LOCAL REINVENTION OF THE CDC HIV PREVENTION COMMUNITY-PLANNING INITIATIVE

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in coordination with 65 states, cities, and territories, implemented HN prevention com munity planning beginning in 1994. This large scale innovation in publ ic health planning has involved tens of thousands of professionals and community residents. Though a single case study, Michigan provides a strong test of the implementation of this national prevention planning model because of the state's decentralized approach to HIV prevention community planning involving several hundred residents. A decentraliz ed approach to community planning promises to maximize participation a nd the sharing of leadership as well as obstacles to community plannin g. Here, the CDC Guidance for community planning is contrasted with em pirical observation of implementation in Michigan. We conclude that th e high expectations for a decentralized approach to HIV prevention com munity planning can be best achieved when a distinction is drawn betwe en information-seeking tasks and decision-making tasks. We recommend t hat information-seeking tasks be centrally coordinated, and that decis ion-making tasks be decentralized, to most fully achieve the potential of HN prevention community planning.