To support Continuums of Care (CoCs) and their designated Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) Lead Agencies increase capacity to collect and analyze high quality HMIS data, HUD published new tools and products under the HMIS Lead Series. HMIS data is increasingly being used to allocate resources, assess program and project performance, identify racial disparities in service delivery and outcomes, and set policy across homeless crisis response systems. In addition, HMIS is an increasingly important tool in the response to COVID-19 by managing data on rehousing efforts. This suite of HMIS Lead products is intended to support communities advance the goals and support the improvement strategies of the SNAPS Data TA Strategy to Improve Data and Performance. These strategies include: - Improving the capacity of people setting up, operating, and benefitting from data systems
- Data systems collect accurate, comprehensive, and timely data
- CoCs and stakeholders use data to improve efforts to end homelessness
These products are targeted for use by HMIS Leads, system administrators, and CoC data leadership. Products may also have a specific focus on HMIS end users, HMIS software vendors, and administrators or managers who are involved in the contracting and performance management processes. Products In the Series The newly released products include: - HMIS Lead Improvement Evaluation Matrix: Provides standards and baseline requirements necessary to effectively monitor and evaluate the CoC's HMIS Lead on a regular basis to ensure effective administration and management of the HMIS.
- HMIS Data Quality Management Program: Outlines the core components of data quality management and monitoring, as well as sample agreements and example improvement strategies to ensure actionable data quality monitoring processes and structures in place.
- Tools for Contract Management: Provides a set of standardized approaches to contract management of HMIS software and services.
- HMIS Software Vendor Monitoring Tool: Provides basic information to help establish, maintain, and enhance a monitoring procedure that ensures vendors and their software products are consistent with HUD guidance and meet the needs of the CoC.
Other tools in the series include: - HMIS System Administrator Checklist: Provides an assessment framework to ensure that HMIS Leads, system administrators, and other relevant HMIS stakeholders are fulfilling the roles and responsibilities that may be required by the CoC.
- HMIS Software Vendor Capacity Checklist: Provides an assessment framework to ensure that HMIS Software Vendors, solution providers, and other relevant HMIS stakeholders are fulfilling the roles and responsibilities that may be required by the CoC.
Additional Resources and Questions Additional products will be released in the future to further support communities building their data and performance capacity. These products will be posted to the HMIS Lead Series page on the HUD Exchange. For more HMIS resources, visit the HUD Exchange HMIS Guides and Tools page. If you have questions about HMIS, please submit them through the HUD Exchange Ask A Question (AAQ) portal. On Step 2 of the question submission process, select “HMIS” in the “My question is related to” dropdown. |
