Overview of Key Changes to "Version 2" Instruments

• Modernized and updated the content – CDC and its partners worked with subject matter experts and key organizations on the content covered in the NPHPSP to determine what needs to be updated or modernized. Expert input was solicited in areas such as preparedness, informatics, health marketing, partnerships, workforce, public health law, and laboratory issues.
• Included new “discussion boxes” and deleted long lists of subquestions – the instruments now include non-scored "discussion boxes" at key points, such as in locations where there previously had been a series of listed points at the lower subquestion level. This helps the instrument retain enough specificity to adequately measure performance, but at the same time provide a format change that may prompt more fruitful discussion by users. The discussion boxes can be used as checkboxes or prompting points to inform the response on the question above and identify areas for improvement.
• Revised the response option labels and added a fifth response option to capture “Absolute No” responses – the original instruments included 4 response options - yes, high partial, low partial and no. The “no” response reflected that between 0 – 25% of the activity was being done. Based on user input and to better address the need to separate those without any activity at all and those performing at a minimal level, we have added a “no activity” (or 0%) response option as well as a new option to represent "minimal activity" (greater than zero but no more than 25%). We also revised the response labels to provide more intuitive wording: no activity, minimal, moderate, significant, and optimal activity.
• Moved the question about the contribution of the agency into a separate optional questionnaire – as recommended by work group members and field test sites, the agency contribution question is best answered separately from the questions about overall system performance. This is now in a separate and optional questionnaire. Those that complete this questionnaire receive an additional module to their reports.
• Added an optional priority questionnaire – sites are provided with a supplemental and optional questionnaire that asks about the "priority" of addressing each model standard. Those that complete these questions get an additional component to their reports which display their performance scores in relation to how they have prioritized standards. This new component is intended to strengthen and better catalyze the performance improvement activities that should occur as a result of the assessment process.
• Streamlined – the three instruments are shorter as a result of decreasing the amount of subquestions (by placing many into discussion boxes) and seeking opportunities for streamlining or deleting unnecessary content.