RFP-RC-08-021 - Evaluator, Next Steps TANF/Child Welfare Collaboration Project

Summary of Specifications:
Introduction The Rockland County Department of Social Services (RCDSS) requests proposals for an evaluation contractor to provide high quality process and outcome evaluation services for a county-level TANF/Child Welfare Collaboration Project based in an integrated welfare-to-work/family preservation program called Next Steps (NS) (Appendix A). This project is funded through a 5 year U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (USHHS), Children’s Bureau Grant; 2 years of the project have been completed (Appendix B). Purpose The main purposes of the evaluation are to assess the impact of the NS TANF/Child Welfare Collaboration Project on program participants and related systems and articulate its processes for possible replication, as well as to assess the impact of the NS TANF/Child Welfare collaboration project on intra-agency information sharing and other mechanisms thought to improve outcomes for dual-systems clients. The evaluator for this project will serve in both an external and an internal role, working closely with project and program staff to facilitate ongoing program and project improvement.