Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability
Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability

Pilot to Outsource CBC Program Oversight Encountered Setbacks; Effectiveness Unknown

Report 08-09, February 2008




Report Summary

  • Due to a variety of problems, implementation of the pilot project to outsource oversight of two child welfare lead agencies has been substantially delayed. The outsourced program monitoring provider, Chapin Hall, used the Department of Children and Families' quality assurance system. Problems with the quality assurance system hindered the provider's ability to successfully implement program oversight. Chapin Hall's success was also negatively affected because the pilot lead agencies disagreed with the findings in one of its monitoring reports.
  • The department has since worked with Chapin Hall to modify its quality assurance methodology to produce useful monitoring results. However, due to setbacks a lapse of almost two years occurred in state quality assurance reviews for the pilot lead agencies. As a result, the effectiveness of outsourcing department program oversight is unknown at this time.
  • Chapin Hall is helping the department and lead agencies evaluate performance and track outcomes for children over time. The pilot project shows promise in developing more meaningful performance measures for lead agencies, but Chapin Hall is still in the process of evaluating lead agency data as an interim step toward producing a final set of measures.


Related Reports
  1. Outsourced Oversight for Community-Based Care Produced Benefits But Substantive Challenges
    Report 09-09 February 2009
  2. DCF Takes Action to Improve Implementation of State's Community-Based Care Initiatives
    Report 08-52 September 2008
  3. DCF Improves Contract Oversight of Lead Agencies; Fiscal, Quality, and Performance Assessment Are Undergoing Change
    Report 08-39 June 2008
  4. CBC Pilot Project Implementation Delayed But Proceeding; Other Initiatives Implemented
    Report 07-03 January 2007
Copies of this report in print or alternate accessible format may be obtained by email OPPAGA@oppaga.fl.gov, telephone (850) 488-0021, or mail 111 W. Madison St., Room 312 Tallahassee, FL 32399-1475.
Copies of this report in print or alternate accessible format may be obtained by email OPPAGA@oppaga.fl.gov, telephone (850) 488-0021, or mail 111 W. Madison St., Room 312 Tallahassee, FL 32399-1475.
social services, health, Community-based care, lead agency, children, dependent, welfare, pilot, oversight, monitoring, fiscal, program, quality assurance, contract, grant, fixed price, waiver, funding, permanency, child welfare, child protection, abuse, neglect, lead agency, community-based care, child welfare, foster care, adoption, outsourcing, privatization, performance, child protection, foster care, legal services, dependent children, CBCs, lead agencies