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STATE OF ILLINOISDEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY

Office of Community Assistance

2019 LIHEAP IMPLEMENTATION PLAN – Knox Co. NOFO

Note: If your organization is a current LIHEAP Local Administering Agency, you may submit your 2019 LIHEAP Implementation Plan revised to incorporate Knox County instead of preparing a whole new plan.

The LIHEAP proposal process involves submission of a LIHEAP Implementation Plan. The plan details how the LAA will accomplish the major components of the 20XX LIHEAP. Several of the activities may require some detail (i.e., staffing plan, training, and outreach). Others may require only a brief description.

To respond to this LIHEAP Funding Opportunity, your organization must have a good understanding of the LIHEAP. The 2018 Energy Assistance Procedures Manual and various rules, regulations and policies are available for review at: https://www.illinois.gov/dceo/CommunityServices/UtilityBillAssistance/Pages/default.aspx.

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

The LIHEAP NOFO process involves submission of a 2019 Implementation Plan. This plan will detail how the applicant will accomplish the major components of the 2019 Energy Assistance Program. Listed below are the components and activities that must be addressed. Several of the activities may require some detail (i.e., staffing plan, training, and outreach). Others may require only a brief description. Please ensure the following are submitted as part of the 2019 Implementation Plan:

A. Cover Page

Questions & Responses, including separate attachments of:

B. List of all employee names working within the agency

C. Organizational Chart

D. Template or Timesheet illustrating time spent on LIHEAP & other Programs

E. Tentative list of sites where Outreach Activities will be held

F. Procedure to implement the emergency provision for Furnace Assistance

G. Training schedule for LIHEAP/PIPP staff and Furnace contractors

H. Energy Conservation and Financial Literacy Education examples

I. Policy for employees or family members of an employee applying for Energy Assistance

J. Privacy Protection regarding transportation, storage and security of personal identifying

information

K. Disaster Preparedness Plan

L. Agency’s customer complaint process

2019 LIHEAP IMPLEMENTATION PLAN – Knox Co. NOFO of 16

https://www.illinois.gov/dceo/CommunityServices/UtilityBillAssistance/Pages/default.aspx

https://www.illinois.gov/dceo/CommunityServices/UtilityBillAssistance/Pages/default.aspx

ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM2019 Implementation Plan Cover Page Document A

For Grant PeriodJuly 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019

Agency Information:

Agency Name:

Energy Assistance Coordinator:

Phone Number: Email Address:

Implementation Plan Prepared By:

Title: Date:

Phone Number: Email Address:Comments:


1. Grant Expenditure:a) Will your agency spend all of your PY2018 grant funds - (18-

2540xx) State and (17-2240xx) HHS? NA if not currently operating LIHEAP.Response:

b) If your agency will not spend all of the 17-2240xx by 5/31/18, have you discussed this with your Grant Manager and notified OCA Fiscal? NA if not currently operating LIHEAP.Response:

c) What is the agency’s plan to spend the PY2019 grants in full? Response:

2. Staffing Plan: a) Provide a list of all employees working within the agency –

Attachment B Required.

b) Include details for staff positions to be paid with Energy Assistance funds: total salaries, percentage of salary paid by LIHEAP funds, job titles and number of staff in job title, and the number of months they will work during the program (i.e., Energy Assistance Coordinator, PIPP Coordinator, data entry staff, bookkeeper, etc.). Response:Job Title Number of

Staff in Job Title

Number of Months Working with LIHEAP and/or PIPP

Total Salary for this Job Title

% of Salary Paid by LIHEAP Funds


c) Include an organizational chart. Attachment C Required

d) For employees whose salaries are will be paid from LIHEAP funds, include a template of a time sheet or other tracking method that illustrates time spent on this and other programs. Attachment D Required.

e) Describe time-tracking methodology.Response:

3. Outreach Activities: (Assurance 3)a) Describe how Outreach Activities will be accomplished,

including the job titles of agency staff who will be involved in Outreach in the areas of: Partnership with other Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), faith-based centers, State Agencies, and utilities.

Response:

b) Specify a minimum number of days that Outreach Activities will take place during PY2019.

Response:

c) Specify the proposed organizations/sites where these activities will be held. Attachment E Required Response:

d) How many Non-Financial Agreements does the agency plan to sign?


e) List each agreement and give a summary of the services provided by each Non-Financial Agreement(s). Response:

f) Will an analysis be completed on where its current applicants reside? If so, what tools will be utilized? (i.e., GIS mapping, etc.)Response:

g) Will targeted outreach be done to reach the most vulnerable population, such as the elderly, disabled and families with children under the age of six (6) years?

Response:If yes, how will you reach out to them? Response:

h) Include a description of how the agency will ensure that outlying counties or regions of the single county will be adequately served with outreach. Response:

i) Describe how the program will be advertised/promoted besides utilizing newspapers.Response:

j) Does the agency have a website and utilize it to provide information about Energy Assistance programs or other programs and services/intake sites?Response:


k) Does the agency use any form of Social Media to promote your programs? If yes, please describe (media source, type of information posted, how often is it updated, etc.).

Response:4. Intake Activities:

a) Describe how the agency will accomplish its intake activities, including (but not limited to): the identification of intake offices, number of applications to be taken, intake schedule, whether PIPP applications are taken at the central office vs. the intake offices, etc. If you are a multi-county agency, in-clude a description of how you will ensure that outlying counties are adequately served. Response:

b) Does the agency that take appointments? How will walk-in and disconnected applicants be handled, particularly for cus-tomers with transportation issues?

Response:

c) How do you plan to announce the days/times and locations where walk-in applicants are accepted? (i.e., including a message on your agency’s phone system, website, press re-lease, etc.).

Response:

d) What are the hours of operation for taking applications? Response:

e) For customers with transportation issues, or who cannot apply during normal hours of operation, what application-taking option(s) might be offered in order to best serve customers in such scenarios?


Response:

f) Include a description of how you will ensure that the PIPP will be offered in all applicable counties.

Response:

5. Customer Application Processing System: a) Describe how will Energy Assistance applications be pro-

cessed including: data entry, verifications, approvals, and payments. Include in your response a brief description of how the data entry into LIHEAP.net will be handled.

Response: b) What percentage of application activity will not be entered

directly into LIHEAP.net and/or STARS at the time of intake (how many paper applications do you anticipate taking dur-ing the program year)? Paper applications must be mini-mized and only utilized during system outages and/or when there are other barriers that prevent the agency from enter-ing all applications directly into the systems.

Response:

c) What barriers are anticipated that might prevent all applica-tions from being entered directly into LIHEAP.net and/or STARS systems? What is the agency’s plan to overcome these barriers?

Response:

d) What process does the agency have in place that assures all applications are adhering to program rules and processed in a timely manner and that the applications continue moving throughout the process?


Response:e) How will the agency ensure PIPP is offered to eligible Energy

Assistance applicants in areas where a paper application is the only option for the intake staff? PIPP applications are in real-time and timely electronic communications with utility providers is imperative.

Response:

6. Furnace Assistance: a) Describe the proposed linkage between the Illinois Home

Weatherization Assistance Program (IHWAP) and the Energy Assistance Programs, as described in the Energy Assistance Procedures Manual, “Each agency is required to develop specific written procedures to implement the emergency provision in an equitable manner”. The Western Illinois Regional Council (WIRC) operates the IHWAP in Knox County. Attachment F Required. Response:

b) How will decisions be made to ensure that the correct number of contractors is selected to meet the demands for the 18/48hr RA requirement? Response:

c) What procedures will the agency have in place to ensure that temporary heat will be provided, if the 18/48 hour time frame cannot be made?Response:


d) How will the agency meet and document in LIHEAP.net the 18/48 hour timeframe for the Furnace Assistance component? Response:

7. Reconnection Assistance (RA): a) Describe how the agency will implement the RA

component. Response:

b) How will the agency meet the 18/48 hour timeframe for RA?

Response:

c) Explain how agency staff will work with the utilities to determine the amount owed, the Good Faith Effort and the date of reconnect.

Response:

8. Training Activities: a) Describe how the agency will provide necessary training

for staff, including (but not limited to): Intake, outreach, Furnace contractors, STARS-Intake, STARS-PIPP, LIHEAP.net, STARS e-Help, customer service, data security, fraud prevention, etc.

Response:

b) Indicate who will conduct the required training and provide a training schedule for the 2019 program year. Including training for Furnace contractors, and all items


listed in 8 a) above, attach a draft of the training schedule. Attachment G RequiredResponse:

9. Assurance 16 (A16)– Skip if the NOFO applicant is not a current LIHEAP agency. This budget category is applicable only to HHS grants. The Office of Community Assistance (OCA) must approve the agency’s plan to utilize the Assurance 16 funds provided in each grant. Agencies must be able to chart impacts of Assurance 16 services, level of benefits resulting from providing Assurance 16 services, and numbers of Assurance 16 households that remain unserved. Complete questions 9. a) – e) only if the agency plans to spend Assurance 16 funds and report on the specific activities (up to 3% of Direct Client Assistance allocation, after approval from OCA).

a) Explain how Assurance 16 funds will be used to assist

households with services that encourage and enable them to reduce their home energy needs, including measuring and reporting the impacts (e.g. assessments, financial/budget counseling and assistance with energy vendors such as arranging deferred or budget payment agreements with energy providers).

Response:

b) Describe the wide variety of ways staff will provide education to Assurance 16 customers about energy conservation and financial literacy.

Response:


c) Describe the method of delivery, and the different energy conservation and financial literacy materials that will provided to its customers (provide examples). Attachment H RequiredResponse:

d) Describe the level of direct benefits provided to those Assurance 16

households served by the agency, including how the agency will measure

and report the numbers served.

Response:

e) How will the agency identify and report the number of households that remain unserved by the agency during the 2019 Energy Assistance program year?

Response:

10. Program Support: Explain how the agency will use Program Support funds, using the revised budget definitions.Response:

11. 2019 Production/Work Schedule:a) Describe the manner in which the production will be

accomplished during the 2019 Energy Assistance Program (i.e., number of applications taken daily, weekly, monthly, etc.). For the production estimate consider the State/Anticipated HHS allocation listed in the NOFO.

Response:


b) When will the majority of the Intake be scheduled? Response:

c) If you fall short on monthly application goals, describe your back-up plan. How do you plan to reach more customers in need?

Response:

12. Program Integrity: To maintain program integrity, the agency must create and follow internal processes for assurances of checks and balances. Provide the detailed response regarding:

a) What is the agency hiring criteria regarding criminal background, including background checks?

Response:

b) How will personnel and customer confidentiality rules be enforced?

Response:

c) Provide an outline regarding staff duties from point of Intake to Fiscal functions – you must show a clear separation of duties consistent with the Energy Assistance Procedures Manual.

Response:

d) Employees and family members of agency employees who are income eligible may apply for Energy Assistance. What


policy does the agency have ensuring an employee who is the applicant, or a family member of an employee who is the applicant, is not involved with the application process? Attachment I Required

Response:

e) Describe how the agency will verify the authenticity of unregulated energy vendors being paid under Energy Assistance and the procedure for averting vendor fraud.

Response:

d) The Department considers it a conflict of interest for an agency employee to be employed by an Alternative Energy Gas and Electric Suppliers (ARGS) and/or (ARES), or to enroll applicants with an ARES or ARGS, whether on-site at any agency property or LIHEAP intake site, or at energy fairs and community events hosted by the agency. What policy does the agency ensuring an agency employee is not employed with an ARGS or ARES and prevent the enrollment of LIHEAP applicants on-site or at the agency property or at an energy fair?Response:

13. Privacy Protection: a) Describe the agency’s policy on how personal identifying

information (PII) is secured including encryption of electronic files and training of personnel.Response:


b) Describe how files are physically transferred from an intake site to the main office; i.e., the method of transportation. Are applications sent by courier or through a delivery service? How is the PII secured during transport?

Response:

c) Describe steps taken for secure storage of customer files. Response:

d) Please attach the agency’s policy and procedures regarding storage, transportation and security of personal identifying information. Attachment J Required

14. Accessibility and Customer Service/Satisfaction:a) How does the agency plan to ensure accessibility and

appropriate customer service and satisfaction? Response:

b) Are all intake sites accessible and meet the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines?

Response:

c) Describe the ways the agency exhibits cultural competency.Response:

d) How will the agency provide assistance to non-English speaking or deaf Energy Assistance customers? Response:

e) What special needs population(s) does the agency currently serve?


Response:

f) Do you have the need for bilingual staff and if yes, how many do you employ?Response:

g) Describe the agency’s phone system and capacity to handle calls. Provide a detailed description of the communication system and staff coverage. Response:

15. Disaster Preparedness Plan: a) Briefly describe the agency’s Disaster Preparedness Plan,

and attach a copy of the plan, which should include contingencies for: flood, tornado, fire, earthquake, extreme heat, extreme cold, etc. Attachment K Required

Response:

b) If applicable, describe the Emergency Response utilized in previous disasters that have impacted Energy Assistance applicants.

Response:

16. Complaint Process and Appeal Procedures: Attach a copy of the agency’s customer complaint process for LIHEAP and PIPP households. Attachment L Required

a) Indicate name of staff who will serve as the Appeal Officer at the agency.Response:


b) Explain what the agency’s appeal procedure is, if it’s not included in the complaint process policy.Response:

17. Summary: In conclusion, summarize how the outlined Implementation Plan will allow you to spend 100% of the 2019 LIHEAP grants.Response:

18. Additional Comments: Provide any additional information you think would be beneficial to the Department in understanding your operation of the 2019 Energy Assistance Program.

Response:


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