ESG Reporting Specialist Contractor

Official Title: Program Coordinators

Functional Title: ESG Reporting Specialist Contractor

Primary Location: United States-Massachusetts-Boston-100 Cambridge Street

Job: Administrative Services

Agency: Department of Housing & Community Development

Schedule: Full-time

Shift: Day

Job Posting: Aug 14, 2020, 1:06:45 PM

Number of Openings: 1

Salary: $40.56 - $43.07 Hourly

Bargaining Unit: Non

Confidential: No

The ESG Reporting Specialist Contractor functions as the primary HMIS Data Reporting Specialist for annual Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) & Emergency Solutions Grant – COVID-19 (ESG-CV) funding through the Executive Office of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as part of the 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. ESG & ESG-CV funds street outreach, emergency shelter, rapid re-housing, and homelessness prevention services to persons experiencing or at-risk of homelessness, as defined by HUD, mitigating the long-term economic impacts of COVID-19.  The ESG Reporting Specialist Contractor coordinates all aspects of ESG & ESG-CV data collection and reporting efforts (approximately100 programs) ensuring all vendors comply with federal and state regulations. 

The incumbent is a member of the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) Unit and works closely with the Federal Grants team to ensure quarterly and annual reporting requirements are met and that providers, and Division of Housing Stabilization (DHS) broadly, are leveraging data to the fullest extent possible to inform policy and program management.

Please note: ESG-CV funding is new and federal guidance regarding the use of ESG-CV funding and reporting requirements are still being established. This position will evolve as new guidance becomes available.

DETAILED STATEMENT OF DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Work with assigned state agencies and contractors/subcontractors to assess the quality of each organizations’ HMIS data by monitoring data quality in federal reports and working with them to improve data quality if needed.  Evaluate results to ensure accuracy, validity and reliability of data.
2. Work closely with vendors, software providers, and Continuum of Care (CoC) HMIS Leads statewide to prepare HMIS reports, specifically the Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) and to identify appropriate methods to retrieve statistical data for program management.
3. HMIS Site & Project maintenance including:
   1. Building out new Sites & Projects in HMIS;
   2. Ensuring project build-out in HMIS complies with HUD HMIS specifications both for new projects and ongoing to reflect any changes in specifications; and
   3. Monitoring Project Descriptor Data Elements collected.
4. Assist with internal communication with HUD representatives and ESG-CV technical assistance providers; communicating new information to internal staff, state agency partners, entitlement communities, CoC Leads, and vendors, as needed.
5. In partnership with the ESG & ESG-CV Contract Managers, develop and maintain policies and procedures for ESG & ESG-CV funding and a monitoring plan that incorporates ESG & ESG-CV HMIS reporting requirements. The plan should sufficiently flag contracts that are at high risk due to data quality concerns.
6. Work with internal staff to address areas of non-compliance related to data collection and reporting with vendors and develop corrective action plans when reviews result in findings for questioned and/or disallowed costs, or when serious management of regulatory infractions occur.
7. Identify need for, develop, coordinate, and provide technical assistance and training to vendors and providers around ESG & ESG-CV data collection and reporting requirements through Go to Meeting and Microsoft Teams software, web based training tools, classroom training and as needed in-person and virtual site visits to contracted & sub-contracted organizations.
8. Support Active Contract Management (ACM) performance management efforts as needed to use data to identify successes and troubleshoot areas for improvement.
9. Perform other related duties as required.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

1. Excellent written and oral communication skills.
2. Experience in HMIS data collection and monitoring.
3. At least intermediate proficiency in using both Microsoft Word and Excel. 
4. Ability to handle multiple priorities.
5. Knowledge of HUD Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) requirements.
6. Knowledge of CoC Reporting Requirements, including report specifications.

EXTERNAL COMMENTS:

This is a contract position working up to 37.5 hours per week. The hourly rate for this position is between $40.56 and $43.07.  The estimated contract start date is 8/31/20 with a contract end date of 09/30/21.  The contract may be extended based on availability of additional funding.

Benefits are unavailable with the exception of sick leave accruals.

State and federal taxes will be withheld. In addition, the contractor must participate in the Alternative Retirement Program mandated by federal law.

All employees will be paid on a biweekly basis and must have direct deposit.

Salary placement is determined by years of experience and education directly related to the position and the Human Resources Division’s Recruiting Guidelines.

Education, licensure and certifications will be verified in accordance with the Human Resources Division’s Hiring Guidelines.  Education and license/certification information provided by the selected candidate(s) is subject to the Massachusetts Public Records Law and may be published on the Commonwealth’s website.

QUALIFICATIONS:

MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS:  Applicants must have at least (A) three years of full time, or equivalent part-time, professional, administrative or managerial experience in business administration, business management or public administration the major duties of which involved program management, program administration, program coordination, program planning and/or program analysis, or (B) any equivalent combination of the required experience and the substitutions below.

Substitutions:

I. A Bachelor's degree with a major in business administration, business management or public administration may be substituted for a maximum of two years of the-required experience.*

II. A Graduate degree with a major in business administration, business management or public administration may be substituted for the required experience.*

III. A Bachelor's or higher degree with a major other than in business administration, business management or public administration may be substituted for a maximum of one year of the required experience.*

*Education toward such a degree will be prorated on the basis of the proportion of the requirements actually completed. 

An Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer. Females, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

If you have Diversity, Affirmative Action or Equal Employment Opportunity questions or need a Reasonable Accommodation, please contact Diversity Officer / ADA Coordinator: Marjie Lalli - 617-573-1254