Competency 11: Working with Communities and Systems
DEFINITION
Improving the health and well-being of children, youth, families, and communities is a complex
process because so many intersecting factors influence the MCH population. Systems thinking
recognizes complexity and examines the linkages and interactions among components— norms,
laws, resources, infrastructure, and individual behaviors—that influence outcomes. Systems
thinking addresses how these components interact at multiple levels, including individual
organizations; the collective stakeholders; and the communities where the children, youth,
and families reside. The achievement of MCH goals requires leadership within the community
and among organizations to advance the collective impact of stakeholders that constitute the
larger system.
KNOWLEDGE AREAS
MCH leaders will demonstrate a working knowledge of:
- How organizations or practice settings function as systems, including business and
administrative principles related to planning, funding, budgeting, staffing, and
evaluating health care systems and organizations.
- How organizations or practice settings function in relation to broader systems, including
principles of systems thinking; features and issues of systems (including but not limited
to health economics and health policy); principles of building constituencies and
engaging in collaborative endeavors; and concepts of implementation science and
factors that influence use of research findings in practice.
SKILLS
Foundational. At the foundational level, MCH leaders will:
- Relate the mission, vision, and goals of an organization to the broader system in which
it belongs to facilitate shared understanding, responsibility, and action.
- Practice budgeting, effective resource use, control of standards, coordination of tasks,
and problem solving.
- Develop agendas and lead meetings/teams effectively.
- Identify stakeholders and the extent of their engagement in the collaborative process.
- Interpret situations systemically (i.e., identify both the whole system and the dynamic
interplay among its parts).
- Assess the environment to determine goals and objectives for a new or continuing
program, list factors that facilitate or impede implementation of evidence-based/
informed strategies, develop priorities, and establish a timeline for implementation.
- Implement accommodations aimed at increasing inclusion and accessibility for all.
Advanced. Building on the foundational skills, MCH leaders will:
- Manage a project effectively and efficiently, including planning, implementing,
delegating, sharing responsibility, staffing, and evaluating.
- Use implementation science to promote use of evidence-based/informed practices.
- Develop proficiency in the business and administrative aspects of health care finance
and policy.
- Maintain a strong stakeholder group with broad-based involvement in an environment
of openness, inclusion, and trust.
- Build effective and sustainable coalitions to address specific outcomes.
- Use community collaboration models (e.g., collective impact) and leverage existing
community improvement efforts to define a meaningful role for MCH.
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