11/03

KD9.10 Organization [68 FR 65291-65303, 11/19/03]. The Administration for Children and Families, Region IX, San Francisco Office is organized as follows:

Office of the Regional Administrator (KD9A)
Program Support Unit (KD9B)
Self-Sufficiency Unit (KD9C)
Children and Youth Development Unit (KD9D)

KD9.20 Functions. A. 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. 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 (HHS) 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 certain 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 HHS Regional Director, other HHS operating divisions, other federal agencies, and public or private organizations representing children and families.

B. The Program Support Unit [68 FR 65291-65303, 11/19/03] is headed by a manager who reports to the Regional Administrator. It supports the Office of the Regional Administrator 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 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 HHS 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 formulation 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. The Unit 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, the Unit approves and signs all discretionary grants.

The Unit represents the Regional Administrator in dealing with ACF offices on all program and financial policy matters under its jurisdiction. Early alerts are provided to the Regional Administrator regarding problems or issues that may have significant implications for the programs.

C. The Self-Sufficiency Unit [68 FR 65291-65303, 11/19/03] is headed by a manager who reports to the Regional Administrator. 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 recommendations concerning state plan approval or disapproval are made to the Regional Administrator. 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 Administrator in dealing with the ACF program offices on all program and financial policy matters under its jurisdiction. Early alerts are provided to the Regional Administrator regarding problems or issues that may have significant implications for the programs.

D. The Children and Youth Development Unit [68 FR 65291-65303, 11/19/03] is headed by a manager who reports to the Regional Administrator. 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), Early Head Start (EHS), and Runaway and Homeless Youth (RHY). 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 Administrator in dealing with ACF program offices on all program policy and financial matters under its jurisdiction. Early alerts are provided to the Regional Administrator regarding problems or issues that may have significant implications for the programs.

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