[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 186 (Tuesday, September 24, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50029-50030]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-24388]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
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 (61 FR 18147), as last amended, April 24, 1996.
This reorganization realigns the functions in Region 1 to support their
streamlining plan.
I. Amend Notice 60 FR 27315, dated May 23, 1995: The first sentence
of the first paragraph should read as follows: ``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
(58 FR 44343), as last amended, May 1, 1996.''
II. Chapter KD is amended as follows:
a. Delete KD.10 Organization in its entirety and replace with the
following:
Office of the Regional Administrator (KD3A, KD8A, KDXA)
Office of the Regional Hub Director (KD4A and KD9A)
Office of Financial Operations (KD3B, KD4B, KD8B, KD9B and KDXB)
Office of Family Security (KD3C, KD4C, KD8C, KD9C and KDXC)
Office of Family Supportive Services (KD3D, KD4D, KD8D, KD9D and
KDXD)
b. Delete KD.20 Functions, Paragraph A in its entirety and replace
with the following:
KD.20 Functions (For Regions 3, 8 and X) A. The Office of the
Regional Administrator is headed by a Regional Administrator who
reports to the Assistant Secretary for Children and Families. In
addition, the Office of the Regional Administrator has a Deputy
Regional Administrator who reports to the Regional Administrator. The
Office provides executive leadership and direction to state, county,
city, territorial and tribal governments, as well as public and private
local grantees to ensure effective and 2 efficient program and
financial management. It 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 takes action to approve state plans and
submits recommendations to the Assistant Secretary for Children and
Families concerning state plan disapproval. The Office contributes to
the development of national policy based on regional perspectives on
all ACF programs. It oversees ACF operations, the management of ACF
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. It represents ACF at the
regional level in executive communications within ACF, with the HHS
Regional Director, other HHS operating divisions, other federal
agencies, and public or private local organizations representing
children and families.
Within the Office of the Regional Administrator, an administrative
staff assists the Regional Administrator and Deputy Regional
Administrator in providing day-to-day support for regional
administrative functions, including budget, internal systems, employee
relations, and human resource development activities. The Staff
develops and implements the regional planning process. It tracks,
monitors
[[Page 50030]]
and reports on regional progress in the attainment of ACF national
goals and objectives. The Staff coordinates public awareness
activities, information dissemination and education campaigns in
accordance with the ACF Office of Public Affairs and in conjunction
with the HHS Regional Director. It assists the Regional Administrator
in management of cross-cutting initiatives and activities among the
regional components, and ensures effective and efficient management of
internal automation processes.
c. After the end of KD.20 Functions, Paragraph D and before KD2.10
Organization, insert the following: KD1.10 Organization. Region 1--
Goal-Driven Structure is organized as follows:
Office of the Regional Administrator (KD1A)
Goal#1-Family Self Sufficiency
Goal#2-Healthy and Safe Children, Families and Communities
Goal#3-Developmental Disabilities
Goal#4-Reinvention of ACF as a Results-Oriented, Customer-Driven
Organization
Goal#5-Financial Management
KD1.20 Functions. The Administration for Children and Families,
Region 1, is headed by a Regional Administrator, and a Deputy Regional
Administrator who reports to the Regional Administrator. The Office
provides executive leadership to state, county, city, territorial and
tribal governments, as well as public and private local grantees to
ensure effective, efficient, results-oriented program and financial
management. ACF's primary goal is to assist vulnerable and dependent
children and families to achieve economic independence, stability and
self-reliance. The Office is responsible for providing centralized
management and technical administration of ACF formula, block,
entitlement and discretionary grant programs which are designed to
assist families achieve economic independence and self-sufficiency, and
to ensure that children have safe, healthy and permanent environments
in which to grow. It oversees ACF operations, the management of ACF
regional staff; coordinates activities across regional programs; and
assures that goals and objectives are met and departmental and agency
initiatives are carried out.
In order to ensure that agency goals are accomplished, the Office
of the Regional Administrator provides leadership to grantees through a
staff organized around and focused on ACF goals and priorities. ACF
programs and functions are grouped within offices according to current
ACF goals and priorities. Each office reports to a goal leader charged
with achieving measurable progress towards ACF goals and priorities,
through their work with state and local grantees, the public, other
federal agencies and internally within the Department. The Regional
goal structure is designed to allow ACF to respond quickly in a dynamic
and changing environment to emphasize, focus on and achieve ACF and HHS
goals and priorities.
The Office takes action to approve state plans and submits
recommendations to the Assistant Secretary for Children and Families
concerning state plan disapproval. The Office contributes to the
development of national policy based on regional perspectives on all
ACF programs.
The Office provides policy guidance to state, county, city or town
and tribal governments and public and private organizations to assure
consistent and uniform adherence to federal requirements governing ACF
programs. The Office provides technical assistance to entities
responsible for administering ACF programs to resolve identified
problems, ensures that appropriate procedures and practices are
adopted, works with appropriate state and local officials to develop
and implement outcome-based performance measures and monitors the
programs to ensure their efficiency and effectiveness. It 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 also reviews cost estimates and reports for ACF grant
programs and recommends funding levels. The Office performs systematic
fiscal reviews and makes recommendations to the Regional Administrator
to approve or disallow costs under ACF grant programs and to approve,
defer or disallow claims for federal financial participation in ACF
formula and entitlement grant programs. As applicable, recommendations
are made on the clearance and closure of audits of state and local
grantee programs, paying particular attention to financial management
deficiencies that decrease the efficiency and effectiveness of the ACF
programs and taking steps to monitor the resolution of such
deficiencies. The Office issues certain grant awards based on a review
of project objectives, budget projections, and proposed funding levels.
The Office establishes regional financial management priorities and
reviews cost allocation plans, and oversees the management and
coordination of office automation systems in the region and monitors
state systems projects for ACF programs.
The Office provides leadership in moving ACF regional office toward
results-oriented, customer-focused partnerships with administrators of
ACF programs. The Office is also responsible for providing
administration and management support for the Regional Office. The
Office is responsible for day-to-day operational management of regional
administrative functions, including budget, performance management,
procurement, property management, internal systems, employee relations,
human resource development activities and communications.
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 HHS Regional Director, other HHS
operating divisions, other federal agencies, and public or private
local organizations representing children and families.
Dated: September 17, 1996.
Mary Jo Bane,
Assistant Secretary for Children and Families.
[FR Doc. 96-24388 Filed 9-23-96; 8:45 am]
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