A recent study in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior defines key skills needed to advance community-level nutrition and public health efforts

Philadelphia, August 12, 2025 – A recent study in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, published by Elsevier, outlines a set of core competencies designed to support professionals implementing policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) change initiatives in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed). Developed through a participatory process with experienced practitioners, the framework addresses the unique demands of systems-level public health work.

To develop the competencies, researchers used the Developing a Curriculum (DACUM) method, gathering input from a national panel of PSE change implementers with at least 50% of their job dedicated to PSE work. Participants represented diverse geographic regions, program sizes, and implementation models. Over a hybrid 16-hour workshop, the panel identified the job’s essential duties, tasks, knowledge, skills, tools, and behaviors, resulting in a set of nine core duty areas encompassing nearly 100 tasks.

The competencies cover areas such as community capacity building, a competency unique to SNAP-Ed PSE implementers, as well as strategic planning, partnership development, evaluation, and administrative management. The study emphasizes the complexity of PSE implementation—work that often spans multiple sectors, settings, and stakeholder groups, and requires high-level coordination, adaptability, and collaboration.

Lead author Sarah Misyak, PhD, MPH, Research Assistant Professor, Assistant Director, and Program Manager for Research and Evaluation at Virgina Tech, said, “Implementing policy and environmental change requires a distinct set of professional skills that go beyond direct education. By defining these core competencies, we offer implementing agencies a roadmap for hiring, training, and retaining staff equipped to drive long-term change in their communities.”

The framework can be used to strengthen job descriptions and recruitment efforts, guide internal staff development, and inform undergraduate and graduate nutrition and public health curricula. The authors suggest that integrating these competencies into SNAP-Ed and other community nutrition workforce development strategies will help reduce employee burnout, clarify expectations, and ultimately enhance program impact.