Authorizing legislation makes clear that an application is required in order for State courts to receive CIP funding. A copy of the statute is attached with this submission for review (Attachment A - SSA Section 438). There are two parts of the application, which are necessary to properly administer the State Court Improvement Program (CIP): an annual year-end self-assessment report with an updated strategic plan.
A complete application is required from state courts every five years which includes the self-assessment and new strategic plan. Annually, the self-assessment should thoroughly be updated to reflect progress and challenges over the prior year. The strategic plan is to be written as a five-year plan which looks forward and is updated as needed annually. Because it is a high-level summary, and the two documents work in tandem, the primary burden annually is completing the more detailed self-assessment and updates to strategic plans are often minor notes that flow out of that review. These documents are required to monitor progress of the program according to statute.
Both the self-assessment and strategic plan template were developed with in-depth grantee input and feedback. The goal has been to design a process and tools that meet reporting requirements but also serve as helpful documents to grantees in conducting their work.
Both collections have previously received OMB clearance. This current request includes the following revisions:
⢠New infrastructure questions regarding the Title IV-E Child and Family Services Reviews (CFSR) have been added to the Self-Assessment. The statute has long required CIPs to collaborate with the child welfare agency. During the last round of CFSR, CB made a concerted effort to support CIPs and the agencies to engage broader legal and judicial involvement in the reviews. These questions are designed to support that on-going effort.
⢠Overall court structural questions are now included which are intended to facilitate peer and partner supports.
⢠Changes to bring the program into compliance with section 438 of the Social Security Act. On December 27, 2020, P.L. 116-260, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 was enacted into law. This law included provisions reauthorizing the CIP through FY 2022 and amending the program. The primary change to the CIP made by the new law was to consolidate the former three CIP grants (basic, data and training) into a single grant that can be used for all program purposes. Under the new single CIP grant structure, each state CIP grantee is required to use at least 30 percent of funds for collaboration and data sharing. This change means two fewer fiscal forms are necessary; states still submit the same information but on fewer forms.
US Code:
42 USC 629h
Name of Law: Social Security Act
The reduction of burden estimates since the prior approval are due to the elimination of the âToolkitâ measures. This resulted after discussions with CIPs over the burden versus the benefit of collecting these measures as well as due to changes in the CFSR measures causing the Toolkit measures to come out of alignment.
New infrastructure questions for the CFSRs in the Self-Assessment have been added, which reflect updated guidance to courts and agencies about the CFSR. A new page has been added to the Strategic Plan template as well for these infrastructure questions. This change to the Strategic Plan addition does not increase the estimated burden as CIP were already reporting CFSR related work on the Strategic Plans. The currently approve current form was topical such that certain fundamental infrastructure questions resulted in many ânot applicableâ responses, so this change helps improve data provide.
The updated documents also now include overall court structural questions. These are not needed for CB compliance purposes. They were developed out of repeated requests from grantees for these types of information. Grantees would like this information to facilitate peer connections of similarly situated states or to do comparative analyses on their own.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
Form 1 Strategic Plan
Attachment A - SSA Section 438.docx
Strategic Plan