Writing Proposals for HIV/AIDS Prevention Grants - U.S. Conference ...

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12 TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE REPORTS March 20032) Program PlanAlso known as the Work Plan, the Program Plan shouldflow directly from your stated goals and objectives; thatis, each activity described in the Program Plan shouldrelate logically to a specific objective and the goal underwhich it falls. If you have written clear and specificobjectives, it should be relatively easy to fill in the detailsof the Program Plan.The exact format of this section of the proposal willvary depending on the requirements of the fundingsource and the grant writer’s preferences. Some applicantsstructure this section by first listing all their goals andobjectives and then plugging in descriptions of activitiesunder each one. Others list the goals and objectives separatelyfrom the description of the program and its activities.Some funders are interested in specific informationabout the proposed program and ask you to provide thatinformation; in that case, just follow their suggestedformat. Regardless of the format used, in most cases youwill have to cover the following information:Program overview. If your format allows, consider writinga short summary of all the program components beforedescribing each one in detail. Explain how each componentrelates to the others. This will make it easier for thereviewers to understand your program description.Description of individual interventions. Most preventionprograms are made up of a combination of individualservices–or interventions. Describe each interventionWhen you’ve finished the first draft of the ProposedProgram section, get someone who is not directly involvedwith the project to read this section and give you feedback.Chances are that if this individual doesn’t understandwhat you’re proposing, reviewers won’t either.separately, being careful to include as much as possibleof the following information:• Type of intervention (e.g., condom distribution, preventioncounseling, prevention education and risk reductionworkshops, community awareness event)• Information or skills to be delivered (e.g., “AIDS 101"information, sexual negotiation skills training, saferinjection skills)• Content of each intervention (topics to be covered)• Curriculum or model to be used (e.g., Red Cross HIVprevention curriculum, Stop AIDS model, in-housecurriculum to be developed)• Staff positions assigned to conduct the intervention (e.g.,program coordinator, peer educators, outreach workers)• Frequency and duration of the intervention (e.g., dailyoutreach for a total of three hours a day, weeklysupport groups lasting two hours)• Times and location of the interventions (e.g., outreachto high-risk MSM will be conducted between thehours of 11pm and 2am in bars frequented by MSM)• Number of clients expected to participate (e.g., maximumnumber of participants for safe sex workshop; expectednumber of street outreach contacts per month)• Client recruitment and retention (e.g, the program willbe advertised through flyers and word-of-mouth,incentives such as a meeting stipend or subwaytokens will be provided)• Activities or tasks related to implementing interventions(e.g., design of workshop content, recruitment andtraining of peer educators)• Linkages and referrals (how is the intervention relatedto other programs in your organization, what arrangementshave you made with other local agencies to help yourecruit clients, do you have a system for referring outclients who require assistance–such as locating affordablehousing–that your agency doesn’t provide?)Time line. Many funders require applicants to includea time line listing the key steps involved in implementinga project, including beginning and projected completiondates and staff responsible for each step. Even if a timeline is not required, it is a good idea to include one forseveral reasons. First, it reassures reviewers that yourorganization is realistic about the steps involved inimplementing the project and the approximate lengthof time each step will take. Second, the time line alsoserves as a tool which your organization and the fundercan use to monitor the progress of the project.Staffing of project. It is important to convey to reviewersthat your organization has a realistic understanding ofthe staff resources needed to implement the project.Briefly describe each proposed position by listing thejob title, main responsibilities, and required skills.The United States Conference of Mayors • 1620 Eye Street,NW • Washington, DC 20006 • (202) 293-7330www.usmayors.org/uscm
March 2003 TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE REPORTS 13Tips on Collaboration• Justify the collaboration. If you plan to collaborate withone or more organizations or agencies, explain inyour proposal why your organization has choseneach partner and what specific gaps each one willmeet. It is also crucial to explain the structure of thecollaboration. For example, if your organization isthe lead agency but has significantly less experiencewith the target population than the collaboratingagency, funders may wonder why the collaboratingagency isn’t applying for the grant instead of yourorganization. It may be that the collaboratingagency has greater cultural competency with thetarget population but lacks the organizational skillsto administer the project properly.• Make it formal. Formalize your organization’s relationshipwith potential collaborators by preparinga memorandum of agreement or MOA (also referredto as a “Letter of Collaboration” or a “Memorandumof Understanding”) that outlines each partner’stasks and responsibilities and include the MOA inyour proposal appendix. This is particularly importantwhen the success of your proposed project dependson the cooperation of another organization. Makesure that any MOA you include in the appendix iscurrent and specific to the proposed project.• Be specific. MOAs should include a detaileddescription of the services each collaborating agencywill provide and the time frame for these services.They should also describe how the partners willcommunicate with each other and monitor theprogress of the collaboration.• Ensure accountability. Work out a system in advancefor managing the collaboration. This can includeplanning regular meetings, developing and reviewingforms that record services performed by partners,and holding periodic strategy sessions.• Distinguish between a collaborator and sub-contractor.A collaboration is not primarily a financial relationship,though there may be some economic benefitsof the project for all partners. When another organizationis actually being paid to conduct some projectactivities, what’s needed is not a collaborative agreementbut a contract for services. There are a variety of waysin which collaborator/subcontractor relationshipscan be structured. For example, a project staffer mightwork at the offices of a collaborating organizationwhile remaining on the payroll of the lead organization;this would not require a subcontract. However, if astaff member on the payroll of a collaboratingorganization is conducting vital project activities, asubcontract with the second organization is needed.What concerns reviewers is that the projectincludes organizations with the capacity to reachthe target population, that project staff (no matterwhose payroll they are on) are properly compensated,and that all staff are supervised in a way thatensures accountability to the funder.Indicate whether the position will be full-or part-timeby specifying the percentage of time to be spent on theposition. It should be clear who will supervise each positionand how they will do so (e.g., weekly staff meetings). Ifyou have identified candidates for any of the proposedpositions, provide a resume in the supporting documentation.If the program involves volunteers, funders will pay closeattention to your plans for recruiting, training, supervising,and retaining them. Finally, be careful not to assign fulltimeresponsibilities to part-time staff or volunteers;reviewers may think you don’t understand what’s neededto do the job properly and that it won’t get done.Justification of methods. It is important to provide anexplanation of why your organization has chosen aparticular set of interventions for the target population.Most HIV prevention programs are designed accordingto a combination of formal (scientifically tested) andinformal (based on experience) theory. There is nothingwrong with using informal theory; just make sure thatyou describe the assumptions that are behind the choiceThe United States Conference of Mayors • 1620 Eye Street,NW • Washington, DC 20006 • (202) 293-7330www.usmayors.org/uscm
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