This CDC-funded project is a collaboration between AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA) and CHIPTS aimed to deliver capacity building assistance (CBA) services to community based organizations (CBOs) and health departments in the areas of (1) organizational infrastructure and program sustainability, (2) evidence based interventions and public health strategies, and (3) monitoring and evaluation.

The project will provide a wide range of CBA services to CBOs, including individually-tailored CBA (ICBA) services to address specific HIV prevention programmatic needs for organizations serving racial and ethnic minority communities and other high risk populations. The project will conduct an individual CBA needs assessment as the foundation of ICBA services, through which we will jointly develop an action plan with the CBO to address identified needs.

ICBA services may include: individualized technical assistance and consultation; skills building trainings (both inperson and web-based formats); web seminars; information transfer and technology transfer through the broad dissemination of technical information; participation in an online discussion forum to promote peer-to-peer sharing of best practices; and promotion of program collaboration and service integration across public health initiatives. In addition, the project will implement similar CBA services to health departments as it does to CBOs. However, we will tailor information and materials, skills building trainings, web seminars, etc. to address the unique needs and problems of health departments. The project will also work closely with health departments to provide training in the evaluation of community planning methodologies. We also propose to collaborate with other CBA providers to develop a Professional Development Certificate Program for health department staff, ensuring a basic level of knowledge across all four component areas.

For more information, please visit the Shared Action website at www.sharedaction.org.