Sources for Recommendations

Recommendations Related to Enhancing CDC Support to STLTs
Source of Recommendation
Themes / Sub-Themes
Business Processes & Practices
1. Standardize the following:

Work plan templates

No-cost extensions / budget modifications

Data and reporting elements requirements

Minimum lead time for preparing applications

Applications, invoicing and reporting

Maintenance of effort
2. Reduce variations in “rule interpretations”
3. Collect evaluation KPIs with progress report
4. Define corrective action plan components and criteria for
status removed
5. Define criteria for assigning the appropriate monitoring
activities and resources to a grantee
FOAs and Guidance Documents
1. Determine inconsistencies in guidance provided by similar
federal programs
2. Examine requirements of grants programs across CDC to
identify potential synergies and reduce duplication
3. Standardize or simplify project period / budget period start
dates
4. Reduce degree of detail [required for] budget submissions
5. Develop consistent, cross-CDC guidance to balance use of
process and outcome measures
6. Break down silos amongst internal CDC grants management
systems
7. Encourage more strategic focus on achieving public health
system enterprise objectives
8. Support PHAB accreditation as beneficial measure of
infrastructure development
9. Evaluate administrative burden of grants management on
both CDC and STLT staff and explore process improvement
solutions

2008
ASTHO

2009 Partner
Services
Workgroup

STLT Workgroup of the
Advisory Committee to
the CDC Director

OSTLTS
Transformation
Project

NPHII Information
Management
Assessment























Source of Recommendation
Themes / Sub-Themes
Funding
1. Explore integration of funding streams, programs and
performance measures
2. Establish enterprise-wide consistent principles related to
cooperative agreement approach.
3. Better define and fund both program-related and agency wide
infrastructure costs
4. Enable funding and coordination of linked and common
activities across multiple grants
5. Encourage new cross jurisdictional approaches with unified
funding
6. Create incentives and enable use of grant funds to attack
causal/social determinants
7. Evaluate feasibility and grant awards that are bundled or
integrated
8. Consistent and more flexible carry over policy
Plans and Strategies
1. Develop and implement a comprehensive recruitment
strategy
2. Implement a Communications Plan that supports the
provision of timely and effective TA, clear policies, and
priorities
3. Develop continuity/succession plans and create knowledge
transfer processes
Competencies
1. Develop a functional competency model for project officers
and program consultant positions
2. Increase knowledge of the complex public health landscape
3. [Ensure] project officers have expertise in both grants
management and technical assistance.
4. Define expectations and criteria of a successful working
relationship between STLTs and CDC

2008
ASTHO

2009 Partner
Services
Workgroup

STLT Workgroup of the
Advisory Committee to
the CDC Director

OSTLTS
Transformation
Project


















NPHII Information
Management
Assessment

Source of Recommendation
Themes / Sub-Themes
Workforce Development
1. Develop a mandatory training course / certificate program for
all project officers and program consultants
2. Standardize project officer’s training programs /Use the
project officer and program consultant functional competency
model as a guide
3. Establish a mentoring program for project officers and
program consultants
4. Institute a “State of the Union” type event annually
Training and Information
1. Provide customized grants and performance management
trainings that meet the diverse cultures and needs of tribes
and territories
2. Launch educational workshops and seminars to STLTs on
emerging federal trends and issues
3. Develop tutorials; CBT; directories and educational materials
for STLTs that provide information about CDC’s structure,
resources, and how CDC conducts business as a federal
agency.
Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement
1. Consistently offer grantees access to programmatic expertise
using external stakeholder organizations and contractors
2. Seek meaningful input of STLTs in matters of significance
3. Support a more interactive process at the start of a
cooperative agreement
4. Work with HHS to determine strategies for greater flexibility to
award funds for joint CDC / STLT-defined deliverables
Policy
1. Balance use of effective, empirical criteria with respect for
community developed, culturally oriented best practices and
innovative approaches

2008
ASTHO

2009 Partner
Services
Workgroup

STLT Workgroup of the
Advisory Committee to
the CDC Director

OSTLTS
Transformation
Project



















NPHII Information
Management
Assessment

Source of Recommendation
Themes / Sub-Themes
Program Improvement Focus
1. [Provide/Ensure] greater stability, reliability and engagement
of the project officers as a means to improve services to the
states and overall project performance and impact
2. Prioritize working with grantees in continuous improvement of
program effectiveness
Communication
1. Develop standard communication plan and disseminate
across officers…
2. Establish a policy that directs every program to dedicate a
section of their program website homepage to provide current
and relevant information related to FOAs, cooperative
agreements, FAQs, etc.
3. Implement a new mechanism for quickly resolving questions
about expenditures without fault or penalty
4. Establish and maintain an agency wide portal specific to
program consultants and project officers
Evaluation and Monitoring Activities
1. Conduct an agency wide assessment … that will improve
access to training for project officers and program consultants
2. Implement internal and external evaluation mechanisms to
assess return on investment…
3. Evaluate interactions between CDC and STLTs
4. Launch yearly customer satisfaction and pulse check surveys
with STLTs and NPOs …
5. Conduct an assessment of every program’s existing
communication policies and practices
6. Analyze grant improvement initiatives identified by the
organizational issues Committee and the Business Services
Improvement Project
7. Evaluate administrative burden of grants management on
both CDC and STLT staff
8. Report on TA request activity to monitor trends and identify
group TA/training opportunities

2008
ASTHO

2009 Partner
Services
Workgroup

STLT Workgroup of the
Advisory Committee to
the CDC Director

OSTLTS
Transformation
Project

NPHII Information
Management
Assessment