COA - Council On Accreditation

	After School Program Administration

Introduction

Registration

Certification

Accreditation

After School Program Administration Narrative (ASP-AM):

The After School Program Administration Narrative should provide an overview of key practices that contribute to the administration and management of your program. It is intended to support, but not duplicate, evidence provided elsewhere in your self-study (i.e., documentation requested in the Table of Evidence).

Purpose Standard: After School Program Administration (ASP-AM)

Sound administration and management increase program quality and sustainability; promote financial accountability and viability; support transparency and openness; and reduce risk, loss, and liability exposure.

Please provide responses to the following questions. Highlight applicable obstacles and innovations, if any, in each of your responses. Please provide your responses in the boxes located in the ASP-AM Narrative Template, which can be found with the Related Files.

1. Describe how the program assures that it remains abreast of changing legal and regulatory requirements.

2. Identify a part of your long term plan that has been:

the most difficult to advance, and indicate the reason(s) why; and
the least difficult to advance, and indicate the reason(s) why.

3. Describe how your program works with the person or entity responsible for providing oversight to strengthen the program and its capacity to meet its mission.

4. Describe activities that create an open and transparent system of accountability in your program. Provide specific examples of how you provide access to information about the program and its finances to your stakeholders and the public.

5. Cite two examples of activities or decisions that your program has made that demonstrate implementation of the conflict of interest policy.

6. Describe the overall health of your program's finances. Include a description of significant factors that may have impacted your program's finances (e.g., enhanced or reduced program-specific funding streams, successful fundraising activities, new foundation support, state budget cuts, etc.), and any actions taken to enhance financial viability.

7. How does your program assure that its financial management systems are in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles?

8. Describe your program's overall approach to risk prevention and management. How are risks identified? How are identified risks brought to the attention of management? Which types of risks are brought to the attention of the person or entity responsible for providing oversight?

9. Describe 2-3 examples of your program’s response to identified risks. Please describe the steps, the decision-making process, and actions taken to bring the issue to resolution.

10. Describe how regular safety inspections and maintenance reports are incorporated into your program’s risk prevention and management reviews and how the results of these reports are integrated into quality improvement activities.

11. Describe your program’s systems for maintaining information. Which systems, if any, are computerized and which are not (e.g., the financial management system, human resources)?

12. Explain how your program creates a culture that promotes excellence and continual improvement, and focuses on promoting satisfaction and positive outcomes.

13. Who is involved in deciding what goals and outcomes will be measured, and what the indicators will be? How would your program describe its progress/status with implementing outcomes measures?

14. How does the program know if the information it collects – the basis for data that is analyzed – is valid, reliable and relevant? Cite an example of data the program knows is valid and reliable for at least two of the following:

program operations;
the quality of programming and services provided;
program results; and/or
satisfaction and outcomes of children, youth, and families.

15. Cite 2-3 examples of improvement efforts that have occurred in response to data/information generated by your continuous quality improvement efforts.

16. Provide any additional information that would increase the Endorsers’ understanding of how your program operates relative to these standards.

Attachments:

All COA-approved NA Requests.
A list of all NAs applicable to your program provided within the standards.

Note: Please provide information for the last year.


	Self-Study Documents	On-Site Documents	On-Site Activities
ASP-AM 1 Legal and Regulatory Authorization and Compliance	A list of licenses applicable to the program, including the oversight bodies that issue and monitor them A letter signed by the Program Administrator and the person or entity responsible for oversight, certifying that the program is in compliance with license requirements and meets applicable laws, regulations, guidelines, and codes Include a description of the system used by the program to ensure compliance with applicable licenses, laws, regulations, guidelines, and codes, in Narrative Bylaws/charter/articles of incorportation, or other documentation showing the program operates as (or as part of) a legal entity	Relevant licenses or documentation of exemption/non-applicability Certificate of Occupancy Documentation of compliance with applicable laws, regulations, guidelines, and codes Reports from licensing/regulatory review, as applicable	Interview: Program Administrator Site Director
ASP-AM 2 Program Planning, Guidance, and Oversight	Long term plan Contact information for person (or members of entity) responsible for oversight List of advisory group or governing body members, with contact information	Long term planning process Documentation of collaboration with person (or members of entity) responsible for oversight Meeting minutes of the advisory group or governing body	Interview: Program Administrator Site Director Program Personnel Person (or representative of entity) responsible for oversight Member of advisory group or governing body
ASP-AM 3 Ethical Practices	Program brochures/literature Mission statement Annual report or other publicly available documents Policies and procedures for all fundraising practices Conflict of interest policies and procedures	Policies and procedures governing the confidentiality of donors Financial statements/reports Contracts/agreements, if applicable	Interview: Program Administrator Site Director Program Personnel
ASP-AM 4 Research Protections	Human subject research policy and procedures	Informed consent forms for research activities Mechanism to review research proposals	Interview: Program Administrator Site Director
ASP-AM 5 Financial Planning and Management	Program budget for the current fiscal year Budget planning procedures/process Internal financial control procedures Audit and management letter, if applicable	Documents and reports that demonstrate budget planning Financial records Analysis of financial performance	Interview: Program Administrator Site Director
ASP-AM 6 Risk Management and Review	Risk prevention and management plan and/or procedures Procedures for quarterly review of incidents, accidents, and grievances Reports of incidents, accidents, and grievances (for the previous two quarters) List of insurance policies with descriptions, amounts, and dates of coverage	Documentation of risk reviews, including risk management reports that include analyses and improvement action plans, as applicable Current insurance policies Documentation that the program: (1) provides a written description to personnel regarding its insurance types and coverage amounts, and (2) assumes legal assistance costs if applicable	Interview: Program Administrator Site Director
ASP-AM 7 Security of Information	Information management procedures and guidelines		Interview: Program Administrator Site Director Review system for maintaining and storing files and records
ASP-AM 8 Files of Children and Youth	Procedures for maintaining files Policies and procedures for accessing files		Interview: Program Administrator Site Director Program Personnel Review files of children and youth
ASP-AM 9 Continuous Quality Improvement	Program goals and desired outcomes, along with a plan or description that addresses how the program plans to achieve those goals and promote those outcomes Stakeholder survey instruments Aggregate analyses of results Improvement plans, if applicable Long term plan Detailed description or plan that outlines the program’s CQI system/process		Interview: Program Administrator Site Director Program Personnel Children, youth, families, and other stakeholders

Fundamental Practice Standards:


Essential Life and Safety	Health and Welfare	Client Rights
ASP-AM 1.01, ASP-AM 1.02, ASP-AM 1.03, ASP-AM 6.02	ASP-AM 6.01, ASP-AM 6.03, ASP-AM 8.02

RELATED FILES


	QUALITY The extent to which contemporary and generally recognized standards are met and exceeded, and desirable outcomes achieved.


	ACCOUNTABILITY The extent to which a program is answerable to a variety of relevant stakeholders including: children and youth, families, community representatives, people or entities providing oversight, and governmental regulators.


	PRACTICE Established actions or ways of proceeding in the regular performance of program duties. Policies and procedures often guide practice.


	STAKEHOLDER Any person, group, or organization that has a vested interest in the services provided by the program. Examples: children, youth, families, schools, community members.


	CONFLICT OF INTEREST A conflict between an individual self-interest and the public good. Example: a program awards a food services contract to a local restaurant that is owned by a governing body or advisory group member. From a legal standpoint, “conflict of interest” is a term used in connection with fiduciaries and their relationship to matters of private interest or gain to them. When used to suggest disqualification of a fiduciary from performing his or her sworn duty, the term refers to a clash between public interest and private pecuniary interest of the concerned individual.


	PREVENTION Actions taken to minimize and/or eliminate social, psychological, or other conditions. Prevention can occur at the individual, group, community, and societal levels and enhances opportunities to achieve positive fulfillment.


	HUMAN RESOURCES A department or service that is responsible for recruiting, hiring, and retaining personnel and monitoring the regulations and services applicable to a particular organization or program.


	CULTURE The customs, traditions, habits, values, skills, technology, beliefs, and religious, social, and political behaviors of a group of people.


	OUTCOMES Outcomes measure the impact of a service intervention. They answer the question: What did the child gain as a measurable result of having been in the program. (For example: higher grades, increased fitness level, better score on a particular test, healthier eating or exercise habits, increased well-being, etc.)


	CONTINUOUS QUALITY IMPROVEMENT A comprehensive, ongoing system that incorporates intensive stakeholder involvement, data collection and analysis, information sharing, and corrective action in order to improve the functioning of a program.


	LIABILITY An obligation, responsibility, or debt.


	PLANNING The process of specifying objectives, evaluating the means for their achievement, and exercising deliberate decision making about appropriate courses of action.


	CONFIDENTIALITY An ethical and practice principle that requires the protection of information shared within a professional-client relationship. A program or organization that upholds confidentiality prohibits personnel from disclosing information about program participants without their written consent.


	CONTRACT A formal written agreement between two or more parties that specifies the services, space, or products to be provided in exchange for some form of compensation. Also known as “purchase of service arrangement."


	PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR Person responsible for overall direction of the program, including developing program mission, goals, and policies, program implementation and evaluation, administration (including fiscal management), and organizational development (including management of human resources). COA recognizes that job titles and responsibilities may vary from program to program. See the ASP-HR Related File “Personnel Qualifications and Responsibilities” for more information.


	BYLAWS The operating procedures developed by a governing body and adopted by an organization for the regulation of its internal affairs, including the actions of the governing body and its relationship to the organization's chief executive officer and any advisory group associated with the organization.


	SITE DIRECTOR Person responsible for daily operations of the program, including supervising staff, communicating with families, building relationships with the host community, and overseeing all program activities. COA recognizes that job titles and responsibilities may vary from program to program. See the ASP-HR Related File “Personnel Qualifications and Responsibilities” for more information.


	ADVISORY GROUP A group of individuals who possess unique skills and/or knowledge and whose role is to make recommendations, provide information, and/or share input from stakeholders. Advisory groups do not have formal governance authority or responsibilities. Advisory groups can be ongoing or ad hoc. Members of the group may be selected by the program, the management of the organization or which the program is a part, or the governing body of the organization of which the program is a part.


	GOVERNING BODY A person or persons with the legal authority and responsibility to set policy and oversee the operations of an organization. Generally, the governing body is a group, such as a board of directors or board of trustees. While the exact responsibilities of the governing body depend on the nature and character of the organization, the governing body has minimum fiduciary responsibilities to the organization set by statute, regulation, and case law, and typically assumes responsibilities for long term planning, risk management, and evaluation and effectiveness of management.


	INFORMED CONSENT The explicit granting of permission by a child or youth and/or his/her legal guardian. The consent is predicated on full disclosure of the facts to facilitate decision-making based on knowledge of the risks and alternatives.


	MANAGEMENT LETTER A letter containing an auditor’s conclusions regarding accounting policies and procedures, internal controls, and operating policies. The letter evaluates the present system, identifies problems, and recommends improvements. It is also referred to as a Letter of Recommendation.


	RISK MANAGEMENT A systematic process of evaluating and reducing potential risks that may befall the program, personnel, or children, youth, and families. Risk management activities are directed toward reducing the program's or organization’s legal and financial exposure, especially to lawsuits.