[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 111 (Tuesday, June 10, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31610-31611]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-15113]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and Families
Regional Offices; Statement of Organization, Functions, and
Delegations of Authority
This Notice amends Part K of the Statement of Organization,
Functions, and Delegations of Authority of the Department of Health and
Human Services (DHHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF)
as follows: Chapter KD, The Regional Offices of the Administration for
Children and Families (62 FR 15897), as last amended, April 3, 1997.
This Notice reflects the organizational changes for Region 8 and the
reorganization of Region 9. This Chapter is amended as follows:
a. KD.10 Organization. Delete in its entirety and replace with the
following:
KD.10 Organization. Region 8 is organized as follows:
Office of the Regional Administrator (KD8A)
Office of Financial Operations (KD8B)
Office of Family Security (KD8C)
Office of Family Supportive Services (KD8D)
b. After the end of KD7.20 Functions (61 FR 3937, 02/02/96),
Paragraph D and before KDX.10 Organization (61 FR 68045, 12/26/96),
insert the following:
KD9.10 Organization. The Administration for Children and Families,
Region 9, is organized as follows:
Office of the Regional Hub Director (KD9A)
Program Support Unit (KD9B)
Self-Sufficiency Unit (KD9C)
Children and Youth Development Unit (KD9D)
KD9.20 Functions. A. The Office of the Regional Hub Director is
headed by a Director, who reports to the Assistant Secretary for
Children and Families through the Director, Office of Regional
Operations. The Office is responsible for the Administration for
Children and Families' (ACF) key national goals and priorities. It
represents ACF's regional interests, concerns, and relationships within
the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and among other
Federal agencies, and focuses on State agency culture change, effective
partnerships which focus on outcomes/results, and quality customer
service. It provides executive leadership and direction to state,
county, city, territorial and tribal governments, as well as to other
public and private local grantees to ensure effective and efficient
program and financial management. The Office ensures that these
entities conform to federal laws, regulations, policies and procedures
governing the programs, and exercises all delegated authorities and
responsibilities for oversight of the programs.
The Office is responsible for approval of state plans and
submission of recommendations to the Assistant Secretary for Children
and Families for state plan disapproval. The Office contributes to the
development of national policy based on regional perspectives on all
ACF programs. It oversees ACF regional operations and the management of
regional staff; coordinates activities across regional programs; and
assures that goals and objectives are met and departmental and agency
initiatives are carried out. The Office alerts the Assistant Secretary
for Children and Families to problems and issues that may have
significant regional or national impact. The Office represents ACF at
the regional level in executive communications within ACF, with the
DHHS Regional Director, other DHHS operating divisions, other federal
agencies, and public or private organizations representing children and
families.
B. The Program Support Unit is headed by a manager who reports to
the Regional Hub Director. It supports the Office of the Regional Hub
Director and the Self-Sufficiency and Children and Youth Development
Units and their grantees in the areas of quality concepts and
performance measurement, including the reengineering of work processes
and the development of computer applications, customer
[[Page 31611]]
surveys, statistical applications, and performance measurement models.
The Unit directs the development of regional work plans related to the
overall ACF strategic plan and tracks, monitors and reports on regional
progress in the attainment of ACF national goals and objectives. It
manages and/or coordinates special, sensitive and/or cross-cutting
projects and initiatives. The Unit serves as the focal point for public
affairs and contacts with the media, public awareness activities,
information dissemination and education campaigns in conjunction with
the ACF Office of Public Affairs and the DHHS Regional Director.
The Unit provides day-to-day support for regional administrative
functions, oversees the management and coordination of internal
automated systems in the region, and provides data management support
to all Regional Office components. Administrative functions include
budget planning and execution, facility and space management,
procurement, and human resources development and training. Data
management responsibilities include the development of automated
systems applications to support and enhance program, fiscal and
administrative operations, and the compilation of data on demographic
and service trends that assist in program monitoring and technical
assistance responsibilities.
The Unit performs grants officer functions, including grants and
fiscal oversight to ensure consistent policy application across the
Regional Office units. The Unit assures that audit clearance and other
financial management processes are implemented consistently and timely
throughout the Regional Office. Provides expert grants management
technical support to the Self-Sufficiency and Children and Youth
Development Units to resolve complex problems in such areas as cost
allocation, accounting principles, audit, deferrals and disallowances.
As Grants Officer, approves and signs all discretionary grants.
The Unit represents the Regional Hub Director in dealing with ACF
Offices on all program and financial policy matters under its
jurisdiction. Early alerts are provided to the Regional Hub Director
regarding problems or issues that may have significant implications for
the programs.
C. The Self-Sufficiency Unit is headed by a manager who reports to
the Regional Hub Director. The Unit is responsible for providing
program and financial management services, and for technical
administration of ACF formula, block and entitlement grant programs
such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Child Support
Enforcement (CSE), Child Care and Development Fund, Foster Care and
Adoption Assistance, Child Welfare, Child Abuse and Neglect and
Developmental Disabilities. The Unit provides policy guidance to state,
county, city, territorial and tribal governments, as well as to other
public and private organizations to assure consistent and uniform
adherence to federal requirements governing formula, block and
entitlement grant programs. State plans are reviewed and approved and/
or recommendations concerning state plan approval or disapproval are
made to the Regional Hub Director. The Unit provides technical
assistance to entities responsible for administering these programs to
resolve identified problems; ensures that appropriate procedures and
practices are adopted; monitors the programs to ensure their efficiency
and effectiveness; establishes regional financial management
priorities; reviews cost allocation plans; and provides technical
assistance to and monitors state systems projects for designated ACF
programs.
The Unit provides financial management services for ACF formula,
entitlement, and block grants in the region. It also reviews cost
estimates and reports for these grant programs and recommends funding
levels. The Unit performs systematic fiscal reviews and makes
recommendations to approve, defer or disallow claims for federal
financial participation in ACF formula, entitlement and block grant
programs. As applicable, recommendations are made on the clearance and
closure of audits of state programs, paying particular attention to
financial management deficiencies that decrease the efficiency and
effectiveness of ACF programs and to monitoring the resolution of such
deficiencies. The Unit represents the Regional Hub Director in dealing
with the ACF Program Offices on all program and financial policy
matters under its jurisdiction. Early alerts are provided to the
Regional Hub Director regarding problems or issues that may have
significant implications for the programs.
D. The Children and Youth Development Unit is headed by a manager
who reports to the Regional Hub Director. The Unit is responsible for
providing program and financial management services, and for technical
administration of ACF discretionary grant programs such as Head Start
(HS) and Runaway and Homeless Youth (RHY) Programs. In that regard, the
Unit provides policy guidance to public and private organizations, as
well as to state, county, city, territorial and tribal governments to
assure consistent and uniform adherence to federal requirements. The
Unit provides technical assistance to and coordinates various training
activities for entities responsible for administering these programs to
ensure that appropriate procedures and practices are adopted, and
monitors the programs to ensure their efficiency and effectiveness. The
Unit administers a system of fiscal reviews; reviews costs for
allowability; and makes recommendations to disallow costs under ACF
discretionary grant programs. It issues certain discretionary grant
awards based on a review of project objectives, budget projections, and
proposed funding levels. As applicable, recommendations are made on the
clearance and closure of audits of grantee programs, paying particular
attention to financial management deficiencies that decrease the
efficiency and effectiveness of the ACF programs and to monitoring the
resolution of such deficiencies.
The Unit represents the Regional Hub Director in dealing with ACF
Program Offices on all program policy and financial matters under its
jurisdiction. Early alerts are provided to the Regional Hub Director
regarding problems or issues that may have significant implications for
the programs.
Dated: June 2, 1997.
Olivia A. Golden,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Children and Families.
[FR Doc. 97-15113 Filed 6-9-97; 8:45 am]
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