Home Energy Assistance Program Evaluation

1. Home Energy Assistance Program Evaluation Jackie Berger July 28, 2010

2. APPRISE 2

3. APPRISE • Mission: APPRISE is a nonprofit research institute dedicated to collecting and analyzing data and information to assess and improve public programs • Focus: Low-Income Energy Programs • Location: Princeton, NJ 3

4. Research and EvaluationExperience • LIHEAP (Federal, NEADA, CO, WA) • REACH (VT, PA, NH, CO, OH, IL) • Energy Assistance Programs (NJ USF, PGW, PECO, PPL, Niagara Mohawk, IL PIPP, PG Energy, TW Phillips) • Hardship Funds (NJ SHARES, Energy Outreach CO, PA Utilities) 4

5. Research and EvaluationExperience • Energy Efficiency Programs (Ameren, CO, National WAP, NH WAP, NJ WAP, NJ Comfort Partners, Ohio EPP, PECO LIURP, PPL WRAP) • Other Residential and Commercial Energy Efficiency Programs (NJ RNC Baseline, NJ ENERGY STAR Homes, We Energies C&I Programs) 5

6. NJ HEAP Evaluation 6

7. Research Goals • Assess the fiscal integrity of LIHEAP/USF. • Investigate level of service provided to low-income participants. • Determine opportunities for increased efficiency and/or effectiveness in program operations. 7

8. Complexity • Administrator: Office of Home Energy Assistance • Intake: 40 LIHEAP Sub Grantee Outreach Centers (30 agencies) • Nutrition Assistance Households also screened • Database: Office of Information Technology • USF Implementation: 7 utilities work with OIT on eligibility and benefit calculation • Crediting Customer Accounts: 7 utilities work with OIT and OHEA to credit HEAP and USF to customer accounts 8

9. Research Tasks • OHEA Assessment • Agency Assessment • Develop Assessment Procedures • Implement Assessment • Report 9

10. OHEA Performance Assessment 10

11. OHEA AssessmentResearch Goals • Program responsibilities, performance standards, and reporting requirements • Program policies and procedures • Allocation of staff responsibilities • Investments in staff training • Other potential models 11

12. Assessment of LIHEAP Requirements • Review LIHEAP State Plan • Review other NJ LIHEAP documentation • Current NJ program design and implementation • Interview HHS LIHEAP Compliance Staff • LIHEAP grantee requirements • Interview DCA Management • NJ requirements for Federal grant programs 12

13. Assessment of USF Requirements • Review Memorandum of Understanding with BPU • Review other USF documentation • OHEA program administration requirements • Current USF program design and implementation • Interview BPU USF Manager • BPU expectations for USF management • Interview DCA Management • NJ requirements for state-funded programs 13

14. Implementation Status and Barriers • Interview LIHEAP/USF Program Staff • Status of each identified requirement • Barriers to accomplishing program requirement • Potential changes/improvements 14

15. Assessment of DCA Resources • Review Documents – DCA organizational chart, OIT agreements, utility agreements, other partner agreements • Interview DCA Managers – office/agency responsibilities and fulfillment of responsibilities • Interview DCA Staff – roles and responsibilities, self-assessment, and resource sufficiency 15

16. Assessment of Partner Resources • Interviews to assess • Availability of resources • Staff time and skill level • Other resources needed • Barriers to meeting program requirements • Interviews • OIT Management • Utility Management (3) • CBO Management (3) 16

17. Identification of Best Practices • 3 LIHEAP Managers from other states with payment assistance program responsibility • Program management model • Number of staff and skills available • Data management system • Utility interface • Local program partner systems 17

18. OHEA Assessment Report • OHEA Performance Requirements • OHEAP Performance Assessment Indicators • Resource Requirements • Resource Gaps • Options and Recommendations 18

19. Agency Performance Assessment 19

20. Agency AssessmentResearch Goals • Service delivery • Requirements • Policies and procedures • Performance • Best practices • Identification • System-wide implementation 20

21. Service DeliveryRequirements • Client outreach • Client intake • Application processing • Benefit distribution • Client problem resolution 21

22. Agency Assessment Activities • Document Review • Data Review • Interview Review • Agency On-Site Assessment • LIHEAP Client Survey 22

23. Document Review • LIHEAP plan • Responsibilities assigned to local agencies • Local agency contracts • Commitments made by local agencies • Other state LIHEAP director interview summaries • Responsibilities assigned to local agencies in other states 23

24. Data Review • Census data analysis • Geographic analysis of eligible clients • Agency statistics • Administrative costs • Service delivery statistics • Program statistics • Application approval rates • Grant approval time 24

25. Interview Review • Review DCA Interviews • Local agency responsibilities • Review CBO Interviews • Understanding of responsibilities • Approach to program implementation 25

26. LIHEAP Intake AgencyOn-Site Assessments • Agency interviews and observations • 15 agencies around the state • Assessment of resource requirements and staffing • 4 agency subset – assessment of computer system capability and usability 26

27. LIHEAP Client Survey • Client perspective • Ease of application/enrollment • Barriers • Assistance and information provided • Satisfaction 27

28. Agency Assessment Report • LIHEAP/USF Service Delivery Requirements • LIHEAP/USF Agency Assessments • Application Distribution, Processing, and Verification • Computer System • Telephone System • Performance Measurement System 28

29. Contact Jackie Berger Director of Program Evaluation APPRISE 32 Nassau Street, Suite 200 Princeton, NJ 08542 609-252-8009 jackie-berger@appriseinc.org 29