Family and Community Outcomes in Arkansas

Community Action and Accountability

Community Action, as part of its original mission in the 1960s and, currently, through the federal Community Services Block Grant, is the only congressionally-established network of agencies given the mandate of addressing the causes and conditions of poverty in the United States.

In response to the Government Performance and Reporting Act of 1994, Community Action began implementation of the outcome-based management system known as “ROMA,” or results-oriented management and accountability, which focused on documenting the achievements of outcomes created or fostered by Community Action in three focus areas: Individuals/Families, Communities, and Agencies.

Mandated reporting to state and federal agencies on the outcomes achieved by program participants; positive community change fostered by agency initiatives and partnerships; and the improvements in agency management and service-delivery processes brought about by this management system began in 2001. A set of indicators of community action performance were created to allow for the aggregation of national outcome data in 2005. Annual reports including this national data are available at the website of the National Association of State Community Services Programs.

Use of the “ROMA Cycle” was adopted by the network in 2006 to ensure that a results-orientation was used in all aspects of agency operations: assessments, planning, implementation, observation and documentation of results, and evaluation of impact.

The community action network is currently developing “ROMA Next Generation” to strengthen the performance management culture of Community Action.

“…ROMA Next Generation is about more robust data analyses to enable agencies to more effectively connect people and distressed communities with the services needed to achieve specific outcomes”

“ROMA Next Generation asks agencies and states to establish a better understanding of what services produce the best outcomes for specific family groups and communities”

“ROMA Next Generation will ensure that agencies and states are using their data to focus their limited resources on what works best to achieve Community Action’s long-term goals of self-sufficiency and revitalized communities.” roma-nptp.org

• Download the factsheet below from the NASCSP website here. •

2018 State CSBG Factsheets

From the AR FFY 2018 Community Services Block Grant

CSBG NETWORK PARTICIPANTS

Arkansas administers CSBG to 15 agencies in 100% of AR counties
There were 422,843 hours of volunteer time donated to Arkansas’s agencies
Arkansas’s agencies partnered with 1,033 non-profits and 782 for-profits
The CSBG Network provided services to 329,084 low-income individuals in Arkansas. Vulnerable populations served included:
73,112 children
90,103 people with disabilities
27,679 seniors
33,880 people who lacked health insurance
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Nationally, over 1,000 agencies receiving CSBG funding provided services to 10.2 million individuals with low incomes.
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Nationally, agencies served over 1.2 million people who lacked healthcare, 1.6 million people with disabilities, 1.1 million senior citizens, 3.4 million children, and 125,000 veterans.

CSBG NETWORK RESOURCES

Money IconFor every $1 of CSBG, the AR Network leveraged $4.45 from state, local, and private sources, including the value of volunteer hours*

$0.79
State
+

$0.15
Local
+

$3.09
Private
+

$0.42
Value of
Volunteer Hours
=
TOTAL
$4.45

$0.79
State
+

$0.15
Local
+

$3.09
Private
+

$0.42
Value of
Volunteer Hours
=
TOTAL
$4.45
$7,295,794
CSBG funds allocated in support of the AR CSBG Network
$126,357,001
Total available to CAA network (including leveraged funds)
$12.28 per $1 of CSBG
Additional federal dollars leveraged per every $1 of CSBG
*Value of Volunteer Hours calculated using federal minimum wage, except in those states with a higher minimum wage.

CSBG PERFORMANCE OUTCOMES FOR ARKANSAS

Below is a subset of the AR Network’s 235,805 outcomes, including indicators of movement toward self-sufficiency and community revitalization.

2,319 Employment

This includes outcomes such as obtaining and maintaining a job, increasing income, and obtaining benefits.

2,071 Income

This--the total of outcomes for both income and asset building--includes outcomes such as maintaining a budget, opening a savings account, increasing assets and net worth, and improving financial wellbeing.

114,883 Health

This--the total outcome for both health and social/behavioral development--includes outcomes such as increasing nutrition skills, improving physical or mental health, and living independently.

42,284 Housing

This includes outcomes such as obtaining and maintaining housing, avoiding eviction or foreclosure, and reducing energy burden.

27,389 Civic Engagement

This includes outcomes such as increasing leadership skills, and improving social networks.

46,859 Education

This--the total outcomes for both education and cognitive development--includes outcomes such as improved literacy skills, school readiness, and obtaining additional education and diplomas.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR STATE COMMUNITY SERVICES PROGRAMS | nascsp.org | 202.624.5866