CAPACITY BUILDING

Overview:

HCP 's capacity building efforts will take place at two levels. At the community level HCP will work with CAFs, PCVs, PLWAs, leaders and health care workers, and within community networks to enable them to use interpersonal, advocacy, and community mobilization approaches to support HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care and support needs. Print materials and other support materials mentioned previously, along with training, will be key to addressing capacity at the community level. At the national level, HCP will work with organizations such as the MOHSS and NBC and will focus on building communication skills around strategy design, message and materials development, research, and other technical areas. Dissemination seminars, workshops, hands-on learning, and technical briefings will be among the approaches used at this level.

Objectives:

• Increase knowledge and awareness of HIV and AIDS (linking the community socio-economic factors that influence people's sexual behavior) of CAFs and community leaders so they become better advocates for change in their communities; and
• Increase knowledge, understanding and use of communication in prevention, treatment and care and support programs.

Audiences:

CAF members, community leaders, community organizations and networks, partner organizations, Peace Corps volunteers, MOHSS and NBC.

Capacity Building in Communities

1. Training for CAFs and Community Leaders
   HCP will collaborate with local HIV/AIDS organizations to train CAFs and community leaders (including traditional and religious leaders) in basic HIV/AIDS information and related themes such as prevention, VCT, PMTCT, care and support, OVCs and treatment. In order for the CAFs and leaders to be advocates, it is essential they are not only familiar with services and organizations doing HIV/AIDS work in their communities, but that they have accurate knowledge about the disease and how broader community problems such as unemployment, alcohol abuse and violence against women contribute to the spread of the epidemic.

2. Advocacy Kits for CAF members and Community Leaders
   An advocacy kit will be produced for each person trained. The kit will include basic HIV/AIDS information, scripts for leaders to use that promote A/B and care and compassion messages as well as a referral list of local and national HIV/AIDS organizations and resources. To reinforce the information disseminated by these leaders, targeted PSAs on radio and television will be produced promoting abstinence, be faithful and compassion messages.

3. Training of Peace Corp Volunteers and Counterparts (assuming there will be PCV's made available in the T3 intake)
   HCP is part of the initial training that Peace Corps Volunteers receive when they first enter the country. The volunteers are trained in the use of the participatory assessment tool and given an overview of their role in the CAFs as well as in the implementation of the action plans. In addition to this orientation training, HCP will provide quarterly on-site supervision (in addition to the supervision provided by Peace Corps) and three refresher trainings in the form of in-service seminars. When relevant, the volunteers will be invited to attend HCP capacity building workshops to maximize the use of this time.

Capacity Building at National Level

1. Communication Strategy Development for HIV/AIDS Related Services
   To provide an overall framework for the development of communication resources related to HIV/AIDS services, HCP will organize a communication strategy workshop with relevant partners. In addition to identifying key messages and audiences, the strategy will include information on which organization is responsible for developing specific resources, as well as the processes through which materials will be developed. The HIV/AIDS IEC working group will be a key partner in organizing this strategy design workshop. Results of the workshop will be used to guide the development of multiple communication interventions, including client and provider job aides, training curricula, and PSAs. It is anticipated this forum will provide an opportunity to look at needs broadly across agencies and to develop materials that meet the needs of multiple institutions.

2. Seminars and Workshops for National and USG Partners
   At the national level, HCP will continue to build the capacity of the MOHSS, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting including NBC, Ministry of Women's Affairs and Child Welfare, Ministry of Basic Education, Sport and Culture and partner organizations in behavior change communication. To date HCP has held seminars and workshops on the “P Process”, Materials Development, how to work with an advertising agency and creating public service announcements. In FY 05, similar seminars will be organized based on identified needs, as well as information dissemination seminars at which research results will be presented from the community participatory analyses meetings and the baseline and network analyses. The purpose of these seminars will be to explain how organizations and ministries can use this information to make their programs more effective, and how to improve their competency in materials and radio design and pre-testing.

3. Support for MOHSS IEC Unit
   HCP will continue to support and train a person at the MOHSS IEC/ BCC unit, building their capacity to produce IEC materials, ensuring that materials are pre-tested and complementary with other partners' messages/materials. HCP will work closely with this unit in the design of its program materials. HCP will place a resource person into the IEC unit at the MoHSS.