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The following activities will be needed to implement section 5001. For ACF, funds will be needed for staff and overhead (1 FTE in 2009 & 2010; .5 FTE in 2011), IT, grant making (the GATES system), reporting, and PSC Charges. For CMS, funds will be used for the costs of employees working on the implementation of provision of the Recovery Act related to Medicaid and CHIP; for the costs of employees (four full time equivalents, or FTE) needed for continued oversight and reporting on the increased FMAP; and to make the systems changes to CMS accounting/payment systems necessary to make the increased FMAP grant awards. CMS has the additional responsibility of working with States to ensure that they meet the requirements of Section 5001(f) (Maintenance of Eligibility) and Section 5001(f)(2) (States Prompt-Pay for Providers). ASPE obtains annual State and National per capita income data and quarterly unemployment data from other Federal agencies in order to calculate the Federal Medical Assistance Percentages for each State. Funds will be needed for staff to coordinate the receipt of this information (e.g., BLS for unemployment data). ASPE is also responsible for publishing the rates in the Federal Register. Funds will be needed for the calculations and reporting of adjustments on a quarterly basis (.25 FTE in each year of the Recovery Act).

All Recovery Act programs will be assessed for risk and to ensure that appropriate internal controls are in place throughout the entire funding cycle. These assessments will be done consistent with the statutory requirements of the Federal Manager’s Financial Integrity Act and the Improper Payments Information Act, as well as OMB’s circular A-123 “Management’s Responsibility for Internal Control.”

The recipients organizations involved will provide to ASRT periodic reports of staff work needed to implement the increased FMAP provisions. ASRT will analyze the reports and determine whether the fund allocation is appropriate and adjust it as necessary.

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation will be open and transparent in all of its expenditures that involve spending of Recovery Act funding consistent with statutory and OMB guidance.

There will be quarterly reporting from ASPE, CMS, and ACF.

To ensure that managers are held to high standards of accountability in achieving program goals under the Recovery Act, The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation will build on and strengthen existing processes. Senior ASPE, CMS, and ACF officials will meet regularly with senior Department officials to ensure that projects are meeting their program goals, assessing and mitigating risks, ensuring transparency, and incorporating corrective actions. The personnel performance appraisal system will also incorporate Recovery Act program stewardship responsibilities for program and business function managers.

ASPE, CMS, and ACF will continue to use its existing internal control infrastructure to implement this provision. Standard FTE accountability measures will apply to the use of these funds. To the extent that ASPE, CMS, and ACF find expenditures that are not allowable or in excess of what is needed for implementation, ASPE, CMS, and ACF will initiate recovery of any unallowable funds.

The agency plans to spend funds effectively to comply with energy efficiency and to demonstrate Federal leadership in sustainability, energy efficiency and reducing the agency’s environmental impact. The acquisition and use of IT and other products and equipment will be compliant with criteria described in Executive Order 13423 and the HHS Affirmative Procurement Plan (APP).

The E.O. 13423 requires that preference be given to the purchase of EPEAT-registered electronic products and at least 95 percent of electronic products be EPEAT-registered unless there is no EPEAT standard. When available, the purchase of EPEAT Silver-rated electronic products or higher will be required. The EPEAT is intended to help purchasers in the public and private sectors evaluate, compare and select desktop computers, notebooks and monitors based on their environmental attributes. The EPEAT website is: http://www.epeat.net/.

The APP has five major objectives: 1) Inform all appropriate HHS employees on the requirements of the Federal green procurement preference programs, their roles and responsibilities relevant to these programs and the opportunities to purchase green products and services; 2) Promote purchase of green products and services to the maximum extent practicable, consistent with the demands of mission, efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and performance with continual improvement toward meeting federally established procurement goals; 3) Reduce the amount of solid and hazardous waste generated; 4) Reduce the consumption of energy and natural resources; and, 5) Expand markets for green products and services.

The HHS Affirmative Procurement Plan (APP) applies to: a) All agency acquisitions, including micro-purchases and purchase card transactions, in which an EPA-designated item is acquired; b) Contractor Operated, Government-owned (GOCO) HHS facilities; and c) State and local recipients of assistance funding. The latest version (April 2009) of the HHS’ APP is available from Division of Acquisition Program Support.