Setting the Stage for Program Implementation: Defining the Problem and Community Need, Choosing an Evidence-Based Program, and Developing Evaluation

Background: Southwest Georgia communities are among the most impoverished in the nation. Georgia ranks as the having the 8th highest rate of HIV cases in the U.S. and Dougherty County, one of the two counties that the grant targeted, has the second highest rate of new HIV diagnosis of 159 Georgia counties. 

Program background: With funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Agency (SAMHSA), Albany State University (located in Albany, GA) designed an HIV prevention program based on the social ecological model of behavior change. Community influencers were identified and trained in selected CDC Evidence-Based HIV prevention programs- with the intent that they would offer the programs to vulnerable gorups of 18-24 year old African Americans. Community events and presentations created community knowledge and will to reduce HIV transmission. A social marketing campaign expanded the reach of the Faebook, Instagram and Twitter social media efforts. A widespread condom distribution campaign aimed to get condoms to locations readily accessible to the target groups.

Evaluation Methods and Results: A baseline survey of more than 500 community residents (including 18-24 year olds from the targeted high-risk groups) identified the risk and protective factors in the two counties.  Demographic information collected included attitudes and behaviors of participants in events such as trainings, programs and a Get a Life! maze interactive simulation event. In the second year, the survey was repeated to measure changes over the first year of the project. In the second year, a new set of questions were added to the demographic information collection forms- which used marketing and marketing evaluation strategies, such as penetration, reach, motivation to change, self-efficacy, accessibility of condoms and amplification and influence of the project on the community.  Similar data collection will also be conducted in Year 3 and then all three years will be compared.

Conclusions: It is clear that the Evidence-Based programs have had an impact on knowledge of HIV transmisison and protection, availability of condoms, and attitudes about the acceptability of condom use. In Year 3, greater effort on further penetration and reach-especially to the high risk groups- will reduce the transmission of HIV in Southwest Georgia.

Implications for research and/or practice: Every program has process measures and objectives, but usually little is known real-time on the impact of the programs and progress toward outcomes. This mid-project evaluation can help programs to improve the way programs are delivered and increase the community impact. The three panelists will present components of the project that include: program design, implementation, and evalution.