1 NJ SHARES ACCOUNTABILITY PLAN Jackie Berger 2004 NFFN June 7, 2004

2 Accountability Plan Elements of the Plan –Fiscal Integrity –Operational Integrity –Program Impact Partners –NJ SHARES –Agencies –Utilities

3 Accountability Plan Tools –NJ SHARES agency visits –Financial controls –Documentation of procedures –Board financial reports –Audit –Process evaluation –Client interviews –Analysis of NJ SHARES database –Client tracking system

4 Client Tracking System Goals –To measure client payment behavior prior to receiving grants –To measure the impact of NJ SHARES on clients served by the program –To confirm that all grants are credited to clients’ accounts –To measure the length of time between grant application and credit to account

5 Client Tracking System Data and Data Sources –Grant data Requirements: utility, grant amount, application date, award date, type of emergency Source: application/on-line system –Demographic data Requirements: annual income, single parent household, number of children under 18, elderly, unemployed Source: application/on-line system

6 Client Tracking System Data and Data Sources (continued) –Billing and payment data Requirements: dates and amounts billed, dates and amount paid, source of payment, date grant credited to account Source: utility billing and payment data

7 Client Tracking System Performance Measures –Status prior to receiving services Mean and median level of arrears prior to receiving grant Percent of households that made 0,1,2,and 3 (or more) payments in the 3 months prior to receiving the grant Mean and median number of payments in the 3 months prior to receiving the grant Percent of households that made at least $100 in payments in the 3 months prior to receiving the grant Mean and median amount of payments in the 3 months prior to receiving the grant

8 Client Tracking System Performance Measures (continued) –Status at 3 months, 6 months and 1 year after grant Percent of households with utility service Mean number of payments made Mean percentage of bills covered Mean level of arrears Mean change in arrears (since before grant)

9 Client Tracking System Performance Measures (continued) –Utility performance Confirm that all grants have been credited to the customers’ accounts Mean and median length of time between application for grant and credit to account

10 Client Tracking System Results –2002: selected 10 clients and obtained data from PSE&G –Service All clients for whom data were available had service 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year after grant was received

11 Client Tracking System Results –Mean arrears: Prior to grant receipt: $771 3 months after grant receipt: $245 6 months after grant receipt: $239 –Mean percent of bills paid: 3 months after grant receipt: 100% 6 months after grant receipt: 99% 1 year after grant receipt: 100% –One year after grant receipt, all clients paid at least 87% of their bills

12 Client Tracking System Results –2003: 5 clients selected from each utility, data received from SJG, NUI, RE, and PSE&G –Good faith payments Mean number of payments made in 3 months prior to grant: 3 Mean $ of payments in 3 months prior to grant: $286 Percent of clients who did not meet requirements: 20% Percent of clients who made no payments in 90 days prior to grant: 10%

13 Client Tracking System Results –Time to receive grant Mean number of days: 12 –Mean arrears Prior to grant receipt: $694 3 months after grant receipt: $719 –Mean percent of bills paid: 3 months after grant receipt: 92%

14 Fiscal Integrity NJ SHARES Financial Controls –Purpose: certify that dollars are spent on administration, service delivery, and grants –Tools: financial controls, Board financial reports, audit

15 Fiscal Integrity Agency Financial Controls –Purpose: certify that agencies are performing the services for which they are paid –Tools: NJ SHARES agency visits, client interviews, audit –Purpose: certify that agencies are not fraudulently certifying ineligible households –Tools: audit

16 Fiscal Integrity Utility Financial Controls –Purpose: certify that funds they receive are being used to pay arrearages –Tools: client tracking system, client interviews

17 Operational Integrity NJ SHARES –Purpose: confirm that NJ SHARES has a documented set of operations procedures and is following those procedures –Tools: documentation of procedures, process evaluation

18 Operational Integrity Agencies –Purpose: develop minimum service delivery requirements and confirm that agencies are following those procedures –Tools: NJ SHARES agency visits, audit, process evaluation

19 Operational Integrity Utilities –Purpose: develop a set of operations procedures and confirm that utilities are following those procedures –Tools:client tracking system

20 Program Impact Targeting –Purpose: confirm that the participant demographics are consistent with program targets –Tools: analysis of NJ SHARES database

21 Program Impact Commitment –Purpose: confirm that NJ SHARES recipients meet the “program commitment” criteria –Tools: client tracking system

22 Program Impact Tracking –Purpose: see if NJ SHARES has resolved the utility payment problem for clients –Tools: client tracking system

23 Program Impact Feedback –Purpose: interview a sample of program participants to assess process and impact concerns –Tools:client interviews