Resources: Local Public Health Assessment
and Planning
Please Note: Resources for the current Local Public Health Assessment and Planning cycle are forthcoming. In the meantime, please feel free to use the resources below.
Community Engagement
- The Citizen’s Handbook [Attn: Non-MDH link]
This is a quick guide to community organizing, and community building activities. It contains many resources and links useful to people who work with communities.
Assessment and Prioritization
- Quality Improvement at MDH: Resource Toolbox
Offers tools for assessment, prioritization, and decision-making.
- Minnesota Public Health Data Access [Data Portal]
Minnesota Public Health Data Access (MNPH Data Access) is an online query and information system designed to provide public access to Minnesota data about health, the environment, and other risk factors that may impact public health.
See also: Minnesota Center for Health Statistics - Minnesota Guide to Data Indicators for County Health Assessments (PDF: 159KB / 16 pages)
This guide focuses on the collection and analysis of health related data, and is broken down into several sections: Demographics, Health Behaviors, Education, Infectious Disease, Economic Status, Violence, Natality, Unintentional Injury, Mortality, Mental Health, Chronic Conditions, Access, and Environmental Health
- Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP)
[Attn: Non-MDH link]
MAPP is a community-driven strategic planning tool for improving community health. Facilitated by public health leaders, this tool helps communities apply strategic thinking to prioritize public health issues and identify resources to address them. MAPP is not an agency-focused assessment tool; rather, it is an interactive process that can improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and ultimately the performance of local public health systems.
- Association for Community Health Improvement (ACHI)
[Attn: Non-MDH link]
ACHI is the premier national association for community health, healthy communities and community benefit. They convene and support leaders from the health care, public health, community and philanthropic sectors to help achieve shared community health goals. You will find tools for planning, assessment and evaluation under "Resources" on this site.
- ACHI Community Health Assessment Tool [Attn: Non-MDH link]
A practical guide to planning, leading and using community health assessments, developed by the Association for Community Health Improvement.
Community Health Improvement Planning
You can use your district's MDH public health nurse consultant as a “first call for help” to answer many different kinds of questions related to the completion of worksheets.
- Best Practices: Community and State Health Improvement Plans
This collection of best practices is compiled by the Washington State Department of Health. See also: CHIP/SHIP Examples
[Attn: Non-MDH links]
Essential Local Activities
- Essential Local Public Health Activities Framework
This table includes the six areas of public health responsibility, the essential local public health activities, statutory references for them, MDH contributing activities and examples.
- Directory of MDH Contributing Activities (PDF: 150 KB / 16 pages)
This spreadsheet is organized by area of public health responsibility that provides MDH program area information.
Best Practices Resources
- Disease Prevention and Control Common Activities Framework (PDF: 69KB / 19 pages)
This framework lays out the minimum of disease prevention and control activities that are to be carried out by local public health departments or the Minnesota Department of Health.
- Public Health Interventions (PDF: 1.2MB / 366 pages)
This 366-page manual provides evidence-based applications for public health nursing practice, it includes the Intervention Wheel diagram. Note: This link takes you to the OPI Publications Database.
- Strategies for Public Health
This provides a compendium of ideas, experience, and research from Minnesota’s public health professionals.
- The Guide to Community Preventive Services [Attn: Non-MDH link]
This summarizes what is known about the effectiveness, economic efficiency, and feasibility of interventions to promote community health and prevent disease.
Logic Models
- Quality Improvement at MDH
Offers examples and instructions on creating logic models.
- The University of Wisconsin Extension [Attn: Non-MDH link]
This site offers guidance on planning and evaluating and provides information on how to use and apply logic models.