11/03

KD1.10 Organization [68 FR 65291-65303, 11/19/03]. The Administration for Children and Families, Region 1, Boston Office has a goal-driven structure and is organized as follows:

Office of the Regional Administrator (KD1A)
Goal#1-Family Self Sufficiency
Goal#2-Healthy Children, Families and Communities
Goal#3-Financial Management

KD1.20 Functions. The Regional Office [68 FR 65291-65303, 11/19/03], is headed by a Regional Administrator who reports to the Assistant Secretary for Children and Families through the Director, Office of Regional Operations.  In addition, the Office of the Regional Administrator has a Deputy 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. In addition, the Regional Administrator is responsible for alerting the Assistant Secretary for Children and Families through the Director, Office of Regional Operations to issues that may have significant regional and/or national impact. 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 and 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 ACF goals and priorities, through its 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 certain 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 assists in the review of office automation systems in the region and state systems projects for ACF programs.

The Office provides leadership in forming 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, employee relations, human resource development activities and communications.

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.

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