ACF/OCS: Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Performance Management Alignment Training and Technical Assistance (PMATTA)

The Office of Community Services (OCS), within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), issued a funding opportunity for a cooperative agreement for the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Performance Management Alignment Training and Technical Assistance (PMATTA).

Donor Name: Administration for Children and Families – OCS

State: All States

County: All Counties

Territory: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

Type of Grant: Grant

Deadline: 07/31/2023

Size of the Grant: $750,000

Grant Duration: 36 months

Details:

This 3-year cooperative agreement will support the continuous improvement and alignment of the CSBG Performance Management Framework. Recent enhancements and revisions to the Performance Management Framework required revisions to reporting forms and changes in current reporting systems and/or the development of new reporting systems for states and CSBG-eligible entities.

Community Services Block Grant (CSBG)

• CSBG is a federal block grant and one of seven anti-poverty programs administered by OCS. CSBG supports activities to alleviate the causes and conditions of poverty, revitalize low-income communities, and empower individuals and families with low-incomes to become self-sufficient.
• CSBG funds support a wide range of individual-, family-, and community-level services and strategies to support the needs of individuals and families with low-incomes in rural and urban areas. OCS provides CSBG funding to states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, U.S. territories, federal and state-recognized tribes and tribal organizations. Tribal award recipients provide services directly to individuals and families. State and territory award recipients work with CSBG eligible entities to tailor CSBG-funded programs and services to meet the most pressing needs in their communities.

Performance Management Alignment Training and Technical Assistance (PMATTA): The purpose of this cooperative agreement is to support CSBG award recipients and CSBG eligible entities with the successful administration of CSBG as it pertains to performance management. As specified in the CSBG Act, all CSBG award recipients must participate in a performance management system and report on performance as well as account for expenditure of funds received through CSBG. The award recipient will collaborate with OCS to provide enhanced T/TA to the CSBG Network to improve the administration of CSBG and better document the successes through enhanced data quality, data validity, data equity, and data messaging, which will ultimately result in higher quality CSBG State Plans and state CSBG Annual Reports.

The PMATTA has a 36-month project period that will be separated into two distinct phases, which are outlined below. The deliverables for each phase should be aligned closely with and promote promising practices associated with reduction in poverty and increasing self-sufficiency of individuals, families, and communities with low-income.

• Phase One (September 30, 2023-January 31, 2024): Planning and Preparation
  • During this phase of the cooperative agreement, the award recipient will develop a robust work plan for implementation of T/TA based on exemplary practice models that best address the identified needs of the CSBG Network. OCS will provide a template for the work plan that covers the performance period noted in this NOFO. The work plan will document and track the following:
    • Identified and detailed project goals, performance measures, and intended outcomes
    • Timelines for implementing the proposed project, including major milestones and target dates
    • The award recipient’s plan for advancing equity through improved data collection and improved state policy and procedures for the administration of CSBG
    • The award recipient’s plan for creating partnerships with SMEs with demonstrated experience in performance management – including improved data collection, data validity, data equity, and data quality – in accordance with data industry standards
    • Specifics on how the work will be completed (i.e., individualized one-on-one virtual or in-person T/TA, mass virtual or in-person training, and training materials)
    • Progress on defined deliverables (i.e., training materials, webinars, manuals).
• Phase Two (February 1, 2024–September 29, 2026): Implementation and Evaluation
  • During Phase Two, the award recipient will develop, refine, and disseminate T/TA tools and resources for the CSBG Network that are focused on administering CSBG, including deliverables such as webinars, training modules, podcasts, presentations, toolkits and/or other learning activities. T/TA tools and resources should include specific deliverables focused on ensuring equitable services and positive outcomes for underserved communities and individuals and families with low-income. The tools will be distributed among the CSBG Network using the dissemination plan, and then housed in a resource library, as specified by OCS.
  • The award recipient must work with OCS to meet all annual reporting requirements on-time, including the submission of the CSBG Annual Report by state and territory CSBG lead agencies and CSBG-eligible entities and developing data tables to support OCS’s drafting of the CSBG Report to Congress.

Grant Priorities

OCS-funded programs are vital in addressing persistent poverty and pervasive disparities and inequities. To achieve their vision, OCS has established several overarching priorities to ensure that their goals are achieved across the CSBG Network. The top three goals are outlined below. Award recipients must ensure that these priorities are considered throughout the planning and execution of the activities outlined within this NOFO.

• Ensuring the programs they administer are of the highest quality possible and are reaching those most in need.
• Lifting voices from the field and using lessons learned to be thoughtful, inclusive, and innovative in their approach.
• Identifying opportunities to break down silos and implement cross-cutting initiatives within OCS and ACF and across the federal government.

Funding Information

• Estimated Total Funding: $750,000
• Length of Project Periods: 36-month project period with three 12-month budget periods

Eligibility Criteria

• Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
• Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
• Faith-based and community organizations that meet the eligibility requirements are eligible to receive awards under this funding opportunity.

For more information, visit Grants.gov.