Knowledge Dissemination Among State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Public Health Agencies Through Communities of Practice During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This report summarizes lessons learned from using communities of practice (CoPs) to support state, Tribal, local, and territorial (STLT) public health agencies during the COVID-19 pandemic. The report draws on findings from an environmental scan and in-depth interviews to understand the types of CoPs that supported STLT public health agencies during the COVID-19 pandemic, the characteristics of CoPs that were most helpful to STLT public health agencies, and the ways CoPs assisted public health agencies with translating federal guidance into practice. The report focuses primarily on CoPs led by nonfederal organizations, to understand the experience for STLT public health agencies receiving information from multiple channels, and to identify recommendations for federal agencies to better engage and coordinate with nonfederal efforts during future public health emergencies.