HMIS Lead Standards Ryan Burger, ICF Mike Lindsay, ICF

HMIS Lead Standards Ryan Burger, ICF Mike Lindsay, ICF Learning Objectives Review requirements of HMIS administration and operation by HMIS stakeholders Present national best practices on HMIS governance and management Provide attendees with approaches to improving core competencies related to policy development, monitoring, and end user support Explore ways to strengthen collaboration and accountability across HMIS stakeholders

Requirements of the CoC HMIS Lead Standards Ryan Burger, ICF Mike Lindsay, ICF Requirements of the CoC Designate the HMIS Designate the HMIS Lead Approve privacy, security, and data quality plans Develop HMIS policies and procedures (and update annually) Ensure consistent participation in HMIS Ensure that HMIS is administered in compliance with HUD requirements

Requirements of HMIS Lead HMIS Lead Standards Ryan Burger, ICF Mike Lindsay, ICF Requirements of HMIS Lead Responsible for managing the HMIS for the CoC’s geographic area, in accordance with the CoC Program interim rule and any HMIS requirements prescribed by HUD Additional responsibilities assigned to the HMIS Lead by the CoC Additional responsibilities identified in annual NOFAs FAQ 1566: The HMIS Lead is responsible for managing the HMIS for the CoC's geographic area, in accordance with the requirements of the CoC Program Interim Rule and any HMIS requirements prescribed by HUD. Any additional responsibilities assigned to the HMIS Lead should be documented in the CoC's governance charter, but may also be clarified in a separate, more detailed written agreement that is incorporated by reference into the CoC’s governance charter (https://www.hudexchange.info/faqs/1566/what-are-the-responsibilities-of-the-hmis-lead/)

Eligible Costs for HMIS Leads Only HMIS Lead Standards Ryan Burger, ICF Mike Lindsay, ICF Eligible Costs for HMIS Leads Only Hosting and maintaining HMIS software or data; Backing up, recovering, or repairing HMIS software or data; Upgrading, customizing, and enhancing the HMIS; Integrating and warehousing data, including development of a data warehouse for use in aggregating data from subrecipients using multiple software systems; Administering the system; Reporting to providers, the Continuum of Care, and HUD; and Conducting training on using the system, including traveling to the training.

Eligible Costs for HMIS Leads and End Users HMIS Lead Standards Ryan Burger, ICF Mike Lindsay, ICF Eligible Costs for HMIS Leads and End Users Purchasing or leasing computer hardware; Purchasing software or software licenses; Purchasing or leasing equipment Obtaining technical support; Leasing office space and paying charges for electricity, gas, water, phone service, and internet services Travel costs for conferences and to conduct intake Paying HMIS participation fees Paying salaries for operating HMIS

Expectations of HMIS Lead HMIS Lead Standards Ryan Burger, ICF Mike Lindsay, ICF Expectations of HMIS Lead Experience and national examples identifies several additional areas: Monitoring and oversight (privacy, security, and data quality plans) Governance, management, and collaboration with the CoC Policy development and implementation System administration and operation Training development and delivery Data analysis/reporting Help desk operation and end user support

HMIS Lead Standards Ryan Burger, ICF Mike Lindsay, ICF Interactive Poll How do you – as HMIS Leads and Sys Admins – spend most of your time? Monitoring and oversight Governance, management, and collaboration with the CoC Policy development System administration Training Data analysis/reporting Help desk operation Text answer to (Mentimeter poll forthcoming)

HMIS Lead Standards Ryan Burger, ICF Mike Lindsay, ICF Interactive Poll Based on your CoC’s priorities, on what topic should you be spending more of your time? Monitoring and oversight Governance, management, and collaboration with the CoC Policy development System administration Training Data analysis/reporting Help desk operation Text answer to (Mentimeter poll forthcoming)

Expectations of HMIS Lead HMIS Lead Standards Ryan Burger, ICF Mike Lindsay, ICF Expectations of HMIS Lead Experience and national examples identifies several additional areas: Monitoring and oversight (privacy, security, and data quality plans) Governance, management, and collaboration with the CoC Policy development and implementation System administration and operation Training development and delivery Data analysis/reporting Help desk operation and end user support

Monitoring and Oversight HMIS Lead Standards Ryan Burger, ICF Mike Lindsay, ICF Monitoring and Oversight Monitoring HMIS stakeholders is crucial to ensure ongoing compliance and performance End user monitoring: Review audit trails and user logs to ensure appropriate system use Privacy and security compliance Monitoring log-in frequency to support timely data entry Agency monitoring: License allocation and use Data quality

Monitoring and Oversight HMIS Lead Standards Ryan Burger, ICF Mike Lindsay, ICF Monitoring and Oversight Monitoring HMIS stakeholders is crucial to ensure ongoing compliance and performance Vendor monitoring: Contractual terms and conditions Functions and features Report accuracy and HMIS compliance CoC – HMIS monitoring: HMIS Lead performance Funding and diversity of sources Training delivery Report submission (timeliness and accuracy)

HMIS Governance and Management HMIS Lead Standards Ryan Burger, ICF Mike Lindsay, ICF HMIS Governance and Management Governance impacts how an HMIS Lead operates within a CoC’s structure Structure Process Performance Policy HMIS – CoC Governance

HMIS Governance and Management HMIS Lead Standards Ryan Burger, ICF Mike Lindsay, ICF HMIS Governance and Management Governance Structure or Model Defining organizational roles and responsibilities Developing accountability mechanisms Establishing linkages between organizations/entities Governance of Policy Defining who has the authority to develop, review, and approve policies and procedures

HMIS Governance and Management HMIS Lead Standards Ryan Burger, ICF Mike Lindsay, ICF HMIS Governance and Management Governance of Process Establishing the process of engaging in policy development and decision-making forums Backed up by charters, by-laws, and other process documents Governance of Performance Developing standardized monitoring and evaluation Ensuring transparency and accountability

Practical Problem, Potential Solutions HMIS Lead Standards Ryan Burger, ICF Mike Lindsay, ICF Practical Problem, Potential Solutions Problem: CoCs participate in an informal statewide or regional HMIS implementation, but only one CoC develops P&Ps or provides leadership Solutions: Assess funding structures across CoCs Identify policy – practice feedback loops Develop formal governance structure, based on statewide/regional vision for HMIS Align ideal P&Ps with intended outcomes

Practical Problem, Potential Solutions HMIS Lead Standards Ryan Burger, ICF Mike Lindsay, ICF Practical Problem, Potential Solutions Problem: Providers not receiving HUD funding do not participate in the CoC’s HMIS Solutions: Survey non-participating providers to determine primary reason for non-participation Create incentives to increase participation (improved workflow, subsidized license fees, enhanced reporting capacity, etc.) Support data exchange or HMIS build-out to decrease duplicate data entry

Practical Problem, Potential Solutions HMIS Lead Standards Ryan Burger, ICF Mike Lindsay, ICF Practical Problem, Potential Solutions Problem: Data quality monitoring findings are not utilized Solutions: Identify particular challenges of data quality Diagnose underlying cause of DQ issue Insufficient licenses, lack of incentives, staff turnover, HMIS workflow, etc. Work with CoC to develop stronger incentives and/or sanctions for data quality issues Adopt implementation cycles to include continuous DQ monitoring through report cards or checklists

Practical Problem, Potential Solutions HMIS Lead Standards Ryan Burger, ICF Mike Lindsay, ICF Practical Problem, Potential Solutions Problem: The CoC requests frequent and complex ad hoc reports to inform planning and policy Solutions: Develop a data dashboard with live and standardized metrics Create regular data uploads of data for ad hoc queries Identify common ad hoc report parameters and develop a standardized report

Community Examples Alissa Parrish, Institute for Community Alliances HMIS Lead Standards Ryan Burger, ICF Mike Lindsay, ICF Community Examples Alissa Parrish, Institute for Community Alliances CoC – HMIS Lead communication Developing a vision for data use Implementing DQ improvement process

Targeting HMIS Lead Investments HMIS Lead Standards Ryan Burger, ICF Mike Lindsay, ICF Targeting HMIS Lead Investments Some of the emerging priorities of HMIS Leads include: Data quality management and improvement Vendor monitoring and oversight Policy and procedure development or enhancement Data literacy and availability Setting policy and improving practice is a continuous cycle

Connecting HMIS Lead Feedback to CoC Policy HMIS Lead Standards Ryan Burger, ICF Mike Lindsay, ICF Connecting HMIS Lead Feedback to CoC Policy Plan – Do – Study – Act: Plan: Identify challenges and develop a plan for progress Do: Develop and implement strategies to achieve goals Study: Assess and track progress according to pre-defined measures Act: Make changes to the next round of improvement Policy – practice feedback loop integrates feedback from the field (participating agencies) to policy decisions (set by the CoC) to inform how policy affects outcomes.

Integrating Policy into Practice HMIS Lead Standards Ryan Burger, ICF Mike Lindsay, ICF Integrating Policy into Practice From http://implementation.fpg.unc.edu/module-1/improvement-cycles

HMIS Lead Standards Ryan Burger, ICF Mike Lindsay, ICF Closing Thoughts Some of the most important work of HMIS Leads is not required by regulations Successful HMIS Leads are objective, transparent, and collaborative Developing specific performance measures are crucial for contract management and performance monitoring

Closing Thoughts Success requires investment from all stakeholders HMIS Lead Standards Ryan Burger, ICF Mike Lindsay, ICF Closing Thoughts Success requires investment from all stakeholders CoC leadership: link data quality and HMIS performance to funding decisions and coordinated entry design HMIS Lead: provide DQ reports and system-wide analyses to stakeholders, and support capacity building and training activities HMIS vendor: respond to CoC’s needs and provide enhanced reporting and analyses tools Participating agencies: implement DQ standards and staff capacity to support ongoing HMIS success

HUD Current and Upcoming Resources HMIS 101 for New System Administrators and HMIS Leads Ryan Burger HUD Current and Upcoming Resources Current HMIS Lead Resources: https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/hmis/ HMIS Data Dictionary V1.3: https://www.hudexchange.info/news/hud-releases-2017-hmis-data-standards-data-dictionary-version-1-3/ Reporting Chronic Homelessness: https://www.hudexchange.info/news/new-resource-available-for-reporting-on-chronic-homelessness/ HMIS Standard Reporting Terminology Glossary:https://www.hudexchange.info/resource/4489/hmis-standard-reporting-terminology-glossary/ Upcoming HMIS Lead Resources HMIS Final Rule and Notices HMIS Lead monitoring tool HMIS Vendor monitoring tool MOU & Contract Management toolkit End User/Data Quality monitoring tool HMIS Lead standards Self assessment checklists for system administrators

HUD Current and Upcoming Resources HMIS 101 for New System Administrators and HMIS Leads Ryan Burger HUD Current and Upcoming Resources Current HUD System Performance Improvement Briefs: CoC Data Quality: https://www.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/coc-data-quality-brief.pdf Strategies for System Performance Improvement: https://www.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/Strategies-for-System-Performance-Improvement-Brief.pdf Data Quality and Analysis for System Performance Improvement: https://www.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/Data-Quality-and-Analysis-for-System-Performance-Improvement-Brief.pdf

HMIS Lead Standards Ryan Burger, ICF Mike Lindsay, ICF Interactive Poll What is your next immediate step to improve how the HMIS Lead works within your CoC? Review current P&Ps and update as needed Monitor participating agencies Review vendor contracts and agency participation agreements Connect with your peers and brush up on best practices Develop new training material based on HUD guidance and national best practices Text answer to (Mentimeter poll forthcoming)

Questions and Discussion HMIS Lead Standards Ryan Burger, ICF Mike Lindsay, ICF Questions and Discussion

Contact Us Ryan Burger ryan.burger@icf.com HMIS Lead Standards Ryan Burger, ICF Mike Lindsay, ICF Contact Us Ryan Burger ryan.burger@icf.com Mike Lindsay michael.lindsay@icf.com