Peer Assessment Program

An effective and efficient administrative infrastructure is critical for a public health agency to successfully deliver the 10 Essential Public Health Services and support public health response. The Peer Assessment Program provides an opportunity for health agencies to identify opportunities for modernizing their agency’s infrastructure and operations to meet the needs and challenges of public health.

The program is structured to assess state, territorial, and freely associated states (S/TFAS) public health agencies against a set of evidence-informed indicators through a process facilitated by administrative leadership peers from across the country. By engaging a team of external peers as assessors, health agencies benefit from fresh perspectives, valuable insight, and an objective assessment, free from internal biases. Throughout the assessment process, the health department will connect with internal and external partners to consider challenges, opportunities, and solutions for improving administrative processes and policies to address different public health threats.

Core Assessment Indicators

The Peer Assessment Program utilizes a core group of indicators to define S/TFAS administrative and organizational capacity. The indicators are used to assess and improve the core administrative processes needed most to support delivery of the 10 Essential Public Health Services and are organized into 10 capacity areas identified below:

1. Human Resources Management 
2. Workforce Development
3. Information System Management
4. Facilities Management
5. Accounting, Budgeting, and Audit
6. Procurement of Equipment, Supplies, and Services
7. Administrative Policy and Planning
8. Communications
9. Performance Management/Quality Improvement and Evaluation
10. Learning Organizational Efforts and Innovations

The indicators for these areas are used as a foundation for collaborative discussion about what is working well and areas that require improvement to modernize the agency’s administrative infrastructure and operations.