Questions and Answers (Q&As) for Planning Process
If you have any questions regarding the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) PS19-1906 Component B Planning Process or Program Guidance, please review the Q&As below.
Component B: Accelerating State and Local HIV Planning
to End the HIV Epidemic
Questions and Answers (Post-Award)
Date as of: November 21, 2019
PLANNING GROUPS AND ENGAGEMENT
Q: Our County has a Ryan White Part A Planning Council; it does not have a prevention planning body. Can we create a new planning body for this NOFO? If we cannot create a new planning group, can we create a subcommittee of the Planning Council and add additional people to that group?
A: New activities should build on and not replace existing integrated planning efforts. If needed, subcommittees of the planning bodies or planning councils can be established at the local/county level.
Q: If the plans are due by December 30, 2019, what is expected of recipients for the remaining months of the project?
A: Community engagement should be continual throughout the duration of the project. Community engagement should be conducted after the draft plans have been submitted to inform the final plan submission for September 2020. For example, recipient can conduct town halls, road shows, etc. to discuss the current EHE plan and adjust based on feedback. Additionally, depending on the feedback from the review process of the draft plans, recipients will have additional work to finalize the plans by September 2020.
Q: Our concern is the “completeness” of our December 30 submission. We are proposing to conduct most of our engagement process in 2020. Our discovery will probably result in the need for modification of all sections of the plan for the final submission. Is this acceptable?
A: For documentation of community engagement, it is expected that many of these activities will be ongoing and your proposal is acceptable. It is also reasonable that the situational analyses snapshots submitted with the draft plan will later be updated to reflect ongoing community engagement efforts. Likewise, it is also expected that revisions to the draft plan will occur prior to a final submission. The feedback from the review process and subsequent revisions to the EHE plan are part of the milestones for the project.
PROGRAM GUIDANCE
Page Limits
Q: We have multiple named Phase I counties. Is the 5-page limit for the Epi profile for each Phase I county or a total for all?
A: These page limits are intended to help reduce the burden of an expedited planning process. For cases in which multiple Phase I counties are named, there may be a need to exceed these page limits (5-pages for the epi profile and 10-pages for the situational analysis).
Due Dates
Q: In reference to “Snapshots” of the Epi Profile and the Situational Analysis: Are the snapshots due with the draft EHE Plan by December 30, 2019?
A: Yes, the snapshots are due with the draft plan submission in December 2019.
Elements 1 through 4 listed on page 8 of the program guidance document (https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pdf/funding/announcements/ps19-1906/cdc-hiv-PS19-1906-component-B-program-guidance.pdfpdf icon) are all due as part of the draft EHE plan submitted on December 30, 2019.
Documentation
Q: The ‘Documentation of Community Engagement’ guidance asks for agendas, meeting summaries, etc. Are jurisdictions expected to provide documentation from before this funding period began on Sept. 30, 2019? Should this section also speak to future community engagement plans?
A: Community engagement that occurs during the current project period in each of the identified Phase I jurisdictions is a required activity for this NOFO. The documentation refers to this activity.
Multiple Counties
Q: Does our jurisdiction fall under the multiple contiguous category because four of their counties are contiguous, or do we fall under the category of multiple Phase I counties spread throughout the state because two of the counties are non-contiguous to the others?
A: Both options would apply. Please feel free to provide information for the four contiguous counties together and information on the other two counties separately – but all in one submitted plan.
Plan Content
Q: Which parts of the plan need to be organized by the 4 pillars?
A: The situational analysis snapshot summary and EHE plan need to be organized by pillar. Information in the Epi Profile snapshot may also be organized by pillar, if data are available.
Q: How should we address social determinants of health – these goals do not neatly fit under the four pillars?
A: In general, activities related to social determinants of health should be linked as closely as possible to specific pillar-related activities as they should address factors that are interfering with local HIV prevention and care activities or outcomes. For example, an activity like assistance with transportation intended to improve access to services or care could be described under the treat pillar.
Plan Submission
Q: It is requested that only one plan be submitted per recipient. Recipients with multiple counties are not required to submit separate plans. For the final submission, will it also be one plan inclusive of all six counties, or at that point, are separate submissions by each of the counties required?
A: Only one plan should be submitted for the final plan, inclusive of all identified EHE counties. Include sub-sections for each county within the overall written plan. Note that submitted snapshots as well as explicit plans for engagement and planned activities should be described for each named county.
INCENTIVES
Q: Pulling meetings together with partners to do planning may require working a whole day. Is food allowed in the budget plans?
A: Nutritional supplements are an allowable cost. Please refer to the Office of Grants Services (OGS) regarding budget guidelines.
Q: Are incentives allowable to engage community partners?
A: Yes, incentives are allowable to engage community partners.
EHE PLANS VS. INTEGRATED PLANS
Q: Is the Ending the Epidemic plan different from the Integrated Plan?
A: An Ending the HIV Epidemic plan must have an explicitly stated goal of reducing new HIV infections and be consistent with the Ending the HIV Epidemic Initiative. Additionally, it must have: 1) Activities consistent with each Pillar; 2) A timeline consistent with a 75% reduction in new infections within 5 years and; 3) A focus on the identified counties, for those health department jurisdictions with identified counties.
REVIEW PROCESS AND INVOLEMENT OF FEDERAL PARTNERS
Q: How will federal agencies be involved?
A: The CDC, HRSA and SAMHSA, along with HHS, are coordinating throughout this planning process. An interagency approach will be used for reviewing plans developed from this NOFO. Additionally, these plans are intended to add to and build upon existing CDC-HRSA integrated HIV prevention and care planning efforts.
Q: Who will be involved in the review process of the draft EHE Plan?
A: CDC and HRSA will conduct a joint review of the draft EHE plan and provide joint feedback to recipients by Spring 2020.
If your questions are not addressed in the Q&As, please send your questions to PS19-1906@cdc.gov.