What types of resources are necessary to make the program work?
Flexible Goals
Depending on your community's resources and needs, the program can be tailored to achieve different levels of results. Size of the community, local geography, staffing, media products and health subjects all can be adjusted and goals set according to program resources. While the program as it is presented in the A Su Salud En Acción Training Manual is aimed at Hispanic audiences, with minor modifications, it can be tailored to other ethnic or language groups.
Organizational Support
There must be a sponsoring organization that provides financial accountability, office space, equipment and minimal clerical support. Often a public health agency serves this function.
Personnel and Required Skills
Depending on the goals set by the sponsoring organization, one or more individuals may be required to maintain the program. Typically, as the minimum, a part-time media coordinator and a part-time community coordinator are employed. Under some conditions, one person can manage both jobs; however, these tasks are typically distributed between two people. Media production requires a strong command of English and Spanish languages and an ability to articulate the program's messages clearly. The program will train personnel in the basic skills of print, radio and television journalism. Community outreach requires an individual with strong interpersonal communication skills, an outgoing and amiable personality, and thorough familiarity with the community.
Equipment
In addition to standard office support, a computer with a printer, scanner, word processing software, mobile phone/pager and camera will be necessary for creating the basic media products. These may be in the form of a newsletter, calendar or bulletin. Although more elaborate production is possible, very effective materials can be produced "in house" if budgets are small, which is often the case.
Local Travel
Extensive travel within the community will likely be required for both the media coordinator and the community outreach person. Program goals, such as the frequency of media products and the number of volunteers recruited, will determine the extent of travel.
Training Requirements
If individuals recruited to implement the program have the necessary basic skills, training will build on existing strengths. Training takes about six days and is currently broken into two periods with two weeks separating the sessions. Training covers all aspects of program planning, training, implementation and evaluation.
Incentives
The program relies on local volunteers who serve as "peer networkers" by contacting friends, relatives, co-workers and neighbors with whom they share program information. Peer networkers gain useful leadership experience and satisfaction from their contacts with other community members. However, it is helpful if incentives are also built into the program's budget. Incentives can be as simple as social events that recognize volunteer efforts or more elaborate ceremonies in which gifts of value are bestowed upon those who volunteer to work in the program. Long-term satisfaction and low attrition are achieved when incentives are thoughtfully created and judiciously distributed throughout the program's life.