|
HPTN Community Involvement & Participation
 Involvement of community members is a necessary
and valuable part of any research effort. Studies have shown that research
interventions are most likely to succeed when all community members concerned -
investigators, government and nongovernmental entities, product manufacturers as
well as the community members - regard the research as relevant and the process
as collaborative. Community members can and should play an integral role in
advising on the development and participation in the decision-making about
research trials in their community. The Network facilitates true partnerships
between the community and researchers in all aspects of research design,
implementation and dissemination, including setting future research agendas and
participating in the operations of the Network.
The elements critical to HPTN community
involvement are presented below.
Community
Participation
Community participation occurs throughout the
Network through various mechanisms that include participation on the Network
leadership team and committees, as well as with representation on the Ethics
Working Group, the six scientific working groups (SWGs) and protocol
teams. Community
Working Group (CWG)
The Community Working Group is a committee of site
representatives and community specialists that advises and advocates for
community participation at all levels of the research process and ensures
community participation is adequately addressed at the sites and in the
management of the HPTN.
Regional
Working Groups
The Regional Working Groups -- Africa, Eurasia,
and the Americas -- provide an opportunity for community representatives and
site staff to work with other sites in their region to help support each other
in their community participation activities. The RWGs identify key issues faced
by the sites and communities and develop methods to resolve them.
Site
Community Activities & Research
Each of the sites has dedicated staff to help
support community involvement and education in HIV prevention research.
Community
Educators
Each HIV Prevention Trial Unit (HPTU) has
community education staff to facilitate community involvement at the site level.
Various resources, guidelines and reporting mechanisms for community educators
are available.
Community
Involvement Toolbox
Various resources are available to support efforts
for community involvement and participation.
CORE
Community Involvement Program
The CORE Community Involvement Program (CIP)
manages community participation processes within the Network. CIP staff are
responsible for coordinating resources that support community participation by
providing staff, technical assistance, and other mechanisms for sharing
information throughout the Network.
|
