Implementation and Evaluation of a Social Marketing Campaign
The Maryland Department of Health (MDH or the Department), Center for Injury and Violence Prevention (CIVP), is issuing this solicitation to support the implementation and evaluation of a social marketing campaign on the intersections of DV and HIV, targeting the African-born population of two Capital Region counties of Maryland: Montgomery and Prince George’s. The Contractor will conduct formative research to identify effective strategies for broad-based implementation of evidence-based interventions to educate the target population on DV and HIV and how they intersect. The results of the formative research must lead to a greater understanding of the beliefs and attitudes that influence behavior change (i.e. perceived risk, perceived severity, etc.), the key motivation for attitude and behavior change (i.e. perceived benefit/cost of behavior change) in the population, the best way to segment the target audience (i.e. according to demographic and/or attitudinal differences), the most effective message style and placement, and how to identify and connect with leaders that influence the community.
This social marketing campaign aims to 1) Educate the African-born population in Maryland on DV and HIV and how they intersect. 2) Promote HIV testing among the African –born population of Montgomery and Prince George’s counties. 3) Provide resources for the African-born population affected by DV and or HIV
BACKGROUND
DV/HIV Prevention Program
The Maryland Department of Health’s Domestic Violence and HIV Prevention Program is funded by the CDC’s “Integrated HIV Surveillance and Prevention Programs for Health Departments- 2018-2022.” The purpose of this grant is to implement comprehensive and integrated HIV surveillance and prevention programs, improve health outcomes for people living with HIV, and reduce related health disparities. The Infectious Disease Prevention and Health Services Bureau, Center for HIV/STI Integration and Capacity (CHSIC) has identified survivors of violence as a high-risk population and has partnered with MDH’s Center for Injury and Violence Prevention on a DV/HIV program. The impact goals of the DV/HIV Initiative are to (1) reduce new HIV infections among high-risk populations and (2) improve health outcomes for people living with HIV.
HIV among African-born Population in Maryland
HIV diagnosis rates among the African-born population in Maryland are higher than other populations. In 2019, of the 931 diagnosed with HIV, 154 were born in a foreign country. And among these new HIV diagnosis African-born person accounted for 9.9% of the total newly reported HIV diagnoses and 59.7% of the foreign-born diagnoses. Of the 31,630 persons living with diagnosed HIV, 3,680 were foreign-born. African-born residents account for 7.3% of the total persons living with HIV and 62.9% of the foreign-born people. African-born persons living with diagnosed HIV were born in 44 countries. The most common reported countries were Cameroon (27.0%), Ethiopia (15.7%), and Nigeria (12.6%). African-born women are particularly impacted by HIV. In 2019, of the 92 diagnoses born in Africa, 64.1% were female, and 35.9% male (Maryland Annual HIV Epidemiological Profile, 2019).
SCOPE OF WORK
General Requirements
Be available within one week of contract execution to advance the project through weekly working meetings/conference calls with the contract monitor through the duration of the Contract.
Conduct formative research activities to better understand how to address the intersections of domestic violence and HIV among the African-born population. This formative research will lay the foundation for a social marketing campaign addressing the intersections of domestic violence and HIV among African-born communities in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties. The objectives of the formative research are to:
A. To understand beliefs and attitudes that influence behavior change (i.e. perceived risk, perceived severity)
B. To define generational differences in cultural beliefs
C. To explore key motivations for attitude and behavior change (i.e perceived benefit/cost of behavior change)
D. To segment the target audience according to demographic and/or attitudinal differences
E. To determine effective message style and placement
F. To identify and connect with leaders that influence the community
Complete and submit an IRB (Institutional Review Board) Request to the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) Prevention and Health Promotion Administration. Upon Contract award, the Contract Monitor will provide the Contractor with the MDH IRB application protocols and guidelines for completion and submission, including IRB Form I (DHMH 2124) or IRB Form II (DHMH 2125), IRB Form 4664, Abstract Summary, Informed Consent, and other documentation required by the Administration. Prior to submission, all IRB Request documents must be forwarded to the Contract Monitor for review, approval and to ensure signature by the Director or Administrator of the Division of Support and Coordination
Note: Discussions with health department staff or experts are not considered engagement with human subjects and are permitted without IRB approval. These conversations can be used to inform key informant interviews, focus group discussion guides, survey questions, and potential venues for recruitment.
Develop a multi-component, data-informed social marketing campaign addressing the intersections of domestic violence and HIV.
A. Develop social marketing campaign messages based on data and strategies from the literature, results from formative research activities including focus groups, key informant interviews and work with communitybased organizations representing the African-born population in Prince George’s and Montgomery counties. Messages may include education about the link between domestic violence and HIV, available resources, etc.
B. . Develop the social marketing campaign strategy in concert with HIV and domestic violence activities occurring throughout the state.
C. Develop messaging that is intended to reduce risk factors and/or increase protective factors related to domestic violence and HIV.
D. Organize and facilitate focus groups, made up of the target population and professionals who work in the DV/HIV field to determine messaging priorities and to test campaign creative.
E. Develop a multi-component social marketing campaign with 10 interrelated products based on focus group results and research. Products may include public service announcements, videos, social media posts, brochures, posters, infographics, ads, or other items.
F. Package developed components into a user-friendly toolkit intended for use by the target population and professional’s wo work in the DV/HIV field.
G. Upon award, the Contract Monitor will provide the Contractor with the MDH style and branding guide to assist with any design work. The Contractor shall provide translation services for all developed materials in Spanish, French and/or other languages, if determined necessary by the Contract Monitor.
H. The Contract Monitor will review all materials produced for acceptability and may request edits and further information, as needed; final edits required by this review process will be the responsibility of the Contractor.
I. Additionally, all materials and media assets shall be packaged and sent in both high-resolution PDF format and their original file formats (i.e., InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.). The Contractor shall submit data materials that can be edited. The Contractor shall provide to the Contract Monitor a summary document outlining all specifications (i.e., colors, fonts, etc.) used in the designs, so the Department may use the data materials in the future at no additional costs. Final products and its component parts must be available for the perpetual use at the discretion of the Department and its designees for future data materials at no additional cost and with no limits on times or formats. For any fonts, stock photo, and artwork that are purchased, the proof of buy-out, extended license agreements, and other relevant documentation and details must be provided to the Contract Monitor.
PROPOSAL ARE TO BE SENT TO
Maryland Department of Health
Prevention and Health Promotion Administration
afua.tisdale@maryland.gov and phpa.procurement@maryland.gov
Deadline August 6. Agencies to consider include Burson Marsteller and W2O Health.
