Making Knowledge Transfer and Exchange (KTE) Relevant and Effective for HIV/AIDS Community Based Organisations (CBOs)Building an Evaluation Plan of the Out i l lons-Nous Project of the Coalition des organismes communautaires québécois de lutte contre le sida (COCQ-Sida)

Background

Mélina Bernier, Ghayas Fadel, Ken Monteith

input output

cost advantages

Horizontal analysis of the interviews also provided a series of contextual factors and preexisting variables that need to be taken into account in the evaluation process. �ese include:

MissionGroup HIV/AIDS community based organisations in Québec to:

To respond to the issues a�ecting people living with HIV or AIDS and everyone else who may be a�ected by HIV.

Objectives

Aim ActivitiesIdentify knowledge and capacity building needs based on:

Plan, organise and hold interactive ON sessions using di�erent pedagogical tools to ensure full participation and successful KTE. Sessions are open to community workers, volunteers, PHAs, coordinators and Executive Directors of member organisations as well as institutional partners.

A review of organisational documents such as the values and mission statement and the operational objectivesAnalysis of the evaluation forms completed by participants of ON from 2006 to 2008 and minutes from meetings of the organising committeesAnalysis of focus group discussions and individual interviews with key stakeholders. �e interview content was qualitatively analysed and various themes were categorised.

Methodology

To build the evaluation plan, three data collection strategies were used:

Community workersAn intervention coordinatorExecutive Directors of member organisationsMembers of the Board of Directors of COCQ-Sida that include regional representatives of people living with HIV/AIDS (PHAs)A representative of the funding agencyA researcher who previously presented at an ON session

Housing servicesPrevention servicesOrganisations that regularly participate in ON, those that don’t, and those that rarely participate

Relevance evaluation

Geographical location and distanceVarying backgrounds and experience of participantsHigh rate of personnel turnover in community based organisationsVariety of communities served and di�erent organisational mandatesAvailable training programs already in placeAvailability of time and human resourcesInternal organisational culture

References citedFetterman, DM. and A Wandersman. 2005. Empowerment Evaluation Principles in Practice. New York, London: �e Guilford Press.

Zúñiga, R and M.-H Luly. 2005. Savoir-faire et Savoir-dire: un guide d’évaluation communautaire. Montréal : COCQ-Sida.

Lessons LearnedProjects in community based organisations sometimes evolve organically as collective actions towards a shared social goal. �is evolutionary process makes it di�cult to document the project as a whole and to identify evaluation criteria.

Using the Savoir-faire et Savoir-dire guide and empowerment evaluation principles allowed us to build a logic model informed by the various stakeholders’ experiences of the ON. We were able to document the project and gain a better understanding of its dynamic as opposed to a preconceived idea that does not re�ect the complex reality of the ON. We also identi�ed a series of contextual factors and preexsiting variables that a�ect the project.

In this community based approach, objectives are viewed as guidelines and not as speci�c end results. �is way, the evaluation takes into account expected and unexpected results, whether they are positive or negative. Furthermore, this process ensures that e�cacy and value will be judged according to the needs of the stakeholders and within the organisation’s means and mission.

�e logic model has to be updated as the project continues to evolve. �is will ensure internal and external validity both for the COCQ-Sida and the funding agency. �e savoir faire et savoir dire guide contains various tools that can be used to this purpose.

We used a convenience sample to include di�erent contexts and populations:

Based on the analysis of the interviews with stakeholders and the review of organisational documents, we were able to build a logic model that represents the ON project as it currently stands.

Efficiency evaluation

Process evaluation

Expected resultsHold three to �ve ON sessions per year. Sessions should achieve the maximum possible number of the objectives previously stated.

Efficacy evaluation

Acknowledgement

�e authors would like to thank all the interview participants for their time and valuable input. We would also like to thank Valérie Marchand, Caroline Racicot and Sarah Raymond for their contribution.

CO

CQ

-Sid

a

Foster and support the emergence of joint actionsEncourage, support and consolidate community action in the �ght against HIV/AIDSFoster solidarity in the movement Pool approaches, activities and resources

Improve the quality of life of people living with HIV/AIDSFoster prevention e�orts, improve access to quality healthcare and support servicesInform and educate the public of the risks of HIV transmissionLower the incidence of new infections

Enhance the capacity of community workers and volunteers of member organisationsCreate and promote opportunities for networking, KTE and partnerships for community workers and member organisationsFoster partnerships between researchers and community based organisationsRecognize, share and put into practice the expertise of community workersFacilitate access to new research results, especially for organisations outside MontréalHarmonise interventions, update knowledge and inform practices based on new research data and evidenceDevelop and implement new interventions, programs and toolsMultiply the impact of the ON by training new agents and providing continuing education modulesExplore innovative practicesProvoke collective thinking and discussions about di�erent issues related to HIV/AIDS, community work and actionFacilitate participation of member organisations from across the province by providing logistical and �nancial support Monitor and evaluate ON outcomes, provide follow up and support and make necessary changes to improve actionsFor the funding agency: keep in touch with the reality of front line community workFor researchers: provide a KTE structure to reach a broader audience of stakeholders

Consultation with di�erent stakeholders, PHAs, member organisations and researchersNew research �ndingsNew and innovative intervention practicesRelevant issues related to advancements in HIV/AIDS

Next steps �e proposed logic model will be validated by stakeholders and necessary adjustments will be made. It will inform the evaluation plan of the ON sessions which will take place in the coming year.

MontréalOutside MontréalSupport services

�e Outillons-Nous (ON) is a KTE structure where community workers share practices and collaborate with researchers to update interventions based on new evidence and/or develop further research questions that need to be investigated. Over the last few years, the project’s structure and methodology were updated based on participants’ evaluations and discussions with the organising committees. However, no follow up procedure or outcome analysis was done after these changes to document the e�cacy or value of the ON.

Objective

Develop a validated evaluation plan based on the Savoir-faire et Savoir-dire community evaluation guide (Zúñiga, R, Luly, M-H, 2005) and empowerment evaluation principles (Fetterman, DM, Wandersman, A, 2005) to judge the e�cacy and value of the ON training sessions.

Results

We performed 8 interviews with 15 stakeholders:

C

M

J

CM

MJ

CJ

CMJ

N

090421_abstract01 copie.pdf 1 21.04.2009 17:51:26