The CLEAR Unit will be participating in the evaluation of the new Community Planning Initiative that was announced by the AIDS Bureau in May 2004 and will be occurring in 12 regions across Ontario.

As you will recall, there are four objectives of the Community Planning Initiative:

1) To develop a community HIV/AIDS strategy that responds to local needs and reflects provincial goals and directions;

2) To improve access to, and the coordination of, services for people living with HIV and populations at risk;

3) To provide more integrated, comprehensive, effective, efficient care and support service; and

4) To develop innovative service delivery models ("Guidelines for Community Planning", AIDS Bureau, Community Health Unit, Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, May 2004).

The CLEAR Unit will be involved in exploring how the integration of services is developing. As regions begin their Community Planning Process, staff from the CLEAR Unit will be in contact with the local community planner to discuss the evaluation further and to begin the evaluation process. We look forward to talking with planning committee members in the various regions across Ontario over the next year.

The objectives of the Evaluation are as follows:

1) To measure change in agency working relationships/collaboration/service integration in 12 regions of Ontario after the HIV/AIDS community planning initiative:

2) To assess the level of collaboration and/or service integration between agencies; and

3) To assess the capacity of community-based AIDS organizations to coordinate and to integrate service planning and delivery. Note: For the purposes of this evaluation study, the term "service integration" is used to describe types of collaboration, partnerships or networks whereby autonomous organizations work together to improve health and social care for specific community residents.