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073 Community Services Block Grant Program Fiscal Year 2016-17 Application for Funding Planning Process Narrative 1. Explain in detail how each of the following was involved in the planning and development of this strategic plan. a. Low -Income Community: * The Community Services Block Grant STARS Policy Advisory Council met once a quarter in each county with staff in the STARS Program along with representatives from other partner agencies and the faith -based community and discussed the grant. They reviewed program performance to date reports and gave input on areas -of concerns and/or opportunities and to propose programmatic changes (if applicable). * Community Needs Assessment Questionnaires are usually distributed to low-income people in our service areas during this process but was not necessary as this is the second year of a three-year plan. Clients coming into the agency seeking and/or receiving services completed questionnaires and discussed what they perceived to be unmet needs in their county. Respondents of the surveys taken in October 2014 included but were not limited to the Department of Social Services, Head Start, the community college, public libraries, local churches/ faith -based community members, Division of Employment Services. Salvation Army, housing authorities and other groups whose primary clients are low-income. * The Policy Advisory Council reviewed the 2016-17 funding proposal and participated in discussions related to the grant and the proposed activities. * Representatives from the low-income community completed surveys that helped identify needs and/or concerns in their community or in their workplace during the initial planning process. * Some PAC members serve on the Board of Directors and shared their expertise and first-hand knowledge of the current trends affecting all segments of the population that could impact low-income people. * The Policy Advisory Council members were very involved in discussions on any proposed changes to the STARS program and would submit them (if applicable) to the Board of Directors for approval, ex. procedures manuals, grant opportunities etc. b. Agency Staff: * Agency staff members played a crucial role in the planning process by providing information regarding their programs that could influence some of the services the STARS Program provide to low-income people, ex. head start. * A number of strategic planning sessions were held with the S.T.A.R.S. staff to re-evaluate the Program goals from the prior year. This particular strategy is instrumental in determining the effectiveness of the plan and to find out if the needs expressed on the Needs Assessments has been addressed. * Working with staff, activities was planned for the next program year that would best meet the needs expressed by the participants using the most effective process possible. Staff members participated in a SWOT Analysis Process to determine the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to the STARS Program and STARS participants. * Information provided by staff members from other agency programs were used in the planning stage of the grant. The CSBG Director and other staff members contacted other agencies and organizations in our service areas to collect data. The CSBG Director compiled the data to develop a demographical profile of all three counties. Fiscal Year 2016-17 Community Services Block Grant Application Page 7 of 33