Pre-Project History

LAZO: Since 1994, this Hispanic women’s group based in Ottawa has undertaken community-based health promotion projects to improve women’s health: On breast cancer and AIDS/HIV prevention, heart health, leadership training, social services, support to women facing violence. Health Grants from the City of Ottawa funded all these projects. A common strategy throughout all the projects is to have a core of community activists reach out to individual women and organize group activities. New leaders are identified from the women who are reached, and their development is supported. Through this peer-recruitment and capacity-building process more Spanish-speaking women are included in activities. LAZO identifies the need to increase the group’s capacity to understand, assess, and respond to community health needs, as well as continue to expand the leadership base.

Centretown Community Health Centre (CCHC) has supported LAZO’s work since 1995. The centre has provided space and helped LAZO with many projects. Since LAZO is not yet formally incorporated, CCHC also has administered LAZO’s small project grants. LAZO and CCHC support each other’s work and mandates. LAZO is well connected with the Hispanic community. CCHC has a commitment to improving services to the minority ethnocultural population, and to become more diverse.

Gentium Consulting: This community research firm has fifteen years of social action history and a commitment to work on social justice and equality issues. Many of their research projects have focused on community health, immigrant women’s needs, promoting organizational diversity, and ensuring equal access to publicly funded services. One of the LAZO madrinas is a principal researcher in Gentium Consulting. For several years, with other madrinas, she has discussed the need and benefits of transferring social research and analysis skills in a more systematic way to other LAZO members.

The Community Health Research Unit has expertise in community-based public health research with marginalized groups. The CHRU’s Senior Qualitative Researcher has an interest in community capacity building, participatory research, and multicultural health. The CHRU has also previously collaborated with CCHC on health research projects. Gentium has a working relationship with CHRU since 1997, providing support to numerous qualitative research projects.

September 2000

RFP

LAZO and CCHC receive the ‘Request for Proposals’ (RFP) from the Ontario Women’s Health Council (OWHC). LAZO sees a great opportunity for the Hispanic community and approaches Gentium Consulting to help LAZO with the proposal writing. Gentium researchers had already seen the proposal and thought it might be the ideal vehicle for a joint project, agree to lead development of a consortium, and to prepare the proposal, on a voluntary basis.

CCHC confirms its support in principle for participating in the consortium and submitting a joint proposal.

Gentium invites CHRU to become a partner in the consortium.

Proposal Preparation

The proposal is completed in eight days, including a literature review, research design, conceptual framework, evaluation plan, project description, workplans, and budget.

During those eight days, representatives from LAZO, CCHC and CHRU meet with Gentium several times,—to work out details.

LAZO and Gentium compile a list of potential Advisory Committee members from among well-known community individuals and organizations. They are approached, and the majority agree to participate if the proposal is successful.

Support letters are solicited and obtained from key organizations, including the Ontario Breast Screening Program.

The LAZO membership; CCHC’s executive director and Board executive; and CHRU’s director, approve the proposal submission.

October 2000

Proposal Submission

Proposal is submitted to the Ontario Women’s Health Council (OWHC). OWHC requests additional information. An ethics - review is required to approve the proposal.

January 2001

Proposal
Supplement

OWHC requests additional information. An ethics - review {resources} is required to approve the proposal.

Telephone conference is held with CCHC, Gentium, LAZO and the OWHC to clarify questions. Supplementary information is submitted.