Overview

The National Public Health Performance Standards program (NPHPS) is a collaborative effort to enhance the nation's public health systems. Six national public health organizations have partnered to develop national performance standards.

The NPHPS includes three instruments that were originally developed from 1997-2001, updated in 2005-2007 (Version 2.0), and revised again in 2011 under the leadership of CDC and its partner organizations. Partner and user feedback has helped to ensure that the NPHPS instruments are practice-oriented and user-friendly. The three instruments are:

State Public Health System Performance Assessment Instrument (State Instrument) which focuses on the “state public health system,” was developed and updated under the leadership of ASTHO and CDC.
Local Public Health System Performance Assessment Instrument (Local Instrument), which centers on the “local public health system”, was developed and updated under the leadership of NACCHO and CDC.
Public Health Governance Assessment Instrument (Governance Instrument), which concentrates on the governing entity ultimately accountable for public health at the local, state, or tribal level, was developed and updated under the leadership of NALBOH and CDC.

The NPHPS is a valuable tool in identifying areas for system improvement, strengthening state and local partnerships, and assuring that a strong system is in place for effective response to everyday public health issues as well as public health emergencies. NPHPS Governance Assessment users report numerous benefits, including:

Utilizing the assessment to inform the strategic planning process;
Identifying strengths and weaknesses in the governing body’s ability to carry out their functions;
Providing a benchmark for public health practice improvements by setting a “gold standard” to which governing bodies can aspire;
Building awareness of the range of governing body responsibilities; and
Informing policy development activities.

NPHPSP: National Partnerships

NPHPSP: Tools and Resources

For more information from NALBOH, please contact NALBOH.

Page updated 1/08/2013.