Overview
The Center of Excellence (COE) initiative is funded through the Community Services Block Grant. Despite the efforts made within the CSBG network, poverty, unemployment, education, asset building, and affordable housing continues to threaten independence and economic mobility and increase Americans’ need for safety-net programs.
Working within the existing CSBG Performance Management Framework, the COE will provide national coordination for a T/TA initiative to identify, highlight, and support multi-year community transformation efforts that move individuals, families and communities towards improving human capacity, reducing dependency and sustaining self-sufficiency.
Featured Resources
For States
Updated timelines for State T/TA Plan and COE Highlighted Initiatives.
The purpose of the State T/TA Plan Template is to provide a tool that can assist in the development of a comprehensive summary of the collective T/TA resources and activities in a particular state.
Highlighted Initiative Selection Process
Access the selection criteria, submission form, and timeline for selecting HCCT highlighted initiatives.
This toolkit is intended to be used by RPICs and State Associations to communicate the purpose, goals, and process of the COE initiative to a broader audience.
For Local Agencies
Regional Convening Planning Guide
This resource is designed to assist RPIC leads with planning of the Regional Convenings as a part of the COE grants. Nothing in this guide is mandatory – adapt what you wish to the needs of your region and feel free to be creative!
The CSBG Tribal Resource Center provides provides training and support for Tribes and Tribal Organizations to help maximize to the reach and impact of CSBG funding.
Community Needs Assessment Template: COVID Update
This template is intended for use by local Community Action Agencies (CAAs) as an addendum to their full Community Needs Assessment in response to the COVID-19 global health pandemic.
The COE Convening, co-hosted by NCAP and OCS, brought together leaders from the Community Action network and public and private sector partners to discuss how new practices and new partnerships are transforming local communities and helping families build resiliency. Access the full playlist on YouTube.
Learn what you need to know and how to be involved.
A Deeper Dive into the Organizational Standards
This webinar series explores 5 key areas of the Organizational Standards to help local agencies prepare for a post-COVID future.
Operating Principles
Sustainable Independence
Create enabling conditions needed to support independent and resilient individuals, families, and communities
Support Employment
Strengthen employment opportunities for individuals and families that promote economic mobility across generations
Individual Empowerment
Foster the potential of individuals to create their own future by cultivating the environment that builds financial, social, and personal capacity
Government as Catalyst
Leverage the role of government to drive the transformational model by calling all sectors of society to this vital work
Community Matters
Support communities in the development and execution of their unique vision for growing the capacity of individuals and families in vulnerable circumstances
Evidence-Based Policy
Collect relevant, reliable data to evaluate the progress of interventions and outcomes. Apply the knowledge gained for the developing and strengthening of policy that supports the overarching objective
Individual and Family Centric Design
Design and operate a system that understands and adapts to the unique circumstances of the individual or family served
HCCT Steering Committee
The COE Steering Committee advises the COE, serving as subject matter experts from inside and outside the Community Action network. Selected members include representatives from local Community Action Agencies, State Associations, and State CSBG offices for each region. National Partners, Office of Community Services, and experts from outside the Community Action Network also participate.
CSBG Working Group
The purpose of the CSBG Working Group is to advise the Community Action Partnership regarding the network’s ability to consistently meet and exceed CSBG Organizational Standards and to support the network’s integration of ROMA NextGen. Selected members include representatives from local Community Action Agencies, State Associations, and State CSBG offices for each region. National Partners and Office of Community Services also participate.
Project Team
Aaron Wicks, Vice President of Organization Capacity Building
Courtney Kohler, Project Director for Instructional Design & Technology
Tayla Daniel, Program Associate of Training & Technical Assistance