A Brief History…
What are the CSBG Organizational Standards?
The CSBG Organizational Standards are a comprehensive set of standards developed with input from the entire CSBG Network through a three-year multi phase process led by the Center of Excellence. The Organizational Standards were announced in January 2015 with the OCS release of IM 138, State Establishment of Organizational Standards for CSBG Eligible Entities, directing States to establish organizational standards by fiscal year 2016.
The Organizational Standards are organized in three thematic groups comprising nine categories and totals of 58 standards for private, nonprofit entities and 50 for public entities.The purpose of the organizational standards is to ensure that all agencies have appropriate organizational capacity, in both critical financial and administrative areas, as well as areas of unique importance to the mission of the Community Action network.
In 2012, the National Community Action Partnership launched the Organizational Standards Center of Excellence, with support from the Office of Community Service, at the Department of Health and Human Services as a part of a broader effort to enhance the accountability and organizational performance of CSBG funded programs. Toward this end, the Organizational Standards Center of Excellence spearheaded the network-wide effort to develop high-quality performance standards with the mission of ensuring all Community Action Agencies have the capacity to provide high-quality services to low-income individuals and communities.
Since the establishment of the Organizational Standards in 2016, the Center of Excellence continued to collaborate with network partners through 2019 to provide ongoing training and technical assistance that supports the implementation of the Standards across the network. As a part of this work, the Center of Excellence has produced a number of publications and toolkits offering guidance on each category of the Organizational Standards, as well as complementary materials designed to equip agencies with the ability to both meet and exceed the Organizational Standards. Similar work on performance management and accountability, including the Organizational Standards now continues through the Human Capacity and Community Transformation (HCCT) Center of Excellence.
The Center of Excellence developed resources related to the Organizational Standards can be found on this page, below.
As the lead agency and training provider for the development and implementation of the CSBG Organizational Standards, The National Community Action Partnership also serves as the network’s premier resource hub for the CSBG Organizational Standards and has produced a number of publications and toolkits offering guidance on each category of the Organizational Standards for all levels of the network. The resources are featured below, and are organized by category. You can visit our tools and resources library for a complete offering of resources.
Assessment Tools
- Organizational Standards Self Assessment Tool for Private CEE’s
- Organizational Standards Self-Assessment Tool for Public CEEs
- Organizational Standards State Assessment Tool for Private CEE’s
- Organizational Standards State Assessment Tool for Public CEE’s
- Organizational Standards State Assessment Template
CSBG Organizational Standards
Organizational Standards Information & Guidance
Maximum Feasible Participation Standards
Category 1- Consumer Input & Involvement
Category 2 - Community Engagement
Category 3 - Community Assessment
Category Guidance
- Toolkit for Private CAAs
- Toolkit for Public CAAs
- Organizational Standards 2.0 Webinar – Category 3: Community Assessment
Supplementary Resources
Vision & Direction Standards
Category 4 - Organizational Leadership
Category Guidance
- Toolkit for Private CAAs
- Toolkit for Public CAAs
- Organizational Standards 2.0 Webinar- Category 4: Organizational Leadership
Supplementary Resources
- Preparing for Your Community Action Agency’s Future — Part 1: Organizational Sustainability Planning Guide
- Preparing for Your Community Action Agency’s Future — Part 2: Executive Succession Planning Guide
- Preparing for Your Community Action Agency’s Future — Part 3: Executive Transition Management Guide
- Batter Up! — Building Your Leadership Bench
- Improving Performance, Scoring Success: Using Balanced Scorecards for Organizational Excellence
- Utilizing a Strengths Based Approach to Implement ROMA Throughout the CAA
- Risk Assessment Toolkit
- Peer-to-Peer Series: Strategic Planning and Performance Management
- New Models to Achieve Your Mission: Strategic Restructuring for Your CAA
Category 5 - Board Governance
Category Guidance
- Toolkit for Private CAAs
- Toolkit for Public CAAs
- Organizational Standards 2.0 Webinar – Category 5: Board Governance
Supplementary Resources
- CSBG Organizational Standards – Calendar of Board Actions
- Organizational Standards and Community Action Boards
- Standards for Boards
- ROMA for Boards Training Series – Introduction to Implementing the ROMA Cycle
- ROMA for Boards Training Series – Creating a Local Theory of Change
- ROMA for Boards Training Series – Community Needs Assessment
- ROMA for Boards Training Series – Strategic Planning: Setting the Course for the Agency
- ROMA for Boards Training Series – Implementation of Services & Strategies
- ROMA for Boards Training Series- Observing & Reporting Progress & Results
Category 6 - Strategic Planning
Category Guidance
- Toolkit for Private CAAs
- Toolkit for Public CAAs
- Organizational Standards 2.0 Webinar – Category 6: Strategic Planning
Supplementary Resources
- A Comprehensive Guide to Community Action Strategic Planning
- Improving Performance, Scoring Success: Using Balanced Scorecards for Organizational Excellence
- Peer-to-Peer Series: Strategic Planning and Performance Management
- Strategic Planning: Overview & Preparation
- Strategic Planning: Gathering Data for the Strategic Plan
- Strategic Planning: Developing an Outcomes Based Strategic Plan
- Strategic Planning: Implementing the Strategic Plan
Operations & Accountability Standards
Category 7 - Human Resource Management
Category Guidance
- Toolkit for Private CAAs
- Toolkit for Public CAAs
- Organizational Standards 2.0 Webinar – Category 7: Human Resource Management
Supplementary Resources
Category 8- Financial Operations & Oversight
Category 9 - Data & Analysis
Community Needs Assessment Resource Guide
A Go-To Guide For Available Tools and Resource for the Community Needs Assessment
Head Start Management Resource Guide
A Manual of Resources offering guidance for Head Start Governance
ROMA & ROMA Next Gen Resource Guide
A Manual of Resources offering guidance for ROMA and ROMA Next Gen
This resource was created by the National Association of Community Action Agencies – Community Action Partnership, in the performance of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Community Services Grant Number, 90ET0469. Any opinion, findings, and conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families.