Colorado

Strategic Plan (Colorado Child Support Enforcement Task Force)

Goal

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.

Description

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:

• Goals are set for five- to eight-year periods, with annual goals set for each year. If the goal for a particular indicator is 80 percent by 2005, the goal for 2001 may be 53 percent. The goals are attainable, but require a reach if they are to be achieved. Goals are data-based, utilizing extensive data collected about the program and the counties.
• Counties participate actively in setting goals. Once statewide goals are established, a corresponding goal is established for each county. These are the goals that must be reached on a county basis if the state is to reach its goals.
• Monthly reports provide feedback to the counties on performance and compliance on fifty plus indicators, including the five federal performance standards. Data is calculated every month and each county receives data on itself. The county can see where it is in relation to its goals and to performance in the rest of the state.
• On a quarterly basis, the state office compiles a performance report and scores counties on how well they are performing as measured by the set goals and through data in mandatory reports.
• Annually, counties meet with state officials to discuss what they need from the state to succeed in meeting their goals.
• Each year, the six lowest performing counties are identified. The state then provides technical assistance to those counties. Their performance is analyzed in depth. The state works with the county to understand the current preformance level and to identify what the county needs to change directions. Currently, three large, two medium and one small county are selected for this process each year. (In 1999 the focus was on larger counties for a year.)
• The task force updates the goals in the long-term strategic plan each year, based on changes in state and federal law, accomplishment of goals and changing program priorities.

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.

Results

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.

Location

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.

Funding

Regular IV-D funds.

Replication Advice

"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."