Governance Resources

Share |

NALBOH'S Six Functions of Public Health Governance

NALBOH worked with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), other partners, and experts from the field to identify, review, and develop a model of Six Functions of Public Health Governance. The release of the six Governance Functions is a landmark moment in public health. The boards that govern health departments can now assess their own activities against a standard, and non-governing advisory boards can better understand their important role in the governance process.

NALBOH co-founder and Interim CEO Ned Baker, who has championed the important role of boards of health for almost 25 years, commented, “Defining the Governance Functions is groundbreaking for the future of public health. These six functions are to public health governance what the three Core Functions and ten Essential Services have been to public health."

All public health governing entities are responsible for some aspects of each function. No one function is more important than another.

The Six Functions Include:
1. Policy Development
2. Resource Stewardship
3. Legal Authority
4. Partner Engagement
5. Continuous Improvement
6. Oversight

Definitions:

Governing entity
The board, commission, council, individual, or other body legally accountable for ensuring the Six Functions of Public Health Governance in a jurisdiction.

Governance Functions (The Six Functions of Public Health Governance)
The identified functions for which a public health governing entity is responsible. The Six Functions of Public Health Governance are policy development, resource stewardship, legal authority, partner engagement, continuous improvement, and oversight.

View Governance Functions PDF document

NALBOH's Board Training Resources

NALBOH Tool: Board of Health Self-Assessment for Advisory & Governing Bodies In partnership with Dr. Kaye Bender, a NALBOH workgroup reviewed and updated the previously approved self-assessment tool for boards of health. All public health governing entities, whether they are governing boards or advisory boards, may be responsible for some aspects of the Six Functions of Governance. Some responsibilities would relate to making governance decisions while others would be more advisory and consultative. No one function is more important than another, but the board of health’s specific duties may differ based on their governing role or their advisory role. This checklist is most appropriately used for a board with governing responsibilities. Unlike the self-assessment for an advisory board, this checklist does not contain Not Applicable categories since it is assumed that a governing board is responsible for all these core functions. Please note that this self-assessment is different from the self-assessment of how the board operates as it manages its meetings.