Sustaining Momentum and Achieving Impact When Part C Leadership Changes
At a glance: CIFR intensively supported a state Part C program experiencing major staff turnover, helping to ensure continuity and addressing evolving needs to drive systemic change.
CIFR helps states improve the quality and use of their IDEA Part C and Part B fiscal data and implement the related federal fiscal requirements. Since 2019, CIFR has provided technical assistance (TA) to state early intervention staff, including Part C coordinators, data managers, and lead agency fiscal staff. This includes training, professional development, and consultation through intensive, individualized TA tailored to the unique priorities, concerns, and resources of state programs and personnel.
Leadership stability is critical to ensuring that TA achieves sustainable change. However, state leadership stability is the exception rather than the rule for many Part C state programs (see box). During times of transition, CIFR TA teams provide support and historical context, offering a degree of continuity and stability as new Part C leaders settle into their roles and fiscal responsibilities.
CIFR provided intensive TA to a Part C state program over the course of 2 years. During that time, the state had three different Part C coordinators. At the beginning of this support, CIFR held weekly meetings with the Part C coordinator, assistant coordinator, finance manager, and data manager. The TA providers immersed themselves in learning about the state’s Part C program and its organizational structure, funding streams, fiscal policies and procedures, data collection and reporting procedures, and approaches to fiscal monitoring and auditing.
With their understanding of the state’s needs, providers created an intensive TA plan focused on integrating fiscal monitoring into the state’s general supervision activities, using data to inform allocation decisions for local programs, and strengthening processes for tracking local program expenditures. As a first step, CIFR provided virtual professional development to the state team on key Part C requirements and federal regulations.
However, 6 months into CIFR’s engagement with the state, there was turnover in all of the leadership positions. At the same time, the state was notified of its cohort and timeline for OSEP’s Differentiated Monitoring and Support (DMS) activities. Because the incoming team had minimal experience with IDEA Part C and formula grant management, the CIFR TA team realized that it should modify the timelines for some intensive TA activities and strategies to better suit the new team’s working styles and knowledge needs.
To adapt to the changing priorities, CIFR TA providers delivered a series of four 90-minute virtual training courses on the IDEA Part C requirements. At the same time, they used OSEP’s DMS protocol for monitoring the state’s fiscal single line of responsibility, or SLOR, to help the team understand the state’s Part C system, including its strengths. The state team also learne dabout CIFR’s IDEA Part C Annual Grant Budget Calculator, subsequently using it to accurately complete the state’s Part C grant application budget in a timely manner and to comprehensively track expenditures.
CIFR’s support provided opportunities for the state team to examine fiscal data together and build a collective understanding of the changes needed to improve fiscal tracking and accountability. All five state participants who provided feedback reported an increased understanding of the requirements and greater confidence in implementing them. The intensive TA plan prompted the team to meet deadlines and tackle challenging issues. Throughout the 2 year engagement, monthly meetings helped maintain momentum and keep the process on track. CIFR TA providers also made two onsite visits to provide real-time input on the team’s fiscal tracking processes. Although the state team continued to shift and change, CIFR was able to brief the newcomers on the history of and rationale for the TA plan, ultimately supporting a smoother transition of responsibilities.
CIFR’s TA to this state Part C program was both effective and impactful, providing continuity during staff turnover while also achieving long-term sustainable improvements to state systems.
