The development of the Third Edition of the CAPHIA Competencies is led by the CAPHIA Competencies Renewal Steering Committee, co-Chaired by Professor Melissa Graham and Dr Nathan Dawes. The Steering Committee is also supported by a Stakeholder Group, Advisory Group and the CAPHIA Board of Directors.  The Project has secured ethics from 10 institutions from across Australia, Aoteroa New Zealand, Fiji and Papua New Guinea. 

The Steering Committee is taking a staged research approach to characterise the competencies [knowledge, skills, attributes] required by public health graduates to effectively contribute to the workforce and meet existing and emergent public health by:

1. Identifying and synthesising competencies required by public health graduates to address current and future public health requirements ➡ informed by comprehensive interviews with diverse stakeholders
2. Developing a preliminary framework mapping graduate competencies that may allow them to contribute to Australia’s public health workforce effectively ➡ informed by existing competency frameworks
3. Establishing validity and conduct a formative evaluation of a national competency framework for public health graduates ➡ informed by a modified Delphi process. This includes a specialised Delphi yarn with Indigenous public health academics, recognising that our approach matters as much as our outcomes. Integrating Indigenous knowledges and practices supports the decolonisation of public health education and strengthens culturally effective engagement and advocacy.

The CAPHIA Competencies Renewal Project is led by the Steering Committee, co-chaired by Professor Melissa Graham and Dr Nathan Dawes. The Project is provided ad hoc advise from the Advisory Group and the Stakeholder Group will provide input into the core competencies and guide the implementation of the Third Edition of the CAPHIA Competencies. 

Steering Committee Members:

• Professor Melissa Graham, La Trobe University (co-Chair)
• Dr Nathan Dawes, James Cook University (co-Chair)
• Associate Professor Summer May Finlay, University of Wollongong (Indigenous Lead)
• Associate Professor Christina Severinsen, Massey University
• Associate Professor Hannah Wechkunanukul, Torrens University Australia
• Dr Irene Semos, Divine Word University
• Etu Buka, University of Papua New Guinea
• Litia Makutu, Fiji National University 
• Associate Professor Jane Taylor, University of Sunshine Coast
• Dr Louise Clark, University of Tasmania
• Dr Rimante Ronto, Macquarie University
• Dr Kristen Beek, University of New South Wales
• Natasha Lee, The University of Queensland, Poche Centre for Indigenous Health
• Holly Donaldson, CAPHIA Executive Director

Advisory Group Members:

• Associate Professor Katherine Baldock, University of South Australia & CAPHIA Director
• Associate Professor Daniel Demant, University of Technology Sydney 
• Honorary Professor Lois Meyer, University of New South Wales
• Honorary Associate Professor Leanne Coombe, University of Queensland

Stakeholder Group Members:

• Professor Andrew Hayen, University of Technology Sydney
• Associate Professor Hassan Hosseinzadeh, University of Wollongong
• Associate Professor Catherine MacPhail, University of Wollongong
• Dr Sabi Kaphle, Central Queensland University
• Dr Leesa Costello, Edith Cowan University
• Dr Tan Nguyen, Deakin University
• Dr Scott Hanson-Easey, The University of Adelaide
• Dr Zahra Aziz, Monash University
• Associate Professor Bhawna Gupta, Torrens University Australia
• Dr Edward Jegasothy, University of Sydney
• Dr Abrar Ahmad Chughtai, University of New South Wales

The Competency Renewal Project aims to:

• Develop a contemporary best practice public health competency framework for Australasia
• Raise awareness of CAPHIA, academic public health and public health more broadly;
• Increase the standing of CAPHIA in the international community;
• Increase partnerships and connections within the broader public health community for the betterment of the communities we serve.

Further Reading

• September 2025 Project Update here.
• Review of the current edition here.
• Read the CAPHIA Competencies Report here
• Implications for curricular design here.

Regular updates about the Competencies Renewal Project are shared in the CAPHIA Newsletter.