Specifications include, but are not limited to: Specifically, with this RFI, AHS is seeking information on potential innovative approaches to understand the effects of its investments beyond its current evaluation strategy, which now relies on periodic formative and summative assessments. AHS would like to learn about approaches that can generate an overall picture of the value provided through Vermont’s 1115 demonstration, including its investments, as well as insights that are timely and nuanced enough to guide comparisons and course corrections during the demonstration period. AHS requests that respondents share their feedback on issues and challenges related to 1115 demonstration evaluation, and in particular evaluation of investments, in response to the Vendor Questionnaire in Section 6.2 below. Respondents may share feedback on any questions for which they have insights to share, and are not required to respond to all questions. As noted above, investment services are delivered by a wide range of entities, from state agencies to community-based organizations. In some cases (for example, an investment program funding assessment, treatment, and related services such as transportation for children with serious emotional disturbance), key metrics such as the number and intensity of services delivered through an investment can be quantified easily, and its effect can be assessed using generally accepted outcomes such as the number of hospitalizations or user satisfaction with the services as captured in available, validated surveys. In other cases (for example, an investment supplementing SAMHSA block grant funds to support monitoring and workforce development activities related to the state’s SUD treatment programs), capturing the effect of an investment may require more innovative approaches, including the development and validation of new metrics or instruments. AHS seeks measures that are meaningful to Vermonters being served by the Global Commitment demonstration and their families, which may require data elements that may not be readily available through administrative or clinical data and may require additional data collection efforts. For these reasons, AHS is particularly interested in approaches to investment evaluation that are both creative and rigorous.
