Self-Assessment Tool

The Performance Standards Self-Assessment Tool allows local public health to measure their ability to achieve the Performance Standards.

Visit Performance Standards for more information.

Access the Self-Assessment Tool

• Download the Self-Assessment Tool (Excel): Use to measure a municipality’s ability to achieve the Performance Standards. 
• Download the Self-Assessment Addendum (Excel): Use to aggregate and collectively assess multiple municipalities’ results from the Self-Assessment Tool (i.e. Shared Services Arrangements). 

Goals of the Self-Assessment Tool 

Achieving all Performance Standards is critical for the equitable delivery of high-quality public health services across Massachusetts. The PS Self-Assessment Tool can help local public health determine where to focus attention and employ relevant DPH and local resources to meet each standard. This tool can be utilized by local public health to: 

• Identify areas of need 
• Track progress over time 
• Communicate results to municipal leaders and partners 

Who Should Use the Self-Assessment Tool

Local public health who have previously completed the Baseline Capacity Assessment (BCA) and want to see the improvements made over time toward achieving the Performance Standards can: 

• Monitor progress of municipalities participating in the PHE Grant Program on achieving the Performance Standards since the initial Baseline Capacity Assessment (BCA). 

• Identify additional or new areas where sharing services could support the arrangement in achieving the Performance Standards.  

• Educate municipal leaders about local public health expectations and needs, including starting conversations about resources. 

Local Public Health who have never taken the Baseline Capacity Assessment and want to get a sense of where they are on meeting the Performance Standards can: 

• Easily self-asses the ability of a municipality not participating in the PHE Grant Program to achieve the Performance Standards.  

• Educate municipal leaders about local public health expectations and needs, including starting conversations about if joining a Shared Services Arrangement is right for the municipality. 

• Identify areas of need to potentially align with an existing or newly formed Shared Services Arrangement.

How to Use the Tool

• The second tab of the Excel file tool has instructions for completion. If you have any questions while you are completing the Self-Assessment Tool, or need support, please reach out to Christina Moore for assistance ([e-mail]). 

• The Self-Assessment Tool can be used to generate an up-to-date assessment for a specific municipality to identify current challenges in meeting the Performance Standards. 

• Local public health can use the tool to review some or all of the Performance Standards. The tool indicates the number of performance standards met for each subject area and which need additional support. 

• Local public health is able to complete this self-assessment multiple times in order to track progress and monitor performance improvements. 

• Download the Self-Assessment Tool (Excel).

Self-Assessment Results

• Once the self-assessment is complete, the results will be presented in a graphic of the Performance Standards for each subject area to help local public health visualize areas of need and where to allocate resources. 

• The tool can be used to show the number of Performance Standards for each subject area that require additional staffing, training, funding, and awareness. 

• Results can be tracked in the tool to see changes in achievement of the Performance Standards over time, including the number of standards met and the number of standards needing support, and in which subject area. 

• In places of noticeable gaps, local public health can incorporate strategies for improvement in yearly workplans, such as: 

  • Increasing shared services within your Shared Services Arrangement (or joining a Shared Services Arrangement if not already involved) 

  • Attending relevant trainings at your regional Field Training Hub  

  • Using data to share progress and continuing needs with local administrators 

Self-Assessment Addendum

• The Self-Assessment Addendum accompanies the existing tool and can be utilized by Shared Services Arrangements to compile multiple municipalities’ results in aggregate. 

• Download the Self-Assessment Addendum (Excel).