[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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