INTRODUCTION

San Patten and Associates, Inc. is a professional consulting group which has been offering health research, program evaluation and policy development services since 2005. The principal consultant, San Patten, is a recognized expert in Canada in HIV/AIDS community-based research, program evaluation and policy development.

This website will provide an overview of our areas of expertise, experience and qualifications, previous projects and clients, and contact information.

San Patten and Associates applies a rights-based approach and a population health lens to all health and social issues. Population health aims to improve health inequalities among population groups by examining and acting upon a broad range of factors and conditions that determine health. Using a rights-based approach focuses on the dignity and inherent worth of all individuals, and in the context of essential health and social services, frames access to those services as a human right and the obligation of governments rather than as charity or privilege.

A rights-based approach means:

Defining situations in terms of human needs and in terms of the obligation to respond to the rights of individuals;

Mitigating the impact of stigma and discrimination in the lives of vulnerable and marginalized people;

Empowering communities to create a supportive environment and encourage participation; and

Addressing the underlying social, cultural and economic conditions that make people vulnerable to health problems and social issues.

San Patten and Associates ensures that all of our work is directed and performed by a professional research and evaluation team. We adhere to the principles below to ensure that all projects are conducted in a professional and ethical manner with due regard for those involved in the work, as well as those affected by the results.

In particular, all of our projects are guided by the following nine principles:

Cultural Sensitivity – being sensitive to the cultural and social environment of a
stakeholders.

Consent – will respect the requirements for free and informed consent.

Confidentiality – will respect the right of all stakeholders to confidentiality, and will respect the client’s ownership of the intellectual property.

Collaboration – will adopt cooperative research processes involving stakeholders in planning and implementation.

Objectivity – shall maintain impartiality and objective viewpoints.

Clarity – will make a clear, accurate and fair presentation of all findings.

Timeliness – will complete project within reasonable timelines as agreed.

Relevance – will ensure that the end products of this project are presented in a way that is most useful to stakeholders. In particular, San Patten and Associates will create clear and concise deliverables which are accessible in content, language and format, and can be read, interpreted and used by a wide and diverse audience.

Sustainability – San Patten and Associates makes every effort to operate in an environmentally sustainable fashion (e.g., hybrid vehicle, office recycling, energy efficient office, and use of communication technologies over travel whenever possible).