2011 OSEP Leadership Mega Conference Collaboration to Achieve Success from Cradle to Career 2.0 Fiscal Fitness: Understanding and utilizing fiscal mechanisms to improve outcomes for children in your state or community Presented by Lori Connors-Tadros, The Finance Project & Jim Lesko, Delaware Department of Education Presentation # 307 & 315

Welcome

Agenda 1.Describe what a fiscal map is and how can it be useful to state and local leaders. 2.Share experiences from Delaware and other states and communities that have used fiscal mapping to inform efforts to increase fiscal efficiency, flexibility and stability to effectively serve children, including those with special needs. 3.Explain how a state, city or region would undertake their own fiscal mapping study

What is a Fiscal Map? How can it be useful to system building?

Developing a Strategic Financing Plan Five Steps in developing a strategic financing plan: 1.Clarify “Financing for What?” 2.Estimate Fiscal Needs 3.Map Current Funding 4.Assess Gaps 5.Identify Funding Sources and Financing Strategies

What is Fiscal Mapping?  Fiscal mapping is a tool (not an actual map) to understand how funding is used.  A fiscal map gives you:  a detailed accounting of all federal, state, and local expenditures on programs supporting children and youth  an analysis of the adequacy, flexibility and stability of existing funding

Core Questions Addressed  What are the major funding sources?  Where does the funding come from?  Who does the current funding support?  How does the funding support key goals for children and youth?  Are fiscal resources maximized and leveraged effectively?

Uses of Fiscal Mapping Results  Short term: Review Portfolio of Investments Increase Coordination Maximize Funding Opportunities Advocate for Additional Investments  Longer term: Develop a strategic financing plan and A comprehensive sustainability plan

Imagine you have a fiscal map in your hands:  What does it look like? What would you expect the findings to be?  Who would you share it with?  How would you use the results?  Why would fiscal mapping help you reach your initiative’s goals?

How Have States and Communities Used Fiscal Mapping?

States and Community Fiscal Mapping Efforts The Finance Project has conducted fiscal mapping with several states and communities:  Fiscal Resources Supporting Young Children, Kentucky (prenatal through age 8, 2011)  Michigan’s Great Start System (birth to 5, 2007; birth to 8, 2010)  Smart Beginnings, South Hampton Roads, Virginia (birth to 5)  Delaware’s Early Success Plan (birth to five)

How Much Funding Supports Young Children? (South Hampton Roads, VA: Smart Beginnings)

What are the Sources of Funding for Young Children? (Michigan’s Great Start System)

What are the Sources of Funding for Young Children? (South Hampton Roads, VA: Smart Beginnings)

What are the Sources of Funding for Young Children?

What Goals Does the Funding Support? (Michigan’s Great Start System)

How Do You Conduct a Fiscal Mapping Study?

Delaware: Five Key Questions Are funds adequate to support an early childhood system? Does Delaware maximize existing resources? Which funding sources are most flexible? Are funds stable over time? Does Delaware coordinate funds to support early childhood system goals?

DELAWARE FY09 State and Federal Funding for Early Childhood Services State 39% Federal 61% Key Private Funders Supporting Early Childhood Services in Delaware

Delaware Recommendations Maximize Existing Resources – Make strategic use of flexible funds – Maximize entitlement funding – Tap non-fiscal resources of local government and community partners – Implement new coordination strategies – Encourage coordination at the local level Leverage Additional Resources Create Dedicated Sources of Revenue

Delaware Governance Interagency Resource Management Committee – Secretaries: Education, Health and Families – Budget Director, Controller General and Advisory Council chair Allocate all funds provided by the State, obtained by it, or under its control, …designated for children eligible Coordinate resources, federal and State and public and private to support…. services for children eligible children

Delaware: IRMC/Governance Outcomes Promote Interagency Collaboration Results: – Joint Part C and Parents As Teachers activity Play and Stays – Expanded Opportunities Efforts Expanding Inclusive Early Intervention Opportunities [EIEIO] Joint professional development focus on inclusion

Delaware: IRMC/Governance Outcomes – QRIS and Inclusion Emphasis Indicators on Inclusive Practices – Collaborative Integrated Data System Under Development Interagency Strategic Planning Committee – Collaborative State Prekindergarten and IDEA 619 activities Inclusive Settings – Cross Department Coordination of the Revision of our State’s Early Learning Guidelines

Early Learning Foundations

Tools You Can Use Before you begin:  Be clear on the goals and uses of your fund map  Identify who will be involved and how  Identify resources (fiscal and human) to support this work  Get buy-in from key public and private stakeholders

Clarifying Goals and Uses of a Fiscal Map Identifying uses of funding map from the outset can guide your data collection efforts. How do you plan to use your funding map? Reviewing/balancing portfolio of investments; Coordinating supports and services; Maximizing funding opportunities; Advocating for additional investments. Also, consider who is your target audience? Policy Makers Public / Advocates Funders

Identify Who Will be Involved and How Involve individuals at three levels:  Leadership  Managing and staffing the work  Providing Input

Identify Resources to Begin the Work  Resources needed to support: – Staffing – Meeting costs – Software and systems costs – Data presentation costs  Consider support from: – In kind support/expertise from partner organizations – Universities (ex. student internships) – New or existing funding

Collecting Data Once you are ready to begin collecting data:  Review publicly available funding data  Identify key informants  Administer interviews or written surveys  Fill in data collection spreadsheet  Analyze and synthesize data through written reports or other communication tools

Types of Data to Collect Consider what type of information to collect for each funding source. This may include: A description of each funding source/ how funds used; Eligibility rules and data on who is currently served; Funding amounts in current and past years; How funds flow to your state/community; Analysis questions, such as: Is the program maximizing funding? How stable or flexible are funds? Are there opportunities for coordination or leverage? Are funds adequate to meet goals?

Develop Plan for Dissemination & Use Develop a short report or policy brief Develop a power point to share results Establish a workgroup to prioritize recommendations and support use of results over time Revise and update fiscal map; link to a sustainability plan

For more information Contact: Lori Connors-Tadros The Finance Project Jim Lesko Delaware Department of Education