Module 3

1. Information Channels

The channel between the researcher/instructor and the peer leader must be created. First we will need to decide how to open this channel and how to foster it during the project. Initial recruiting contacts may be through email and phone calls. As the peer leader becomes more involved in the project a more personal approach must be taken, for example face-to-face contacts. Certainly training of peer leaders must be done in person. Follow-up training as needed may be completed both in-person and by other methods such as email and phone calls. The method of follow-up training will be left to the discretion of the researcher. Data collection addressing the interaction of peer leaders with their peers may be completed through interviews and/or journal entries by the leaders.

The peer leader/peer channel has already been open through casual interactions prior to the start of the project. Additional new interactions will continue to arise through the normal socialization of the peer leader in the community. These interactions may take place through in person conversations, phone calls, emails, and Facebook postings. Our project is mainly interested in the casual conversations that take place in social situations. These conversations already take place and we merely aim to add the discussion of the negative consequences of excessive drinking. Basically we’d like to take advantage of an established channel to promote our message.

2. Innovation-Decision Process

A. Knowledge Step
The step would be the research team collecting the relevant information about the field of this project, use of peer leaders in public health initiatives. From this a detailed plan of the project will be developed and package created to pitch the project to the potential stakeholder groups.

B. Persuasion Step
Upon developing the project the proper offices will be presented the aim of the project. This pitch will be made to the proper decision makers at Residence Life and perhaps pitches will have already been made to opinion leaders within the organization. In doing so hopefully we will already have out foot in the door.

C. Decision
This will be made by the Office of Residence Life. In order insure that our program will be supported ORL will be involved in developing the project so that any problems with the program will have been addressed prior to the final pitch of the project being made. Other decision makers will also include the Institutional Review Board and the granting body we will be seeking funding from.

D. Implementation
Implementation will be taken on by the research team and the peer leaders to be recruited. Due to the nature of research the protocol of implementation will be strictly followed as planned.

E. Confirmation
The project will be continuously monitored to ensure the protocol is being followed. Any changes that may be needed will be addressed as the need arises. The success of the project will be determined through the data collected and may guide future projects.

3.Other Factors

Identification of actual peer leaders will be crucial. More importantly chosen leaders must want or be sufficiently motivated to complete the tasks asked of them. Also will we use upper class students with already established social networks or freshmen with newly forming networks? It should be noted that the group that experiences the most negative consequences attributed to their drinking are freshmen. Also the scale of the community that will be targeted should be considered. Certainly a campus wide program could be overwhelming and targeting several smaller dorms may be a better approach to show proof of feasibility.