Vector Control Assessment

Attachment H—Self-assessment Instrument

Form approved

OMB No. 0920-0879

Expiration date: 04/30/2017

Environmental Public Health Performance Standards Self-Assessment
Facilitator’s Instruction

Welcome & Introductions

• Welcome and thank the group.

• Introduce yourself as the facilitator.

• Announce that the group will be using the Environmental Public Health Performance Standards and the self-assessment instrument to assess how well the vector control program provides the 10 Essential Environmental Public Health Services.

Self-Assessment Overview

• Describe the self-assessment process to the group

  • The instrument collects general information about the vector control program and includes questions pertaining to each of the essential services.

  • The instrument is divided into ten sections—one for each essential service.

  • The process is structured to allow for reflection, discussion, and decision-making.

  • For each model standard:

    • The facilitator will read the description.

    • The facilitator will guide group members in brainstorming and discussion about the model standard and the vector control program.

    • The group will vote on each question and responses will be recorded on the instrument.

    • The recorder will document the group’s discussion comments.

Public reporting burden of this collection of information is estimated to average 180 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing the instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspects of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to CDC/ATSDR Information Collection Review Office, 1600 Clifton Rd, NE, MS D-74, Atlanta, GA 30333; ATTN: PRA (0920-0879).

Self-Assessment Process

• Review and discuss an Essential Environmental Public Health Service and model standard.

• Guide the group discussion about the model standard.

• Read each question pertaining to that model standard and:

  • Ask participants to cast their votes on the level activity.

  • After participants vote, read aloud the result for that model standard/section (e.g., 4 optimal, 3 significant activity, 2 moderate activity, 1 minimal, 0 no).

  • Ensure that differing opinions have been captured by the recorder.

• Discuss strengths, weaknesses, and priorities

  • At the end of the voting process review the take-away messages based on the discussion. Record any new information related to strengths, weaknesses, or priorities of the vector control program related to the Essential Environmental Public Health Service.

• Continue to the next essential service and model standards.

Environmental Public Health Performance Standards

Environmental Health Program Self-assessment Instrument (Version 2)

Information about the Organization

Agency, Department, or Program: _______________________________________________

Total Population Served: ______________

Total Environmental Health Program Budget: ______________

Total Vector Control Program Budget: ______________

Proportion of Vector Control Program Budget from (Total of 1-6 should be equal to 100%)

_____ (1) service fees

_____ (2) local/city/county support

_____ (3) state support

_____ (4) grants

_____ (5) federal support

_____ (6) other

Number of Environmental Health Program Fulltime Employees: _________________

Number of Vector Control Program Fulltime Employees: _________________

Number of Contract Vector Control Program Fulltime Employees: _________________

Number of Seasonal or Temporary Vector Control Program Fulltime Employees: _________________

Self-assessment Team Demographics

Name of Self-assessment Facilitator: _______________________________________________

Number of Staff on the Self-assessment Team: _________________

Titles of Self-assessment team members: ___________________________________________

Date this form was completed: _________________

Essential Service #1: Monitor environmental and health status to identify and solve community environmental health problems

Number	Measure	No=0 (0%)	Minimal=1 (>0%–25%)	Moderate=2 (>25%–50%)	Significant=3 (>50%–75%)	Optimal=4 (>75–100%)
1.1A	Has a community environmental health assessment been completed?
1.1B	Is the community environmental health assessment updated at least every 3 years?
1.1C	Are existing and potential environmental health trends identified by comparing analysis results to relevant benchmarks?
1.1D	Have the data from the community environmental health assessment been compiled into an updated profile?
1.1E	Are environmental health data prepared in a format that allows for the clear communication and interpretation by the public and policy makers?
1.1F	Is information about the community environmental health status easily available to individuals, community groups, and other organizations in a printed and web-based version?
1.2A	Are appropriate tools, such as GIS, used to support the profile databases?
1.3A	Are data collected from a range of sources involved in environmental and public health protection (e.g. epidemiology, disease registries, tracking partners, local and state departments of environmental quality)?
1.3B	Have plans been made to address gaps in information and data needed?

Essential Service #2: Diagnose and investigate environmental health problems and health hazards in the community

Number	Measure	No=0 (0%)	Minimal=1 (>0%–25%)	Moderate=2 (>25%–50%)	Significant=3 (>50%–75%)	Optimal=4 (>75–100%)
2.1A	Does the EH System or program operate or participate in an environmental health surveillance system that uses timely information from a variety of sources?
2.1B	Does the EH System or program use protocols to investigate patterns and/or outbreaks of environmentally-related illness, disease, injury, environmental hazards, and risk factors?
2.1C	Does the EH System or program have access to expertise in epidemiology and statistics such as Masters and/or Doctoral level statistical and epidemiological expertise?
2.1D	Is key environmental health staff trained in the application of epidemiology and statistics?
2.2A	Are roles and responsibilities of the local environmental health staff integrated into the all hazards emergency response plan?
2.2B	Are written protocols available to guide immediate investigation of and response to public health threats and emergencies?
2.2C	Does the EH System or program regularly update the roster of personnel with technical expertise to respond to potential natural disasters, biological, chemical or radiological public health emergencies?
2.3A	Does the EH System or program have established agreements and/or procurement processes to access (24 hours-per-day/7 days-per-week) approved laboratories capable of supporting investigations of environmental health problems, hazards and emergencies?
2.3B	Are guidelines or protocols in place to address handling of laboratory samples and reporting of findings?

Essential Service #3: Inform, educate, and empower people about environmental health issues

Number	Measure	No=0 (0%)	Minimal=1 (>0%–25%)	Moderate=2 (>25%–50%)	Significant=3 (>50%–75%)	Optimal=4 (>75–100%)
3.1A	Does the EH System or program have a health communications plan that routinely provides the community (general public, policy makers, and public and private stakeholders) with EH information to enable effective individual, community and policy action?
3.1B	Does the EH System or program work with the community to identify health education needs of different segments of the community?
3.1C	Does the EH System or program develop appropriate and targeted messages for various segments of the community (e.g. vulnerable, sensitive or disproportionately impacted populations)?
3.1D	Are broad-based partners (such as health department, planning and zoning, public works, building, environmental advocacy groups, and the media) working together on environmental health education and promotion activities?
3.1E	Does the communications plan provide guidance on creating messages and materials appropriate to the differing communication channels (e.g. Internet, print, radio, and television)?
3.2A	Does the EH System or program have emergency communication plan(s) to share information among key responders and the public in the event of potentially serious environmental health threats, disease outbreaks and other emergencies?

Essential Service #4: Mobilize community partnerships to identify and solve environmental health problems

Number	Measure	No=0 (0%)	Minimal=1 (>0%–25%)	Moderate=2 (>25%–50%)	Significant=3 (>50%–75%)	Optimal=4 (>75–100%)
4.1A	Does the EH System or program maintain an up-to-date directory of key constituents and stakeholders for environmental health?
4.1B	Does the EH System or program have a plan and process that employs a variety of methods to involve constituents in key decisions and policy development for environmental health issues?
4.2A	Are partnerships among government agencies and the private sector used to enhance environmental health program effectiveness?

Essential Service #5: Develop policies and plans that support individual and community environmental health efforts

Number	Measure	No=0 (0%)	Minimal=1 (>0%–25%)	Moderate=2 (>25%–50%)	Significant=3 (>50%–75%)	Optimal=4 (>75–100%)
5.1A	Does the environmental health system provide a governmental environmental health entity (i.e. local environmental health department or local office of a state health or environmental health department) to assure the delivery of the Essential Environmental Health Services to the community?
5.2A	Has the EH System or program developed a community environmental health improvement process in which environmental health policy needs are identified?
5.2B	Does the system/program advocate for prevention and protection policies for those in the community who bear a disproportionate burden of mortality or morbidity, or that are particularly sensitive to some environmental health issues?
5.2C	Is a process in place to review existing policies every two years?
5.3A	Has the EH System or program incorporated the Community Environmental Health Assessment and stakeholder input into a community environmental health improvement plan which identifies environmental health priorities, policies and resources?
5.4A	Does the EH System or program have an all-hazards emergency preparedness and response plan?

Essential Service #6: Enforce laws and regulations that protect health and ensure safety

Number	Measure	No=0 (0%)	Minimal=1 (>0%–25%)	Moderate=2 (>25%–50%)	Significant=3 (>50%–75%)	Optimal=4 (>75–100%)
6.1A	Are state and local laws, regulations, and ordinances reviewed, at least once every five years, to assess their impact on the environmental health of the community and determine whether they need updating?
6.2A	Are gaps identified in public health and environmental laws, regulations, or ordinances?
6.2B	Does the EH System or program participate in the updating and/or modification of existing, or the formulation of new laws, regulations, and ordinances designed to assure and improve the public’s health and the quality of the environment that may impact human health?
6.3A	Does the EH System or program provide timely, consistent and equitable enforcement of environmental health protection laws, regulations, ordinances, and policies within all segments of the jurisdiction?
6.3B	Does the EH System or program provide information about the meaning and purpose of public and environmental health laws, regulations and ordinances to the individuals and organizations that are required to comply with them?
6.3C	Has the compliance and responsiveness of regulated organizations and entities been evaluated in the past five years?

Essential Service #7: Link people to needed environmental health services and assure the provision of environmental health services when otherwise unavailable

Number	Measure	No=0 (0%)	Minimal=1 (>0%–25%)	Moderate=2 (>25%–50%)	Significant=3 (>50%–75%)	Optimal=4 (>75–100%)
7.1A	Are populations with limited access or barriers to a coordinated environmental public health services identified?
7.2A	Does the EH System or program have an active outreach and referral mechanism in place to link constituents to environmental public health and protection services?
7.2B	Are there memorandums of understanding, or some other written agreements, among the entities with responsibility for aspects of environmental health protection within the EH System or program?
7.2C	Does the EH System or program periodically convene the multiple agencies with responsibility in areas of environmental health in order to assure a program delivery system that is coordinated, timely and responsive to all constituents?

Essential Service #8: Assure a competent environmental health workforce

Number	Measure	No=0 (0%)	Minimal=1 (>0%–25%)	Moderate=2 (>25%–50%)	Significant=3 (>50%–75%)	Optimal=4 (>75–100%)
8.1A	Are gaps within the workforce relative to the needs of the community identified?
8.1B	Is a workforce development plan in place to address gaps in workforce?
8.1C	Has the EH System or program established requirements for licensure, registration and certification of the environmental health workforce for relevant areas of environmental public health services such as the requirement for the REHS or RS credential?
8.1D	Does the plan encourage and/or give preference to graduates of accredited undergraduate and/or graduate programs of environmental health or public health and/or to candidates with RS or REHS credentials?
8.1E	Are gaps within the workforce (including but not limited to workforce training and staffing needs) communicated to key stakeholders including governing bodies, advisory groups, academic institutions, and public and private agencies?
8.2A	Are environmental health workforce standards linked to job performance through clearly written position descriptions?
8.2B	Is workforce performance routinely evaluated?
8.2C	Are specific plans made to enhance individual skills and competencies?
8.3A	Are there continuing education opportunities available that address the specific needs of the environmental health workforce?
8.3B	Are there incentives provided (e.g. improvements in pay scale, release time, tuition reimbursement) for the workforce to pursue education and training?
8.4A	Are there formal or informal opportunities for leadership development?
8.4B	Does the EH System or program actively identify and invest in future environmental health leaders?

Essential Service #9: Evaluate the effectiveness, accessibility, and quality of personal and population based environmental health services

Number	Measure	No=0 (0%)	Minimal=1 (>0%–25%)	Moderate=2 (>25%–50%)	Significant=3 (>50%–75%)	Optimal=4 (>75–100%)
9.1A	Are environmental public health programs and services routinely evaluated with a focus on accomplishments and achievement of program goals?
9.1B	Is an assessment completed that measures the satisfaction of stakeholders and residents with environmental public health services?
9.1C	Is an action plan in place and implemented to address needed improvements to services and policies identified through evaluations?
9.2A	Has the EH System or program evaluated the effectiveness of the multiple agencies with responsibility in areas of environmental health in terms of their coordinated and timely responses to all constituents?

Essential Service #10: Research for new insights and innovative solutions to environmental health problems and issues

Number	Measure	No=0 (0%)	Minimal=1 (>0%–25%)	Moderate=2 (>25%–50%)	Significant=3 (>50%–75%)	Optimal=4 (>75–100%)
10.1A	Are environmental health staff encouraged and supported to identify new or innovative solutions to environmental health problems?
10.1B	Is environmental health staff encouraged and supported in identifying areas needing additional research to improve services and conditions?
10.1C	Are best practices for environmental public health services routinely identified and applied to program activities?
10.1D	Does the EH System or program initiate and/or participate in research that contributes to improved environmental health system performance?
10.2A	Does the EH System or program partner with institutions of higher learning orresearch organizations as well as the public to conduct research related to environmental health?

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