The Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) is accepting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2018, the State Systems Development Initiative (SSDI) Grant Program, HRSA-18-061 and HRSA-18-06 2.   The primary purpose of SSDI is to develop, enhance, and expand

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state and jurisdictional Title V Maternal and Child Health (MCH) data capacity for its needs assessment and performance measure reporting in the Title V MCH Block Grant program.  Such enhanced MCH data capacity will also assist states and jurisdictional MCH programs to engage in informed decision-making and resource allocation that supports effective, efficient and quality programming for women, infants, children and youth, including children and youth with special health care needs.  SSDI complements the Title V MCH Block Grant program by improving the availability, timeliness, and quality of MCH data in the 59 states and jurisdictions.  Utilization of these data is central to state and jurisdictional reporting on their Title V MCH Block Grant program assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation efforts, along with related investments, in the yearly Title V MCH Block Grant application/annual report.

As with previous SSDI grant competitions, funding eligibility is limited to the 59 state and jurisdictional Title V MCH Block Grant awardees.  This notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) includes instructions for two (2) separate funding tiers, based on the availability of national data for state and jurisdictional reporting on the 15 National Performance Measures (NPMs) in the Title V MCH Block Grant Program.  You are allowed to submit only one (1) application for the funding tier specified in).

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2.   Summary of Funding.

The Title V MCH Block Grant FY 2016 application included a new performance measure framework that incorporated standardized data reporting and the implementation of evidence-based or evidence-informed strategy measures (ESMs).  Reviews of Title V MCH Block Grant applications/annual reports and SSDI applications and progress reports have demonstrated how the eight (8) jurisdictional Title V agencies have unique data needs and challenges around data capacity.  In addition, unlike the 50 states and Washington, DC, many national datasets and surveys include only limited data collected from the jurisdictions.  As a result, federally available data for the NPMs and National Outcome Measures (NOMs) are being pre-populated for the 50 states and Washington, DC in the Title V Information System (TVIS) but generally not for the 8 jurisdictions.

Consistent with the purpose of the SSDI grant program and in response to requests from the jurisdictions to access national MCH survey data relevant to the jurisdictions, MCHB plans to  direct a portion of the SSDI funds toward a mechanism for collecting MCH survey data in the jurisdictions.  This effort will be developed and administered in partnership with the jurisdictional Title V MCH Block Grant programs, with the purpose of building increased capacity in the jurisdictions for reporting on the NPMs in their Title V MCH Block Grant applications/annual reports.

In recognition of the differing data capacity needs, this SSDI NOFO has a two-tiered funding structure.  HRSA-18-061, Tier 1, includes the 8 jurisdictions, and HRSA-18-062, Tier 2, includes the 50 states and Washington, DC.  Goals and activities for each of the two tiers are listed in the NOFO.