206127 Face-to-face to cyberspace: The use of innovative web-based community capacity building

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Jazmin I. Zane, MSW , UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Amy Carroll-Scott, PhD , Health DATA, UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, Los Angeles, CA
Peggy Toy, MA , Health DATA Program, UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, Los Angeles, CA
Steven Wallace, PhD , UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, Los Angeles, CA
Roberta Wyn, PhD , Health DATA Program, UCLA Center for Health Policy ResearchHealth DATA Program, Los Angeles, CA
BACKGROUND: The Data & Democracy Statewide Training Initiative aims to enhance the data capacity of communities throughout California, by training representatives of community-based organizations (CBOs) to access and utilize data for their local public health planning and advocacy. Data & Democracy is now in its third phase of funding, and has provided courses and technical assistance (TA) to over 250 participants. Previous evaluation results yielded suggestions for novel and more time-efficient delivery mechanisms for TA, networking, and resources. This was due to previous participants' challenges with the “usual approach” to capacity building (e.g., in-person skill-building, phone TA) due to lack of time and competing organizational commitments. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: The Data & Democracy Online WorkStation was developed in order to meet the needs of its CBO representative participants by providing online tools for sharing community events, and the ability to access helpful resources on the community assessment process, data collection and methodology, grant writing, mobilization, and other topics. A public page is available in which past Data & Democracy graduates and the general public can access information and resources about health data and community assessments. DATA: The WorkStation has an ongoing online survey mechanism where WorkStation users can provide immediate feedback. Preliminary results demonstrate the WorkStation's effectiveness as a platform for delivering TA, helpful resources, and networking. CONCLUSION: In light of the growing advances and utilization of internet and technology, online communities can effectively provide needed resources and assistance to CBOs to support capacity building.

Learning Objectives:
1. Understand the unique demands of community-based organizations that limit their ability to participate in the usual approach to capacity building 2. Describe the application of an innovative web-based community network to address these challenges to improve community capacity building and technical assistance efforts 3. Apply Data & Democracy experience and lessons learned to replicate a similar model in your own programmatic or community context

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been working on the Data & Democracy project for over a year, and I am currently the project manager and trainer for this project. I have also been one of the main point-persons in developing and managing the online community.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: Community-Based Disease Prevention and Health Promotion: Poster Session
See more of: Community Health Planning and Policy Development