The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and Chief Nursing Officer (CNO), in consultation with a multi-agency group, The Public Health Function Implementation Group (PHFIG) set key aims for the Public Health Institute for Scotland (PHIS) which are: to strengthen the public health information base, especially through developing a comprehensive database for public health;to assemble the public health evidence base, andto support the development of public health skills among different agencies and occupational groups and in communities.