Requesting Capacity-Building Assistance
CAI’s Center for Evidence-Based Interventions is funded through the CDC to offer capacity building assistance (CBA) to improve the capacity of community-based organizations (CBOs) and health departments to design, develop, implement, and evaluate effective HIV prevention interventions that meet the needs of their target communities. CBA is designed to assist in implementing and sustaining science-based and culturally proficient HIV prevention behavioral interventions and HIV prevention strategies.
CBA includes:
technical assistance: providing culturally relevant and expert programmatic, scientific, and technical advice and support
training: including group facilitation skills, recruitment strategies, adaptation and tailoring guidance; working with youth, cultural competency; HIV prevention for LGBTQ youth and more
diffusion of evidence based intervention Strategies: including Street Smart and Social Networks and Safety Counts
information dissemination: sharing relevant and current HIV prevention and other information
We can provide CBA through various methods such as: in-person trainings, web seminars, conference calls, and one-on-one meetings. Our staff has diverse experience working directly with numerous populations including school-aged youth, high risk youth, substance use populations, LGBTQ youth, African-Americans, Latino/a, Asian/ Pacific Islanders, and those in rural and urban settings.
Training and TA can be developed and tailored to meet your particular needs. Sample CBA topics include:
Group Facilitation
Many evidence based interventions utilize the group format as a tool for learning as well as social support. One of the biggest challenges with group level structured interventions is to balance the curriculum activities with the participant's needs. Facilitators need to effectively manage the group, be aware of group process and attend the individual's needs while conducting the group session with fidelity. Therefore, understanding group dynamics, developing strong group facilitation and management skills and learning how to utilize the interventions to address group issues are vital to the successful implementation of these evidence based interventions.
Behavioral Science Theory
The specific exercises, modes of delivery and basic tools and strategies of the evidence-based interventions (EBIs) are drawn directly from various behavioral science theories. These theories seek to explain what motivates and sustains health behavior change and have been carefully developed through years of research and real-world observation. Since it is impossible to know exactly what is responsible for the scientifically determined outcomes of an intervention, best practice dictates that these programs be implemented with fidelity to the original model, so that participants have the best chance of achieving the same outcomes. While fidelity does not require a word-for word recitation of a training manual, it does require a working knowledge of the underlying theory and of how an intervention’s core elements represent the practical application of that theory.
Program Planning, Development, Monitoring and Evaluation
When agencies decide to implement evidence-based interventions, they have many administrative tasks to consider. Ideally, agencies have confirmed the need for the intervention prior to receiving funding by conducting a population based needs assessment. The development of a program plan or logic model is encouraged to guide activities and show how the agency will achieve expected outcomes or targets. These targets are typically assessed through on-going process and outcome evaluation activities. An additional administrative task is making sure this data is collected, analyzed, and reported. Agencies may use systems approved by their state health departments or other funders and are often challenged to include all elements required by their funders. Working with each agency to develop their ability to conduct assessment, evaluation, and data management helps to ensure successful implementation and build capacity for other interventions in the future.
Recruitment and Retention
Most evidence based interventions are multi-session requiring that agencies retain clients over a length of time. Therefore, effective recruitment and retention will have a major impact on the successful implementation of an intervention. Agencies need to understand how to develop a recruitment and retention plan, how to assess if their current recruitment and retention strategies are effective in reaching their target population and explore alternative recruitment and retention strategies.
Types of Capacity-Building Assistance (CBA)
Staff from Cicatelli Associates Inc. (CAI) offer capacity building assistance services and technical assistance nationally through in-person training programs, telephone consultation, tool kits, face-to-face meetings and web-based learning programs including virtual classrooms. We offer standardized training programs, as well as training programs and other capacity building services that are customized to meet your agency’s individualized needs.
CAI’s CEBI provides CBA in Focus Area 2: Strengthening Interventions for HIV Prevention. We offer CBA to improve the capacity of community-based organizations (CBOs) and health departments to design, develop, implement, and evaluate effective HIV prevention interventions. Our areas of expertise include:
Cultural Competency
Working with adolescents
Working with ethnic and racial minority youth, including LGBTQ
Adapting interventions
Recruitment and Retention
How to Request CBA
The CDC’s CBA Request Information System (CRIS) is used to submit CBA Requests, as well as monitor, track, and follow-up on CBA Requests. A user ID and password are required to access this CDC-sponsored web application. Instructions for registering and requesting CBA can be found at www.cdc.gov/hiv/cba. CBA is available to eligible agencies at no additional cost to you or your agency.
