WHO Competency Framework, Risk Communication and Community Engagement

"This framework emerges during a pivotal juncture, where our collective experiences with public

health crises have emphasized the need for clear, credible communication and the active involvement of communities before, during and after health emergencies."

Experience has shown that communities are critical partners who must be positioned at the centre of emergency preparedness, readiness, and response functions. From the World Health Organization (WHO), this risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) competency framework is a resource that details the essential behaviours and activities necessary for effective communication and engagement with communities before, during, and after public health emergencies. The purpose of this framework is to establish and promote a common understanding of behavioural competencies and how they should be applied for high-performing and community-centred health emergency programmes.

As outlined here, effective RCCE teams collaborate and align with other technical units to increase trust through strategic communication, co-develop solutions with communities, and maintain RCCE capacity. RCCE actions should be consistently informed by evidence that draws on social and behavioural science to bring communities to the forefront of action. Informed, engaged, and empowered communities can help to detect new diseases and organise more rapid and cohesive responses to disease outbreaks or crises.

The core content of the framework is organised into five behavioural competency domains and three technical areas of practice activities. Together, the behaviours and activities are instrumental in building resilient, trusted relationships with communities and fostering collaboration with teams throughout the health emergency management cycle.

Behavioural competencies: the behaviours that RCCE practitioners are expected to exhibit in their professional roles. They can be observed in how individuals interact with others and how they carry out specific tasks.

• Domain 1: Community-centred approaches
• Domain 2: Leadership and decision-making
• Domain 3: Communication
• Domain 4: Collaboration
• Domain 5: Evidence-informed practice

Practice activities: the observable core functions of work that may be undertaken by individuals or groups of individuals. Effective performance of activities is underpinned by multiple competencies, usually simultaneously.

• Technical area 1: RCCE system for emergencies
• Technical area 2: Risk communication
• Technical area 3: Community engagement

Annex 1 provides supplementary detail on putting behavioural competencies into practice, drawing from the conceptual frameworks on which this document is based.

The framework is intended to support the development of standardised training programmes, professional development, and talent acquisition and to enhance the capabilities of public health professionals involved in RCCE. Its goal is to inform the establishment of a skilled, well-trained RCCE workforce that consistently understands and executes the necessary behaviours and activities required to conduct RCCE activities with competence and professionalism.