Processes maps in public health organizations: the experience of the Galician Department of Public Health

To design the processes map of the Galician Department of Public Health, we performed document reviews, held meetings and interviewed persons in charge of programs and departments to identify the processes carried out. The processes were classified into strategic, key and support processes. We defined 4 levels of disaggregation and management and staff were kept informed throughout the process. At level 0, we included 4 key processes that defined the organization's mission. At level 1, 5 strategic, 5 support and 10 key processes were defined. The key processes at level 2 identified the health programs' services. A processes map was obtained by consensus and was then approved by management and staff as a first step in implanting a process management system to improve the organization's performance.