![](media/image1.wmf){width="1.679861111111111in" height="1.75in"}**ACF
State Systems Summit:**

**"Reaching New Heights in Human Services Collaboration"**

# May 3 -- 7, 2004

Washington, D.C.

The inaugural ACF State Systems Summit was held the first week of May
2004 at the Hamilton Crowne Plaza Hotel in Washington, D.C. The State
Systems Summit (Summit) was attended by State and Federal
representatives from across the nation in support of TANF, the
Children's Bureau, and the Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE).
The Summit was hosted by the State Information Technology Consortium
(SITC) on behalf of the Administration for Children and Families (ACF).
The agenda was composed of a collection of trainings, workgroups, and
open sessions focusing on topics of interest to program and IT
administrators within the areas of TANF, Child Welfare, and Child
Support from across the country.

# 

# *Attendance*

The following details the number of States, Federal Agencies, and
government vendors represented at the Summit:

-   283 Attendees;

-   50 States;

-   46 representatives from the sponsor agencies: Office of Family
    Assistance, (TANF), the Office of Financial Services, (State
    Systems), OCSE, and the Children's Bureau;

-   Eight non-ACF agencies including United States Department of
    Agriculture (USDA), Food and Nutrition (FNS), and the Centers for
    Medicare and Medicaid Services, (CMS); and

-   29 government vendors.

# HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SUMMIT

### *TANF* 

An integral aspect of the Summit included the 66 TANF participants from
33 States plus the District of Columbia and ACF taking part in two
targeted training seminars concentrating on the topics of Enterprise
Architecture (EA) and Maximization of Resources. In addition to these
training sessions, five Open Sessions focused on topics specifically
related to TANF. The following illustrates the content of the sessions:

-   Architecting the State Human Services IT Enterprise: EA is a
    framework that describes how an organization develops, manages, and
    uses information technology to optimally support its business
    functions. This two-day training focused on the substantial efforts
    to integrate the delivery of Human Services (HS) programs, which
    have been undertaken by many State HS Program Managers and
    Information Technology Directors. The significance of EA becomes
    more important as States look toward service integration across
    systems and influences of managing large-scale systems for
    customer-centric service delivery.

-   Strategies to Maximize Delivery of Services Within the Context of
    Budget Constraints: This one-day training addressed the needs of
    State HS Program Managers and Information Technology Directors who
    have experienced significant challenges with budget shortfalls and
    continued requests for expansion of services. This national session
    focused on Maximization of Resources ("doing more, with less") in
    the State HS Agency. As States look for areas to economize yet
    maintain existing levels of services and continue with service
    integration across systems the impact of this session becomes more
    evident.

-   TANF Technical Advisory Group (TAG) Meeting: This meeting included
    representatives from eight States, who have been members of the
    ACF/SITC TAG, focused on TANF activities over the past fiscal year.
    The status of outstanding action items and project activities
    concerning tasks within the contract was discussed. Updates were
    given on data sharing and exchange using a web-based application,
    the Data Warehouse Report, and the NHSITRC website.

Open Sessions focused on TANF:

-   Public Assistance Reporting Information System (PARIS) Update: This
    session focused on the benefits of States participating in the PARIS
    project. Quarterly, on a volunteer basis, States may participate in
    matching Human Services payments with each other, the VA, DOD, and
    OPM to assist in reducing erroneous payments.

-   State Systems Profiles: The SSP, a part of the National Human
    Services Information Technology Resource Center (NHSITRC) website,
    was discussed and a demonstration of how State IT organizations can
    review and update information online was performed.

-   Food Stamp Update: A representative from the Food and Nutrition
    Service discussed the 2002 farm bill provisions and outreach
    initiatives.

-   TANF Reauthorization Update: A spokesperson from the Office of
    Family Assistance detailed the most recent update on TANF
    Reauthorization.

-   Medicaid Update: A delegate from the Centers for Medicare and
    Medicaid Services provided the latest Medicaid update.

#### 

#### Child Welfare

The Child Welfare National Training Conference 2004 was a key component
of the ACF State Systems Summit with **72 State and Federal
administrators** and their contractors involved in the event. The
training was comprised of three daylong sessions. This year's conference
theme was **THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CHALLENGE: "Integrating People,
Strategy, and Technology**".

The conference was intended for State staff who plan and develop child
welfare automated systems, either a Statewide Automated Child Welfare
Information System (SACWIS) or a non-SACWIS. A total of **42 States plus
the District of Columbia** were represented at the training. The
sessions were designed to benefit new child welfare information
technology (IT) staff as well as experienced technical project staff.
Conference topics included Change Management, Data Warehousing and Data
Marts, Conversion of System Platforms, Enterprise Frameworks, Mobile and
Wireless Technology, Testing Methodologies and Automated Tools,
Sustainable Training Approaches, and an update from the Child Welfare
XML Workgroup.

In addition to attending the training, participants had an opportunity
to share best practices and lessons learned on a wide variety of
subjects including Release Management and Managing the Help Desk.

Open Session focused on Child Welfare:

-   Data Exchange with XM: This session provided insight into a
    technology prototype, which is exploring the application of XML Web
    Services technology to share information across Program, State,
    local and other boundaries to better enable comprehensive service
    delivery through interoperability and exchange of essential case
    information through the Programs' Information Systems.

## Child Support 

In total, 131 State, Tribal, and Federal representatives and their
contractors attended and participated in four Workgroups and 10 Open
Sessions all dedicated to the work of Child Support Enforcement.
Included in that number were 28 States and eight Tribal representatives.
The following details the focus of each of the Workgroups:

-   IV-A/IV-D Workgroup: Activities included identifying specific
    enhancements to the electronic interfaces between TANF and CSE
    systems to improve the collection of child support for public
    assistance-related CSE cases. Another vital piece is improvement of
    collaboration and interface efforts particularly surrounding the
    case referrals and exchanges of data. The 14 State representatives
    along with their Federal partners from ACF Region III, OFA, and OCSE
    reviewed and discussed the results of best practice research as well
    as shared their ideas for enhancements to the electronic interfaces
    between TANF and CSE systems to improve the exchange of IV-A/IV-D
    data.

-   Tribal Child Support Enforcement Systems Workgroup: The group, which
    consisted of nine Tribal representatives along with OCSE and ACF
    Region IV staff, continues to surface and document key issues that
    affect the potential for automation of tribal child support
    programs.

-   Interstate Workgroup: This group composed of 11 State
    representatives and their Federal partners continues its ongoing
    work on the interstate real-time access initiative.

-   APD Reform/State Accountability Workgroup: A joint Federal/State
    meeting was held to identify practical methods to ensure State
    accountability for high-risk State systems projects. Seven States
    along with OCSE, USDA/FNS, and CMS participated in and contributed
    to this important discussion.

Open Sessions focused on Child Support Enforcement:

-   **Cost Allocation:** An overview of the new cost allocation
    methodology toolkit for systems development using the benefiting
    program concept was presented. The toolkit is intended to assist
    states in allocating the costs of a systems development project
    serving multiple programs across more than one Federally funded
    program.

-   **Early Intervention:** A panel of States offered best practices on
    changing their approach toward non-custodial parents, reminding
    clients of upcoming hearings and appointments, and using automation
    to ensure appropriate child support orders.

-   **FPLS Modernization:** A status update and review of plans for
    modernizing the FPLS (Federal Parent Locator Service) was delivered.

-   **Interstate Case Reconciliation:** Life after the "match", the
    discussion focused on keeping child support interstate cases in
    sync.

-   **Case Closure Best Practices:** Guidance was provided on how to use
    State systems to correctly close child support cases in accordance
    with the regulations.

-   **APD Reform:** This open forum was geared toward State
    representatives having the opportunity to provide input on proposed
    changes to Federal regulations. The session centered on soliciting
    input on how to reduce documentation and submission thresholds for
    low risk systems projects while ensuring accountability for higher
    risk systems projects.

-   **MS-FIDM Freeze & Seize:** An update was delivered on efforts to
    develop requirements for this proposed legislative initiative.

-   **APD 101:** A basic overview and answers to the most frequently
    asked questions about approval and prior approval of APDs and
    contract documents was presented.

-   **CSE Update:** An agent from OCSE discussed various initiatives,
    workgroups, and projects related to child support.

-   **IV-A/IV-D Discussion:** Members of the IV-A/IV-D workgroup
    provided an update of the research conducted to date and solicited
    best practices from the audience.