Capacity-Building Assistance (CBA) To Strengthen the Prevention of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in Racial and Ethnic Minority Populations

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Capacity-Building Assistance (CBA) To Strengthen the Prevention

of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in Racial and Ethnic Minority

Populations

AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of

Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In Fiscal Year (FY) 2000, CDC will provide approximately $8.3

million dollars to support racial or ethnic minority non-governmental

organizations (NGOs) to carry out capacity-building activities for

community-based organizations (CBOs) providing human immunodeficiency

virus (HIV) prevention services to racial and ethnic minority

individuals whose behaviors place them at risk of acquiring or

transmitting HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

The purpose of this announcement is to request comments on this

proposed program. After consideration of comments submitted, CDC will

publish a program announcement to solicit applications. A more complete

description of the goals of this program, the target applicants,

availability of funds, program requirements, and evaluation criteria

follows.

DATES: The public is invited to submit comments by July 14, 1999.

ADDRESS: Submit comments to: Technical Information and Communications

Branch, National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1600 Clifton Road, NE, Mail Stop

E49, Atlanta, GA 30333.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Technical Information and

Communications Branch, National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention,

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1600 Clifton Road,

NE, Mail Stop E49, Atlanta, GA 30333, Fax (404) 639-2007, E-mail

address: [email protected], Telephone (404) 639-2072.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Purpose

The purpose of this program is to provide financial assistance to

national, regional, or local non-governmental minority organizations to

develop and implement regionally structured and focused capacity-

building assistance that will sustain, improve, and expand HIV

prevention services for racial and ethnic minority individuals whose

behaviors place them at risk for acquiring or transmitting HIV and

other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

Capacity-building assistance developed under this program will be

provided in two categories, A and B. Category A includes capacity-

building assistance in (1) Organizational Infrastructure Assessment and

Development, and (2) Intervention Design, Development, Implementation,

and Evaluation. Category B includes capacity-building assistance in (1)

Community Capacity-Building for HIV Prevention, and (2) HIV Prevention

Community Planning Participation.

The priority for capacity-building assistance in Category A is for

CBOs that provide HIV prevention services to racial and ethnic minority

populations. These CBOs are prioritized as follows: (1) CBOs funded

directly by CDC, (2) CBOs not funded by CDC or State or local health

departments, and (3) CBOs funded by State or local health departments.

The priorities for receiving capacity-building assistance in Category B

are (1) CBOs that provide HIV prevention services to racial and ethnic

minority populations, and (2) community stakeholders who represent or

work with racial and ethnic minority populations heavily affected by

the HIV/AIDS epidemic. For the purpose of this program announcement,

community stakeholders are individuals, groups, or organizations that

have an interest in preventing HIV and are potential or actual agents

of change.

This program will serve four regional groups as follows:

Northeast Region: CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, PR, RI, VT, U.S.

Virgin Islands.

Midwest Region: IL, IN, IA, KS, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, OH, SD, WI.

South Region: AL, AR, D.C., DE, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, MS, NC, OK, SC,

TN, TX, VA, WV.

West Region: AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, NV, NM, OR, MT, UT, WA, WY,

American Samoa, Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, Federated

States of Micronesia, Guam, Republic of Marshall Islands, Palau.

Goals

The goals for this program are as follows:

1. Category A

a. Improve the capacity of CBOs to develop and sustain

organizational infrastructures in order to support program services and

interventions.

b. Improve the capacity of CBOs to design, develop, implement, and

evaluate effective HIV prevention interventions.

2. Category B

a. Improve the capacity of CBOs to increase community awareness,

leadership, participation in and support for HIV prevention.

b. Enhance the capacity of community stakeholders to provide

leadership and support for HIV prevention.

c. Enhance the capacity of CBOs and community stakeholders to

effectively participate in the HIV prevention community planning

process.

Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants for Category A are (1) A national minority

organization as a single organization or as the lead organization

within a coalition serving one regional group; or (2) a regional

minority organization as a single organization or as the lead

organization within a coalition serving one regional group; or (3) a

local minority organization as the lead organization within a coalition

serving one regional group. A coalition can consist of any combination

of two or more local, regional, or national minority organizations.

Eligible applicants for Category B are (1) A national minority

organization as a single organization or as the lead organization

within a coalition serving from one to four regions; or (2) a regional

minority organization as a single organization or as the lead

organization within a coalition serving one region; or (3) a local

minority organization as the lead organization within a coalition

serving one region.

Note: Applicants that meet the eligibility requirements for both

Categories A and B may apply for both under separate applications.

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

1. Have a currently valid IRS Tax Determination 501(C)3 status

certificate.

2. If applying for Category A, have a documented and established 3-

year record of service providing organizational capacity-building

assistance to CBOs serving racial and ethnic minority populations. If

applying for Category B, have a documented and established 3-year

record of service providing community capacity-building to CBOs serving

a racial and ethnic minority population and to a racial and ethnic

minority community or sub-population heavily affected by the HIV/AIDS

epidemic. Acceptable documentation includes letters of support, client

satisfaction survey summaries, annual reports, and memoranda of

agreements.

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3. Have a governing body composed of greater than 50 percent racial

and ethnic minority members.

4. Have racial and ethnic minority persons serve in greater than 50

percent of key positions in the organization, including management,

supervisory, administrative, and service provision positions (for

example, executive director, program director, fiscal director,

technical assistance provider, trainer, curricula development

specialist, or group facilitator).

5. In a coalition, the lead organization, which is the legal

applicant, must meet criteria 1-4 above. Other (non-lead) organizations

in the coalition must meet criteria 3 and 4.

Availability of Funds

In Category A, up to $5.0 million is expected to be available in FY

2000 to fund four programs. In Category B, up to $3.4 million is

expected to be available in FY 2000 to fund four to sixteen programs

with awards ranging from $212,000 to $900,000. It is expected that the

awards will begin about November 1999, and will be made for a 12-month

budget period within a project period of up to five years.

Funding Priorities

In making funding decisions, efforts will be made to (1) ensure

capacity-building assistance in both Categories A and B for all four

regions identified in the introduction of this announcement; and (2)

ensure that funding for capacity-building assistance is distributed in

proportion to the HIV/AIDS disease burden for the four major racial and

ethnic minority populations by each region or nationally.

Program Requirements

1. Category A

a. Create a regionally-based resource network that includes the

applicant's current and proposed staff, researchers, academics,

consultants, and other subject matter experts, and may include a

coalition and collaborative relationships.

b. Identify capacity-building resources currently available in the

region to avoid duplication of effort.

c. Ensure the effective and efficient provision of capacity-

building assistance in (1) Organizational Infrastructure Development

and Assessment, and (2) Intervention Design, Development,

Implementation, and Evaluation. These services are to be provided

through the use of the following delivery mechanisms: Information

Transfer, Skills Building, Technical Consultation, Technical Services,

and Technology Transfer.

d. Ensure that capacity-building assistance is allocated according

to gaps in services and the priority capacity-building assistance needs

of CBOs serving highly affected sub-populations.

e. Develop and implement a plan for targeting, engaging, and

maintaining long-term capacity-building relationships with CBOs. The

plan should include strategies for conducting ongoing needs assessments

and developing tailored capacity-building packages to be delivered over

the long-term and as appropriate to the identified needs.

f. Develop and implement a system that responds to capacity-

building assistance requests. This system must include mechanisms for

conducting needs assessments, prioritizing capacity-building assistance

requests, linking requests to other capacity-building resources,

delivering services, and conducting quality assurance.

g. Develop a standardized system for tracking, assessing, and

documenting all capacity-building assistance requests and delivery,

with CDC assistance as needed.

h. Participate in a CDC-coordinated capacity-building network.

i. Coordinate program activities with appropriate national,

regional, State, and local HIV prevention programs, capacity-building

providers, and community planning groups.

j. Evaluate the accomplishment of program objectives and the

process and outcomes of capacity-building assistance.

2. Category B

a. Conduct regional community needs and resource assessments around

issues related to HIV prevention, leadership development, and community

mobilization.

b. Develop a regional plan of action to mobilize community and

agency resources to meet priority needs in Community Capacity-Building

for HIV Prevention.

c. Develop a regional plan of action to provide capacity-building

assistance in HIV Prevention Community Planning Participation.

d. Provide capacity-building assistance to CBOs and community

stakeholders in (1) Community Capacity-Building for HIV Prevention, and

(2) HIV Prevention Community Planning Participation. These services are

to be provided through the use of the following mechanisms: Information

Transfer, Skills Building, Technical Consultation, Technical Services,

and Technology Transfer.

e. Develop and implement a plan for targeting, engaging, and

maintaining long-term capacity-building relationships with CBOs and

community stakeholders. The plan should include strategies for

conducting ongoing needs assessments and developing tailored capacity-

building packages to be delivered over the long-term and as appropriate

to the identified needs.

f. Form a regional (e.g., multi-State) community advisory board

that includes CBOs, community representatives, members of the target

populations and other community stakeholders to provide input on the

overall direction of this program and in assessing the program's

communication, linkages, performance, and services to the target

population.

g. Ensure that capacity-building assistance is allocated according

to priority needs for community capacity-building and community

planning participation in highly affected sub-populations.

h. Develop and implement a system that responds to requests for

assistance in Community Capacity-Building for HIV Prevention, and HIV

Prevention Community Planning Participation. This process must include

mechanisms for conducting needs assessments, prioritizing requests,

linking requests to the resource network funded under Category A,

delivering services, and conducting quality assurance.

i. Develop a standardized system for tracking, assessing, and

documenting all capacity-building assistance requests and delivery,

with CDC assistance as needed

j. Participate in a CDC-coordinated capacity-building network.

k. Coordinate program activities with appropriate national,

regional, State, and local HIV prevention programs, capacity-building

providers, and community planning groups.

l. Evaluate the accomplishment of program objectives, and the

process and outcomes of capacity-building assistance.

Evaluation Criteria

Each application will be evaluated individually against the

following criteria by an independent review group appointed by CDC:

1. Long-term Goals (5 points).

2. Organizational Capacity (35 points).

3. Assessing the Need for Capacity-Building Assistance (10 points).

4. Program Plan (35 points).

5. Program Evaluation Plan (5 points).

6. Communication and Dissemination Plan (5 points).

7. Plan for Acquiring Additional Resources (5 points).

8. Budget and Staffing Breakdown and Justification (not scored).

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9. Training and Technical Assistance Plan (not scored).

10. Site visits by CDC staff may be conducted before final funding

decisions are made. A fiscal Recipient Capability Assessment (RCA) may

be required of some applicants before funds are awarded.

Dated: June 24, 1999.

Thena M. Durham,

Acting Associate Director for Management and Operations, Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention.

[FR Doc. 99-16590 Filed 6-29-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4163-18-P