[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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