Help establish the new federal Children’s Interagency Coordinating Council (CICC) to reduce child poverty and improve child well-being! The Institute for Research on Poverty (IRP) in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) invites letters of interest from individuals interested in a year-long, full-time temporary assignment with the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) to assist with establishing the CICC and serve as the CICC Coordinator.
What is ASPE?
ASPE is the principal advisor to the Secretary of HHS on policy development. ASPE is responsible for major activities in policy coordination, legislation development, strategic planning, policy research, evaluation, and economic analysis. We primarily focus on cross-cutting issues that are relevant to multiple HHS program offices. This temporary assignment would take place within ASPE’s Office of Human Services Policy (HSP). HSP conducts policy research, analysis, evaluation, and coordination on issues including poverty and measurement, underserved populations, early childhood education and child welfare, family strengthening, economic support for families, and youth development. HSP serves as a liaison with other agencies on broad economic matters and is HHS’s lead on poverty research and analysis.
What is the CICC?
HHS was directed to establish the CICC by Congress in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023. Congress has indicated that it intends for the CICC to foster greater coordination and transparency on child policy across agencies and to examine and periodically report on a broad array of cross-cutting issues affecting child poverty and well-being. The CICC is informed by the 2019 Roadmap to Reducing Child Poverty, from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
What would the CICC Coordinator temporary assignment entail?
ASPE is looking for an individual to serve as the full-time CICC Coordinator during its inaugural year. Working with and leading a small team within ASPE, the CICC Coordinator will help shape this new federal interagency effort as it develops. The CICC Coordinator will work with federal leadership, contractors, and partners inside and outside of HHS.
The expected mechanism for the assignment will be serving as a Senior Scholar with IRP, which serves as the National Research Center on Poverty and Economic Mobility. IRP will contract with the employer of the selected individual for their time; payment will occur through a sub-award. Note that IRP cannot reimburse for funds considered “profit”, i.e., any costs above salary, fringe, travel, supplies, overhead, and other costs deemed necessary. Unfortunately, neither IRP nor ASPE has a mechanism for temporary assignments for persons that are self-employed or unemployed.
Although ASPE’s offices are located at 200 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC, this assignment can be completed remotely. Relocation is not expected. The selected candidate should expect to make approximately three multi-day trips to DC over the course of the year. ASPE will provide a computer and any other necessary equipment.
ASPE anticipates that the CICC Coordinator’s activities will include:
- Regularly brief HSP leadership on the CICC and brief other HHS and senior federal leadership as needed, either directly or through written materials. Plan and manage other CICC meetings.
- Related tasks include scheduling meetings, developing agendas, identifying decisions for leadership, taking notes, and managing follow-up items. The CICC Coordinator may delegate these tasks when appropriate but maintains responsibility for ensuring they are completed.
- Manage CICC-related activities, including tracking work plans and milestones and addressing challenges that arise.
- Develop strategies and plans for engaging individuals with lived experience related to child poverty and well-being, including approaches to incorporate their feedback on federal policy and CICC activities.
- Oversee qualitative research conducted by contractors, such as key informant interviews and focus groups.
- Develop and review written materials, such as briefing documents, research summaries, and meeting materials.
- Coordinate with ASPE staff leading research projects related to child poverty and well-being.
- Assist with CICC-related procurement activities, as appropriate.
- Complete other CICC-related tasks as required.
- Depending on timing of start date:
- Outreach to federal agencies involved in child policy, both inside and outside of HHS, and organizing internal federal planning and coordination discussions.
- Oversee the planning and convening of a CICC kickoff event.
Who should consider submitting a letter of interest for this assignment?
ASPE seeks an experienced individual who can serve in a temporary assignment for approximately one year starting as soon as possible, ideally this summer. Specific knowledge and abilities are provided below, along with information on eligibility and other requirements.
Highly Desirable Knowledge and Abilities:
- Experience coordinating among multiple programs or agencies, such as multiple federal, state, tribal, or local agencies. Experience successfully leading or managing an entity such as a children’s cabinet or state-level child poverty initiative would be ideal.
- Knowledge of and expertise in federal programs and policies affecting child poverty and well-being (such as tax credits, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, nutrition assistance, and early care and education). Experience with both child-serving and parent-serving programs/policies would be ideal.
- Experience engaging individuals with lived experience, particularly families and youth with low incomes from diverse backgrounds in safety net programs, and/or with community engagement.
- Experience with qualitative research methods, such as interviews and focus groups.
- High attention to detail, ability to work independently and in a group setting under tight timelines and shifting priorities and to employ strong problem-solving skills.
- Ability to work well in a group and communicate effectively with a range of individuals in varying roles, including federal staff, leadership, outside experts, people with lived experience, and contractors.
- Ability to efficiently track and meet multiple competing deadlines, prioritize assignments, and multi-task as needed.
- Ability to synthesize complex ideas into plain-language written documents tailored to the intended audience.
- Ability to communicate clearly and concisely with multiple audiences in person (verbally, or otherwise) and in writing.
Eligibility and Other Requirements
- Qualified individuals working at universities, research firms, or state or local government agencies are eligible to apply with the support of their employer. Support from employer must be as documented in a letter of support; details on what must be included in the letter of support can be found under “How can I apply?”
- NOTE: Individuals that are self-employed or unemployed are not eligible.
How can I apply?
In order to apply, upload your materials and complete the form at https://irpwisc.formstack.com/forms/cic_council__coordinator_position.
Your application must include the following, submitted as a single PDF:
- Letter of interest – requirements:
- Describes your interest in the CICC and how your expertise, skills, and knowledge align to the position.
- No more than 2 pages long.
- Current resume that includes any experience mentioned in the letter of interest.
- Letter of support from your employer – requirements:
- Must be on official letterhead and signed by someone with authority to support your application.
- States when you would be available to start the assignment if selected.
- Provides your current annual salary.
- Includes your employer’s fringe and overhead rates. (If selected, your employer will be asked to provide documentation of their fringe and overhead rate.)
The deadline for applications has been extended to Thursday, June 15, 2023. However, applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and recruitment may end early if a qualified candidate is selected before the deadline. Selection will be based on individuals’ qualifications and fit for the assignment and is contingent on a federal background check and IRP’s ability to contract with the candidate’s employer.
Who do I go to with questions?
- If you have questions about the application process or the contracting mechanism, please contact irpapply@ssc.wisc.edu.
- If you have questions about the CICC or position, please contact Amanda Benton at Amanda.Benton@hhs.gov.