Description
The Office of Community Services (OCS) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) announces that competing applications will be accepted for a cooperative agreement to expand the existing Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Training and Technical Assistance (T/TA) Network. This cooperative agreement will support an ongoing State, regional, and National T/TA Strategy for collaboration, capacity-building, and exemplary practice in the CSBG program and among State Community Action Agency Associations, hereafter referred to as State Associations.This two-year cooperative agreement will fund 11 Regional Performance and Innovation Consortia (RPIs) to serve as regional focal points and lead the development of a comprehensive and integrated system of T/TA capacity-building activities. Each Regional Performance and Innovation Consortia (RPIC) will coordinate regional T/TA activities among State Associations with the central mission of ensuring that all CSBG-eligible entities are able to meet high-quality performance standards and utilize evidence-informed service approaches to address the identified needs of low-income people in communities. It is expected that the RPIs will institute a regional approach for T/TA coordination and information dissemination; foster efforts that promote the primary mission of the RPIs; and work in partnership with OCS and established national CSBG technical assistance centers focused on performance management, risk mitigation and quality improvement, legal compliance, as well as two new Centers of Excellence focused on Results Oriented Management and Accountability (ROMA) Next Generation practices and organizational performance standards. Each RPIC must meet the following requirements regarding allocation of funds:Minimum Distribution to State Associations - The lead grantee for each RPIC will collaborate with State Associations to support technical assistance focused on performance management, organizational excellence, and evidence-informed practice. The lead grantee for each RPIC will be required to provide at least 40 percent of grant funds, through contracts, to other State Associations in the grantee's defined geographic region. Participating State Associations will be required to provide a letter of support from the State CSBG Lead Agency and demonstrate membership, or letters of support, from the majority of CSBG-eligible entities in the State. Minimum Allocation for Performance Management Efforts - Each RPIC will be required to demonstrate that at least 25 percent of the total Federal funds among the consortia of State Associations will support the regional input and implementation of a national ROMA Next Generation performance effort. Key activities will include: 1) obtaining and providing regional input on performance management requirements and expectations; 2) participating in national work groups; 3) facilitating and providing training on performance standards and measurement techniques; and 4) assisting State Associations and CSBG-eligible entities to utilize the ROMA cycle to analyze community needs assessment data, set challenging service goals, identify evidence-informed service plans, and document outcomes.Each RPIC will establish partnerships with State Associations through contracts supported by the ACF award it receives. It is anticipated that the RPIs' role in the partnerships with State Associations will be to serve as a fiscal agent and provide technical assistance, including assisting State Associations in planning RPIC-funded activities administered in their defined geographic area. Recipients of ACF awards (i.e., RPIs) are accountable for the Federal grant funds received, including those dispersed to project partners, and responsible for the oversight of the various projects, programs, and activities supported by this award.