Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Communities of Practice (COP) - Maryland Community Action Partnership (MCAP) aims to create a comprehensive system for assessment, codesigning, piloting, measuring, tracking, refining, and scaling validated interventions for CoP4 consisting of 9 States and 3 tribes (CO, IN, MD, MN, MO, NE, OR, TN, WI). This approach will form an infrastructure for CoP4 that connects states, tribes, communities, Community Action Agencies, partners, and expertise across the service area. The system we are proposing will consist of 4 integral parts which include: 1) The establishment of a coordinated COP4 infrastructure to coordinate and connect participating State Associations and position them as the backbone of the CoP4. State Associations will serve in varying roles as leads, co-leads and participants and will collectively help assess Network needs and recruit Community Action Agencies and cross community partners to participate in the CoP4 Innovation Labs. 2) The development of Innovation Labs. Innovation Labs will be guided by National Subject Matter Experts who will use data, national expertise, evidence-informed practices, and community knowledge to develop pilot-ready interventions responsive to identified Network needs. The Innovation Labs will bring together State Associations, Community Action Agencies, cross-sector community partners, and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to address identified problems of practice. 3) Selection of pilot sites. Community-based pilots will test and learn Community Level Strategies. 9 State Associations will recruit Community Action Agencies with the need, readiness, partnerships, and capacity to serve as pilot sites. Selected CAAs and their community partners will implement and test interventions developed through the Innovation Labs in real- world settings, supported by specialized coaching, tools, technology, and evaluation support. Three Tribes will be engaged in forums and pilot sharing to improve capacity and operations. 4) Tracking, Measurement, and Scaling - MCAP will use a common measurement and continuous-improvement framework to track implementation, early outcomes, adaptations, and lessons learned across pilot sites. Findings will be used to refine promising interventions and translate them into practical tools, interventions, models, and resources that can be replicated and scaled across COP4 and the broader CSBG Network. This approach will foster a data- driven infrastructure, and tailored solutions that address socioeconomic factors ultimately supporting family stability, preventing family breakdowns and creating child-welfare interventions.
