MAP Evaluation

Minority AIDS Project has designed and developed evaluation tools to review and assess the programs and services it offers. A Quality Management Plan outlines the continual, collaborative and introspective elements used to examine and evaluate program and service delivery to ensure quality program performance, attainment of desired results and maintenance of a superior standard of quality.

In addition to the oversight of its capable board and the performance of skilled and trained staff, evaluation activities at MAP are conducted through the Quality Management Improvement Committee (QMIC) with in put from its Community Advisory Board, and in consultation with the consultant evaluator. The QMIC is augmented on a quarterly basis by a Ph.D. Clinical Psychologist in Social and Behavioral Research from Charles R. Drew University Center for AIDS Research, Education and Services who provides advisory evaluation and quality management support. Outside evaluators have B.A., M.A. and/or M.S. degrees and experience working with non-profit and government agencies on the design and implementation of evaluation activities that include process evaluation and outcome monitoring. An annual summary report on overall program performance is produced at year-end.

Material resources for evaluation and research include health education materials developed in coordination with community members; computer and internet connectivity for planning; resource literature and materials on evaluation planning; data analysis; research methodology; training on development of evaluation tools; and secure data storage capacity and systems.

To expand the Agency reach and research methodology, MAP is participating in two projects; a project designed to reach young people with information about the challenges associated with behaviors that put them at risk for HIV and other STD’s and a collaborative research project to study HIV seroprevalence and other factors influencing HIV distribution among African American and Latino gang members, age 18 to 34. These projects, designed to survey youth and gang members’ knowledge of HIV and its transmission; attitudes about the disease, protection methods and prevalence of high-risk behaviors; and provide testing, follow-up and counseling, enable MAP to work with young men and women who do not have positive, comfortable environments to which to turn when they need information and whose behaviors and lack of information could jeopardize their future, and with the Toberman Settlement House and other organizations providing after-school and gang intervention programs. MAP will offer multiple means of access to HIV testing and to partnerships that can provide effective exchange of skills, knowledge and sharing of resources that build trust among community based organizations, the scientific community and the people most in need of the services.