United States: CSBG-RPIC Capacity Building and Quality Improvement (Region I)

Deadline: 31-Jul-23

The Office of Community Services (OCS) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) announces the availability of funds for a cooperative agreement for the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Regional Performance and Innovation Consortium (RPIC) Capacity Building and Quality Improvement (CBQI) – Region I.

Objectives

• T/TA provided through this cooperative agreement may include regional convenings; small group learning opportunities; direct, one-on-one T/TA; webinars; training modules; publications; podcasts; e-guides; case studies; training videos; presentations; and other learning and capacity building activities. The award recipient must work collaboratively with national CSBG T/TA providers under the shared mission of delivering high-quality services that create pathways out of poverty for vulnerable communities.
• It is expected that the knowledge, capacity, and ability of the region will be strengthened through the implementation of meaningful, coordinated, and targeted regional and state-specific T/TA activities. The RPIC lead will institute a regional T/TA strategy for promoting relationship building, capacity building, and quality improvement initiatives; coordinating T/TA resources to support community-level outcomes; and fostering collaborative strategies that promote partnership, innovation, and improved service delivery. The award recipient will be required to coordinate high-quality, tailored T/TA and develop, implement, and disseminate T/TA tools that address the six objectives described below. Each objective will be achieved through strong relationships and collaboration with the state associations within the region. The T/TA tools and resources developed through this cooperative agreement shall be housed in a resource library as specified by OCS.
  • Service Delivery Models, Strategies, and Partnerships
    • This objective is a direct response to the Service Models, Strategies, and Partnerships needs category described in the CSBG Needs Assessment Dashboard, which was one of the highest rated T/TA priorities by the CSBG Network. Service delivery models include identifying the services an individual or family needs to become self-sufficient, guiding an individual or family through a continuum of services, and tracking outcomes.
    • The RPIC CBQI award recipient must focus T/TA efforts on the following:
      • Identifying services, service delivery models, and case management/tracking tools that effectively assist an individual and family in becoming self-sufficient.
      • Providing T/TA to CSBG-eligible entities to support the needs of low-income individuals and families through the use of rapid-cycle learning (RCL) methods to test, adapt, and/or enhance innovative programs and service models to effectively respond to urgent community-based needs.
    • Additional T/TA focus areas may include:
      • Determining strategies to empower customers living in low-income communities to respond to the unique problems and needs in their communities through maximum feasible participation with CSBG-eligible entities and state associations.
      • Developing and implementing training activities and curriculums for CSBG eligible entity staff and board members, including understanding the importance of how their roles and responsibilities impact the services provided to communities.
  • Build and Strengthen the Knowledge, Capacity, and Ability of the Region to Implement Effective Programs and Activities
    • The RPIC CBQI award recipient must focus T/TA efforts on the following:
      • Identifying, enhancing, implementing, and promoting capacity building and quality improvement efforts to meet the T/TA needs of the region.
      • Collaborating with the national CSBG T/TA providers to provide coordinated T/TA to improve knowledge management and promising practices across the region.
    • Additional T/TA focus areas to consider may include:
      • Increasing the capacity of CSBG-eligible entities to provide and sustain services that enhance equity amongst low-income families and communities and, in turn, transform communities and identify improvement areas to enhance services and outcomes.
      • Engaging with CSBG state lead agencies, state associations, and CSBG-eligible entities to implement succession planning efforts for employee retention; identify and fill positions as staff retire or exit key positions; implement staff leadership development programs; and create a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
  • Regional Activities Designed to Address the Collaboration, Capacity Building, Quality Improvement, and T/TA Needs of the Region
    • The RPIC CBQI award recipient must focus T/TA efforts on the following:
      • Spearheading the development of a comprehensive and integrated system of regional T/TA activities by coordinating, implementing, and collaborating with CSBG state lead agencies and state associations to develop an annual T/TA Needs Assessment template. The T/TA Needs Assessment template will be used to collect and analyze data to identify high-priority technical assistance needs and establish community-level goals and outcomes.
      • Convening with state associations to analyze data from the completed state specific T/TA Needs Assessment to determine regional T/TA priorities.
    • Additional T/TA focus areas to consider may include:
      • Facilitating regional presentations to provide a clear understanding of the role of the RPIC CBQI and the T/TA resources available to CSBG-eligible entity staff within each region.
      • Engaging with CSBG state lead agencies and CSBG-eligible entities to identify and eliminate barriers to growth and opportunities for CSBG-eligible entity staff, allowing staff to deliver innovative, effective, and culturally relevant services.
  • Relationship-building, Collaboration, and Information-Sharing Efforts with CSBG State Lead Agencies
    • The RPIC CBQI award recipient must focus T/TA efforts on the following:
      • Cultivating strong collaboration and recurrent communication with CSBG state lead agencies to build and strengthen relationships across the region and establish a culture that facilitates trust, collaboration, timely sharing of information, and, ultimately, advance the achievement of CSBG outcomes.
      • Providing support for collaboration with CSBG state lead agencies across the region to plan, coordinate, and deliver effective, relevant, and timely T/TA to territories, directly-funded tribes and tribal organizations, CSBG-eligible entities, and state associations.
    • Additional T/TA focus areas to consider may include:
      • Coordinating collaborative workgroups with CSBG state lead agencies and state associations to problem solve around shared issues, including procedural changes with program administration, strategic planning, and content for Community Needs Assessments (CNA) and Community Action Plans (CAP) to maximize the utility of community strategies.
      • Engaging with CSBG state lead agencies to identify and overcome obstacles in distributing CSBG funding in an efficient and timely manner.
  • Regional CSBG Performance Management Framework Efforts
    • The RPIC CBQI award recipient must focus T/TA efforts on the following:
      • Engaging with CSBG state lead agencies and CSBG-eligible entities to build capacity to meet the organizational standards to advance CSBG-eligible entities beyond compliance to ensure mission-driven operations.
      • Utilizing the information learned through the annual regional T/TA report to implement regional performance management T/TA.
    • Additional T/TA focus areas to consider may include:
      • Supporting a culture of learning that encourages successful performance management systems to ensure continuous improvement across the region.
      • Sharing promising practices with CSBG lead agencies and CSBG-eligible entities on developing strategies to improve performance.
  • Storytelling and Messaging to Demonstrate the Impact of Collective CSBG Regional Efforts
    • The RPIC CBQI award recipient must focus T/TA efforts on the following:
      • Highlighting CSBG success stories and effectively communicating compelling storytelling with CSBG data.
      • Sharing achieved impact, outcomes, and success stories with CSBG-eligible entity staff, board members, and internal and external stakeholders.
    • Additional T/TA focus areas to consider may include:
      • Engaging with CSBG lead agencies and CSBG-eligible entities to determine strategies to use data to develop narratives to exhibit the success and impact of programs and services.
      • Utilizing success stories to educate the community about the effectiveness of CSBG community-based anti-poverty organizations.

Funding Information

• Estimated Total Funding: $400,000
• Expected Number of Awards: 1
• Award Ceiling: $400,000
• Award Floor: $400,000
• Average Projected Award Amount: $400,000
• Anticipated Project Start Date: 09/30/2023
• Length of Project Periods: 36-month project period with three 12-month budget periods

OCS program involvement will include

• Providing program guidance and input, as appropriate.
• Approving all work plans and schedules.
• Reviewing and providing feedback on the activities, documentation, procedures, measures, and tools established and implemented for accomplishing the goals of the cooperative agreement throughout the duration of the initiative.
• Reviewing, providing feedback, and concurring with activities, procedures, tools, measures, products, and written materials prior to external communication and dissemination on an ongoing basis.
• Participating in the analysis of data.
• Participating in the selection and approval of analysis mechanisms.
• Reviewing and approving each agreement phase before subsequent phases may be started.
• Participating in the presentation of T/TA including webinars and one-on-one trainings.

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligible applicants are CSBG-eligible entities, or statewide or local organizations or associations, with demonstrated expertise in providing training to individuals and organizations on methods of effectively addressing the needs of families and communities with low incomes. Eligible applicants must be physically located in ACF Region I (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont).
• For the purpose of this funding opportunity, eligible applicants within the region or service area may coordinate efforts and apply as a consortium, identifying a single applicant organization to serve as the recipient.
• Applications from individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities are not eligible and will be disqualified from competitive review and funding under this funding opportunity.
• Faith-based and community organizations that meet the eligibility requirements are eligible to receive awards under this funding opportunity. Faith-based organizations may apply for this award on the same basis as any other organization, as set forth at and, subject to the protections and requirements.

For more information, visit Grants.gov.