WHO Global Competency Model
The World Health Organization's Enhanced Global Competency Model describing the core, management, and leadership competencies expected of all WHO staff. Designed to ensure WHO has a capable, motivated, and productive workforce that delivers on its mission to promote health, keep the world safe, and serve the vulnerable.
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Framework Domains (4)
Core Competencies
Fundamental competencies expected of all WHO staff regardless of level or function. These form the baseline for professional effectiveness.
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| WHO-CORE-01 | Teamwork — working collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals |
| WHO-CORE-02 | Respecting and Promoting Individual and Cultural Differences |
| WHO-CORE-03 | Communication — expressing ideas clearly and listening to understand others |
| WHO-CORE-04 | Producing Results — delivering quality outputs on time within resource constraints |
| WHO-CORE-05 | Knowing and Managing Yourself — self-awareness, stress management, continuous learning |
| WHO-CORE-06 | Moving Forward in a Changing Environment — adapting to change and supporting innovation |
Leadership Competencies
Strategic capabilities required of senior executives for setting direction, driving change, and ensuring organizational effectiveness in complex health environments.
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| WHO-LDR-01 | Vision — articulating compelling future states that motivate collective action |
| WHO-LDR-02 | Strategic Thinking — analyzing complex environments and designing impactful interventions |
| WHO-LDR-03 | Change Leadership — mobilizing organizations through transformations |
| WHO-LDR-04 | Innovation — creating conditions supporting novel approaches to persistent problems |
| WHO-LDR-05 | Systems thinking — understanding interconnected systems and their impact on health outcomes and interventions |
Management Competencies
Competencies required of staff in management and supervisory roles, building on the core competencies to enable effective team and operational management.
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| WHO-MGR-01 | Creating an Empowering and Motivating Environment for staff |
| WHO-MGR-02 | Building and Promoting Partnerships across organizational and sectoral boundaries |
| WHO-MGR-03 | Ensuring Effective Use of Resources through planning and accountability |
| WHO-MGR-04 | Managing Performance — setting expectations, monitoring, providing feedback |
WHO Related Health Frameworks
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| WHO-FW-01 | Emergency response leadership — leading health emergency preparedness, response, and recovery (WHO Emergency Response Leadership Framework) |
| WHO-FW-02 | Evidence-informed decision-making — using evidence to inform health policy and practice decisions (WHO EIDM Framework) |
| WHO-FW-03 | Evidence-informed policy-making — developing policies based on systematic use of evidence (WHO EIPM Framework) |
| WHO-FW-04 | Health policy and systems research — conducting and applying health systems research for better outcomes (WHO HPSR) |
| WHO-FW-05 | Health systems strengthening — building resilient and responsive health systems (WHO HSS Framework) |
| WHO-FW-06 | Health workforce resilience — developing resilient health workforces that adapt to challenges and disruptions |
| WHO-FW-07 | Health workforce well-being — promoting the physical and mental well-being of health workers |
| WHO-FW-08 | Healthy workplace — creating safe, healthy, and supportive work environments (WHO Healthy Workplace Framework) |
| WHO-FW-09 | Multisectoral collaboration — partnering across sectors for improved health outcomes (WHO Multisectoral Framework) |
Maps to 27 other frameworks
Frequently Asked Questions
What is WHO Global Competency Model?
WHO Global Competency Model is a compliance framework from International with 4 domains and 24 controls. The World Health Organization's Enhanced Global Competency Model describing the core, management, and leadership competencies expected of all WHO staff. Designed to ensure WHO has a capable, motivated, and productive workforce that delivers on its mission to promote health, keep the world safe, and serve the vulnerable. It is used by organisations to establish and maintain compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements.
How many controls does WHO Global Competency Model have?
WHO Global Competency Model has 24 controls organised across 4 domains. The largest domains are WHO Related Health Frameworks (9 controls), Core Competencies (6 controls), Leadership Competencies (5 controls). Each control defines specific requirements that organisations must implement to achieve compliance.
What frameworks does WHO Global Competency Model map to?
WHO Global Competency Model maps to 27 other compliance frameworks. The top mapping partners are LEADS in a Caring Environment (79% coverage), ICN Leadership for Change Programme (38% coverage), Goleman Emotional Intelligence Leadership Framework (33% coverage). Use our comparison tool to explore control-level mappings between frameworks.
How do I get started with WHO Global Competency Model compliance?
Start your WHO Global Competency Model compliance journey by running a self-assessment on our platform to identify your current compliance posture. Our AI advisory can answer specific questions about WHO Global Competency Model requirements, and cross-framework mapping helps you leverage existing controls from other frameworks you may already comply with. Create a free account to access all 24 controls and track your progress.
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