Setting Title X Subrecipients Up for Successful I&E Materials Reviews
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Engaging and including subrecipients in programmatic changes that affect them, and giving them adequate space to express their feedback along the way, I think has helped us build trust and strengthen relationships with our subrecipient partners and across our Title X network.Brittany Foley, Family Planning Health Promotion Advisor, New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services
Title X grantees and subrecipient agencies are required to have a review and approval process, by an Advisory Committee, for all informational and educational (I&E) materials developed or made available under the project, prior to their distribution. For Title X grantees who have subrecipients, they must choose whether or not to delegate management of the I&E committee and materials review to the subrecipient.
The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (NH DHHS), a Title X grantee with a network that spans both suburban and rural areas, delegates this responsibility. This decentralized approach enables each NH DHHS subrecipient to ensure its materials meet the unique needs of their client population.
Managing the I&E process can be a heavy lift for subrecipients, especially when balancing competing priorities. So NH DHHS collaborated with its RHNTC grantee liaison to see how they could lessen the burden on subrecipients and support them in meeting I&E expectations. Ultimately, NH DHHS:
- Surveyed subrecipients to identify gaps and needed support. Subrecipients reported challenges with recruiting and retaining I&E committee members and said they don’t have enough staff time to plan, coordinate, and facilitate the materials review.
- Provided gift card incentives. In response to the survey, many subrecipients requested additional funding to support incentives for I&E committee members. NH DHHS took this step to support recruitment and retention of I&E committee members.
- Reviewed the I&E expectations with each subrecipient. NH DHHS clarified I&E review criteria (e.g., who can serve as a reviewer), emphasized key points (e.g., the importance of reviewers who represent a material’s intended audience), and called attention to opportunities for flexibility (e.g., the group of reviewers can change from material to material).
- Updated its I&E policies and procedures. NH DHHS made revisions to better align with Title X Expectations and the 2021 Final Rule and to make processes more manageable for subrecipients.
- Shared I&E materials review resources. Job aids and templates like those in the RHNTC’s I&E Materials Review Toolkit make it so that subrecipients don’t have to reinvent the wheel.
According to NH DHHS, engaging subrecipients in thinking through the I&E materials review was key. That approach led to updated I&E policies and procedures that work better for subrecipients and produce the intended results: culturally and linguistically appropriate, inclusive, and trauma-informed materials for clients.
Going forward, NH DHHS staff will continue to monitor subrecipients’ I&E operations and note opportunities for alignment with I&E expectations.
For an overview of the I&E materials review process and related resources, check out the I&E Materials Review Toolkit for Title X agencies.