Cohort Support RFP Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, the cohort support vendor should budget for and handle these logistics. It allows the vendor to identify appropriate locations and settings for the cohort gatherings.

Applications must be submitted in a PDF document to Chris Matter at chris.matter@bluecrossmn.com no later than Friday, July 12, 2019 at 1:00 pm Central Time.

The cohort model was determined following various facilitated conversations between Blue Cross leadership and community-based organizations to learn what they felt was important in creating health equity. These conversations were held across the state with community-based organizations and other key stakeholders over a year period (2018). With this direction, the Health POWER funding initiative was designed to strengthen leadership development, invest in community-led solutions, and create collaborations to advance local PSE change in our areas of reducing commercial tobacco use, and increasing healthy eating and physical activity.

We envision this shared goal being developed by the cohort members, but some examples may be:

• Funded organizations working together to support each others’ PSE efforts.
• If one organization is working on a local policy, maybe a couple other organizations join the advocacy effort or outreach.
• Another example may include all of the cohort members deciding to develop a health equity message that they can all deliver in their respective projects and jointly take to local decision-makers.

It really is to be determined by the cohort.

It could be any of the examples you have listed. The purpose of the TA is to be responsive to the funded organizations with one or two topic areas that would assist them in moving their work. What if the cohort members wanted to learn about media advocacy? Could we find an expert to do a three-hour training during one of the quarterly trainings?

We’d envision using this cohort vendor budget to bring in these experts mentioned in the above question. The Communications TA would be provided by Blue Cross staff.

The external TA would be included in the 25–30 hours annually.

Blue Cross internal staff will work with this cohort vendor and the evaluation vendor separately and together as needed. We do intend to bring these consultants together to determine how we all communicate and work together. For example, there will likely be a request for the evaluator to be present at the cohort gatherings. This would need to be coordinated with the cohort vendor.

The funded Health POWER projects will likely be from the Twin Cities area as well as greater Minnesota. Thus, the cohort gatherings could be in the Twin Cities and potentially in greater Minnesota. Maybe one gathering takes place in central Minnesota?

Yes, that’s how it is planned at this time. Blue Cross contracts are yearly and we will work with the existing cohort vendor to plan for the second cohort. We want to see how year one goes and what we all learn to inform years two and three (for the first cohort and cohort two).