Community Services Block Grant CSBG Program Federal Monitoring Update

1
Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Program
Federal Monitoring Update

• James Gray
• Program Specialist

2
Background

• Legislative Requirements
• GAO Report Recommendations
• Performance Measurement Requirements
• Government Performance Results Act (GPRA) of 1993
• Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART) Rating

3
Legislative Requirements

• Community Service Block Grant Act, SEC. 678B(c)
• evaluate several states use of CSBG funds
  annually and issue reports on the results
• Federal Managers Financial Integrity Act of 1982
• establish and maintain internal controls to
  assure agencies achieve
• effective and efficient operations,
• reliable financial reporting, and
• compliance with applicable law and regulations

4
GAO Report

• Community Services Block Grant Program HHS
• Should Improve Oversight by Focusing Monitoring
  and
• Assistance Efforts on Areas of High Risk (June
  2006)
• OCSs procedures and controls are not adequate
  to
• ensure that it performs its monitoring
  responsibilities
• - Government Accountability Office

5
GAO Recommendations

• conduct a risk-based assessment of state CSBG
  programs,
• have policies and procedures to ensure monitoring
  focuses on high- risk states,
• issue guidance on state monitoring requirements
  and
• T TA reporting, and
• implement a strategic plan to guide training and
  technical assistance efforts.

6
Performance Measurement Requirements

• GPRA - results-based approach to program planning
  reporting
• PART- assess link program performance to
  program budgets
• CSBG received rating of Results Not Demonstrated
  (RND)
• Grantees are not held accountable for program
  results.
• - CSBG PART assessment

7
State Self-Assessment Tools

• Financial Operations
• Administrative Operations (Governance)
• Program Operations

8
Financial Operations

• 90 Pass through to eligible entities (CAAs)
• 5 Administrative expenses (Sec. 675Cb2)
• 5 Discretionary

9
Financial Operations (Contd)

• Fiscal Control and Fund Accounting procedures
• OMBs Generally Accepted Accounting Principles
  (GAAP)
• Audits Single Audit Act
• Limitation on the use of Funds
• Disbursement policies

10
Administrative Operations

• Legislative and Public hearings
• When and where
• Who conducted the hearings
• How was the public informed
• Who attended
• Revisions to the State Plan
• Public notice, inspection, comment
• To make available to the public for review and
  comment on the Plan

11
Admin. Operations (contd)

• Procedures for governing the Administration of
  its CSBG program?
• How does the State inform staff and sub-grantees
  of procedures?
• Tripartite Board composition and rule
• The process for Designation and re-designation of
  eligible entities in unserved areas

12
Admin. Operations (contd)

• Prohibition of political activities
• Procedures for compliance with Federal
  investigations
• Fiscal controls, Procedures, Audits and
  Inspections
• Terminations reduction of funding
• Use of grant funds for construction (Waivers)
• Non-discrimination provisions

13
Program Operations

• Services provisions that respond to the cause of
  poverty?
• Funds used to assist low-income individuals and
  families?
• Use of discretionary funds
• Provisions to respond to starvation and
  malnutrition among the poor
• Linkages between government and social services

14
Program Operations (Contd)

• Title XXVI (LIHEAP)
• Partnerships
• Procedures to petition for adequate Board
  representation
• The Community Action Plan

15
Program Operations (Contd)

• Results Oriented Management Accountability
  (ROMA)
• Training, Monitoring, and TA
• Methods to identify CAAs in need
• Provision of TTA to CAAs in most in need
• States corrective procedures for poorly
  functioning agencies

16
Assessment Monitoring Events

• January 1993
• 1994
• July 2002
• 2003
• June 2006
• August 2006

• Congress passes GPRA
• OCS develops ROMA in response to GPRA.
• PART authorized under the Presidents Management
• Agenda (PMA)
• CSBG program PARTed
• GAO issues Community Services Block Grant
  Program
• HHS Should Improve Oversight by Focusing
  Monitoring
• and Assistance Efforts on Areas of High Risk
• OCS Creates DSA/Monitoring Task Force

17
Assessment Monitoring Events

• August 2006
• January 2007
• February 2007

• DSAs Office Initiative Discussions on PRISM
  Review and
• Coordination
• MTF Activities Composition State
  Self-Assessment tools
• Comments on tools CSBG Monitoring Manual
  Internal
• Procedures and Guidelines for DSA
• Monitoring Selection Process
• Reviewing State Comments on the State
  Self-Assessment tool
• Monitoring Training for DSA Staff.

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Contact Information

• James Gray
• (202) 401- 5705
• Email jgray_at_acf.hhs.gov