Home Energy Assistance
Program Evaluation
Jackie Berger
July 28, 2010
APPRISE
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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 Evaluation
Experience
• 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 Evaluation
Experience
• 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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NJ HEAP Evaluation
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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 Performance Assessment
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OHEA Assessment
Research 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
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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
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OHEA Performance Requirements
OHEAP Performance Assessment Indicators
Resource Requirements
Resource Gaps
Options and Recommendations
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Agency Performance Assessment
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Agency Assessment
Research Goals
• Service delivery
– Requirements
– Policies and procedures
– Performance
• Best practices
– Identification
– System-wide implementation
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Service Delivery
Requirements
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Client outreach
Client intake
Application processing
Benefit distribution
Client problem resolution
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Agency Assessment
Activities
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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 Agency
On-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
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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
[email protected]
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