Hands United

David García, Ed.D., M.P.H.
Director of Capacity Building, Research & Evaluation
dgarcia@latinoaids.org
(646) 375.4413

Subcomponents of Services:

1 Organization Development and Management

Through this subcomponent, Hands United will help and support community-based organizations in developing structures, protocols, and guidelines to achieve organizational maturity, sustainability and growth. Community-based organizations can request OIPS services in the following content areas:

- Organizational Assessment
- Quality Assurance
- Strategic Planning
- Fiscal Management
- Resource Development
- Information System and Data Management
- Personnel Management
- Board Development
- Program Marketing
- Public Relations
- Grant Writing / Proposal Development
- Policy Development
- Leadership Development
- Program Collaboration and Service Integration
- Monitoring and Evaluation at the Organization Level

2 HIV Testing

An essential component of Hands United capacity building efforts are the services directed to the improvement and sustainability of EBIs and DEBIs (Diffusion of Effective Behavioral Interventions) carried out by community based organizations. Capacity building assistance related to EBIs is designed to help requesting organizations by contributing to the implementation, improvement, evaluation, and sustainability of the interventions currently provided. We also assist with integrating EBIs into existing services.

Our EBI specialists look at information specific to the individual agency to make tailored recommendations and provide relevant trainings and coaching sessions. We help agencies build the skills to successfully implement DEBIs and/or other interventions. Our EBI capacity building services encompass pre-implementation issues as well as all aspects of implementation and tailoring of interventions to fit specific programmatic needs. These activities are all done to promote successful outcomes not only for programs but for the agency as a whole.

Our EBI services include unique trainings and coaching sessions such as Motivational Interviewing, aimed at improving skills in interviewing participants and using the Stages of Change Model to facilitate behavior change. Another training focuses on Community Mapping, a thorough guide on how to conduct a successful formative assessment of the community that informs the implementation of programs.

Other trainings to build core competencies for DEBI implementation focus on:

- Behavioral Theories
- Effective HIV Prevention Programs for Latino Youth
- Formative Assessment Approach to Selecting a DEBI
- Cultural Competency
- Ethics in HIV Prevention
- Stigma
- Focus Groups
- Recruitment and Retention

In addition, Hands United has developed materials in-house as a response to the most pressing needs expressed by organizations about their implementation of the DEBIs. An example of these materials are our Adapting SISTA for Latinas training, which provides guidelines and skills to organizations looking to adapt this intervention for their Latina target populations, and our Community PROMISE Coaching Guide, which provides additional strategies to help organizations in identifying their target population in the community and constructing role model stories that reflect its realities.

Community-based organizations can request EBIs services in the following content areas:

- Population Based Needs Assessment
- Selection of an Evidence–based Intervention (EBI)
- Selection of a Public Health Strategy (PHS)
- Recruitment and Retention
- Adaptation of an EBI or PHS
- Implementation of an EBI or PHS
- Group Facilitation
- Bridging Behavioral Science and Practice
- Cultural Competence in Prevention Activities
- Intervention Development
- Motivational Interviewing
- Monitoring and Evaluation for EBI or PHS

Community-based organizations can request PHS services in the following content areas:

- Counseling, Testing and Referral
- Rapid HIV Testing
- Comprehensive Risk Counseling Services
- Partner Services
- Social Networks Strategy

3 Monitoring and Evaluation

We understand the importance of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) in the cycle of program implementation, and we provide capacity building assistance to community based organizations with the aim of integrating M&E into interventions from the very beginning. Hands United supports organizations in formulating process and outcome evaluation goals appropriate to their programs and target populations, constructing evaluation tools, and carrying out evaluation protocols. We also work with organizations on analyzing and reporting evaluation data and utilizing its lessons for program improvement.

Our core Monitoring and Evaluation training introduces participants to a framework of evaluation concepts for program assessment. Monitoring and evaluation enables organizations to asses the quality and impact of their services and to report on these findings to funders. It seeks to answer, “did you achieve what you intended?”

Data coding and analysis is important for categorizing, manipulating and summarizing evaluation questions about demographics, risk behaviors, and service utilization. Our Introduction to Excel and SPSS skills building training helps organizations answer, “what were the projected outcomes versus the actual outcomes?”

A Focus Group is a qualitative method of data collection that explores topics in depth. Group interaction and feedback from focus groups serve as valuable data for evaluation and decision making. We provide training on how to effectively conduct focus groups, to answer, “what is the key information about this program?”

Community-based organizations can request M&E services in the following content areas:
- Formative Needs Assessment and Evaluation
- Logic Modeling
- Evaluation Readiness
- Evaluation Planning and Development
- Accessing Local Data
- Data Collection
- Establishing Performance Indicators
- Instrument / Tool Development
- Process Monitoring and Evaluation
- Outcome Monitoring
- Data Base Set-up and Management
- Qualitative Data Analyses
- Quantitative Data Analyses
- Using Monitoring and Evaluation Data