CSBG DCL Draft State and Federal Accountability Measures and Appendices

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Administration for Children and Families
Office of Community Services
Division of State Assistance
370 L'Enfant Promenade, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20447
www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/programs/csbg

Community Services Block Grant
Dear Colleague Letter

Re: CSBG Draft State and Federal Accountability Measures and Appendices

Date: January 28, 2015

Dear Colleagues:

As part of a strengthened performance management and accountability framework for the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG), the Office of Community Services is releasing a new draft Information Memorandum (IM) on State and Federal accountability measures.  The attached draft IM includes proposed measures intended to ensure that both State and Federal administrators of CSBG are accountable to high standards of performance management.  It is our expectation that these State and Federal accountability measures will be implemented alongside the new organizational standards for Community Action Agencies. 

Although OCS has previously sought input on a set of draft State and Federal accountability measures, very significant changes were made based on input received by OCS.  We are now issuing an IM in draft form, as we did with the IM on organizational standards for CSBG-eligible entities last March, in order to identify any significant implementation concerns prior to issuance of the final guidance. 

This document will be published to the OCS website within the next two days along with a revised Model State Plan that incorporates the State accountability measures.  We expect to issue a final IM in about 60 days after the completion of a public comment period on a revised CSBG Model State Plan.  During this period, if you have any comments on this draft IM, or on the State and Federal measures specifically, please submit them by email to LaToya.Smith@acf.hhs.gov at the Office of Community Services.

Thank you for your review and input.

Sincerely,

Jeannie L. Chaffin                                           Seth Hassett
Director                                                           Director, Division of State Assistance
Office of Community Services                         Office of Community Services