Study on Assurance 16 is now Available

April 12, 2019 - A study conducted by the Office of Community Services (OCS) and the Applied Public Policy Research Institute for Study and Evaluation (APPRISE) on the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program’s (LIHEAP) Assurance 16 (A16) programs is now available . The results of the study will help OCS develop a better understanding of the ways that LIHEAP grantees are working with clients to move toward energy independence.

The A16 programs focused on in this study are programs that are considered “comprehensive” programs. These comprehensive A16 programs work with clients over an extended period of time, rather than short term.

The study identified agencies in the following states that provide longer-term A16 services to their clients: Arizona, Arkansas, Minnesota, Montana and New Hampshire. Data on the following topics was collected from those agencies: Needs Assessment, Program Objectives, Design and Implementation, Program and Protocol and Materials, Program Feedback, Program Outcomes, Lessons Learned.

Conclusions in the report resulted in some suggested strategies for grantees to consider in overcoming barriers (identified in the report in detail) in administering comprehensive or long-term A16 services: information dissemination, responsive and pro-active programs, information systems, pilot studies and impact studies.

The findings show that grantees might move toward a better measurement of the program outcomes to assess the effectiveness of their Assurance 16 program in comparison to other methods of utilizing LIHEAP funding. Grantees are generally underutilizing their option of Assurance 16 funding allocation, the study shows.

View the full report: LIHEAP 2015 Special Study: Assurance 16

To learn more about Assurance 16, visit the LIHEAP Clearinghouse web site.