Puerto Rico Action Plan

PRIORITY ONE: ACCURATE INFORMATION / EDUCATION / OUTREACH
Strategy(-ies)	Action(s)	Manager¹	Implementer²	Expected Outcomes	Benchmarks	Completion Date (Estimated)
Strategy 1.1 Study, needs assessment: (includes information about services & housing units and communications infrastructure)	Action 1.1.1 Allocate funds to conduct study	State Team for the Public Policy Academy	Legislators (Barril) OGP (Governor) Foundations State Agencies (Commission) WIA	$150,000 budget	Attain sufficient funds for research Engage Universities to engage in this effort Amendments to Law 250 of 1998 to allocate funding to the Commission"	July-02
	Action 1.1.2 Contract resources to conduct study. Study will include a Needs Analysis and Profile of the Homeless, an Inventory of all services & housing available for the Homeless, information about the Technological Infrastructure at each service site, list of legislation that impacts the homeless and any other information which is necessary.	State Team for the Public Policy Academy	Depends on RFP	Completed Study	Needs Analysis Inventory of Services Gaps Analysis List of legislation Description of site tech infrastructure	November-02
	Action 1.1.3 Publish and disceminate results	Commission	Commission	Publish online Get press coverage Circulate to NPOs, Government (Executive, Judicial & Legislative) & Universities	Press conference to disceminate findings Print copies Make online version Send copy to Legislators, Agency Directors, Mayors, Universities & Service Providers	December-02
Strategy 1.2 Identify & Prioritize Gaps	Action 1.2.1 Do a complete inventory of all services and housing available for the homeless	State Team for the Public Policy Academy	Department of Housing Depends on RFP	Complete inventory including a rating of the effectiveness of services and the quality of the housing	Development of questionnaire Filling questionnaire Progress reports	December-02
	Action 1.2.2 Comparative analysis of Needs Assessment and Inventory of Service & Housing	State Team for the Public Policy Academy	Depends on RFP	Complete Analysis	Progress reports	December-02
	Action 1.2.3 Set Priorities for the Gaps	Commission	Government (Central & Municipal) NPOs CBOs Faith Based Orgs	1. Set program Priorities 2. Inform Public and Private sector of these Priorities	Meeting with stakeholders to present GAPS Analysis Receive input from stakeholders Decide on Priorities	February-03
	Action 1.2.4 Publish and Disseminate a Directory of Services and Housing available for the Homeless	Commission	Commission	Directory of services & housing available Publish online Send copies to NPOs, Government & Universities	Press conference to disseminate findings Print copies Make online version Send copy to Legislators, Agency Directors, Mayors, Universities & Service Providers	March-03
Strategy 1.3 Education Campaigns	Action 1.3.1 NIMBY Campaign (Not In My Back Yard)	Commission	Committee within the Commission Association and Federation of Mayors Local Actors Homeless Volunteers Civic Groups	Run campaign	Engage "problem" communities to develop alternative vision of homelessness. Get pro bono advertising services Get commitment from newspapers & other media to provide coverage as public service Prepare public relations plan Prepare ads	September-02
	Action 1.3.2 Campaign to prevent criminalization of homelessness	Commission	Committee within the Commission Association and Federation of Mayors Local Actors Homeless Volunteers Civic Groups	Run campaign	Engage "problem" communities to develop alternative vision of homelessness. Get pro bono advertising services Get commitment from newspapers & other media to provide coverage as public service Prepare public relations plan Prepare ads Make appeals to Legislators & Mayors	September-02
	Action 1.3.3 Outreach to Clients	Commission	Homeless service providers NPOs, CBOs & FBOs PATH Special Communities Office Coordinators Social Rehabilitation Program (PRES) Local Governments VA Outreach	Clients know about and can access the services available	Manual of outreach information Mechanism of outreach in place	ongoing
	Action 1.3.4 Staff Training	Commission	Homeless service providers NPOs, CBOs & FBOs PATH Special Communities Office Coordinators Social Rehabilitation Program (PRES) Local Governments VA Outreach Universities	Train outreach teams	Identify Best Practices Identify trainers Train the trainers	January-03
Strategy 1.4 Develop information and referral system (HMIS)	Action 1.4.1 Hold meeting with all service & housing providers	Commission	HUD TA Aspen Sys TA Foundations NGO, CBO & FBO Central & Local Government	Commitments to engage in HMIS initiative	Identify service providers Set up meeting agenda Hold meeting	January-03
	Action 1.4.2 Access Technical Assistance	Commission	HUD TA Aspen Sys TA	Access Technical Assistance	Coordinate TA with HUD/NHSDC Create HMIS Committee in Commission
	Action 1.4.3 Conduct Needs Assessment	State Team for the Policy Academy	Depends on RFP	Identify infrastructure and personnel training needs of service providers	Site visits, evaluation of infrastructure, resources & personnel	March-03
	Action 1.4.4 Develop Plan for Implementation	Commission	Commission	Implementation Plan	Short Term Plan (1-3 years) Mid Term Plan (4-6 years) Long Term Plan (7-10 years)	March-03
	Action 1.4.5 Identify provider of the service	Commission	Depends on RFP	Hire administrator for HMIS	Negotiate Terms RFP Process Evaluate proposals	March-03
Progress to Date		Barriers and/or Situational Changes			Immediate Next Steps (including potential technical assistance needs)
HMIS Pilot has begun in San Juan.		Commission has no budget assigned			Request HMIS TA & Needs Assessment TA & Identify funding resources for study

¹ The Manager is the individual responsible for coordinating each action.
² The Implementer is the individual (or entity) responsible for carrying-out each action.

PRIORITY TWO: COORDINATION / COLLABORATION
Strategy(-ies)	Action(s)	Manager¹	Implementer²	Expected Outcomes	Benchmarks	Completion Date (Estimated)
Strategy 2.1 Governor’s Mandate	Action 2.1.1 State Team & Commission meet to finish plan by May 31, 2002.	State Team for the Policy Academy	State Team for the Policy Academy	Finish working Action Plan	SWOT Analysis Set Priorities Develop strategies	May-02
	Action 2.1.2 Send Plan to Governor	State Team for the Policy Academy	State Team for the Policy Academy	Send Plan to Governor & receive her input	Send out plan Follow up	May-02
	Action 2.1.3 Send Plan to the Public Policy Academy by May 31	State Team for the Policy Academy	State Team for the Policy Academy	Send Plan to Policy Academy	Send out plan Follow up	May-02
	Action 2.1.4 Establish Work Plan for the Commission	State Team for the Policy Academy	State Team for the Policy Academy	Develop a 5 year work plan for the Commission	Monthly meetings Progress report	May-02
Strategy 2.2 Develop Strategic Plan Across Agencies, Municipalities, private entities and communities.	Action 2.2.1 Identify barriers access of mainstream services and coordination	Commission	Commission	List of all barriers at the government and non governmental level that impede access to services & housing	Meetings with homeless clients to identify barriers Meetings with service providers to identify barriers and possible areas of collaboration	September-02
	Action 2.2.2 Report the results of the needs assessment study at the Commission meetings	Commission	Commission	Make clear to all Commission members what the barriers to service are	Make a report of Barrier Identification findings 2. Present to each member of the Commission	September-02
	Action 2.2.3 Develop strategies for service coordination	Commission	Commission	Develop a plan for service coordination and elimination of barriers to service delivery and housing	Identify alternatives to eliminate barriers Identify priorities in service coordination	February-03
	Action 2.2.4 Develop and sign MOUs to ensure interagency collaboration	Commission	Legal Aids Agency Directors	Interagency coordination ensured through MOUs	Develop MOUs Negotiations	July-03
	Action 2.2.5 Talk to Legislators to change or create legislation to reduce barriers to services.	Commission	Commission NGOs, CBOs & FBOs	Foster legislation that produces interagency collaboration and eliminates barriers	Identify legal issues Propose bills Gather Executive and Legislative support	September-02
Strategy 2.3 Develop a time frame & follow up on the development of the action plan and all the strategic plans contemplated herein	Action 2.3.1 Develop an time line and follow up mechanisms	Commission	Commission	Follow up on plan	Hire an Executive Director for the Commission Develop an Action Plan Timeline Follow up on initiatives	ongoing
Progress to Date		Barriers and/or Situational Changes			Immediate Next Steps (including potential technical assistance needs)
Commission is meeting regulaly Continuum of Care Application is under way All Central Government Agencies are assisting the Commission meetings Commission has representation from NPOs, FBOs, Corporations and a homeless person. Continuum of Care has been presented to Mayors, and they support the initiative					Ask each Agency represented in the Commission to hold a round table discussion to identify barriers to service & housing Identify funds for & hire Executive Director for the Commission Request TA for systems integration

¹ The Manager is the individual responsible for coordinating each action.
² The Implementer is the individual (or entity) responsible for carrying-out each action.

PRIORITY THREE: EXPAND / IMPROVE INFRASTRUCTURE
Strategy(-ies)	Action(s)	Manager¹	Implementer²	Expected Outcomes	Benchmarks	Completion Date (Estimated)
Strategy 3.1 Statewide continuum of care application	Action 3.1.1 Hire a consultant	Commission	Department of Family	Consultant will write Exhibit 1 and coordinate any planning or data gathering efforts necessary to developing our Continuum of Care Strategy	Develop RFP Inventory of Services Bring together initiatives developed by diverse groups	May-02 January-03 January-04 January-05
	Action 3.1.2 Attend HUD broadcast	Commission	Department of Family Commission NPOs, CBOs & FBOs	Know HUD's expectations regarding the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Programs	Invite stakeholders to the Teleconference Assistance	April-02
	Action 3.1.3 Assign staff from the Dept. of Family to gather information from service providers to complete inventory of services and gap analysis	Commission	Department of Family	Compile inventory of services	Train staff to administer questionnaire Progress report of number of service & housing providers reached	April-02
	Action 3.1.4 Secretary of Department Family will convene a meeting with the presidents of the mayors organizations.	Commission	Secretary of Department of Family	Gather support of Mayors to develop a Continuum of Care strategy	Meetings with Mayors	April-02
	Action 3.1.5 Send out RFP	Commission	Department of Family	Receive Projects	Develop RFP Print in the Newspaper Circulate to service & housing providers	April-02
Strategy 3.2 Develop additional housing for homeless persons with special needs	Action 3.2.1 Identify the quantity and the type of housing projects necessary to attend current need	State Team for the Policy Academy	Commission	Exhaustive list of supportive housing needs	Progress reposts of needs assessment study Meetings with Department of Housing Progress of HMIS development	December-02
	Action 3.2.2 Set priorities for the development of projects	Commission	Government NPOs CBOs FBOs Homeless Clients	Set list of priorities	Regular meetings	March-03
	Action 3.2.3 Develop framework for financing these types of projects	Commission	Commission	Handbook for financing frameworks	Gather information Meetings with Department of Housing	January-03
	Action 3.2.4 Identify and make presentations for developers (for profit, non-profit & CHDOs), service providers & management teams with the capacity to develop and run projects	Commission	Commission	Raise awareness & train developers, service providers and administrators about collaborative projects to create supportive housing	Identify developers, service providers & administrators Develop presentation Hold meetings	ongoing
	Action 3.2.5 Follow up to project development collaborative	Commission	Commission	Follow up	Regular meetings	ongoing
	Action 3.2.6 Identify and develop incentives for developers to get involved in this type of housing project	Commission	Legislators Department of Housing	CRA type legislation	Meetings with Legislators Bill Support for the Bill	April-03
Strategy 3.3 Develop additional drug rehabilitation programs	Action 3.3.1 Identify the quantity and the geographic area where these are needed	State Team for the Policy Academy	Commission	Identify Gaps by geographic area	Progress reports of needs assessment study Meetings with ASSMCA Progress of HMIS development	January-03
	Action 3.3.2 Develop framework for financing these types of projects	Commission	ASSMCA Department of Health	Handbook for financing frameworks	Gather information Meetings with Department of Housing	February-03
	Action 3.3.3 Identify service providers with the capacity to develop these projects	Commission	ASSMCA Department of Health Service providers	List of service providers with the capacity to develop new initiatives	Identify service providers Develop presentation Hold meetings	January-03
	Action 3.3.4 Follow up to project development collaborative	Commission	Commission	Follow up	Regular meetings	ongoing
Strategy 3.4 Develop homelessness prevention programs (ex. coordinate with corrections system, veterans hospital and others)	Action 3.4.1 Identify areas where homeless prevention services can be developed	State Team for the Policy Academy	Commission	Identify prevention services necessary	Progress reports of needs assessment study Meetings with Corrections & VA	ongoing
	Action 3.4.2 Coordinate with Department of Veterans Administration	Commission	VA	Develop homeless prevention strategies for homeless veterans	Meetings with VA Plan for development of prevention activities Implementation	ongoing
	Action 3.4.3 Coordinate with Corrections System	Commission	Corrections System Judicial System	Develop homeless prevention strategies for people leaving the corrections system	Meetings with Corrections System Plan for development of prevention activities Implementation	ongoing
Strategy 3.5 Develop outcome based performance measures (effectiveness)	Action 3.5.1 Define Program and Client based benchmarks	Commission	Executive Director	Develop manual and standards to measure performance	Meetings with service providers Meetings with homeless to evaluate service provision Identify performance indicators	April-03
	Action 3.5.2 Implement Performance measures	Commission	Executive Director	Evaluate programs using performance measures	Evaluations	ongoing
Strategy 3.6 Establish quality control mechanism	Action 3.6.1 Identify federal program requirements	Commission	Executive Director	Develop monitoring tool	Review federal requirements Meetings with homeless to evaluate service provision Develop monitoring tool	April-03
Strategy 3.6 Establish quality control mechanism	Action 3.6.2 Implement monitoring mechanism	Commission	Executive Director	Monitor programs	Evaluations	ongoing
Strategy 3.7 Develop a comprehensive staff development program for all services providers	Action 3.7.1 Develop training curriculum	Commission	Executive Director	Staff training curriculum	Identify Best Practices Meetings with staff & professionals Recruit educational consultants	May-03
	Action 3.7.2 Provide staff training	Commission	Executive Director	Certify staff to offer services & train the sector	Develop staff training plan Implement	ongoing
Progress to Date		Barriers and/or Situational Changes			Immediate Next Steps (including potential technical assistance needs)
Commission has been meeting regularly to develop a Continuum of Care Strategy Consultant was hired to help us develop our Continuum of Care Strategy We are gathering information about service and housing available for the homeless throughout Puerto Rico		Lack of recent statistical information is holding back initiatives			Submit Continuum of Care Application

¹ The Manager is the individual responsible for coordinating each action.
² The Implementer is the individual (or entity) responsible for carrying-out each action.