Meet statewide performance goals in the program's strategic plan by providing each county with training on systems generated reports. Reduce excessive "deadwood" in the caseload. Ensure cases move through the system efficiently to comply with findings of a legislative audit.

In November and December 1999 Colorado's Division of Child Support Enforcement (DCSE) trained 440 county staff to use system-generated reports to manage a caseload. In addition, county staff shared their own "best practices" in using various system-generated reports to better manage their cases. Although county participation was voluntary, 60 of Colorado's 63 counties were represented at one or more of the seven one-day training sessions held throughout the state.

The training focused on training staff to use available systems generated reports. These reports included:

Proper use of the reports enables workers to move "stagnant" cases by taking the proper action. The goal is always to move "stuck" cases into paying status. Examples:

In addition, the training was designed to help supervisors manage their teams. Besides assisting individual workers to identify problem cases and take action, the system-generated reports can help supervisors to identify overall problems and see where the team needs to focus their efforts.

The training also gave the state the opportunity to explain to county staff the federal performance measures on which the state is now evaluated in order to receive federal incentives.

The training provided a year-end boost to performance, according to DCSE staff. The state achieved its year 2000 goal of collecting $200,000,000 by the end of 1999 - a year ahead of schedule. In addition, the state achieved its performance measures for the year overall. While a number of factors contributed to this outcome, a marked improvement was noted on a number of factors between October (before the training) and the end of the year.

The biggest benefit: Instilling the mindset "You always need to be aware of your caseload. Be sure that it is a workable caseload and one you can manage."

Seven training sessions were provided in six sites throughout the state of Colorado. All counties in the state were eligible to send staff to the training. The training was developed by Colorado DCSE.

Regular IV-D funds were used for the training project. There was a cost of $3,039 for reserving meeting sites, refreshments, and equipment. This did not include the travel expenditures for the three trainers from DCSE. Each county covered time and travel cost of its own staff attending the training.

Be sure to cover both systems and policy issues - and involve both systems and policy staff in planning and delivering the training," says Diane Young, the DCSE Policy Specialist who managed the caseload management training project. "The systems person was able to explain where the data came from, for example," says Young.

"This kind of training can be used to impress upon staff how their individual working of the cases impacts the whole - in particular, the state's ability to draw down federal dollars," she says.

Diane Young, Policy Specialist, Colorado Division of Child Support Enforcement, 303 East 17th Avenue, Suite 200, Denver, Colorado 80203, phone 720-947-5088, fax 720-947-5006, e-mail: <diane.young@state.co.us>.

Improve Colorado State (county administered) child support program: enlist each county to do its fair share to meet statewide goals, comply with federal requirements, and attain maximum federal incentive payments for the State child support program.

Since 1988, Colorado has used strategic planning as a tool to enable the state and counties to work together to set and meet goals for the Colorado child support program. Last year Colorado achieved its collection goal of $200,000,000 a year ahead of schedule - meeting the goal for the year 2000 in 1999. This is up from collections of $38,000,000 in 1988 - the year the state began using the process.

The emphasis of the strategic planning process has been on excellent communications between state and county partners, technical assistance where needed, joint planning and each county doing its fair share to meet statewide goals. County representatives participate in the planning process. Counties also receive regular reports on how they are doing in meeting their own goals and in comparison with other counties in the state.

In 1987, Irene Ibarra, then Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Social Services, created a Child Support Enforcement Task Force to develop five-year goals and a long-range work plan for Colorado's child support program. Representatives were selected from small, medium, and large counties with all geographical areas represented. In addition, representative state and federal administrators, judges, and social work supervisors participated in the process.

The task force, which has continued, is divided into subcommittees on various program issues. One was assigned the task of setting program goals, expressed in a long-term strategic plan, and annual goals. This process has continued over the ensuing years, with this group updating goals annually in light of new federal and state requirements, accomplishment of past goals, and changing program priorities. The prior strategic plan covered the years 1992-2001, the current one, 2001-2005.

Key goals for the 1992 -2001 Strategic Plan were 1) to collect $200,000,000 in the year 2000; 2) to reach a paternity establishment percentage of 50 percent; and 3) to improve compliance with federal requirements.

A well-developed process guides the effort:

In addition to the county-by-county focus, the state also focuses on particular goals on a statewide basis. For example, the state has established a Paternity Unit which leads the state's efforts on paternity establishment.

This unit works with hospitals, Vital Records, and county offices on the voluntary acknowledgment of paternity process. Training on voluntary acknowledgments is provided to new employees. This office also checks to be sure accurate reports are filed and that the interface with Vital Records is properly utilized. The effort has resulted in a dramatic reduction in the need for litigated paternity establishment. The state's paternity establishment percentage is up from 50 percent to 87 percent since February, 1996.

In 1988, Colorado collected $38 million in child support; in 1999, $200 million, a year ahead of schedule according to the strategic plan. In May of 1992, the state's Paternity Establishment Percentage was 34.9%; in May 2000 it was 83.1%. In 1992, 48 percent of the caseload had orders; in 2000, there were orders in 75.6 percent of Colorado's cases.

Statewide in Colorado. The program was developed by Colorado. It has been adopted by other state programs in Colorado as an exemplary approach to program improvement.

Regular IV-D funds.

"The key message," says Darius Sams, who heads the Policy and Evaluation Section of Colorado's DCSE, is: "It works! Very open communication is a key piece of the process - that and respect. I respect the front line workers immensely. They respect the state's ability to keep the program moving in the direction it is required to move. This is not a 'we/they' thing, it has to be 'us.'"

"You have to put all the cards on the table. You have to storm through the issues that are raised. You have to establish good norms for working together. You have to develop a real partnership."

Darius Sams, Section Chief, Policy and Evaluation Section, Division of Child Support Enforcement, Colorado Department of Human Services, 303 E. 17^th Avenue, Suite 200, Denver CO 80203-1241, phone 720-947-5070, fax 720-947-5006, <e-mail: darius.sams@state.co.us.>