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

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