Tools and Resources for Planning Councils/Planning Bodies

  • Status of Open Meeting Laws During the COVID-19 Emergency
    The table provides information on the status of open meeting/sunshine laws in the District of Columbia and the 25 states that have at least one Ryan White HIV/AIDS Part A Program.
  • State Laws Regarding Remote Meetings When There Is No State of Emergency
    This table summarizes rules for remote meetings under state open meeting or “government in the sunshine” laws that apply when there is no state of emergency. The state summaries here are based on information available online about what open meetings laws – and Attorney General and court interpretations of those laws – say about the allowable use of electronic methods for holding meetings.
  • Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
    This Planning CHATT resource and the accompanying sample MOU provide suggestions and guidance around developing and maintaining an MOU. The sample MOU word document is a template and is designed to be downloaded and adapted.
  • Expense Reimbursement for Consumers
    This set of resources summarizes HRSA HAB guidance and expectations about consumer expense reimbursement, and provides sample bylaws provision, policies and procedures, and forms.
  • PC/PB Meeting Minutes Template
    Meeting minutes are quicker to write and easier to read if they use the same format every month. This editable Word document provides a customizable template for taking effective minutes. 
  • PC/PB Officer Development Plan Template
    Use this editable Word template to create a customized training plan for your planning council/planning body officers. Planning and tracking skills training helps support your PC/PB officers and members.
  • Town Hall Meetings: A RWHAP Needs Assessment Tool
    Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) Part A planning councils/planning bodies may hold town hall meetings to hear from the community about the service needs of people with HIV within the EMA or TGA.   This “how-to” resource provides an overview of town hall meetings and steps for planning and running them, including tips for conducting virtual town hall meetings.
  • Focus Groups with People with HIV as a Component of RWHAP Part A Needs Assessment (tool series)
    This set of “how to” resources provides tools and templates for planning and conducting focus groups with people with HIV as part of RWHAP Part A needs assessment.  The set includes an overview of focus groups and steps for implementation, a sample participant consent form, a focus group planning template, a sample focus group recruitment plan, a sample focus group discussion guide, a sample demographics questionnaire for participants, an outline for a focus group report, and links to focus group materials from the field.