§ 205.37 Responsibilities of the Administration for Children and Families (ACF). ( a ) ACF shall not approve the initial and annually updated advance automatic data processing planning document unless the document, when implemented, will carry out the requirements of the law and the objectives of title IV-A (AFDC) Automated Application Processing and Information Retrieval System Guide. The initial advance automatic data processing planning document must include: ( 1 ) A requirements analysis, including consideration of the program mission, functions, organization, services, constraints and current support relating to such system;
( 2 ) A description of the proposed statewide management system, including the description of information flows, input data formats, output reports and uses;
( 3 ) The security and interface requirements to be employed in such statewide management system;
( 4 ) A description of the projected resource requirements including staff and other needs; and the resources available or expected to be available to meet these requirements;
( 5 ) A cost benefit analysis of alternative systems designs, data processing services and equipment in terms of qualitative and quantitative measures. The alternative systems considered should include the advantages of the proposed system over the alternatives and should indicate the period of time the system will be operated to justify the funds invested. ACF certified systems that are already in place in other States must be included in the alternatives to be considered and evaluated;
( 6 ) A plan for distribution of costs, containing the basis for rates, both direct and indirect, to be in effect under such a statewide management system;
( 7 ) An implementation plan with charts of development events, testing description, proposed acceptance criteria, and backup and fallback procedures to handle possible failure of a system; and
( 8 ) Evidence that the State's system will be compatible with those of the FSA to facilitate the exchange of data between the State and Federal system.
( b ) ACF shall on a continuing basis, review, assess, and inspect the planning, design, and operation of, statewide management information systems, with a view to determining whether, and to what extent, these systems meet and continue to meet the requirements under these regulations.
( c ) If ACF finds that any statewide management information system referred to in § 205.38 fails to comply substantially with criteria, requirements, and other undertakings prescribed by the approved advance automatic data processing planning document, approval of such document shall be suspended. The State will be given written notice of the suspension. The notice of suspension will state the reason for the suspension, whether the suspended system complies with the criteria for 50 percent FFP under 45 CFR part 95, the actions required for future Federal funding, and the effective date of the suspension. The suspension shall be effective as of the date that the system failed to comply substantially with the approved APD. The suspension shall remain in effect until ACF makes a determination that such system complies with prescribed criteria, requirements, and other undertakings for future Federal funding. Should a State cease development of their approved system, either by voluntary withdrawal or as a result of Federal suspension, all Federal incentive funds invested to date that exceed the normal administrative FFP rate (50 percent) will be subject to recoupment.
( d ) ACF shall provide technical assistance to States as is deemed necessary to assist States to plan, design, develop, or install and provide for the security of the management information systems.
( e ) Approvals of the systems by ACF under the provisions of this section will be undertaken only as a result of State applications for increased matching. The requirements of 45 CFR part 95, subpart E and subpart F apply.
[51 FR 13006, Apr. 17, 1986, as amended at 53 FR 36579, Sept. 21, 1988; 55 FR 4379, Feb. 7, 1990; 56 FR 1493, Jan. 15, 1991; 59 FR 30709, June 15, 1994]