Title: Fostering Leadership for Asian and Pacific Islanders through Research and Evaluation (FLARE)
Project Period: September 1, 2005 - August 31, 2008
Project Amount Funded (FY 2005): $278,250
Project Director: Lina Sheth

The Fostering Leadership for Asian and Pacific Islanders through Research and Evaluation (FLARE) project aims to develop and improve the capacity of community-based, Asian and Pacific Islander-serving organizations in Alameda, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties in California. This is accomplished through strategies of leadership development, community-based needs assessment, technical assistance and capacity development, and promotion of healthy behaviors and service utilization.

The project involves County Collaboratives, comprised of key leaders of community-based organizations from each targeted county, which serve as the foundation for fostering close community relationships and building successful networks of leaders. Members of the Collaboratives are providers as well as recipients of technical assistance services. The Collaboratives identify key community members to develop Community Working Groups for the purpose of implementing a community needs assessment utilizing the Rapid Assessment, Response, and Evaluation (RARE) methodology. After determining HIV/AIDS service capacity of Asian and Pacific Islander-serving organizations in the three counties, an organizational capacity assessment is completed and technical assistance and capacity development action plans developed for each county. These plans identify target organizations, prioritize TA/CD topics, and define timelines for completion. Project staff, Collaborative members, and a consultant pool provide assistance to targeted organizations through one-on-one trainings and group workshops. Curricula topics include: Asians and Pacific Islanders in community planning groups; making meetings work; performance evaluations; public outreach; and how to competently engage with the transgender community. In order to assist organizations in better promoting healthy behaviors and service utilization, participants learn about planning, implementing, and evaluating a broad social marketing campaign utilizing multiple media forms and focused, tailored messages. Two organizations in each county are then identified to independently implement an HIV-related anti-stigma campaign.

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