The Challenge: To create a workforce development plan for a health department seeking to build leadership capacity in the face of significant staffing reductions and retirements – all while maintaining essential services.
The Background:
Like many rural health departments from the American West, our client was facing a perfect storm: experienced staff approaching retirement, budget constraints limiting new hires, and a service area that demanded specialized expertise in everything from wildfire management response to animal control services – alongside traditional public health programs.
The department had successfully completed a strategic plan, Community Health Assessment, and Community Health Improvement Plan internally, demonstrating strong organizational capacity. But when it came to a workforce development plan, the leadership team wanted a transformative approach, and they turned to Ascendient for outside expertise.
From our very first meeting, the Health Director had a clear vision: build a sustainable workforce ready to lead when she and other long-tenured staff retired. Rather than wait for a succession crisis, she championed a proactive approach to workforce development.
Our Work:
Ascendient assembled a team of workforce development experts who understood both the technical requirements of PHAB accreditation and the human dynamics of organizational change. Though deadlines were firm, our approach remained flexible. With a five-month timeline, we proposed a five-phase process built on best practices while still allowing for the client’s unique needs and preferences.
From the start, for instance, our client requested an employee panel representing all organizational levels – not just management. We pivoted our engagement model to include frontline staff, administrative personnel, and leadership in monthly sessions that transformed from information-sharing meetings into dynamic workshops focused on growth mindset and collaborative problem-solving.
The comprehensive assessment phase revealed both strengths and opportunities, and the resulting plan incorporated three strategic goals:
- Improve Planning Processes: Including succession planning for 100% of retirement-eligible positions
- Increase Team Collaboration: Establishing knowledge-sharing networks across all geographic locations
- Focus on Growth Mindset: Creating career advancement pathways and cross-training opportunities
For example, the assessment revealed that a significant portion of leadership positions would become eligible for retirement within the next few years, but the department had no formal succession planning process. Meanwhile, junior staff expressed frustration about unclear career advancement pathways, with many considering leaving for opportunities in urban areas or the private sector.
The employee panel approach yielded immediate insights. As one participant noted, the process increased transparency and gave staff at all levels a voice in shaping their department's future. This wasn't just a plan developed for them – it was created with them.
The Outcome:
Even with a tight deadline and expanded employee engagement, Ascendient was on time with a workforce development plan that addressed the health department’s immediate challenges while building long-term capacity. The plan met all PHAB accreditation requirements while remaining deeply customized to their unique needs.
More than just a static plan, we delivered comprehensive toolkits for both employees and leadership, annual survey instruments to track progress, competency frameworks aligned with national standards, and practical resources they could implement immediately.
Of course, too much “new” can be overwhelming. For easier integration with ongoing workflows, we started wherever possible with existing forms, tools, and evaluations, then tweaked them to align with the priorities of the new workforce development plan.
For instance, leadership wanted better insight into employees’ career expectations, so we integrated comprehensive “stay” interview questions into the existing annual review process. The process now captures not only employee accomplishments, but also what motivates them to stay, what support they need to be effective, and what development opportunities interest them. This approach gives managers the insights they need for retention and development planning without adding separate administrative processes.
Key deliverables included:
- A comprehensive workforce development plan meeting PHAB standards
- Employee and leadership toolkits with practical implementation resources
- Customized training curricula including FEMA emergency response requirements
- Individual development plan templates and evaluation tools
- Annual survey instruments for continuous improvement tracking
Perhaps most importantly, the health department emerged with strategies for thriving despite resource constraints. The workforce development plan emphasized efficiency through cross-training, innovation through AI adoption (using established public health guidelines), and sustainability through creative funding approaches like billing for services. The department is now implementing these tools with positive results in staff engagement, and staff at all levels are participating in succession planning activities.
The Takeaway:
Our journey with this rural health department shows the value of a true partnership. A broad-based employee panel model, initially an adaptation to local preferences, is now what we would recommend for all workforce development engagements. When staff feel heard and valued, they can become active participants in building a more effective and sustainable future.
For health departments facing retirements, budget constraints, or staffing challenges, this case study shows that workforce development planning can build resilience, innovation, and leadership capacity even in the most challenging circumstances.
