Assessing leadership competencies in Australasian public health programs

Leadership skills are increasingly recognised as vital competencies for health professionals including nurses, psychologists, allied health and public health professionals. Many health professionals end up in leadership positions without the necessary management and leadership skills, often to their own detriment, and to the detriment of the people, they are leading. Despite their importance, there remains a gap in understanding the extent to which leadership competencies are integrated into health professions education. As part of this study, researchers from Monash University and the University of Melbourne have collaborated to assess the current public health curricula, conduct gaps analysis in leadership education and evaluate the alignment of leadership skills taught in Australasian universities with best practice standards, both nationally and internationally. This study employs a mixed-methods approach through various projects, anchoring its foundation on the public health leadership assessment tool as well as the public health competencies framework. The findings will be evaluated to assess the best practice standards and to identify any existing gaps in leadership training within the current curricula. Enhancing curriculum design to integrate adequate leadership training can foster a health workforce capable of leading innovative health initiatives and reforms. The findings and lessons learnt from this project will be transferable to other health professions education courses across Australasia. I welcome, PhD, honors or short-term research placement students (e.g., PBH3006, BMS3990, or summer placements) to assist with these projects. The scope of your project, including co-supervisors, will be defined through a consultative process. I am looking forward to your participation and contributions.