A special issue of Evaluation and Program PlanningExit Disclaimer features articles by CDC Division of HIV Prevention authors and health department colleagues that aim to bring together knowledge gained from implementing and evaluating the many novel programs supported by CDC's PrIDE (PrEP Implementation, Data to Care, and Evaluation) Demonstration Projects. Through six sections—organized around Project Background, Community Engagement, Health Equity, Media, PrEP Navigation, and Use of Findings—the issue addresses the following: (a) why and how this local evaluation initiative was supported by the funder and implemented by health departments; (b) main findings of evaluations pertaining to community engagement in PrEP services, equity-related trainings for health department staff, social marketing campaigns designed to reach priority groups, and PrEP navigation and PrEP uptake; and (c) lessons learned that may influence and inform evaluations in HIV prevention.

Project PrIDE was a multi-jurisdiction demonstration project implemented by 12 health departments (HDs) from 2016 to 2019. In Project PrIDE, there were two monitoring and evaluation components: cross-jurisdictional performance monitoring and local program evaluation. Project PrIDE was innovative in that a portion of funds were allocated for local program evaluation to support robust process and outcome evaluations. This experience highlights the importance of using a health equity lens in future evaluation efforts in HIV prevention involving groups that have been marginalized to ensure that priority groups are treated as equal partners of and benefit from the evaluations.

The goal of this issue is to help evaluators identify opportunities to conduct community and locally driven evaluations that respond to critical questions, and activities that respond to local needs and contribute to health equity among racial/ethnic, sex and gender minorities.