PHIVE, the request is triaged to a national partner organization—ASTHO, NNPHI, or PHAB—who may assign it to one of their partners or fulfill the TA request in-house with their staff. Occasionally, multiple partners may be involved in the fulfillment of more complex requests. In general, the partners aim to contact the PHIG recipient requestor within three days of submitting the request. If additional coordination is needed, the response time may increase.
Often, a TA request may require a scoping call for the PHIG recipient requestor, the CDC Project Officer, and the TA provider(s). The TA provider will request a call over email with relevant staff to gain additional context and ask any clarifying questions on the request. The TA provider may provide some TA during that call, but most often, TA will be provided in follow-up calls and emails after the scoping call.
To learn more about PHIG technical assistance, please review the national partner’s document answering the most frequently asked questions.
What Are the Types of Technical Assistance?
As you will see in the examples below, TA may take the form of resource sharing; feedback or input on documents, processes, plans, etc.; training delivery; coaching; or additional hands-on support like facilitating strategic planning sessions or making workforce development plans actionable.
What Are the Types of Technical Assistance?
As you will see in the examples below, TA may take the form of resource sharing; feedback or input on documents, processes, plans, etc.; training delivery; coaching; or additional hands-on support like facilitating strategic planning sessions or making workforce development plans actionable.
Explore Examples
Dive into examples of TA requests received through the PHIVE system in Year 1 of PHIG. These example requests are organized by and align with each PHIG strategy area and include the requests’ resolutions with links to resources shared as part of the request:
Strategy A1: Workforce
Example Request
Our agency’s strategic plan tasks human resources with six key practices around recruitment and retention, including accessing our recruitment process, creating standard operating procedures, and developing a recruitment strategy that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). We are interested in best practices for these items from other public health departments nationally and/or best practices for internally facilitating this type of research/transformation/policymaking.
Example Resolution Summary
TA providers shared resources and examples, including competency-based job descriptions, implementing a 360-degree manager evaluation, DEI resources, and stay-interview guides for retaining staff. TA providers also shared a list of vendors who could directly support an assessment of recruitment processes and retention rates.
Example Request
To attract and retain a highly skilled workforce, our agency supports hosting students enrolled in educational institutions as interns. We are interested in different opportunities and strategies to strengthen our internship program and increase our conversion rate to permanent employee status.
Example Resolution Summary
Following an initial scoping call, the TA provider organized a one-on-one call with another state to discuss some successes and lessons learned from their internship program and a dedicated session in a peer network meeting to gather information on internship program successes from other recipients.
Example Request
Our agency is requesting technical assistance to obtain samples of employee engagement and satisfaction surveys as well as examples of workforce needs assessments that have been conducted previously.
Example Resolution Summary
TA providers shared best practices for staff surveys and resources and examples of staff engagement and satisfaction surveys, workforce training needs assessments, and competency assessment surveys.
Example Request
Our agency is interested in updating core training materials. Currently the trainings are delivered through PowerPoint presentations. The team is interested in transitioning to online, on demand, learning modules with training evaluations/assessments.
Example Resolution Summary
Working in partnership with the agency, TA providers are supporting the updating of training materials and transitioning the training mechanism from live to asynchronous, creating both generalized trainings in various topic areas, as well as state specific trainings.
Example Request
Our agency would like support with developing a workforce development plan.
Example Resolution Summary
TA providers supported the design and administration of a workforce assessment to allow the agency to identify competency gaps. TA providers then presented the report to agency staff and offered coaching and further support for the workforce development plan.
Example Request
We are looking for an assessment tool to determine whether our agency has the number of staff needed in appropriate roles to meet the population’s needs. We want to calculate current and projected needed staffing capacity and identify any specific programs/units that might be experiencing gaps.
Example Resolution Summary
TA providers shared two tools with the agency to better understand staffing and capacity needs. The Public Health Workforce Calculator and the FPHS Capacity and Cost Assessment. They also offered additional support related to use/implementation of the tools.
Example Request
Our agency is developing a work plan for conducting our Community Health Assessment, which is needed for PHAB re-accreditation. We have drafted a scope of work and work plan, including our data collection methods (surveys, focus groups, metrics, etc.). We would like TA to review the current work plan draft and provide recommendations and guidance to ensure we are on the right track and have a well-thought-out approach as we conduct the assessment.
Example Resolution Summary
TA providers reviewed the materials and provided written feedback over email. They then held a call to discuss the feedback and address any outstanding questions or concerns.
Strategy A2: Foundational Capabilities
Example Request
Our agency is developing our performance management system and could benefit from technical assistance regarding structure, potential platforms on which to host content, etc.
Example Resolution Summary
TA providers proposed a series of calls to discuss conducting a performance management self-assessment, aligning the performance management system with agency plans, and creating documentation for reaccreditation. They also provided tools and templates to support this process.
Example Request
Our agency would like to request TA support to guide us through the accreditation process. Our agency previously started some process to prepare for accreditation in 2018-2019, but due to COVID-19 and other personnel changes, the process was held off and is now discontinued. We have budgeted in A2 to establish a contract service agreement with a potential vendor to assist the department with accreditation.
Example Resolution Summary
During an initial scoping call, TA providers provided information on the accreditation process and answered agency questions. Following the call, TA providers shared resources related to readiness and training process, Version 2022 accreditation policy and Standards and Measures, a link to register for the PHAB Learning Center, and a link to the list of accredited HDs (with an offer to make e-intro if interested).
Example Request
Our agency would like assistance in working on a standardized method of accountability/reporting for the many contracts that we have for PHIG. We are submitting this technical assistance request to see if TA providers can share standardized templates, tools, or assistance in planning or a mechanism to ensure accountability with the contracts.
Example Resolution Summary
TA providers reviewed the reporting documents and procedures and provided feedback and recommendations on language, process, and data to improve tracking and accountability of procurement and contracts.
Example Request
Our agency seeks case studies, examples, or a brand checklist for how other counties may have rebranded their agency.
Example Resolution Summary
A providers shared branding case studies and style and brand guides, as well as a list of vendors and vendor questions to assess experience and fit of potential partners.
Example Request
Our agency would appreciate input on a draft volunteer program policy for any suggestions or comments for improvement.
Example Resolution Summary
TA providers shared written feedback on the policy and offered to connect further if additional support was needed.
Example Request
Our agency is seeking frameworks, models, trainings, and tools for community engagement, as well as tools to track community engagement and any additional related resources.
Example Resolution Summary
After an initial call to learn more about the agency’s needs, TA providers shared a resource guide with examples from other agencies’ community engagement strategies and tools focused on advocacy and equitable, sustainable engagement.
Example Request
Our agency is looking for technical assistance and guidance to support a departmental merger process, including change management strategies, internal and external communications, workforce support/systems, and identification of training needs to address the distinct approaches to the work. We hope to analyze processes, conduct an environmental scan of other jurisdictions, and understand the strengths, gaps, and opportunities within the newly unified agency.
Example Resolution Summary
After an initial call to learn more about the agency’s needs, TA providers scheduled a series of in-person facilitated sessions to discuss team dynamics, communication, decision-making processes, and conflict management. TA providers have continued to work with the agency to plan ongoing training and coaching for longer-term support.
Strategy A3: Data Modernization
Example Request
Our agency is seeking job descriptions for a variety of roles on our new DMI team. Can example job descriptions be shared?
Example Resolution Summary
TA providers shared a variety of sample job descriptions and examples of interview questions to support the hiring process.
Example Request
Our agency requests assistance to assess our IT personnel landscape and make suggestions for how we could better structure and staff our DMI work so that once solutions are identified, we can best carry out and implement them. We also welcome recommendations around prioritization, funding strategies, and the overall sustainability of the identified solutions.
Example Resolution Summary
After an initial call to learn more about the agency’s needs, TA providers shared a menu of potential fulfillment options, including the option for an in-person facilitated consensus-building and prioritization workshop, offers to review materials including job descriptions and policies, and a list of existing resources to help inform this work.
Example Request
Our agency will be implementing various projects and programs around DMI training and needs input into the following:
1) Who should be involved/who needs training?
2) What key skills and competencies are required of someone working on DMI?
3) What systems are important to each program?
4) What platforms are best for these training projects?
We want to request TA in determining key areas of DMI that we could target trainings for and curate specific trainings to improve our system infrastructure and ensure workforce competency with regard to DMI.
Example Resolution Summary
After an initial call to learn more about the agency’s needs, TA providers shared resources, including a DMI competency model, various job descriptions and other onboarding supports, and specific trainings that could be included in a more comprehensive training plan.
Example requests coming soon.
Example requests coming soon.