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Homeless Management Information System (HMIS)
Upgrade Project
Background
The HMIS Upgrade Project will undertake to upgrade the existing system with one that will better
meet current and future data collection and reporting needs of the Community Shelter Board and
its partner agencies. The HMIS is fundamental to collecting and storing accurate data for
homeless services provided and to providing the reports vital for program planning, program
evaluation and funder requirements.
History of HMIS in Columbus & Franklin County
From 1990 to 2001, the Columbus & Franklin County Homeless Management Information System
was operated by FirstLink under agreement with the Community Shelter Board (CSB). During
that time the function of the HMIS was to primarily provide statistical information to the
Community Shelter Board. For a variety of reasons related to the design and age of the system,
many agencies developed their own tracking systems to manage their day-to-day information
needs, although information managed by FirstLink was often used as a cross-check with these
internal systems.
In early 2000, the Community Shelter Board began a planning process to develop
recommendations for a new management information system to support the delivery of homeless
services and housing in Columbus and Franklin County. The planning process was led by CSB
with consultant assistance from Brains for Business, with intensive planning and evaluation work
overseen by a planning committee comprised of twenty five members representing providers,
consumers, funders, community members, and system planners. The goal of the process was to
replace the existing HMIS with one able to provide enhanced benefits at the individual, program,
and system level. It was anticipated that all CSB funded providers, HUD funded Continuum of
Care providers, and ultimately other community agencies providing homeless services and
housing would participate in the system.
Based on the work of the planning committee, ServicePoint by Bowman Internet Systems was
selected as the recommended software application. ServicePoint is a web-based product
designed for social service agencies and communities to allow them to manage client information
and resource data. It was chosen following a comparative analysis with other available HMIS
products. The local HMIS conversion to ServicePoint occurred on October 1, 2001.
Today, five years later…
Today, five years later – a planned Homeless Management Information System upgrade is
necessary for several reasons. The current system is no longer adequate to handle the data
storage and processing needs of the Community Shelter Board and its partner agencies. Due to
the limitations of ServicePoint, the Community Shelter Board regularly has to manually generate
system level reports in a manner that is inefficient and time consuming. CSB and many of its
current HMIS participating agencies recognize that the current HMIS lacks sufficient data entry
and reporting functionality to fully meet our current needs and does not have the capacity to be
expanded to meet future needs.
Additionally, on July 22, 2003, HUD published the draft ‘Homeless Management Information
Systems (HMIS) Data and Technical Standards Notice’ and requested public comment. In
response to comments they received, HUD issued a HMIS Data & Technical Standards Final
Notice in July of 2004. The Community Shelter Board’s current HMIS system does not fully
comply with these new standards, further underscoring the need to upgrade the HMIS.
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Homeless Management Information System (HMIS)
Upgrade Project
Going Forward
Going forward, the HMIS Upgrade Project is important and affects all those who use data from
the system:
Partner Agencies: use data to improve programs and report to funders
Funders: use data to measure impact of funding dollars
CSB & Board: use data to measure program and system impact; ensure compliance;
identify opportunities for collaboration and to assist in funding decisions
Citizens Advisory Council: review data to understand trends and help identify needs
Community Partners: use data to educate the public and analyze community impact
Continuum of Care Steering Committee: use data to measure impact of funding dollars
and ensure needs are appropriately targeted
Outcomes of the Process
Selection of a new HMIS that will achieve the following:
1. Better meet the needs of the Community Shelter Board, partner agencies, funders, and the
community for accurate and timely reports on homelessness in Columbus.
2. Increased ability to evaluate program outcomes and analyze data trends.
3. Meet HUD’s HMIS standards.
Overview of Project
Organization
Selection Committee composed of partner agency representatives, consumer
representation from the Citizens Advisory Council, and other community stakeholders.
CSB staff will provide primary project support
External consultant will be utilized to assist and support the selection process
Content
Stage 1 Establish Selection Committee and Workgroups September - November
Stage 2 Define selection criteria, establish vendors list, finalize November - January
& release RFP
Stage 3 Evaluate RFP responses, plan & perform due diligence January - March
review
Stage 4 Final selection of vendor/product, negotiate contract March – April 1, 2007
implementation schedule
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Homeless Management Information System (HMIS)
Upgrade Project
Organizational Structure
The organizational structure is designed to meet the following objectives:
1. Result in the selection of a high quality HMIS plan for Columbus and Franklin County to
make measurable progress toward an overall goal of ending homelessness within our
community
2. Incorporate input from all stakeholders and result in a community-owned decision on the
best HMIS for Columbus and Franklin County.
3. Manage the process in a streamlined and efficient manner
Group General Role
CSB Staff Project Staff Leadership, Process Design &
Implementation
External Consultants Process Design and Technical Assistance
Selection Committee Decision-making to select new HMIS
Workgroup Participants Technical input and recommendations to the
Selection Committee
CSB Board of Trustees Advisory & Input; approval of financial
agreements
Rebuilding Lives Funder Collaborative Advisory & Input
Continuum of Care Steering Committee Advisory & Input
Provider Network Advisory & Input
Citizens Advisory Council Advisory & Input
Selection Committee
The Selection Committee will be composed of community leaders representing CSB trustees, CSB
Partner Agency staff, and other community funders from the private and public sectors.
Representatives from the Citizen’s Advisory Council (persons with first-hand experience of
homelessness) will also participate. All members will be community volunteers who have an
interest in addressing and ending homelessness. Committee members will be appointed by each
stakeholder.
Purpose: Consider Workgroup recommendations, define selection criteria, establish vendors list,
finalize RFP, evaluate RFP responses, plan & perform due diligence, and determine final selection
of vendor/product.
Membership: 25 community volunteers
Selection Committee Membership – Invited
1. Barbara Poppe, CSB executive director, convener
2. 15 Partner Agency representatives
3. 2 Consumer representatives
4. Mark Russell, CSB current trustee
5. City of Columbus designee
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Homeless Management Information System (HMIS)
Upgrade Project
6. Franklin County Board of Commissioners designee
7. United Way of Central Ohio designee
8. ADAMH designee
9. Community Research Partners designee
10. Matt White, HMIS expert
Project Staff
Staff from the Community Shelter Board will provide operational support and leadership for the
Selection Committee. CSB’s HMIS Administrator, Catherine Kendall, will be the project leader.
CSB’s Executive Director will be extensively involved in the project. CSB will contract and
manage external consultant contracts necessary to conduct the work of the Selection Committee.
Position/Status Role
Catherine Kendall, HMIS Project Director
Administrator Manages meeting logistics
Manages report production
Liaison to external consultant
Barbara Poppe, Executive Selection Committee convener
Director
Barbara Maravich, Data Analyst Staff liaison to Selection Committee, as needed
Workgroup Participant
Tom Albanese, Director of Staff liaison to Selection Committee, as needed
Programs & Planning Workgroup Participant, as needed
Community Input
HMIS participating agencies are strongly encouraged to actively participate in all aspects of the
project. Other interested stakeholders are also welcome to provide input into the deliberations.
The final report adopted by the Selection Committee will be published as an electronic document.
Periodic updates will be shared with the Continuum of Care Steering Committee, the Rebuilding
Lives Funder Collaborative, the CSB trustees, and the Citizens Advisory Council.
Materials from the Steering Committee will also be available at www.csb.org.
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