Case Study Introductory Letter

Attachment 5a: Case Study Introductory Letter

Organization

Street Address

City, State ZIP

Date

Dear [prefix] _______________ (Program Director):

Greetings! We are writing you today to invite your organization, [insert organization name], to participate in an exciting new project. We are exploring the ways in which organizations have supported and helped to build the capacity of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Comprehensive Cancer Control (NCCCP) and State-Based Tobacco Control Programs via training and technical assistance (TTA). Specifically, CDC and ICF International are collaborating on this project to conduct case studies of organizations funded to support these programs and that were funded under two different cooperative agreements, the Consortium of National Networks to Impact Populations Experiencing Tobacco-Related and Cancer Health Disparities (DP13-1314) (hereafter referred to as DP13-1314) and the National Support to Enhance Implementation of Comprehensive Cancer Control Activities (DP13-1315) (hereafter referred to as DP13-1315).

We hope you are interested in being a part of this important work. Overall, the aims of this project are to: 1) gain a deeper understanding of the TTA provided across both cooperative agreements; 2) identify the critical factors that affected implementation of TTA; and 3) learn about which TTA activities are most effective in supporting CDC’s program grantees. This evaluation will also provide the information and guidance needed to help CDC develop TTA models that effectively and efficiently support their grantees and partner organizations.

We would like to talk to you, your staff, and partners to learn about your experience firsthand. If you agree to participate in this project, participation will entail the following activities:

• Sharing relevant program documents to help our project staff members learn about your program prior to conducting interviews.

• Identifying relevant individuals, including project staff and partners, for ICF project staff to interview.

Overall, the information gathered from your program will contribute to our knowledge and understanding of how your program operates and will contribute to CDC’s efforts to build capacity among their funded programs.

Participating in this project is voluntary. Although we cannot offer your program any additional funding, we do expect, however, to provide your program with insights from the information we gather that you may find helpful in strengthening your work. As part of your participation, we will provide feedback on your TTA strategies and offer technical assistance to enhance your capacity for your own program evaluation efforts.

We believe we can learn a great deal from your organization and hope you consider participating. A member of our project team will call you in a few days to address any questions you might have and see if your organization is interested in participating. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me by phone at 404-321-3211 or e-mail at Sarah.Odell@icfi.com. We will be contacting you in a few days to confirm your interest in participating in the case study and to answer any questions you might have for us.

Thank you so much. We look forward to speaking with you.

Sincerely,

Sarah O’Dell, MPH Angela Moore, MPH

Project Manager, ICF International Evaluation and Partnership Team Lead within the Comprehensive Cancer Control Branch, Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, CDC