Moving to Work. HUD’s Moving to Work Demonstration provides public housing agencies (PHAs) the opportunity to develop and test innovative strategies appropriate for local conditions that more efficiently make use of Federal dollars, promote the employment and self-sufficiency of residents, and increase housing choices for low-income families. Under a carefully managed system of applications and reviews, MTW exempts PHAs from many existing public housing and voucher rules provides flexibility in how they use Federal funds they receive. HUD expects PHAs participating in the MTW Demonstration to use what they learn about putting their innovations into practice to inform HUD about ways to better address local community needs. Cloudburst was recently awarded a contract to maintain MTW plan and report data submitted by MTW PHAs; to coordinate site visits to the agencies by HUD staff to discuss PHA activities under MTW and administrative matters related to participation in the demonstration; to provide general demonstration support; to coordinate an annual national conference for the demonstration; and to develop a web-based application for accepting plan and report data and performing analyses of data both within and across participating agencies.

Implementation and Monitoring Progress of Division of STD Prevention Strategic Plan. Cloudburst is providing management consultation services to assist CDC’s Division of STD Prevention in developing routine processes and structures to monitor the use of its strategic plan and to facilitate meetings and/or retreats to assist the division in developing activities that will provide ways of measuring progress on strategies and objectives.

Implementation of Best Practices Evaluation for CDC’s Division of Heart Disease and Stroke. Cloudburst (as a subcontractor) is assisting with the implementation of an evaluation plan created by Cloudburst under another contract that was designed to determine the uptake, use and impact of the best practices initiatives undertaken by the Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention (DHDSP). The Best Practices Evaluation Plan uses an innovative framework, combining the Interactive Systems Framework (ISF) with a logic model.

CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity (DNPAO) State Legislative Database. Cloudburst was awarded a task order to populate and enhance the State Legislative database on nutrition, physical activity and obesity related legislation, regulation and appropriation history. Cloudburst is conducting an assessment of the Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity State Legislative Database making recommendations for enhancement, and providing ongoing identification and collection of state legislation, regulation and appropriation, related to nutrition, physical activity, and obesity prevention.

CDC Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant Health Communications and Marketing Project. Cloudburst was awarded a task order to provide support to the grantees of the Preventive Health and Health Services (PHHS) Block Grant Program in the developing and marketing of programmatic success stories, along with the development of communications projects, technical assistance, and consultation work. Cloudburst staff provide technical assistance to the grantees of the PHHS Block in the development and marketing of programmatic success stories through the use of the PHHS Block Grant Success Story tool. This includes developing a marketing and dissemination plan, providing training on communication for grantees, and developing marketing materials for the PHHS Block Grant Program.

Colorectal Cancer Screening Program Training Materials. The purpose of the Colorectal Cancer Screening Program (CRCP) is to establish and integrate evidence-based colorectal cancer screening programs with existing CRC screening programs and/or other cancer screening or chronic disease programs, in order to increase population-based CRC screening among persons 50 years or older, focusing on asymptomatic persons at average risk for CRC with low incomes and inadequate or no health insurance coverage for CRC screening. Cloudburst is assisting CDC’s Division of Cancer Prevention and Control with the design and testing of training materials relevant to implementation and evaluation of the Colorectal Cancer Screening Program (CRCP).

Green Communities / Affordable Housing Technical Assistance. Cloudburst, as part of a team led by the Federal Practice Group, has been selected as a Green Communities Technical Assistance Provider by Enterprise Community Partners, Inc. Enterprise Green Communities has launched an ambitious agenda for the delivery of green training and TA to the affordable housing community. To meet these goals, Enterprise has selected our team, as leaders in the industry, to help identify current needs, innovative solutions, and expand Enterprise’s capacity. Through our efforts as Green Communities TA providers, we support low-income families, green developers, and public housing agencies across the country with their green housing development plans. Enterprise’s vision through the five-year $555 million Green Communities program is to fundamentally transform the way the U.S. thinks about designing and building affordable homes.

As a Green Communities Technical Assistance provider, Cloudburst is part of Enterprise’s online national registry of approved Green TA providers to market these services to Enterprise’s developer community. The goal is to match specific green technical expertise to the most urgent development needs to achieve a full range of benefits for low-income residents. In August 2009, Cloudburst staff attended the inaugural workshop for national TA providers focused on Green Communities and related green programs and services.

Translating the National Physical Activity Guidelines for Decision-makers and Practitioners in the Workplace Setting. The National Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans are the first-ever comprehensive physical activity guidelines published by the Federal Government. The release of these guidelines provide information for the first time that specifically ties physical activity levels to the prevention, delay, and better management of chronic diseases. Because of this new information, there is an opportunity to impact healthcare costs by working with employers to create worksites that promote physical activity and provide opportunities to employees to be physically active. The purpose of this project is to support CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP) Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity to: 1) conduct an environmental scan to identify promising practices and tools for promoting physical activity in the worksite; 2) work with key informants (CEO’s / high-level persons in the business community) to determine what employers need to create worksite cultures that promote physical activity among employees; 3) develop recommendations based on scan and key informant interviews for making the business case for physical activity to employers; and 4) enhance the translation and dissemination of the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans and increase the effectiveness of these guidelines through development and evaluation of appropriate materials for employers. Carla Linkous will lead this two-year project as Project Manager, with support from our teaming partner, Strategic Health Concepts.

Technical Assistance for USAID's Economic Growth and Trade (EGAT) Bureau. Cloudburst is developing an agency-wide knowledge management system for USAID's Economic Growth and Trade (EGAT) Bureau. This new system developed for EGAT will house all of USAID's Environmental Compliance review documentation and will be accessible from USAID's public web page. The project will result in a single unified database enabling users, for the first time, the ability to search approved environmental compliance documents across all USAID Bureaus and Offices, replacing numerous Bureau specific systems. Designed with the end user in mind, this new portal will allow USAID, its implementers, and the public to access mission-critical documentation enhancing transparency of USAID environmental procedures. To ensure client satisfaction and buy-in throughout the project life cycle, Cloudburst is using the Agile software development approach where Scrum meetings gather all stakeholders and give forward momentum to the project activities. This work was awarded as a result of Cloudburst's leadership within USAID for environmental compliance knowledge management implemented under the Europe and Eurasia Bureau's environmental compliance Support Services (ECSS) contract. For more information on Environmental Compliance Support Services click here. This work is being conducted under subcontract to IRG.

Consultation and Guidance. For the Georgia Consumer Data Repository/Information Management System, Cloudburst is providing consultation and guidance to the Georgia Department of Mental Health to:

* Provide consultation and guidance to the SRA/Georgia Department of Mental Health project team for the

development of the Graphic User Interface (GUI) components of the CDR/IMS system
* Provide Electronic Health Record reference design to ensure the GUI reflects the needs of the system’s

end-users
* Provide consultation and guidance to support development of the data storage, ETL (Extract, Transform,

Load) and Database/Data Warehouse environment (framework/data strategy)
* Guide and provide input to Business Process Analysis/Reengineering efforts to ensure data entry, retrieval of

system data and reporting conforms to the work processes of various Georgia consumers.

This work is being conducted under a subcontract to SRA International. Cloudburst is serving as Subject Matter Expert and liaison between key members of the SRA development team, the Georgia Department of Mental Health and the Georgia Technology Authority to translate technical needs into requirements. We are assisting the SRA team in evaluating the appropriateness of designs, solutions, prototypes, templates, reports and other deliverables.

Programmatic Assistance and Support for the Immunization Activities of CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. CDC has awarded Cloudburst Consulting Group a task order to provide programmatic assistance and support to CDC in its partnership with the Indian Health Service (IHS) and assist IHS in preventing disease, implementing an effective immunization system, and raising and sustaining vaccine coverage for the American Indian/Alaska Native population. Cloudbust will provide IHS with advice and assistance in the collection and monitoring of quarterly and annual immunization data, compiling quarterly childhood and adolescent immunization reports and annual immunization reports from each IHS Area, distributing quarterly and annual reports on immunization coverage for the IHS, and providing advice and assistance with the analysis of immunization program data to identify problems and trends in immunization coverage. Cloudburst will also coordinate periodic meetings of a user group to identify needed upgrades and enhancements to the system, coordinate trainings on the system for all IHS and tribal users, and coordinate the provision of technical assistance to users of the system. Cloudburst will coordinate with an on-site Division and with area offices bringing together the Cloudburst Group’s depth in providing technical consulting support, particularly around using existing and emerging technology to guide users on data collection and utilization, and experience in providing the CDC with on-site program assistance and consultation.

Medicare Cancer Atlas (CDC/NCCDPHP). Cloudburst provides technical support to the CDC’s Division of Cancer to develop a protocol for a Medicare Cancer Atlas in order to provide practical information for state comprehensive cancer control (CCC) programs on the use of Medicare data as part of CCC planning projects. Included in this protocol will be the steps necessary to comply with CDC IRB protocol, the ResDAC data request packet, and the CMS data use agreement. As part of the protocol development process, Cloudburst is convening an expert panel of external scientists who have expertise in Medicare data analysis, cancer registry data, atlas design and spatial statistics, and collaborative data analysis research to review the draft protocol.

Environmental Compliance Support Services. Under contract to the U.S. Agency for International Development, Bureau for Europe and Eurasia (E&E), Cloudburst is providing technical assistance to the Bureau’s Environmental Compliance Unit (BCU) to fulfill requirements of USG environmental regulations regarding environmental impacts of

U.S.

funded activities overseas. Through this project, Cloudburst staff and consultants provide critical and demand driven support to the Bureau leveraging their vast expert knowledge of environmental regulations and policies as they apply to USAID programs including the Agency’s NEPA implementing regulation 22CFR216 (Reg. 216), the Foreign Assistance Act Section 119 addressing Biodiversity, the Pelosi Amendment (Title XIII) relating to Multilateral Development Banks (MDB), and relevant Chapters of the USAID's Automated Directive System (ADS). Cloudburst staff review and analyze projects for environmental impacts, provide expert review and preparation of compliance documents, review Biodiversity Analyses, and monitor MDB projects throughout the E&E region. Cloudburst staff actively maintains and provides enhancements to the E&E Bureau’s Environmental Compliance Knowledge Management System, a valuable set of custom built tools utilized by USAID to help ensure compliance measures are met. The project also provides the BCU access to subject matter experts through short term technical assistance in an array of environmental fields including USAID / USG Environmental Regulations, Environmental Management Systems, Pollution Prevention / Cleaner Production, Environmental Due Diligence (EDD), Environmental Impacts, Industrial and Utility Infrastructure, Coastal Zone Management, Environmental Policy, Pesticides, Biodiversity, and Agriculture / Agro Systems to meet the challenging compliance needs of the E&E Bureau.

Data Collection, Reporting, and Performance Measurement in Continuums of Care (CoC) including the Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress. Under contract to HUD's Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs (SNAPs) in the Office of Community Planning and Development, Cloudburst is providing assistance to communities nationwide that have programs designed to help persons who are homeless. Local homeless assistance agencies in these communities provide a range of services to homeless persons, including shelter, food, housing counseling, and job skills programs. Cloudburst's assistance includes outreach and technical assistance efforts to increase the participation of these communities in the data collection efforts for HUD's Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress. Cloudburst is providing assistance to these Continuum of Care communities to analyze program data for quality assurance and develop effective performance measures that will produce accurate reporting of data for the AHAR and for use at the local level. In addition, we are working to create models of regional collaboration for HUD's Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS) initiative and develop best practice Public Access Security Models to protect the sensitive data stored in HMIS. We are also convening an annual Homeless Data Users Meeting bringing together the most forward-thinking and innovative HMIS and CoC professionals from across the country to share best practice examples of local use of homeless data for planning and program improvements. We are conducting GIS analysis to produce specialized maps for HUD's use in directing these programs and contributing to the greater understanding of the extent of homelessness in every community in the county. In an effort to standardize data collection and reporting for local grantees that receive funds from multiple federal government sources we are facilitating development of uniform performance measures for homeless street outreach programs with HHS Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) and for programs that serve homeless veterans with the Veterans Administration.

View Advanced Data Users Meeting Report .

Data Integrity and Cleanup Project. Cloudburst is supporting HUD's Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs (SNAPs) to improve the quality of its Emergency Shelter Block Grant (ESG) Program financial and performance data. The project is part of an extensive, ongoing modernization project for the Office of Community Planning and Development's (CPD) Integrated Disbursement and Information System (IDIS). This system allows for program grantees to receive grant funds to implement local projects, and to report local program accomplishments. The work will include database design and data analysis, conducting data integrity and cleanup activities directly with HUD program grantees, liaising with HUD headquarters and field office staff, and with state and local government grantees. By ensuring that the SNAPs office has the best possible ESG performance data, this project will help the re-engineered IDIS reach its fullest potential for all stakeholders, including HUD, local administrators, community development groups and researchers. This work is being conducted under contract to Lockheed Martin Aspen Systems.

Cost of Homelessness Study. For HUD, Cloudburst is working as part of a larger team to develop a methodology to understand the costs of a person experiencing homelessness. Cloudburst staff conducted site visits to pre-determined study sites, collected and entered data into project databases and conducted preliminary data analysis. Cloudburst staff will also assist with synthesizing data and writing the final report. This work is being conducted under contract to Abt Associates, Inc.

Federal Policy Academy to Increase Access to Mainstream Services for Persons Experiencing Homelessness. Cloudburst provided facilitation services to a collaborative, Federal policy-level group over a multi-year period, to increase access to mainstream services for persons experiencing homelessness, including the chronically homeless, and homeless families with children. Under a collaborative effort undertaken by the Departments of HUD, HHS, VA and DOL, Cloudburst assisted state policy-making teams to develop an action plan designed to coordinate and leverage public and private resources to end homelessness within their states. Group members included state commissioners, elected officials, and directors of state and local grantor agencies-including offices of mental health services, housing, corrections, education, and others. Cloudburst staff provided these services at all nine policy academies since its inception in 2001. Cloudburst provided follow-up technical assistance to 12 states to improve the delivery of services, and to develop a framework to evaluate the effectiveness of implementing agency operations. This work was conducted under contract to Health Systems Research, Inc. View: http://www.hrsa.gov/homeless/

Federal Policy Academy for Transforming State Mental Health Systems. Cloudburst provided facilitation services on behalf of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the National Governor's Association Center for Best Practices, to a national group in an effort to create a state-level agenda for mental health policy transformation. Cloudburst assisted states to develop a strategic action plan, consistent with the New Freedom Initiative, which were driven by a set of local priorities with programs and services that provided beneficiaries with the promise of recovery.

Strategic and Analytical Review of Monitoring and Coordination Plan. Cloudburst conducted a pre-publication review and provided critical comments to a grantee oversight and coordination plan developed for grantees of the Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Compassion Capital Fund (CCF) Program Office. Part of the Administration's Faith-based and Community Initiative, this plan was developed to monitor activities and provide guidance to these Faith-Based and Community-based Organizations. Under contract to Dare Mighty Things, Inc. Cloudburst assisted with overall design issues related to grantee management policies and procedures, as well as systems requirements, to run and manage an effective oversight function for these nonprofit entities. Cloudburst provided expertise in grantee performance management for federal government grantees.