227806 What You Need to Know about Consulting in Public Health: The Big Picture

Tuesday, November 9, 2010 : 12:30 PM - 12:50 PM

Tricia Todd, MPH , Health Careers Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
The present economic crisis has resulted in budget cuts, and a “do more with less mentality”. Jobs are being merged, redesigned and lost. The remaining staff in organizations are trying to do everything, and sometimes doing nothing well. Those who have lost their jobs or left for other reasons are looking for ways to contribute to public health and are considering becoming a consultant. However being a good consultant is not as easy as it sounds. Ask any organization that has hired a bad consultant and they will regale you with horror stories. Ask anyone who has tried to become a consultant, and they too will share their challenges. Come learn about both sides of the consulting equation: how to be an effective consultant and how to hire a consultant that will perform and meet the needs of your organization.

Learning Areas:
Administration, management, leadership
Other professions or practice related to public health
Systems thinking models (conceptual and theoretical models), applications related to public health

Learning Objectives:
Differentiate consulting responsibilities of organizations versus consultants Identify important strategies to assure both organizations and consultants achieve measurable outcomes

Keywords: Challenges and Opportunities, Contracting

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been a consultant in public health and have hired consultants in public health.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.