The following are the intended goals and outcomes of this project:
· Ensure that smaller community-based organizations have a more equitable and efficient pathway to partnering with MCDPH. The intended goal is that more small organizations will collaborate with MCDPH, thereby ensuring that the most vulnerable community members are served directly by organizations they know and trust.
· Develop more sustainable, symbiotic relationships between MCDPH and community-based organizations. MCDPH intends to develop region-specific health improvement plans in collaboration with community organizations, which will be advanced by the collaborative processes established through this project.
· Improve the inclusivity of community partnerships so that partnering organizations fully reflect and include the population of Maricopa County. This will benefit the region in ongoing projects related to general disease prevention and management, including Community Health Needs Assessments, as well as in any future public health crises.
· In January 2022, MCDPH released an RFP for community organizations to address the needs of priority populations [EJ1] who have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19. Organizations were invited to apply for up to $500,000, although most applied for awards of about $250,000.
· In March, 18 [EJ2] organizations were selected and contracts were executed in late April. The contracts extend through May 2023.
· In mid-May, organizations were oriented and submitted scopes of work for their proposed activities.
· Between May and July, the scopes of work were reviewed by CDC to ensure alignment with the NEPS Project. This review process resulted in delays on initial payments to community organizations and some organizations were ultimately unable to participate because their proposed activities did not align with CDC's intended scope.
Once contracts were approved by CDC and MCDPH, organizations received 40% of the total award amount in order to begin their respective projects. These funds were dispersed in early July.
The organizations are presently implementing activities related to addressing the needs of priority populations affected by COVID-19. Partnering organizations submit quarterly progress reports to MCDPH, who continues to provide organizations with technical support, training, and compensation.
Table 1. Evaluation Questions
Intended Outcome
Related Evaluation Question(s)
More efficient and equitable procedures for partnerships between community-based organizations and MCDPH
1. What is the perceived degree to which the procedures implemented are more equitable, from the perspective of CBOs?
2. How have the changes to the procedures impacted the ability of CBOs to partner with MCDPH?
3. What barriers still exist for CBOs in partnering with MCDPH?
4. What barriers still exist in the contracting process, from the perspectives of MCDPH?
5. Were there any factors that made the contracting process more efficient or equitable? If so, what factor(s)? (according to CBOs and MCDPH)
6. # of weeks between execution of contract and reception of first payment, for this project and for at least one recent project
7. (Question for MCDPH) Describe the steps involved, timelines, and lessons learned throughout this project.
Strong, symbiotic relationships between community-based organizations and MCDPH
8. (Question for CBOs) What factors have facilitated a strongly collaborative partnership with MCDPH?
9. (Question for CBOs) What factors have inhibited a strongly collaborative partnership with MCDPH?
10. (Question for MCDPH) What factors have facilitated a strongly collaborative partnership with CBOs?
11. (Question for MCDPH) What factors have inhibited a strongly collaborative partnership with CBOs?
The development of an organizational network that is representative and inclusive of the MCDPH service area
12. Type, size, and location of sub-contracted organizations
Improved capacity and willingness to partner on future Community Health Needs Assessments and other community-health related projects with MCDPH
13. To what extent is your organization willing to partner with MCDPH on future projects?
14. What factors would facilitate future collaboration?
15. What factors would inhibit future collaboration?
16. Regions represented by sub-contracted organizations
17. Demographics of regions represented