Connect to Protect (C2P): Building a Community-Based Infrastructure for HIV Prevention

The C2P community mobilization model entails: determining a geographic area and population
of focus for the coalitions to prioritize their planning and action; developing coalitions
that have a shared vision and mission; developing a strategic plan focused on structural
changes to reduce risks associated with HIV; documenting processes; providing feedback as
technical assistance to the coalitions; hosting regular working group meetings; and on-going
capacity building. The National Coordinating Center (NCC), operating under the direction of
the Protocol Chair, provides guidance, training, technical assistance and feedback to
coalitions.

The evaluation of C2P includes both process evaluation (i.e., documentation of coalition
actions and achievements of structural changes; and outcome evaluation to qualitatively
assess (via Key Informant (KI) interviews) if and how C2P efforts, including completed
structural changes, have influenced the risk environment within each community. In addition,
local health surveillance data and HIV testing data will be used to evaluate changes in HIV
testing patterns and HIV/Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) morbidity among youth.

1. The intervention group = Community members who become engaged in the coalitions and
in the broader mobilization effort; and

2. The evaluation group = Key Informants within each C2P community who either work or
reside within the sectors or systems where structural changes have been accomplished
and/or the coalition has focused their strategic planning efforts.