Guidebook to the
Responsible Fatherhood Project
Participant Management Information System
Introduction
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) contracted with The
Lewin Group to develop a management information system to help eight
DHHS-sponsored Responsible Fatherhood Projects with tracking and reporting
on program participants. The system — referred to as the
Responsible Fatherhood Management Information System (RFMIS) —
was developed also to be more widely applicable to other responsible fatherhood
(or parenting programs serving non-custodial parents) that have emerged in
recent years across the nation. From this Internet site —
originally established in 1999 and revised in June 2003 —
interested organizations and individuals can download an automated data system
for tracking individuals involved in local responsible fatherhood projects
and full documentation on how to install and use this system. [Note:
Organizations or individuals who previously downloaded and were using the
original RFMIS prior to January 2003 (when the revised RFMIS became available)
may contact John Trutko or Burt Barnow (see below for contact information)
for information on how to update the original RFMIS to this revised version
without losing records already entered into the system. This new version
of the RFMIS adds a follow-up survey that was not available in the earlier
system.]
This technical assistance project was originally designed to assist each
Responsible Fatherhood Project site with the development of data forms and
a working automated data system to track participant characteristics, services
received, outcomes, and costs. The RFMIS, originally designed to operate
using Microsoft Access 97, has been updated to operate using Microsoft Access
2000. A follow-up survey has also been added to the system, which enables
users to collect follow-up data on participants at a future time (i.e., six
months or a year after the individual enters the program) to facilitate analysis
of project outcomes. The revised RFMIS is designed so that users
can — if desired — use the programming capabilities
within Access 2000 to tailor system components to local program operations
and adapt the system over time to meet future program needs (i.e., it is
possible for sites to add new fields, change form views, and create new report
formats).
The data system that is the focus of this manual was developed based on an
assessment of needs and capacities of local program sites involved in the
DHHS-sponsored demonstration effort. Among the data collection activities
involved in developing the system and this guidebook were the following:
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Telephone and in-person interviews with DHHS' Administration on Children
and Families (ACF) Responsible Fatherhood Projects located in eight states:
Colorado, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, California, Wisconsin, Missouri,
Maryland, and Washington;
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Telephone and in-person interviews with local and national evaluators of
Responsible Fatherhood Projects;
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Two conferences that brought together representatives of Responsible Fatherhood
Projects, local evaluators of Responsible Fatherhood Projects, the national
evaluation contractors (Policy Studies, Inc. and the Center for Policy Research),
the management information system contractor for the Responsible Fatherhood
initiative (The Lewin Group), the management information system contractor
for the Ford Foundation's Fragile Family Initiative (Metis Associates, Inc.),
and representatives of the Department of Health and Human Services' Office
of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE/DHHS) and the Office of the Assistant
Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE/DHHS);
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Review of the management information system and forms developed for the Parents'
Fair Share demonstration (including a site visit to a Parents' Fair Share
project); and
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Review of existing materials and documents on tracking participant
characteristics, participant outcomes, program services, and program costs
in Responsible Fatherhood Projects.
We would particularly like to acknowledge the role of Policy Studies, Inc.
and the Center for Policy Research, which were instrumental in the development
of the forms and follow-up survey for the system. In addition, Linda Mellgren
and David Arnaudo (of DHHS) provided many helpful suggestions and guidance
on the development of the RFMIS.
The purpose of this guidebook is to provide written documentation on how
to complete the data forms and operate the RFMIS. Sections 1-3 of this guidebook
are primarily intended for program staff (e.g., intake and case managers)
responsible for interviewing participants and completing forms. These sections
include the following:
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SECTION 1: PARTICIPANT DATA FORMS. This section provides copies of
data forms for use in collecting data from responsible fatherhood participants.
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SECTION 2: EXAMPLE OF A COMPLETED SET OF PARTICIPANT DATA ENTRY FORMS.
This section provides an example of a completed set of data forms for a sample
participant.
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SECTION 3: INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING PARTICIPANT DATA FORMS. This
section provides detailed instructions on how to complete data items on each
of the data forms.
The next sections of the guidebook are aimed primarily at project staff
responsible for managing and operating the RFMIS. It includes instructions
on how to install the system, enter new data records, find and edit existing
data records, and generate reports. These sections include the following:
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SECTION 4: GUIDE TO USING THE RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD MANAGEMENT INFORMATION
SYSTEM. The revised RFMIS was developed to operate on Microsoft Access
2000. This section provides an overview of how to get started using the data
system. It provides step-by-step instructions for getting into and exiting
the system, entering data, locating records, and backing up data files. Users
may also want to refer to the Microsoft Access 2000 manual for more detailed
instruction on how to operate the software (especially with respect to creating
and generating new report formats).
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SECTION 5: SAMPLE DATA ENTRY SCREENS. This section provides a set
of completed sample data entry screens.
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SECTION 6: LIST OF RFMIS DATA FIELDS. This section identifies the
data field names for each data item on the RFMIS data forms.
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SECTION 7: GUIDE TO GENERATING SAMPLE REPORTS AND DESIGNING NEW REPORTS.
This section provides instructions for generating a series of sample reports
on participant characteristics, services received, and outcomes. Microsoft
Access 2000 has a highly flexible reporting capability that permits system
users to develop their own reports and print out data on any data item in
the data system. This section includes instructions on (a) how to print out
pre-formatted reports, (b) some basic guidance on how to create new reports,
and (c) examples of reports printed out using sample data.
Technical Assistance
If you should have questions concerning the data forms, system installation,
system design or system operations, please contact:
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John Trutko (Consultant to the Lewin Group)
Capital Research Corporation
1910 N. Stafford Street
Arlington, VA 22207
Telephone: (703) 522-6270
FAX: (703) 522-0885
E-mail: jtrutko @ aol.com
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Burt Barnow (Consultant to the Lewin Group)
Institute for Policy Research
Johns Hopkins University
Wyman Building
Baltimore, MD 21218
Telephone: (410) 516-5388
FAX: (410) 516-8233
E-mail: barnow @ jhu.edu