Project Overview: Communities Learning Together

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Project Overview Communities Learning Together

• HRSA/HAB/DTTA
• Cooperative Agreement Meeting
• June 11 12, 2007

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Presentation Outline

• Overview CAEAR Foundation
• Overview CLT Project
• Training Methodology
• Relationships Established
• Training Schedule
• Participant Feedback
• Successes/Challenges
• Requesting CLT Trainings
• Contact Information

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CAEAR Foundation Overview

• The CAEAR Foundation is a national organization
  committed to advancing effective care and support
  for people living with HIV/AIDS
• This mission is accomplished through the
  provision of training, technical assistance, and
  research to organizations and communities

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CAEAR Foundation Overview

• CAEAR Foundation is a HRSA grantee on other
  capacity-development specific projects including
  the Supporting Networks of HIV Care by Enhancing
  Primary Care (SNHC by EPMC) project funded by
  resources from the Minority AIDS Initiative
  (MAI).
• Information about the project may be accessed via
  www.hivta.org

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• CLT Project Overview

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Project Overview

• In the second year of a three-year cooperative
  agreement
• Training and TA specifically on organizational
  development and fiscal management to ultimately,
  improve the primary care and support services
  being provided to PLWHA
• Communities are similarly situated
  organizations (jurisdiction, TA needs,
  performance, funding or other criteria)
• Exclusively targets Ryan White Program-funded
  grantees, specifically Part A and B sub-grantees,
  Part C grantees and sub-grantees, and Part D
  grantees and sub-grantees
• Training is not provided to Part A Planning
  Councils or Part B Consortia

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Project Goal

• To address organizational development and fiscal
  management specific capacity-development needs as
  a way to improve the provision of primary care
  and support services to people living with
  HIV/AIDS.

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Project Objectives

• Increase the level of knowledge and skills among
  participating organizations in fiscal management
  and organizational development-specific content
  areas
• Work with organizations to assess
  capacity-development needs related to
  organizational development and fiscal
  management and
• Work with participating organizations to develop
  linkages and strategies in order to maximize
  resources, enhance a continuum of care, and the
  quantity and quality of services provided to
  people living with HIV/AIDS

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Primary Activities

• Activity 1 and 2 Three Learning Community
  trainings in a state/region disproportionately
  affected by HIV/AIDS
• Two face-to-face trainings
• One training facilitated via Web-cast
• Activity 3 An On-line Resource Center
• Provides access to training resources, tools, and
  other information used during the CLT trainings

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Primary Activities

• The CLT project also includes an evaluation plan
  to measure
• Process/implementation of the CLT project
• Outcome of CLT activities and
• Longer term outcomes of CLT trainings on
  grantees ability to address organizational
  development and fiscal management
  capacity-development needs

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Training Methodology

• Provided through a Learning Community format
• Includes adult learning principles
• Based on non-profit capacity-building models

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Learning Community Format

• Method of providing training and TA, based on
  Adult Learning Principles
• Includes more than one face-to-face training or
  TA opportunity
• Builds upon the strengths of a community as a way
  to identify and address challenges
• Provided to similarly-situated organizations
• Includes experiential learning activities

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Learning Community Format

• Provided around a specific training or TA topic
  common to the needs of the group
• Training participants decide training topics
• Provides a feedback loop for learning through
  more than one face-to-face meeting/training
• Draws on the previous experience and knowledge of
  participants to learn and share as group

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Non-Profit Capacity-Building Models

• Combines organizational development theory with
  opportunities for practical application
• First training in each series is a seven module
  curriculum that presents
• Elements of organizational capacity framework
• Defines content areas that encompass
  organizational development and fiscal management
• Defines/discusses the concept of organizational
  change
• Portion of curriculum based on Venture
  Philanthropy Partners (VPP) Guide, Effective
  Capacity-Building in Non-profit Organizations and
  other organizational development models and
  theories

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Non-profit Capacity-Building Model

• Includes an Organizational Capacity Assessment
  Survey
• Assesses an organizations performance along core
  elements of organizational capacity
• Captures aggregate organizationsresponses to
  decide future CLT training content
• Used to outline organization-specific training TA
  plan
• Formal permission granted from VPP to reference
  the materials and use the capacity assessment
  survey

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Relationships Established

• Established a partnership with George Washington
  Universitys (GWU) Center for the Study of
  Learning (CSL) to
• Facilitate a module on organizational change at
  the first Learning Community in each series.
• Conduct qualitative analysis of organizational
  capacity assessment surveys

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Relationships Established

• A Continuing Education Units (CEU) application
  was submitted and approved by George Mason
  University.
• The process to receive CEUs is initiated by the
  participate and the cost associated with
  receiving the credits is the responsibility of
  the participant.

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20062007 Training Schedule

• Chicago, IL
• February 8 9, 2007
• April 19 20, 2007
• June 15, 2007

• Miami, FL
• April 26 27, 2007
• June 28 29, 2007
• Web-based Training TBD

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Project Evaluation
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Evaluation Framework

• Assess
• Process and implementation
• Short and intermediate outcomes
• Learning Community model effectiveness

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Evaluation Activities

• Organizational Capacity Assessment Survey
• Onsite Post/Pre Evaluation
• Post CLT Outcome Follow-up Interviews

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Evaluation Activities

• Organizational Capacity Assessment for Chicago 1
  identified TA needs in
• Inter-functional coordination,
• Human resources planning,
• Strategic planning, and
• Revenue generation.

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Participant Feedback

• Collected and analyzed on-site evaluations
• Chicago CLT LC I and II and Miami CLT LC I.
• General Findings
• All LCs were received positively despite the
  training being mandated by the grantees.
• Participants overall indicated that their
  knowledge and abilities along most of the
  learning objectives had increased after
  participating in the LC than before
  participating.
• Chicago CLT I II Onsite Evaluations
  2/8-9,4/19-20 2007
• Miami CLT Onsite Evaluations 4/26-27, 2007

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Participant Feedback

• Chicago CLT I participants shared the following
• Will work to Strengthen the relationship
  between myself and the management and Board now
  armed with skills and tools from this training
• The information that was shared - this is
  information that is valuable and I may have never
  been exposed if not for this training

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Participant Feedback

• Chicago CLT LC II participants had the following
  to share
• Very good training and built on 1st training.
  Applicable to my program and agency. Lots of
  information, so glad we have materials to refer
  to after trainings,
• .with impending possible change or cease of one
  of them programs due to funding. I am
  Equipped to initiate more dialogue about capacity
  building and bigger picture organizational
  improvements..
• Comprehensive, multiple elements of non-profit
  operation.
• Intimate setting advanced theories

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Participant Feedback

• For Miami CLT LC I, participants shared the
  following
• The entire training was very effective and a lot
  of new information even for a long time worker in
  the field
• All the knowledgeabout non-profit organizations.
  I think this kind of training allows those who
  are working with non profits organization to have
  the necessary knowledge to be successful in your
  organization
• Staff commitment to excellence and willingness to
  increase our level of competence

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Participant Feedback

• In terms of complexity, participants indicated

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Our Lessons Learned To Date

• LC Site Selection -- Encouraging self-selection
  of LC locations is an important consideration.
  Proactive sites demonstrating need and commitment
  may be more likely to receive and implement LC
  information than those that do not self select.
• Organizational Sustainability Grantees and
  sub-grantees have a sincere desire to ensure
  organizational sustainability especially with
  recent changes in the Ryan White Program
  legislation
• Mandatory Attendance Making trainings mandatory
  for participants limited attrition but added
  greater weight to the relationship building
  aspect with local partners to help defuse
  potential tension and antipathy among
  participants
• Federal Policies and Regulations Organizational
  leaders continue to need ongoing assistance with
  understanding and interpreting the application of
  fiscal-specific federal policies and regulations

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What if I am interested in hosting a CLT training?

• Communities Learning Together Learning
  Communities will be identified through an
  application process submitted by interested
  states, counties, cities and/or Eligible
  Metropolitan Areas (EMAs).
• Communities that identify a need for group
  training in the areas of fiscal management and
  organizational development and demonstrate
  committed interest from at least 15-20
  organizations receiving Ryan White Program
  funding may submit an application.
• Target Locations for 2007 2008 are still being
  decided. However, interested locales are
  encouraged to apply.

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How can I apply?

• Download at www.caear.org a partnership
  application and submit the completed application
  by email or fax.
• The completed application can be emailed to
  Robert Warren at robert_at_caear.org.
• Completed applications can also be faxed to (202)
  232-6750.

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Contact Information

• CAEAR Foundation
• 2001 S Street NW Suite 510
• Washington, D.C. 20009
• phone [phone] fax [phone]
• www.caear.org
• Antigone Hodgins
• Executive Director
• antigone_at_caear.org

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CLT Project Contacts

• Melanie Ogleton
• Director of Training
• melanie_at_caear.org
• Jabari Bruton
• Training Coordinator
• jabari_at_caear.org

• Javier G. Salazar
• Director of Research
• and Evaluation
• javier_at_caear.org

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Questions?