The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has issued instructions regarding the CalWORKs Outcomes and Accountability Review (Cal-OAR). Cal-OAR establishes a local, data-driven program management system to facilitate improvement in the CalWORKs program. Cal-OAR has three main components: performance measures, county self-assessment and county systems improvement plan which includes a peer review component.
Cal-OAR is structured into three year cycles with self assessment and systems improvement plans required from each county every three years. The first three-year cycle is from July 2019 to June 2022.
The Cal-OAR performance measures will be calculated and reported in a staggered manner based on availability over the first three-year cycle. Counties are not responsible for tracking data elements until fields are available in the consortia computer systems and CDSS provides technical training.
All Cal-OAR performance measures will be calculated by CDSS. Beginning in July, 2019, or when programming is completed, the computer consortia are required to submit necessary data to CDSS. CDSS, the computer consortia and counties will work collaboratively to ensure the accuracy, consistency and quality of the data. After CDSS calculates the performance measures, counties have a 30 day review period before they are posted online.
All counties will be provided training on Cal-OAR. Online training began in May, 2019. Regional in-person training will be provided at a later date. (ACL 19-40, April 26, 2019.)