LIHEAP DCL Announcement of the Public Launch of the Performance Management Website
Dear Colleagues:
The Office of Community Services (OCS) is pleased to announce the public launch of the LIHEAP Performance Management website, located at: https://liheappm.acf.hhs.gov
This website provides the public access to LIHEAP data reported by all state LIHEAP grantees between 2001 and 2014. The data sources include the LIHEAP Performance Data Form, the LIHEAP Household Report, and the federal Home Energy Notebook. New data will be made available with each subsequent release of the LIHEAP Report to Congress. Though these data have always been available through published sources such as the Report to Congress, this website offers a new tool — the Data Warehouse function — that allows the public direct access to the data to generate their own analytical tools such as bar graphs, pie charts, maps, etc.
Users such as Congressional members and staff, state and local legislators, utility regulators, utilities, consumer advocates, grantees, subgrantees, academic researchers, the media and the general public can use the Data Warehouse function to examine how LIHEAP impacts a single state or can compare any unique grouping of states to answer questions about benefit levels, eligibility thresholds, how states allocated funding across types of assistance, and which types of households received assistance.
Soon, even more performance data related to home energy burden and service continuity will be available as well. ACF will receive these data for FY 2016 at the end of this month and will make them available on the website with the release of the FY 2016 Report to Congress. The dynamic functionality of the website will improve the ability of our office and grantees to use data to manage the program each year and inform budget and programmatic decisions.
OCS, with support from our Contractor, APPRISE Incorporated, has demonstrated the power of this website. We recognize that OCS’s decision to implement performance management data collection requirements has meant additional work for you, your subgrantees, and your energy vendors. All of us at OCS appreciate your efforts to pursue continuous improvement through the enhancement of LIHEAP data and results.
The purpose of collecting data is to have the means to manage programs effectively and efficiently so we achieve all we can for our ultimate clients, families with low-incomes and high energy burdens. The LIHEAP Performance Management website provides the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and our grantees a tool that turns data into information that we can use to understand how well we are doing. The focus of LIHEAP’s training and technical assistance in the future will be to enhance the use of these data to improve LIHEAP at every level.
Please save the date to participate in a webinar on Wednesday, January 18th at 1:00PM EST, for all LIHEAP grantees, stakeholders from utility industries and the public to receive a brief overview of the LIHEAP Performance Management website. To join the webinar:
Dial: (202) 774-2300
Enter access code: 993767070#
Click this link
We look forward to your participation in the webinar and encourage you to review the site in advance at: https://liheappm.acf.hhs.gov/
For additional questions, please contact OCS Program Analyst, Ms. Sharnice Peters, at: Sharnice.Peters@acf.hhs.gov.
Sincerely,
/s/ /s/
Jeannie L. Chaffin Lauren Christopher
Director Director
Office of Community Services Division of Energy Assistance
Office of Community Services