Data Collection, Reporting, and Performance Measurement in Continuums of Care (CoC) including the Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress. Under contract to HUD's Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs (SNAPs) in the Office of Community Planning and Development, Cloudburst is providing assistance to communities nationwide that have programs designed to help persons who are homeless. Local homeless assistance agencies in these communities provide a range of services to homeless persons, including shelter, food, housing counseling, and job skills programs. Cloudburst's assistance includes outreach and technical assistance efforts to increase the participation of these communities in the data collection efforts for HUD's Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress. Cloudburst is providing assistance to these Continuum of Care communities to analyze program data for quality assurance and develop effective performance measures that will produce accurate reporting of data for the AHAR and for use at the local level. In addition, we are working to create models of regional collaboration for HUD's Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS) initiative and develop best practice Public Access Security Models to protect the sensitive data stored in HMIS. We are also convening an annual Homeless Data Users Meeting bringing together the most forward-thinking and innovative HMIS and CoC professionals from across the country to share best practice examples of local use of homeless data for planning and program improvements. We are conducting GIS analysis to produce specialized maps for HUD's use in directing these programs and contributing to the greater understanding of the extent of homelessness in every community in the county. In an effort to standardize data collection and reporting for local grantees that receive funds from multiple federal government sources we are facilitating development of uniform performance measures for homeless street outreach programs with HHS Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) and for programs that serve homeless veterans with the Veterans Administration. 

View Advanced Data Users Meeting Report.  

 

Data Integrity and Cleanup Project. Cloudburst is supporting HUD's Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs (SNAPs) to improve the quality of its Emergency Shelter Block Grant (ESG) Program financial and performance data. The project is part of an extensive, ongoing modernization project for the Office of Community Planning and Development's (CPD) Integrated Disbursement and Information System (IDIS). This system allows for program grantees to receive grant funds to implement local projects, and to report local program accomplishments. The work will include database design and data analysis, conducting data integrity and cleanup activities directly with HUD program grantees, liaising with HUD headquarters and field office staff, and with state and local government grantees. By ensuring that the SNAPs office has the best possible ESG performance data, this project will help the re-engineered IDIS reach its fullest potential for all stakeholders, including HUD, local administrators, community development groups and researchers. This work is being conducted under contract to Lockheed Martin Aspen Systems. 

 

Cost of Homelessness Study.  For HUD, Cloudburst is working as part of a larger team to develop a methodology to understand the costs of a person experiencing homelessness. Cloudburst staff conducted site visits to pre-determined study sites, collected and entered data into project databases and conducted preliminary data analysis. Cloudburst staff will also assist with synthesizing data and writing the final report. This work is being conducted under contract to Abt Associates, Inc. 

 

Federal Policy Academy to Increase Access to Mainstream Services for Persons Experiencing Homelessness.  Cloudburst provided facilitation services to a collaborative, Federal policy-level group over a multi-year period, to increase access to mainstream services for persons experiencing homelessness, including the chronically homeless, and homeless families with children. Under a collaborative effort undertaken by the Departments of HUD, HHS, VA and DOL, Cloudburst assisted state policy-making teams to develop an action plan designed to coordinate and leverage public and private resources to end homelessness within their states. Group members included state commissioners, elected officials, and directors of state and local grantor agencies-including offices of mental health services, housing, corrections, education, and others. Cloudburst staff provided these services at all nine policy academies since its inception in 2002. This work was conducted under contract to Health Systems Research, Inc. 

 

Federal Policy Academy for Transforming State Mental Health Systems. Cloudburst provided facilitation services on behalf of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the National Governor's Association Center for Best Practices, to a national group in an effort to create a state-level agenda for mental health policy transformation. Cloudburst assisted states to develop a strategic action plan, consistent with the New Freedom Initiative, which were driven by a set of local priorities with programs and services that provided beneficiaries with the promise of recovery. 

 

Strategic and Analytical Review of Monitoring and Coordination Plan. Cloudburst conducted a pre-publication review and provided critical comments to a grantee oversight and coordination plan developed for grantees of the Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Compassion Capital Fund (CCF) Program Office. Part of the Administration's Faith-based and Community Initiative, this plan was developed to monitor activities and provide guidance to these Faith-Based and Community-based Organizations. Under contract to Dare Mighty Things, Inc. Cloudburst assisted with overall design issues related to grantee management policies and procedures, as well as systems requirements, to run and manage an effective oversight function for these nonprofit entities. Cloudburst provided expertise in grantee performance management for federal government grantees.