Go to discovernd.com, the official site for North Dakota State Government programs and services.
HIV/AIDS Program
Resources Events Training Contact Us Search Home
Programs & Services
hiv prevention hiv care
begin hiv prevention community involvement navigation facts

testing

test sites

media campaigns

community involvement		 end hiv prevention community involvement navigation
HIV prevention : community involvement : by laws

North Dakota Community Planning Group

for HIV Prevention

 

CHARTER

 

 

ARTICLE I.  Name

 

The name of this group will be the North Dakota HIV Prevention Community Planning Group.

 

ARTICLE II.  Mission

 

The overall mission of the CPG is to develop a comprehensive HIV prevention plan targeting North Dakota’s defined high-risk populations with scientifically based prevention interventions that are responsive to the identified needs within these populations.

 

This mission will be accomplished in collaboration with the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) by achieving the three major goals and eight objectives of HIV Prevention Community Planning found in the Guidance.

 

GOAL ONE:  Community planning supports broad-based community participation in HIV Prevention Planning.

·           Objective A:  Implement an open recruitment process (outreach, nominations, and selection) for CPG membership.

·           Objective B:  Ensure that the CPG(s) membership is representative of the diversity of populations most at risk for HIV infection and community characteristics in the jurisdiction, and includes key professional expertise and representation from key governmental and non-governmental agencies.

·           Objective C:  Foster a community planning process that encourages inclusion and parity among community planning members.

 

GOAL TWO:  Community planning identifies priority HIV prevention needs (a set of priority target populations and interventions for each identified target population) in each jurisdiction.

·           Objective D:  Carry out a logical, evidence-based process to determine the highest priority, population-specific prevention needs in the jurisdiction.

·           Objective E:  Ensure that prioritized target populations are based on an epidemiologic profile and a community service assessment.

·           Objective F:  Ensure that prevention activities/interventions for identified priority target populations are based on behavioral and social science, outcome effectiveness, an/or have been adequately tested with intended target populations for cultural appropriateness, relevance, and acceptability.

 

GOAL THREE:  Community planning ensures that HIV prevention resources target priority populations and interventions set forth in the comprehensive HIV prevention plan.

·           Objective G:  Demonstrate a direct relationship between the Comprehensive HIV Prevention Plan and the Health Department Application for federal HIV prevention funding.

·           Objective H:  Demonstrate a direct relationship between the Comprehensive HIV Prevention Plan and funded interventions.

           

The NDDoH will complete the annual application for federal HIV prevention funds based on the CPG’s comprehensive HIV prevention plan.  The CPG will be asked to assess the responsiveness and effectiveness of this application for funding in accomplishing priority prevention needs as identified in the CPG’s plan.  Furthermore, the comprehensive HIV prevention plan may also be used to secure additional funding.

 

ARTICLE III. Membership

 

Section 1. Number:  The CPG shall consist of no less than 15 members and no more than 25.  A vacancy shall not prevent the CPG from conducting business.  The CPG membership will emulate, as closely as possible, the demographics of HIV in North Dakota.

 

Section 2.  Appointment and removal:  New members will be selected each fall prior to the new community planning year.  Recruitment efforts by all CPG members will continue throughout the entire planning year.  Prospective members will attend CPG meeting in an advisory capacity until they are accepted for membership in the new planning year.

 

The CPG will have the right to remove members for good cause.  A simple majority of those present is required for removal.  All members are required to attend each regularly scheduled meeting.

 

Section 3.  Term of Membership:  CPG members may serve on the CPG indefinitely.

 

Section 4.  Vacancies:  The Recruitment and Nominations Committee, whose responsibilities include assessment of recruitment needs and review of membership applications, will meet, in the fall, prior to the new planning year, to approve or deny membership to new applicants.  CPG members and others are encouraged to recruit new members throughout the planning year based on needs. Vacancies may be filled from the pool of previous nominations submitted, with consideration given to parity, inclusion and representation of applicants. 

 

Section 5.  Chairs:  The NDDoH will select an employee or a designated representative as the state-appointed co-chair and will define the length of the term.  The CPG will select the community co-chair who will serve a term of one year and may serve a maximum of three consecutive years.  The co-chairs share responsibility for guiding the CPG in accomplishing its mission and goals.

 

The CPG will annually select a community co-chair elect, whose primary responsibility will be to serve in the absence of the community co-chair.  The community co-chair elect will serve a term of one year and may serve a maximum of three consecutive years.  

 

ARTICLE IV.  Roles and Responsibilities

 

Section 1.  Role of Planning Group:  CPGs are responsible for developing a comprehensive HIV prevention plan and reviewing the health department’s application for federal HIV prevention funding for concurrence with the plan.  CPGs do not allocate resources.

 

The role of the CPG (from the Guidance) in the HIV prevention community planning process is to:

 

  1. Elect the Community Co-Chairs(s), who will work with the health department-designated co-chairs(s).

 

  1. Review and use key data to establish prevention priorities.  The CPG should review all existing and new products (i.e., epidemiologic profile, community services assessment, prioritized target populations, selected set of prevention activities/interventions, and the comprehensive HIV prevention plan) prior to all decision making.

 

  1. Develop a Comprehensive HIV Prevention Plan.

·           The CPG’s emphasis should be on developing a comprehensive HIV prevention plan that includes priority target populations and prevention activities/interventions.  Target populations should be prioritized and prevention activities/interventions chosen based on their ability to prevent as many new infections as possible.

·           The health department and CPG, together, determine if the CPG will take on responsibility for more than planning-related activities.

 

  1. Collaborate with the health department in reviewing and finalizing key community planning activities:  the epidemiologic profile, the community services assessment, prioritized target populations, set of prevention activities/interventions, and the comprehensive plan for HIV prevention community planning.

 

  1. Review the health department application to CDC for federal HIV prevention funds, including the proposed budget, and develop a written response that describes whether the health department application does or does not, and to what degree, agree with the priorities set forth in the comprehensive HIV prevention plan.

·           This process is often called the concurrence/non-concurrence process.

 

Section 2.  Shared Responsibility:  Responsibility will be shared between the NDDoH and the CPG (from the Guidance) to:

 

  1. Process Management:  Develop procedures/policies that address membership, roles, and decision making, specifically:

·           Composition of the CPG; selection, appointment, and duration of terms to ensure that the CPG membership reflects, as much as possible, the epidemic in the jurisdiction (i.e., age, race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, geographic distribution and risk for HIV infection)

·           Roles and responsibilities of the CPG, its members, and its various components (i.e., committees, work groups, regional groups, etc.)

·           Process to prospectively identify potential conflicts(s)of interest and methods for resolution of conflicts(s) of interest for CPG members.

·           Methods for reaching decisions; attendance at meetings; and resolution of disputes identified in planning deliberations.

 

  1. Membership Selection:  Develop and apply criteria for selecting CPG members:

·           Special emphasis should be placed on procedures for identifying representatives of at-risk, affected, and socioeconomically marginalized groups that are underserved by existing HIV prevention programs.

 

  1. Input Mechanisms:  Determine the most effective input mechanisms for the community planning process.

·           The process must be structured to best incorporate and address needs and priorities identified at the community level.

·           The process should include strategies for obtaining input from key populations (e.g., IDUs, MSM, youth, undocumented immigrants, etc.) that may not be CPG members.

 

  1. Planning Funds:  Provide input on the usage of planning funds:

·           Support CPG meetings, public meetings, and other means for obtaining community input

·           Facilitate involvement of all participants in the planning process, particularly those persons with and at risk for HIV infection

·           Support capacity development for inclusion, representation, and parity of community representatives and for other CPG members to participate effectively in the process

·           Provide technical assistance to health departments and community planning groups by outside expertise

·           Assure representation of the CPG (governmental and non-governmental) at necessary regional or national planning meetings

·           Support planning infrastructure for the HIV prevention community planning process

·           Collect, analyze, and disseminate relevant data

·           Monitor and evaluate the community planning process

 

  1. Provide a thorough orientation for al new members, as soon as possible after appointment.  New members should understand the:

·           Goals and Core Objectives, roles, responsibilities, and principles outlined in the Guidance.

·           Procedures and ground rules used in all deliberations and decision making

·           Specific policies and procedures for resolving disputes and avoiding conflicts of interest that are consistent with the principles of the Guidance.

 

  1. Evaluate the community planning process to assure that it is

      meeting the core objectives of community planning.

 

Section 3.  Individual Responsibilities:  The specific responsibilities of the CPG members, the co-chairs, and the NDDoH are outlined in job descriptions.                                  

ARTICLE V.  Governance of Meetings

 

Section 1.  Attendance:  CPG members are expected to attend each regularly scheduled meeting.  Approximately seven meetings will be held each planning year.  Other than the first meeting of the year, dates for subsequent meetings will be decided on at the close of the current meeting.  Additional CPG meetings or committee/task force meetings may be scheduled as necessary.

 

Section 2.  Quorum:  A quorum of the CPG must be present at any regular or specially scheduled meeting in order for the CPG to engage in formal decision-making.  A quorum is defined as one-third of the appointed CPG membership.  Meetings can be held without a quorum present but any decisions made during those meetings will be advisory only.

 

Section 3.  Agenda:  A preliminary agenda will be determined by the group at the end of each meeting, and the final agenda will be sent to CPG members at least one week before the next meeting.

 

Section 4.  Open to public:  CPG meetings shall be open to the public.  No names will be associated with individuals:  HIV status, sexual orientation or other confidential information.

 

Section 5.  Decision-making:  All CPG processes will be guided by the CPG’s ground rules.  The CPG will make decisions based on “The Levels of Consensus.”  A simple majority of CPG levels at a level of consensus of four or above will allow the decision to pass.

 

Section 6.  Conflict of interest:  Conflict of interest occurs when: (1) an appointed voting member of the CPG has a direct of fiduciary interest (which included ownership, employment, contractual, creditor, or consultative relationship to: or Board or staff membership), in an organization (including any interest that existed at any time during the twelve months preceding his/her appointment) with which the CPG had a direct, financial and /or recognized relationship and (2) when a member of the CPG knowingly takes action or makes a statement intended to influence the conduct of the CPG in such a way as to confer any financial benefit on the member, family member(s) or on any organization in which he/she is an employee or has a significant interest.

 

All CPG members are encouraged to identify conflict of interest, or request a review of a potential conflict of interest of another member.

 

In the event of a conflict of interest and/or during the period of review of conflict of interest, members may participate in the discussion of the matter in conflict/question but shall abstain from voting on the matter.

 

ARTICLE VI. Committees and Task Forces

 

Committees or task forces may be appointed by a simple majority vote of those present at the CPG meeting to address specific tasks or to do background work, which is then brought to the entire CPG for action.  Additional meetings may be scheduled for committees or task forces as needed.  Minute and attendance will be kept of these sub-committee meetings.

 

ARTICLE VII.  Books and Records

 

The CPG and its sub-committees will keep minutes of all proceedings and any other books and records as may be required for the proper conduct of its business and affairs.  The minutes of each meeting, along with the agenda for the next meeting, will be distributed to CPG members at least one week before the next meeting.  The minutes will serve as a reference for research purposes and in the development of the CPG’s comprehensive HIV prevention plan; as such they will contain summaries of discussions, decisions and concepts.  Information relative to HIV status, sexual orientation and other confidential information will not be linked to a name.

 

ARTICLE VIII. Amendments

           

An ad hoc committee of the CPG will review the charter at least once every three years and revise as appropriate.  The charter may be amended at any regular or special meeting of the CPG.  Written notice of the proposed charter change(s), including existing language and proposed changes, will be mailed or delivered to each CPG member at least 30 days prior to the date of the meeting.  Charter changes require a simple majority vote of the CPG membership present.

 

ARTICLE IX. Ratification

 

This charter goes into effect upon a simple majority vote of those present at the CPG meeting.

 

ARTICLE X.  Dissolution

 

This CPG has been formed to assist the NDDoH in HIV prevention.  The CPG will continue to function as long as a need for its mission exists.  A two-thirds majority decision of the CPG membership will dissolve its charter.