APPRISE
• Mission: APPRISE is a nonprofit research institute dedicated to collecting and analyzing data and information to assess and improve public programs
• Focus: Low-Income Energy Programs
• Location: Princeton, NJ
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Research and EvaluationExperience• LIHEAP (Federal, NEADA, CO, WA)
• REACH (VT, PA, NH, CO, OH, IL)
• Energy Assistance Programs (NJ USF, PGW, PECO, PPL, Niagara Mohawk, IL PIPP, PG Energy, TW Phillips)
• Hardship Funds (NJ SHARES, Energy Outreach CO, PA Utilities)
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Research and EvaluationExperience• Energy Efficiency Programs (Ameren, CO,
National WAP, NH WAP, NJ WAP, NJ Comfort Partners, Ohio EPP, PECO LIURP, PPL WRAP)
• Other Residential and Commercial Energy Efficiency Programs (NJ RNC Baseline, NJ ENERGY STAR Homes, We Energies C&I Programs)
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Research Goals
• Assess the fiscal integrity of LIHEAP/USF.• Investigate level of service provided to low-income
participants.• Determine opportunities for increased efficiency and/or
effectiveness in program operations.
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Complexity
• Administrator: Office of Home Energy Assistance
• Intake: 40 LIHEAP Sub Grantee Outreach Centers (30 agencies)– Nutrition Assistance Households also screened
• Database: Office of Information Technology
• USF Implementation: 7 utilities work with OIT on eligibility and benefit calculation
• Crediting Customer Accounts: 7 utilities work with OIT and OHEA to credit HEAP and USF to customer accounts
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Research Tasks
• OHEA Assessment• Agency Assessment
• Develop Assessment Procedures• Implement Assessment• Report
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OHEA AssessmentResearch Goals
• Program responsibilities, performance standards, and reporting requirements
• Program policies and procedures
• Allocation of staff responsibilities
• Investments in staff training
• Other potential models
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Assessment of LIHEAP Requirements
• Review LIHEAP State Plan
• Review other NJ LIHEAP documentation– Current NJ program design and implementation
• Interview HHS LIHEAP Compliance Staff– LIHEAP grantee requirements
• Interview DCA Management– NJ requirements for Federal grant programs
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Assessment of USF Requirements
• Review Memorandum of Understanding with BPU• Review other USF documentation
– OHEA program administration requirements– Current USF program design and implementation
• Interview BPU USF Manager– BPU expectations for USF management
• Interview DCA Management– NJ requirements for state-funded programs
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Implementation Status and Barriers
• Interview LIHEAP/USF Program Staff– Status of each identified requirement– Barriers to accomplishing program requirement– Potential changes/improvements
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Assessment of DCA Resources
• Review Documents – DCA organizational chart, OIT agreements, utility agreements, other partner agreements
• Interview DCA Managers – office/agency responsibilities and fulfillment of responsibilities
• Interview DCA Staff – roles and responsibilities, self-assessment, and resource sufficiency
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Assessment of Partner Resources
• Interviews to assess – Availability of resources
• Staff time and skill level
• Other resources needed
– Barriers to meeting program requirements
• Interviews– OIT Management– Utility Management (3)– CBO Management (3)
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Identification of Best Practices
• 3 LIHEAP Managers from other states with payment assistance program responsibility– Program management model– Number of staff and skills available– Data management system– Utility interface– Local program partner systems
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OHEA Assessment Report• OHEA Performance Requirements
• OHEAP Performance Assessment Indicators
• Resource Requirements
• Resource Gaps
• Options and Recommendations
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Agency AssessmentResearch Goals
• Service delivery – Requirements– Policies and procedures– Performance
• Best practices– Identification– System-wide implementation
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Service DeliveryRequirements
• Client outreach
• Client intake
• Application processing
• Benefit distribution
• Client problem resolution
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Agency Assessment Activities
• Document Review
• Data Review
• Interview Review
• Agency On-Site Assessment
• LIHEAP Client Survey
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Document Review
• LIHEAP plan– Responsibilities assigned to local agencies
• Local agency contracts– Commitments made by local agencies
• Other state LIHEAP director interview summaries– Responsibilities assigned to local agencies in other
states
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Data Review
• Census data analysis– Geographic analysis of eligible clients
• Agency statistics– Administrative costs– Service delivery statistics
• Program statistics– Application approval rates– Grant approval time
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Interview Review
• Review DCA Interviews– Local agency responsibilities
• Review CBO Interviews– Understanding of responsibilities– Approach to program implementation
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LIHEAP Intake AgencyOn-Site Assessments
• Agency interviews and observations
• 15 agencies around the state
• Assessment of resource requirements and staffing
• 4 agency subset – assessment of computer system capability and usability
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LIHEAP Client Survey
• Client perspective
• Ease of application/enrollment
• Barriers
• Assistance and information provided
• Satisfaction
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Agency Assessment Report• LIHEAP/USF Service Delivery Requirements
• LIHEAP/USF Agency Assessments
• Application Distribution, Processing, and Verification
• Computer System
• Telephone System
• Performance Measurement System
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Contact
Jackie Berger
Director of Program Evaluation
APPRISE
32 Nassau Street, Suite 200
Princeton, NJ 08542
609-252-8009
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