The National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) is a public health association for chronic disease program directors of each state and U.S. territory. Since its founding in 1988, NACDD has been a national leader in the effort to reduce chronic diseases by mobilizing its members to advocate for preventive policies and programs, encourage knowledge sharing and develop model partnerships for health promotion through state and community-based prevention strategies.
 
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2010 NACDD ACHIEVE RFA - State and Territorial Health Departments

 

Action Communities for Health, Innovation and EnVironmental ChangE (ACHIEVE):
STATE AND TERRITORIAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT REQUEST FOR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

Applications due:  December 9, 2009, by 11:59 pm ET

A.  Purpose

The National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Adult and Community Health seeks applications from State Health Departments (SHD) for technical assistance and training to support community coalitions or other local or regionally-based organizational entities to implement Action Communities for Health, Innovation and EnVironmental ChangE (ACHIEVE).  NACDD has funding for 10 ACHIEVE communities that will collaborate with the SHDs.  The 10 selected communities will collaborate with the State Health Department’s Chronic Disease Program as well as NACDD and other national partners.  A separate RFA is available for this funding for communities and is attached as reference.  All community applications must be submitted through the SHD and therefore must be attached to a SHD application in order to be considered.

The purpose of this request for technical assistance is to link SHDs with local communities funded to implement ACHIEVE to address chronic disease risk factors of physical inactivity, poor nutrition, and tobacco use at the policy, systems, and environmental change level to reduce the burden of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. ACHIEVE is part of a broader Healthy Communities collaborative with CDC, YMCA of the USA (YMCA), National Association of City and County Health Officials (NACCHO), and National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA).  Each SHD application must appoint a representative from the state’s Chronic Disease Program to act as the SHD Expert Advisor. This representative will ensure that the state’s recently appointed CDC Healthy Community Coordinator (HCC) is aware of this application to coordinate and augment technical assistance and support and makes notation on the attached form.  This linkage is critical to ensure that the CDC HCC and the SHD Expert Advisor provide consistent state-level support and assistance.  For information on the CDC’s Healthy Community Program, please visit the CDC’s website at:  http://www.cdc.gov/healthycommunitiesprogram/
     
Please note: As part of the national collaborative, YMCA, NACCHO and NRPA will announce similar RFAs for their respective constituents.  Each national partner will fund up to 10 communities.  While communities may apply to more than one national partner through the various RFAs, each community selected will only receive an award by one partner.  The NACDD RFA is the only national partner application that is required to be submitted and coordinated through the SHD Chronic Disease Director.  Refer to the ACHIEVE website for information on the other national partner RFAs at www.achievecommunities.org

B. Project Description

NACDD will provide technical assistance, support, linkages to national experts, and additional resources such as a travel support or supplemental funding as available to SHDs to assist local communities/organizational entities to fully implement the ACHIEVE Initiative for a three-year or longer project period. Communities must apply for funding in collaboration with the State Health Department Chronic Disease Program based on eligible applicant criteria (see section C below). Community applications submitted without a state application will not be considered for funding.

ACHIEVE seeks to create healthy communities by promoting local leadership and action to reduce chronic diseases and conditions through implementation of policy, systems and environmental change strategies specifically to increase physical activity, prevent tobacco use and promote healthy nutrition.  ACHIEVE works through local coalitions or community organizations to facilitate sustainable improvements working in partnership.  ACHIEVE works through a five-phase process: coalition building/commitment, assessment, prioritization, planning, and evaluation.  Sustaining efforts beyond the three-year project period is supported and encouraged and applicants addressing sustainability efforts will have preference in scoring.

C. Eligible SHD Applicants

All State Health Department Chronic Disease Programs (and the District of Columbia and U.S. Territories) are eligible to apply for technical assistance and support from NACDD to assist communities applying for funding through the Community RFA.  SHD applicants must provide collaboration and coordination to local communities/ entities from each respective state in the application process and commit to processing community applications by the due date.  A federally recognized tribe is not eligible to apply.  However; a community located on a reservation is eligible to apply through the appropriate SHD as is any community in that state.  Additionally, communities located in the U. S. Territories are eligible to apply through, but must submit the application through the NACDD “representative or voting” member located in that territory.

D. Available Travel and Expense Funding

Direct funding is not available for SHDs.  However, travel and expense support is available through the Community RFA that has a set-aside in the amount of $5,000 per selected applicant state to travel the SHD Expert Advisor to the Coaches Meeting (see F-2 below) and to the Action Institute (see F-4 below), to participate in required site visits, as well as any requested in-state travel to attend local meetings. 

E. Project Period

Selected SHDs Technical Assistance notices will be awarded on or around February 5, 2010 for a three-year project period.  States are expected to assist the funded communities work toward developing sustainable plans and implementing policies, systems and environmental change strategies that may go beyond the project period.  SHDs are required to provide state-based technical assistance and consultation to the selected communities for the duration of this initiative and beyond as able and to collaborate with the national partners. 

F. SHD Project Deliverables

SHD Chronic Disease Directors must appoint a SHD Expert Advisor (SHD EA) from the chronic disease program to collaborate with the national partners, specifically NACDD and the funded communities.  SHD EA’s are not coaches or CHART members, but are state-based technical experts providing state-level coordination and support.  Required SHD deliverables for ACHIEVE include technical assistance and consultation for the following community objectives:

  1. Appoint a SHD Expert Advisor to collaborate with NACDD and the other national partners on the provision of state-based technical assistance and consultation who will also provide a linkage role to the CDC’s Healthy Community Coordinator.
  2. Participation in an information Orientation conference call scheduled for the week of February 8, 2010 (exact date TBD).
  3. Participation in individual conference calls with selected communities (date TBD).
  4. Assistance in the development of a Community Health Action and Response Team (CHART) or enhancement of an existing coalition/entity willing to serve in this role.
  5. Participation in a Coaches Meeting in Washington, DC in March 2-4, 2010 (date subject to change) to learn more about the community change process and receive tools and strategies to assist with this process.
  6. Assistance in a community/organizational assessment process that describes the health aspects of the target community.
  7. Participation in a 3-day ACHIEVE Action Institute in (exact location TBD) during the weeks of either June 14 or June 21, 2010 (exact date TBD) where leaders will learn about tools, resources, and strategies to build healthier communities and will develop a plan of action at that institute to implement once the team returns home. 
  8. Assistance in implementation of policy, systems and environmental change strategies at the local level that will support and sustain community members to lead healthier lifestyles in their communities.
  9. Participation in scheduled conference calls as needed for the duration of the project.  This will include monthly technical assistance calls, learning webinars, progress updates, or other organizational sessions.
  10. Participation in community site visits with NACDD (one visit scheduled within the first year is anticipated).
  11. Participation with national partners in the development and implementation of evaluation methods and progress reporting.
  12. Participation in the NACDD Chronic Disease Academy in 2011 (if funding allows).
  13. Provide all reports on time and per established schedule (to be determined).

G. Reporting Requirements

Each successful SHD applicant will provide information on a routine basis through an electronic online reporting system.  One SHD Expert Advisor must be referenced in the application with all contact information and email address and must have computer and internet capability for reporting.

H. Submission Process

Applications for technical assistance include the completion of the SHD Request for Technical Assistance Form.  The form will include the names of Community Applicants from the respective states along with other requested information.  

In one email message, please attach the following and send via email to David Yum at dyum@chronicdisease.org:

  • SHD Application Form
  • All Community Applications

Please use the following subject line for your message:

ACHIEVE RFA (Fill in state abbreviation)
Ex: ACHIEVE RFA AL

The SHD Chronic Disease Director or designated contact will forward all applications from their state to NACDD by the noticed deadline for submission.  The designated contact does not have to be the SHD Expert Advisor in this case, but can be someone working on behalf of the director.  All applications sent by the deadline will receive an email acknowledging receipt of the application by NACDD.  There is no requirement to review or score in any way the community applications by the applying SHD; only to collect and submit with the SHD application.

I. Minimum Application Requirements

  • Applications exceeding page limits will not be reviewed.
  • Applications not using appropriate application form will not be reviewed.
  • Late applications (electronically stamped by the sender) after December 9, 2009 will not be accepted by NACDD.
  • Font size no smaller than 10-point Times New Roman, single-spaced.
  • Hard copy and fax applications will not be accepted.

J. Application Content/Requirements for SHDs (included in SHD Application Form)

  • Cover page that includes (limited to one page):
    • Name of the SHD Chronic Disease Director
    • Name and contact information for SHD Expert Advisor
    • Name and contact information for the State’s Healthy Communities’ contact
  • Names of community applicants (attach as many pages as needed to include all communities applying). This does not need to be in any order of priority.
  • Narrative description (not to exceed one page). See Section K below.

K. Evaluation and Selection Process

  • State Health Departments must be able to demonstrate how they will support local efforts and provide state-based technical assistance and evaluation support if communities are awarded funding in the state. While no funds are available directly to the states from NACDD to accomplish this, the CDC Division of Community and Adult Health (DACH) recently funded states for $40,000 for all SHDs to provide policy, environment and systems change technical assistance to the local level.  The SHD Expert Advisor will ensure that the state’s recently appointed CDC Healthy Community Coordinator is aware of this application to coordinate and augment technical assistance and support and makes notation on the attached form.  States must also affirm that they will be able to carry out the mandatory activities as described in Section F.  The SHD Application will be reviewed and considered in the overall scoring for the community RFA applications.

L. NACDD Commitment

  • NACDD commits to providing regular technical assistance and consultation via email, conference calls, in person meetings, conferences, webinars, and linkages to national expertise, additional resources for travel or funding if available, materials, and tools needed to promote community-driven success.  Additional support will be provided through site visits and one-on-one communications.

M. For more information on this application or on ACHIEVE

  • Visit the NACDD website at: http://www.chronicdisease.org/ACHIEVERFA2010shd  for an online version of this current RFA.
  • Visit the NACDD website at: http://www.chronicdisease.org/ACHIEVERFA2010faq  for a list of Frequently Asked Questions.
     
  • BIDDER'S CALL: A conference call to discuss this application process and provide an opportunity for questions is scheduled for October 29, 2009 at 2:00pm Eastern Time using the following call number and passcode:
     
                                Number 1-888-253-4037
                                Passcode     949630#
     
  • For questions about this application, please visit:  http://www.chronicdisease.org/ACHIEVERFA2010questions to submit your question online.  All posted questions will receive a notification of response within two business days and will be posted to the NACDD FAQ site on the web.  Emails or phone calls to NACDD representative for more information will be re-directed to the online submission form.   Please check for updates on the online system as questions and responses are posted.