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*** Start here with this Excel Spreadsheet of Acronyms and Map of sections and files (.xlsx)
or get the PDF version here ***

1.    CAA Salary Survey Report 1987
   
   

2.    CAA Salary Survey Report 1990 (PDF)
   
   

3.    CAA Evaluation Workbook in Word (.doc)
   
   

4.   Community Action Program Workbook.  Dated March 18, 1965.  263 pages. "The Community Action Program Workbook has been prepared as an aid to the many people now involved in establishing community action programs to combat poverty. It is designed to stimulate thinking rather than to prescribe given courses of action."  https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED103502
   
   

5.   CSA 6321-2 A Planning Guide for CAAs (PDF)
     CSA 6321-2 A Planning Guide for CAAs (.docx)
   
   

6.   CSA and EOA Reasons for Reauthorizing 1981 (PDF)
     CSA and EOA Reasons for Reauthorizing CSA 1981 (.docx)
   
   

7.   CSA Annual Report 1979 (PDF)
     CSA Annual Report 1979 (.docx)
   
   

8.   CSA Colder Darker Energy Crisis 1977 (PDF)
     CSA Colder Darker Energy Crisis 1977 (.docx)
   
   

9.   CSA Evaluation of  the Kansas City HRC, December 1977 (PDF)
     CSA Evaluation of the Kansas City HRC, December 1977 (.docx) 
   
   

10.   CSA Instruction 1100-1 Mission of the CSA November 1978 (PDF)
    
    

11.   CSA Instruction 6000-2c Index of all CSA Instructions January 1979 (PDF)
    
    

12.   CSA Instruction 6005-2 Citizen Participation Grant Program August 1978
    
    

13.   CSA Instruction 6100-1b Change 2 Program Account Structure October 1979 (PDF)
    
    

14.   CSA Instruction 7850-1a Standards of Effectiveness July 1975 (PDF)
    
    

15.   CSA Instruction 7850-1a July 1975 Standards of Effectiveness (the middle years)
    
    

16.   CSA Justification of Appropriation Estimates 1982 (PDF)
      CSA Justification of Appropriation Estimates 1982 (.docx)
    
    

17.   CSA Opportunity II Summer 1980 (PDF)
      CSA Opportunity II Summer 1980 (.docx)

18.  CSA Public Policy Forum Report 1978 (PDF)
    CSA Public Policy Forum Report 1978 (.docx)
    
    

19.   CSA Rising Energy Prices 1980 (PDF)
      CSA Rising Energy Prices 1980 (.docx)
    
    

20.   CSA T&TA  Procedures Handbook, Midland Energy, Wandless (PDF)
      CSA T&TA Procedures Handbook, Midland Energy, Wandless (.docx)
    
    

21.   Evaluation article by Bob Clark (.docx)
    
    

22.   How New Practices Become Routinized 1987: A Critique by John Buckstead (PDF)
      How New Practices Become Routinized 1987: A Critique by John Buckstead (.docx)
    
    

23.   The First Existential Crisis (June 28, 1968) (PDF)
    
    

24.   GPMS Trainers Module VII on Evaluation Requirements August 1980 (PDF)
    
    

25.   GPMS Training Guide #4 on Evaluation and Assessment for CSA Field Representatives (PDF)
    
    

26.   History of the programs under the EOA by Dick Saul and John Buckstead (PDF)
    
    

27.  Index of OEO Records at the National Archives of the United States. The paper still exists!  Some on microfilm at the LBJ library. A few are available online. You have to dig, and dig, and dig.  https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/381.html#381.3.12.1
    
    

28.  LAW - West Central Missouri Rural Development Corporation and Others v Howard Phillips 26 Feb 73 (PDF)
    
    

29.  LAW - West Central Missouri, v Phillips, Federation of Government Employees and others v Phillips, National Council of OEO Locals, et al. v Phillips. 11 Apr 73 Order (PDF)
    
    

30.   LBJ and Cabinet Background Briefing on OEO by Bert Harding November 1968 (PDF)
    
    

31.   Letter from Don Sykes to Thomas Green on allowable uses of CSBG (PDF)
    
    

32.   Monitoring for Change by Wayne Thomas. "Wayne wrote this after CSA was closed, so it is not a CSA publication. He and I did a few workshops on this topic in the 1980s and 1990s. I looked through it and the approach still works! His sanction ladder is brilliant!" -- Jim Masters
    
    

33.   NACAA: Community Action Agencies and Faith-Based Organizations / A Legacy of Productive Partnerships, 2001 (PDF)
      NACAA: Community Action Agencies and Faith-Based Organizations / A Legacy of Productive Partnerships, 2001 (.docx)
    
    

34.   NACAA:  Meeting the Housing Needs of People in Poverty 2001 (PDF)
      NACAA:  Meeting the Housing Needs of People in Poverty 2001 (.docx)
    
    

35.   NACAA: What Is A Community Action Agency? 2000 (PDF)
      NACAA: What Is a Community Action Agency? 2000 (.docx)
    
    

36.   OCS Demonstration Partnership Program Creation 1986 / DHHS Memo (PDF)
    
    

37.   OCS  Evaluation Guidebook for Demonstration Partnership Projects 1987 (PDF)
      OCS Evaluation Guidebook for Demonstration Partnership Projects 1987 (.docx)
    
    

38.   OEO Administrative History Nov 1963-Jan 1969 (PDF)
    
    

39.   OEO and CSA Evaluations 1965-1981 (PDF)
    
    

40.   OEO CEP Program Guidance from Bill Bozman 1966 (PDF) This led to the Kennedy-Javits Amendment to the EOA of 1964 – and that led to CETA
    
    

41.   OEO Guidance 6126-5 Rural Housing November 1971 (PDF)
    
    

42.   OEO Howard Phillips Memo Seeking to Shut it Down Feb 1 1973 (PDF)
      OEO Howard Phillips Memo Seeking to Shut it Down Feb 1 1973 (.docx)
    
    

43.   OEO Instruction 6001-01 Means of Carrying Out a Community Action Program, May 1971
    
    

44.   OEO Instruction 6001-03 Characteristics of Eligible Activities, May 1971
    
    

45.   OEO Instruction 6005-1 Participation of the Poor in Planning and Administration Dec. 1968 (PDF)
      OEO Instruction 6005-1 Participation of the Poor in Planning and Administration Dec. 1968 (.docx)
    
    

46.   OEO Instruction 6100-1a Program Account Structure December 1971 (PDF) without yellow background (PDF)
    
    

47.   OEO Instruction 6168-1a Youth Development Policies February 1970 (PDF)
    
    

48.   OEO Instruction 6320-1: The Mission of the Community Action Agency. (PDF) November 16, 1970, Donald Rumsfeld. (Referenced by David Bradley in his July, 2005 article in the NASCSP Newsletter).
    
    

49.   OEO Instruction 6441-01 Special Conditions When (a community action program) is delegated to a Church May 1971  (PDF)
    
    

50.   OEO Instruction 7501-1 Role of the State Economic Opportunity Offices March 1970 (PDF)
    
    

51.   OEO Instruction 7850-1 earlier version of the Standards of Effectiveness, May 1969
    
    

52.   OEO Memo 49 Involvement of the Poor in All OEO Programs 1966 (PDF)
      OEO Memo 49 Involvement of the Poor in All OEO Programs 1966 (.docx)
    
    

53.   OEO Memorandum 37-A Statement of Policy on Family Planning Activities February 1967 (PDF)
    
    

54.   OEO Organizing Communities for Action by OEO, 1968. In .docx format for your convenience.
    
    

55.   OEO Statement on the Future  (Signed by Other Organizations) 1971 (PDF)
      OEO Statement on the Future (Signed by Other Organizations) 1971 (.docx)
    
    

56.   OEO Trainers Manual for Boards Aug 1969 Volume I Pages 1-180 (PDF) 

57.   OEO Trainers Manual for Boards Aug 1969 Volume I Pages 181-312 (PDF)

58.   OEO Trainers Manual for Boards Aug 1969 Volume II Pages 313-442 (PDF)

59.   OEO Trainers Manual for Boards Aug 1969 Volume II Pages 443-590 (PDF)
    
    

60.  Organizing Communities for Action by OEO, 1968.  https://romaresources.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/organizing-communities-for-action.pdf  Source:  www.sahowellco.com
    
    

61.   Planning Guide for CAAs from CSA for use in GPMS 1981 (PDF)
    
    

62.   Sergeant Shriver Article on Poverty 1965 (PDF)
    
    

63.   Studies in Community Action - History 1964 through 1966 63 pages (PDF) (MS Word version available below)
    
    

64.   Studies in Community Action - History 1967 through 1970 100 pages (PDF)
    (MS Word version available below)
    
    

65.   Studies in Community Action - History 1971 through 1974 88 pages (PDF)
    (MS Word version available below)
    
    

66.   Studies in Community Action - History 1975 through 1980 with sources 76 pages (PDF) (MS Word version available below)
    
    

67.   Type 3 Detailed Evaluation Plan for Sonoma County CAA January 1980 (PDF)
    
    

68.   Type 3 Evaluation Overview and workplan outlines for the CAAs in Sonoma and Kern October 1979 (PDF)
    
    

About this Archive -- Frontmatter files. Read These First.

Word Processing Clerk's notes about these documents.  June 27, 2025.

   00 TKW notes about CSA and OEO documents.pdf   2 pages

   00 TKW notes about CSA and OEO documents.docx   2 pages

Instructions sent to recipients of thumb drives holding these files, by Jim Masters. Updated 6/28/2025.

   01 This Transmittal of OEO and CSA Archive FINAL.pdf   1 page

   01 This Transmittal of OEO and CSA Archive FINAL.docx   1 page

Jim Master's writing on what is and what is not in these files.

     02 About This Archive FINAL.pdf   4 pages

     02 About This Archive FINAL.docx   4 pages

Specifics on how to use this Archive, by Jim Masters.
03 How To Use This Archive FINAL.docx   1 page
03 How To Use This Archive FINAL.pdf   1 page

The taxonomy of these publications, by Jim Masters.
    04 The Taxonomy of OEO and CSA Publications FINAL.docx   1 page
    04 The Taxonomy of OEO and CSA Publications FINAL.pdf   1 page

Spreadsheet of file contents with document description, file name, and number of pages. It starts with a useful list of Acronyms common in community action, compiled from documents herein. 
    05 Web-Primary Doc List OEO-CSA Archive Table of Contents.pdf (final version)   141 pages
    05 Web-Primary Doc List OEO-CSA Archive Table of Contents.xlsx (final version)  17 spreadsheets

The Economic Opportunity Act of 1964

Section summary.  About section IA-1 on the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, by Jim Masters, Center for Community Futures. Date not given.
IA1-0  About the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964.pdf    1 page
IA1-0  About the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964.docx   1 page

Annual Message to the Congress on the State of the Union, January 8, 1964.  From the LBJ Presidential Library, www.lbjlibrary.org.
LBJ declares a War on Poverty and describes 23 elements of the War.  There were a wide range of strategies, including tax cuts, and improvements to be made in housing, health, education, training and employment among others.  Three of the 23 were included in the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964.  They were (1) coordination of strategies at the Federal (OEO) and state and local (community action) levels, (2) VISTA and  (3) Neighborhood Youth Corps. 
IA1-1  LBJ State of the Union Speech January 1964.pdf   9 pages
IA1-1  LBJ State of the Union Speech January 1964.docx   9 pages

Interview I, Budget Bureau official William Cannon Interviewed by Michael L. Gillette about the Task Force. May 21, 1982.
Budget Bureau official William Cannon gives his version of the Task Force that ran from about February 1, 1964 to March 15, 1964 that drafted the Economic Opportunity Act.  The Task Force consisted of top officials from several Federal agencies, and about 300 academics, civil rights advocates and others who were invited to submit ideas.  Cannon gives his opinions about why strategies were included or excluded. He describes, "the sausage being made."  Cannon forgot that "the program of community action" was invented in the 1930s as an anti-juvenile-delinquency strategy by sociologists at the University of Chicago where Cannon was a fund raiser. 
IA1-2  Budget Bureau official describes the Task Force.pdf   61 pages
IA1-2  Budget Bureau official describes the Task Force.docx   61 pages

The Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, Public Law 88-452. Passed August 20, 1964.

     The Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 established the U.S. Office of Economic Opportunity, including the Community Action Program, Job Corps, VISTA, and other provisions.  
IA1-3 Economic Opportunity Act of 1964.pdf   27 pages
IA1-3 Economic Opportunity Act of 1964.docx   27 pages

First OEO Press Release announcing grants.  Author not given. November 25, 1964.

Announces OEO grants of $12 million in Federal funds to organizations in  "…nine states, 12 cities, six rural areas and an Indian Reservation."  The grant recipients put up 10% in matching funds.  Notably, there was funding for people to work as aides in schools and as supervisors for youth  employment programs.  These were later grouped under the heading "new careers for the poor" into which OEO invested heavily.  
IA1-4 First press release announcing OEO grants November 1964.pdf   16 pages
IA1-4 First press release announcing OEO grants November 1964.docx   16 pages

Background of The War on Poverty and Welfare Reform, by Jim Masters. Updated August 16, 2005.  

Article written for the NASCSP newsletter describes the nine strategies that Congress added to the EOA as it was drafted or within a year or two after it passed in 1964, including: (a) Legal Services, (b) Head Start, (c) Federally subsidized family planning, (d) senior community service employment programs, (e) senior citizen food programs (became Title III of the OAA), (f) adult basic education, (g) Upward Bound, (h) Title VII Special Impact Programs that are now the Community Development Corporation network, and (i) community health centers. 
IA1-5 The Evolution of the EOA.pdf   3 pages
IA1-5 The Evolution of the EOA.doc   3 pages

Early history of the OEO Office of Inspection. Author not given. Date not given.
The Office of Inspection was an innovation Shriver brought with him from the Peace  Corps.  The purpose was to obtain swift, accurate analysis of what was happening in the administration of OEO program at the grass root level.  About 100 reporters, lawyers, social scientists and other types of investigators were hired as consultants.  The initial worries were about local politicians dominating the program and engaging in "pork barrel" funding or refusing to follow the new Civil Rights Act of 1964.  Now, every Federal agency has an Office of Inspection to review the administration of the programs they manage.  
IA1-6 Early history of the OEO Office of Inspection.pdf   11 pages
IA1-6 Early history of the OEO Office of Inspection.docx   11 pages

*** Donations Welcomed and Appreciated ***

Ideas from White House Officials (IA2)

*** Donations Welcomed and Appreciated ***

*** Donations Welcomed and Appreciated ***

*** Donations Welcomed and Appreciated ***

Community Action Program Instructions Telling CAAs WHAT To Do  (IB1)

Section summary. About the Community Action Program Instructions here, by Jim Masters, Center for Community Futures.

   OEO issued ideas, advice, guidance, memorandums, workbooks and instructions under many labels.  OEO employees and CAAs knew that you had better do it all, but "instructions" carried the most weight.  This "About" file describes this in greater detail.

IB1-1 About Community Action Program Instructions.pdf   1 page

IB1-1 About Community Action Program Instructions.docx   1 page

Workbook: Community Action Program, Office of Economic Opportunity, by Ted Berry, OEO, March 18, 1965.

   Ted Berry was the first Director of the Community Action Program Division of the U.S. OEO.  This 262 page workbook was published in March of 1965.  It is the first comprehensive compilation of what CAAs were supposed to be doing.  Policy evolved rapidly at OEO. As a testimony to its description of core concepts and values, it remained the primary reference document about community action until 1969.

IB1-2 OEO CAA Workbook by Ted Berry March 18 1965.pdf   263 pages

Community Action Program / Office of Economic Opportunity, Memorandum No. 37-A, New Statement of OEO Policy on Family Planning Activities -- Supersedes Memo No. 37.

   The very first federal money ever to go for family planning purposes came from OEO and went to CAAs.  The St. Louis Human Development Corporation was one of the first six CAAs to receive these funds.  HDC signed a delegate agency contract with the St. Louis Planned Parenthood organization that provided  testing, counseling and contraceptives to women with low-incomes.

IB1-3 OEO Memorandum 37-A Statement of Policy on Family Planning Activities February 3 1967.pdf   12 pages

Community Action Program / Office of Economic Opportunity, Memorandum No. 80, Implementing Green and Quie, February 15, 1968.

   Congress has passed the (Edith) Green Amendment giving local elected officials the right to designate the CAA and also setting minimum population standards for CAAs notably, 50,000 for a rural CAA, and the (Albert) Quie Amendment creating the 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 board structure.  There were about 1,800 CAAs at the time.  Field Operations spent most of 1968 working with CAAs and elected officials to meet these requirements.  About 90% of existing CAAs were designated.  Only a few big Cities, and California and Washington had some elected officials designate themselves rather than the existing nonprofit.  Small rural CAAs were merged to meet the 50,000 minimum.  By the end of 1968, there were 1,000 designated CAAs almost all of which are still in existence in 2023.

IB1-4 CAP Memo 80 Implementing the Green and Quie Amendments  Feb 15 1968.pdf   27 pages

 OEO Instruction of September 11, 1968, (no number), CAA Relationship to Pilot Programs, by Theodore M. Berry.

   OEO Headquarters funded hundreds of Limited Purpose Agencies to test out novel ideas or to pursue nationwide activity.  CAAs complained that they found about these only inadvertently. CAAs wanted to be notified and dealt into the experiments.  This sought to establish a bridge between CAA and pilot projects.  At HQ, outside the Office of Research, there was a hallway full of filing cabinets.  I asked Director Don Hess what they did with the final reports.  "We file them," he said.  I asked him to copy the one-page summary that was in each report and send it to the Regional Offices.  He agreed, and the "green sheets" were born.  When CSA went out of business October 1, 1981, there were 932 CAAs -- and 860 LPAs which dozens of advocacy groups in DC like FRAC, CLASP, EPI , NCCED, and poverty research centers at universities in Wisconsin, Michigan, Washington, and more.  The organic connection CAAs had with these LPAs was lost.

IB1-5 OEO Instruction unnumbered Role of CAAs in Pilot Programs September 11 1968.pdf   4 pages

IB1-5 OEO Instruction unnumbered Role of CAAs in Pilot Programs September 11 1968.doc   4 pages

OEO Issuance 6710-1, Applying for a CAP Grant, Community Action Program / Office of Economic Opportunity, July 1, 1968.

   In 1967, with a contract from McKinsey, OEO had begun further standardizing the grant application process.  OEO introduced a series of forms 81, 82, 83, etc.  6710-1 pulled together all the requirements in one place. Of note was the CAP Form 81 which required periodic reporting of detailed demographic information on every person served.  Soon there were boxes of 81s lining the hallways of the Regional Offices.  This was before computers and these form had to be sent to outside vendors to keypunch the data onto cards that could then be read.  Then the data started coming back and neither OEO nor the CAAs could find uses for it that outweighed the burdens. OEO wisely rescinded the requirement that CAAs provide detailed demographic information on program participants.  Of note is the Checkpoint system (starts on page IV-49) which CAAs used very effectively to compel coordinated program planning until the ESEA program in Chicago applied without it and was funded anyhow, and the DoL notified OEO it was no longer participating.  That was the end of it as an effective tool.

IB1-6a OEO Instruction 6710-1 Applying for a CAP Grant May 1968.pdf   183 pages

OEO CAP Staff Instruction 6710-1, Applying for a CAP Grant, CAP/OEO, May 1969.

   This was issued one year later and of note the Checkpoint system requiring local CAAs to get local agencies to sign off on their grant application and requiring CAAs to sign off on the grant applications of other local agencies was replaced with a requirement that CAAs secure a signature from a state planning agency under a Project Notification Review system.  

IB1-6b OEO Instruction 6710-1 Applying for a CAP Grant May 1969.pdf   80 pages

OEO Instruction 7850-1, Standards for Evaluating the Effectiveness of Community Action Programs, May 28, 1969.

   OEO sought to combine evaluation of effectiveness  on the two levels -- what the CAA said it was going to do in its work programs and what the national legislation said should be done.  This is the first iteration of national standards.  

IB1-7 OEO Instruction 7850-1 initial version of Standards of Effectiveness May 28 1969.pdf   12 pages

Planning for Community Action / Planning Development Program / A Reference Notebook for Community Action Agencies, by Theodore M. Berry, Director, Community Action Program, updating the 1965 workbook in 1969.

   This summarized OEO expectations of CAAs. It replaced the "workbook" from 1965.  Of note are: (1) the "illustrative summary" which is an early version of a logic model, (2) charts of interrelationship among programs and (3) the "key questions" which Field Operations used to asses the prospective viability, quality and then the effectiveness of programs.  By 1969 the term program had subsumed the earlier concept of "strategy"  Program included the strategy for affecting the causes and conditions of poverty and included other information about populations, activities, measurements, etc.

IB1-8 OEO Planning for Community Action Ted Berry 1969.pdf   44 pages

OEO Instruction 6168-1a Youth Development Program Policies, February 3, 1970. 

   One of the many obsessions at OEO was about youth development. Since the origin of the concept of the CAA came from the "Program of Community Action" in Chicago in the 1930s in which all elements of the community came together to reduce juvenile delinquency by helping youth attach to the labor force, and since in the Spring of 1964 the EOA was written by a task force that was staffed with people from Bobby Kennedy's Presidents Council on Juvenile Delinquency -- OEO constantly explored ways to help youth.  There were other obsessions and factions among staff; one group felt that the focus should be on children, i.e. get them early; another group felt that job training for adults should be the focus; another felt  the focus should be primarily on "inner cities" i.e. minority ghettos; another felt the focus should be on rural areas that needed it most; another felt that the focus should be on reducing destitution among senior citizens.  So, we did it all.

IB1-9 OEO Instruction 6168-1a Youth Development Policies February 1970.pdf   12 pages

OEO Instruction 6320-1, The Mission of the Community Action Agency, signed by Donald Rumsfeld, OEO Director, November 16, 1970.

   This excellent summary of what CAAs were supposed to be doing was signed by OEO Director Donald Rumsfeld.  Charles McCann and I (Jim Masters) still use this excellent statement when training CAA staff and boards.  In another closely watched series, in 1969 California Governor Ronald Reagan had once again exercised his authority under the EOA to veto the OEO grant to the California Rural Legal Assistance Program.  Shriver had exercised his authority to override the Governor's veto several times. And Rumsfeld also overrode Reagan's veto and the grant went into operation.  So contrary to what you hear from some OEO staffers, the first Nixon Administration was not totally hostile to the EOA.

IB1-10 OEO Instruction 6320-1 Mission of a CAA by Donald Rumsfeld Nov 16, 1970.pdf   4 pages

OEO Instruction 6001-01, Means of Carrying Out a Community Action Program, May 10, 1971.

   There were issues about CAAs delegating programs/funds to churches and hiring consultants for various tasks.  OEO sought to standardize the relationship between a CAA and a church (and to require OEO review of a contract with a church and separately to rein in use of consultants.  

IB1-11 OEO Instruction 6001-01 Means of Carrying out a CAP May 10 1971.pdf   2 pages

(Note: Original file was mistitled OEO Instruction 6001-03 Means of Carrying out a CAP May 10 1971.pdf)

OEO Instruction 6441-01, Special Conditions When a Community Action Component is Delegated to a Church Related Organization, May 10, 1971. 

   Some members of the general public and the press felt that government intervention and funding as not necessary at all, because churches could step up to provide all the charitable functions that were needed to help people with no federal money involved. At the other end of the spectrum, a few churches wanted to use OEO funds for their own purposes.  On this issue, a few CAAs were  embroiled in controversy (a nationally noted one in CO) about how much religious symbolism or religious instruction could be included in what the church did with OEO funding.  This Instruction sought to settle the issue.  

IB1-12 OEO Instruction 6441-01 Special Conditions if delegated to a Church May 10 1971.pdf   4 pages

OEO Instruction 7501-1,  Role of State Economic Opportunity Offices, March 25, 1970. 

   The EOA provided that each state have a State Economic Opportunity Office.  This was the Governor's staff to monitor and assist agencies and programs funded through the EOA (and anything else the governor had in mind).  Most SEOOs were committed and helpful, a few were hostile.  The existence of the office and the OEO grant to support it did provide a channel for negotiating with the governor.  After several years of swirling uncertainty and controversy, OEO sought to introduce some standardization.

IB1-13 OEO Instruction 7501-1 Role of SEOO March 25 1970.pdf   14 pages

OEO Staff Manual 1105-1, Abolishment of the Office of Program Development and Establishment of the Office of Economic Development, October 10, 1972.

   The OEO Office of Program Development at HQ had a cosmic mandate to develop new programs.  This instruction supposedly transferred existing projects to other divisions, but the New OEO clearly had a more narrow focus.  It did include the Community Economic Development staff that funded the Community Development Corporations,  and the Special Impact Programs which was the OEO version of a comprehensive employment and training program at the local level which sought to show DOL how these programs should be done.  

IB1-14 OEO Instruction 1105-change 3 Abolish OPD create OED October 1972.pdf   20 pages

*** Donations Welcomed and Appreciated ***

Community Action Program Instructions Telling CAAs HOW To Manage  (IB2)

Section summary. About this section, IB2, Telling CAAs HOW to manage, by Jim Masters.

   Lists the four management systems used by OEO and CSA from 1964 to 1981.  Management systems are the CAAs and other applicants applied for funds, how they planned and described  their programs, and how they reported on what they had done.

IB2-1 About 1B2 Telling CAAs to use certain management systems.docx   1 page

Community Action Program Guide / Instructions for Financial Management of Community Action Program Funds Under Sections 204, 205, and 207 of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 / Volume II, Financial Instructions.  OEO/CAP, Washington, DC, June 1965.

   Payment procedures, accounting for funds, federal official have the right to audit all expenditures.

IB2-2 CAP Guide Instructions for Financial Management June 1965.pdf   32 pages

OEO Guidance 6801-1, CAP Management Guide, Grantee Financial Control Techniques, Community Action Program/Office of Economic Opportunity, by Wolf and Company, August 1968.

   How to organize the CAA Board, the relationship between the Board and Executive Director,  and new requirements for functional statements and organization charts.

IB2-3 OEO Guidance 6801 Grantee Financial Control Techniques August 1968.pdf   68 pages

OEO Guidance 6410-1, CAP Management Guide, CAA Organization, by Community Action Program/Office of Economic Opportunity, October 1968.

   CAP/OEO discussion of various management techniques that contribute to sound organizational functioning. Note: Not all pages are in order and  some are repeated elsewhere.

IB2-4 OEO Guidance 6410-1 CAP Management Guide October 1968.pdf   64 pages

OEO Instruction 6001-01, Means of Carrying Out a Community Action Program, May 10, 1971.

   Requires use of a standard OEO contract form when contracting with churches or consultants.  This both a WHAT and a HOW so it is included in both sections. 

IB2-5 OEO Instruction 6001-01 Means of Carryout out a CAP May 1971.pdf   2 pages

Table of Contents from A Trainer's Manual for Community Action Agency Boards DRAFT, Discussion Draft, Office of Economic Opportunity, August 1969.

   This is one of the mystery documents that appeared periodically.  It was a omnibus everything-including-the-kitchen sink description of everything that a CAA -- here encapsulated as "boards" -- were supposed to do.  It was never officially approved and it never officially replaced previous publications on the same topics.  Nevertheless, the Regional Field Operations staff liked it and selected pieces of it to use with CAAs when it helped solve a problem or could build capacity.

IB2-6 OEO Trainers Manual for Boards Aug 1969 Table of Contents.pdf   5 pages

Vol I, A Trainer's Manual for Community Action Agency Boards, Discussion Draft, Office of Economic Opportunity, subtitled CAA Board Training, An Overview of Objectives and Techniques, pages 1 to 180, August 1969. 

   How to identify the need for training, the topics for training, the methods to use for training and to evaluate training.  

IB2-7 OEO Trainers Manual for Boards Aug 1969 Volume I Pages 1 -- 180.pdf   184 pages

Vol I, A Trainer's Manual for Community Action Agency Boards, Discussion Draft, Office of Economic Opportunity, subtitled CAA Board Training, An Overview of Objectives and Techniques continued, pages 181-312, August 1969.

   The mobilization of new resources to fight poverty was a key goal for community action.  The hope was to either redirect existing resources, or to catalyze the creation of new resources from government, commerce or the nonprofit sectors.  This section focuses on that effort.

IB2-8 OEO Trainers Manual for Boards Aug 1969 Volume I Pages 181-312.pdf   134 pages

Vol II, A Trainer's Manual for Community Action Agency Boards,  Discussion Draft, continued, and includes Volumes 3 and 4, Office of Economic Opportunity, pages 443-590, August 1969. 

   These pages describe working with neighborhood groups, and the administrative management of all functions fiscal, property, personnel, etc., and it adds guidance about planning.  

IB2-10 OEO Trainers Manual for Boards Aug 1969 Volume II Pages 443 -- 590.pdf   148 pages

OEO Instruction 6100-1a, Change 1, Program Account Structure, December 20, 1971.

   Eliminates a batch of the old program accounts, and keeps the original numbers of the Program Accounts that are retained.  So for example 45 and 47 are still in existence, but PA 46 has disappeared.  Begins the process of synthesizing about 30 PAs into PA 05 "general community programing." Adds new PAs for research and evaluation.  

IB2-11 OEO Instruction 6100-1a Program Account Structure December 1971.pdf   18 pages

OEO Region 7 Manual 1110-1, Field Operations Division / Major Functions, July 1, 1970.

   A description of the duties of the CAP Field Operations section of an OEO Regional Office.  Field Ops was the interface between OEO and the CAAs. Each Field Representative was assigned from 6 to 15 CAAs and other grantees (SEOO, T&TA contracts) depending on their complexity.  Complexity could include size, but also their efficiency, effectiveness, administrative history, political context and other factors.

IB2-12 Organization of Regional Field Operations Job Descriptions July 1970.pdf   2 pages

Office of Economic Opportunity Organization Manual, May 31, 1972.

   Focused on HQ.  If you did not know what these divisions did, these notifications of changes were not that informative.  You always had to call around to find the people responsible for whatever you needed. The Field Representatives called this "shopping for yes." The Federal telephone System (FTS) was excellent.

IB2-13 Organization Manual May 1972.pdf   110 pages

OEO Staff Manual 1105-1, Change 2, Reorganization Office of Legal Services, August 18, 1972.

   Reorganization of Legal Services.  All OEO staff kept track of what was happening with Legal Services, the excellent engine for change through the court system.  They won more than 100 cases before the Supreme Court.

IB2-14 Organization OEO Staff manual 1105-1 Change 2 reorganize Legal Services 1972.pdf   6 pages

OEO Staff Manual 1105-1, Change 1, August 18, 1972

   This updates the May 1972 OEO Organization Manual listed as 1B2-13.  There were no major changes visible to the reader, but they must have had some reason for updating it.  

IB2-15 Organization OEO HQ Staff manual August 1972.pdf   18 pages

OEO Staff Manual 1105-1, Change 6, Organization and duties of an OEO Regional Office (Region VII - Kansas City) December 17, 1972

   After their successful description of Regional Field Operations in 1970, HQ defines the duties of the rest of the functions in the Regional Offices.  

IB2-16 Organization and duties of the OEO Regional Office December 1972.pdf   14 pages

About the Economic Opportunity Council. Author, publisher, date unidentified.

IB2-17 Role and management of the the National Advisory Council.pdf   9 pages

BONUS Documents:

Strengthening Regional Office Structure / Staffing and Process, Author, publisher, date unidentified.
IB2-18 Regional Office a constant state of emergency.pdf   19 pages

Strengthening the Organization and Processes of the CAP Regional Offices, Community Action Program / Office of Economic Opportunity, McKinsey & Company, Inc., April 1967.

   Management consultants McKinsey & Company, Inc. analyze Regional Office strengths, weaknesses, etc.

IB2-19 Regional Office Strengthening April 1967.pdf   37 pages

A Plan for Reorganizing and Strengthening the CAP Regional Office, Discussion Draft, author, publisher unidentified (assumed CAP/OEO). August 14, 1967. 

IB2-20 Regional Offices more plans 1967.pdf    8 pages 

*** Donations Welcomed and Appreciated ***

Maximum Feasible Participation and Participation of the Poor (IB3)

Section summary. About Section 1B3, Maximum Feasible Participation of the Poor, summary by Jim Masters, Center for Community Futures, 2023.

   Maximum feasible participation of the poor was explicitly stated in the EOA of 1964.  It permeated everything that OEO did in the 1960s. In this paper, written in 2023, Jim Masters recalls that when he worked at OEO from 1966 to 1970 the concept was both a national goal and a litmus test of CAAs operations.  OEO was among the first of the social movements of the 1960s that practiced what today would be called diversity and inclusion.  Equity -- then and now -- is a much more complicated topic.

IB3-1 About Maximum Feasible Participation.docx   1 page

Involvement of the Poor, author unidentified, assumedly published by CAP/OEO,  March 18, 1965.

   The first overview explaining the philosophy and how it was being applied in a variety of contexts.  

   c/o Google AI 6/6/2025: "The 'Involvement of the Poor' aspect [of the Community Action Program Workbook] highlights the core idea behind the Community Action Programs – that local initiatives were crucial in identifying and resolving poverty-related problems. The Act emphasized providing opportunities for education, vocational training, and employment, aiming to empower individuals from low-income backgrounds. The Community Action Programs were designed to facilitate participation from the poor in tackling poverty within their own communities. This approach was intended to allow residents to have a say in the services provided to them."

IB3-2 Involvement of the Poor Resident Participation 1965.pdf   44 pages

OEO Memorandum 49, Involvement of the Poor in All OEO Programs, signed by CAP Director Theodore M. Berry,  October 11, 1966.

   Sargent Shriver's Memo to the Director reiterates his commitment to involvement of the poor in governance and employment.

IB3-3 OEO Memo 49 Involvement of the Poor in OEO Programs Oct 1966.pdf   8 pages

OEO Instruction 6005-1, Participation of the Poor in the Planning, Conduct and Evaluation of Community Action Programs, Office of Economic Opportunity,  December 1, 1968.

   OEO Community Action Program Director Theodore "Ted" Berry issued this 15-page OEO Instruction.  It provided detailed policy and CAA responsibilities for  participation of the poor in the the planning, conduct and evaluation of programs funded by OEO.

IB3-4 OEO Instruction 6005-1 Participation of the Poor December 1968.pdf   17 pages

One page description and link to video of Charles McCann and other CAP leaders discussing suing the President, by Jim Masters, date unidentified .

IB3-5 Charles McCann videos about the court case.pdf   1 page

[Five BONUS Documents excluded herein - they are the OEO Trainer's Manual for Community Action Agency Boards already available above.]

*** Donations Welcomed and Appreciated ***

Institutional Change and Advocacy (IB4)

Section summary. About Institutional Change and Advocacy, by Jim Masters, 2023.

   Jim Masters traces the origins of the work on institutional change pursued by OEO and CAAs. This paper is his overview of these issues and the documents found here in this section.

IB4-1 About 1B4 Institutional Change and Advocacy.docx   1 page

Dimensions of Poverty in 1964, Office of Economic Opportunity, October 1965.

   A demographic overview that shows how OEO was thinking about poverty.  It is focused on the descriptive characteristics, primarily demographic, of poor people themselves.  Nothing much here on causes especially systemic causes.  Introduces the methodology used in the poverty measure developed by Millie Orshansky.

IB4-2 Dimensions of Poverty in 1964 published in October 1965.pdf   34 pages

Principal Problems and Causes of Poverty in Nebraska, by Nebraska Technical Assistance Agency, July 16, 1971.

   This is out of the time sequence but it shows how sophisticated analysis had become in just six short years.  It goes into detail on the characteristics of the economy and public policy as causes of poverty.  Most Community Assessments no longer have this breadth and depth of analysis.    

IB4-3 Nebraska Report Causes and Conditions of Poverty August 1971.pdf   23 pages

A "Freedom Budget" for All Americans / A Summary, by A. Philip Randolph and Bayard Rustin and MLK, Jr., A. Philip Randolph Institute, January 1967.

   What would it really take to free people from the bonds of poverty?  In January, 1967, Bayard Rustin and MLK Jr shared their opinions in this publication from the A. Phillip Randolph Institute.  This was much discussed at OEO.  

IB4-4 Freedom Budget prepared by civil rights leaders January 1967.pdf   75 pages

Draft CAP Strategy Paper, issued by Donald Hess, Office of Economic Opportunity, June 28, 1968.

   OEO senior staff propose to decentralize control over services. The concept of institutional change included changing OEO and the network of CAAs.  By 1968, most OEO/CAP staff had concluded that services were not working as a primary method for ending poverty.  The riots had wounded our self-esteem and lowered our confidence that the programs were doing enough to resolve America's problems.  This proposal, drafted in June of 1968 under direction of Don Hess, OEO Director of Research and Development, reflected  the belief that to give people more power over their lives there should be more community control over federally funded programs.  In the 1960s, there was a nationwide movement for increasing community control in public schools.  The version of this idea at OEO was to delegate operational authority for most programs to neighborhood councils and other groups of residents.   Shriver had just resigned.  The final version of this concept paper was presented to incoming Director Bert Harding.  He did not act on it, but the lower levels tried it out anyhow.  The Pilot Neighborhood Center Program was one exploration of this approach. 

IB4-5 OEO The First Existential Crisis Don Hess Paper 1968.pdf   24 pages

About President Nixon on Poverty Issues, February 1969, by Jim Masters.

   Link to speech by President Nixon describing his approach to reducing poverty which did not introduce new strategies but focused on reorganizing the delivery systems for the strategies that were already in existence.

IB4-6 Nixon policy speech on poverty Feb 19 1969.pdf   1 page

IB4-6A Nixon policy speech on poverty Feb 19 1969.docx   1 page

Three Newspaper articles focus on Nixon proposals to spin programs from OEO, February 1969.

   Newspaper reports picked up on the governmental reorganization dimensions, especially spinning off Head Start from OEO.

IB4-7 Nixon proposes spinning off Head Start and Job Corps February 1969.pdf   3 pages

OEO Guidance 6005-1, CAP Mission Guide, Participation of the Poor in the Community Decision-making Process, Community Action Program/Office of Economic Opportunity, August 1969.

   OEO doubles down on the concept of community participation in decision making, including advocacy for the changes community residents want in OEO programs as well as other agencies and organizations.  

IB4-8 OEO CAP Mission Guide Participation of the Poor August 1969.pdf   44 pages

Trainers Manual section on Institutional Change, see pages 261-281.

   From Vol I, A Trainer's Manual for Community Action Agency Boards, Discussion Draft, (listed above), August 1969.  Focuses on another section of the OEO Trainers Manual for Boards.  This section describes the types of institutional change in the public and private sector and how to bring them about.  Included in a larger document so scroll down to page 261.

IB4-9 Institutional Change Trainers Manual for Boards Aug 1969 pp 261 to 281.pdf   134 pages

Trainers Manual section on Advocacy, see pages 232-267.

      From Vol I, A Trainer's Manual for Community Action Agency Boards, Discussion Draft, (listed above), August 1969. Focuses on another section of the OEO Trainers Manual for Boards.  This section describes how advocacy is done "with the poor" and "by the poor." Included in a larger document; section begins on page 232.

IB4-10 Advocacy Trainers Manual for Aug 1969 pp 232-281.pdf   134 pages

Address to the Nation on Domestic Programs: Family Assistance Plan, Richard Nixon, Richard Nixon Foundation, August 8, 1969.

   The Family Assistance Plan (FAP) was the most comprehensive, publicly-funded human-development system ever proposed, then and now.  It was drafted under the tutelage of Daniel Patrick Moynihan who was Assistant to the President (Nixon) for Domestic Policy.  CAAs opposed it because it did not include a uniform, minimum national standard for payments of cash public assistance.  It left the dollar amounts to states.  To show his annoyance at the year-long CAA opposition to the drafts of the FAP in 1969, Moynihan also wrote the book "Maximum Feasible Misunderstanding" attacking the community action program.  The FAP initiative failed.  One of the ten worst mistakes we ever made.  In the 1988 rework of AFDC catalyzed by then Senator Moynihan, the CAA network was specifically excluded from the discussions.  

IB4-11 Nixon Moynihan Family Assistance Plan August 8 1969.pdf   13 pages
IB4-11A Nixon Moynihan Family Assistance Plan August 8 1969.docx   13 pages

Office of Research, Plans, Programs and Evaluation, Office of Economic Opportunity paper, 1968.

   This OEO office prepared five-year "National Antipoverty Plans" to present to the Bureau of the Budget and helped Shriver defend OEO those budget requests.  The plan was for the desired expenditure of federal funds but did not include a description of the other changes that were needed.  Specifically it did not describe how the rules under which the economy operates, social values and practices like discrimination, and public policies are causes of poverty.  The plan was a budget request document. It claimed that if adopted and funded it would wipe out poverty by 1976.

IB4-12 OEO ORPP&E 1968.pdf   4 pages

The American Promise / Equal Justice and Economic Opportunity, Arthur I. Blaustein (ed), National Advisory Council on Economic Opportunity, Final Report, Transaction Publishers, 1981. 

   This could have been put in the CSA section in 1981 but it just seemed to fit with the thrust of telling it like it was, of advocacy and efforts to bring about institutional change that were so much a part of OEO.  This file incudes is the first 72 pages of 127.

IB4-13 National Advisory Council Report pages 1 - 72 1981.pdf   100 pages

The American Promise / Equal Justice and Economic Opportunity, Arthur I. Blaustein (ed), National Advisory Council on Economic Opportunity, Final Report, Transaction Publishers, 1981, pages 75-127.*

The second half of the book, pages 75 to 127; *missing pages 73 and 74.

IB4-14 National Advisory Council Report  pages 75 -- 127 1981.pdf   54 pages

*** Donations Welcomed and Appreciated ***

Elementary and Secondary Education Act; Employment and Training; Rural and Cooperatives (IB5)

IB5a Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA)

Section summary. About IB5-1a, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act  of 1965, by Jim Masters.

   OEO was convinced that a more seamless whole of educational services could be forged in schools by blending OEO money with Title 1 funds from the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).  A more seamless whole could be forged and was, but it turned out it did not make much difference in terms of student achievement.  

IB5a-1 About 1B5a the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.docx   1 page

Office of Education Questions and Answers on the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, Office of Economic Opportunity, May 11, 1965.

   OEO begins its fascination with the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.  This Q&A provided CAAs with information about what the funds could be used for and which entities were eligible to receive those funds.  

IB5a-2 OEO HEW Office of Ed Q&A on Title II of the ESEA May 11 1965.pdf   3 pages

Coordination of the Economic Opportunity Act and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Office of Economic Opportunity, July 12 1965.

   One of the mantras at OEO was that people were poor because the programs funded to assist them were not properly coordinated.  So people "fell through the cracks."  This paper written at OEO HQ lays out the hopes and dreams for a seamless whole of programs funded by OEO and programs funded by the ESEA.

IB5a-3 OEO Coordination of the EOA and the ESEA July 12 1965.pdf   8 pages

Memorandum from Stanley Salett and J. William Rioux, Office of Programs for Education of the Disadvantaged and Handicapped, to OEO Regional Staff, July 23, 1965.

   OEO described guidelines the Field Staff should use when reviewing education programs proposed by CAAs.

IB5a-4 OEO Coordination of the ESEA and EOA Q&A July 28 1965.pdf   10 pages

IB5a-4 OEO Coordination of the ESEA and EOA Q&A July 28 1965.docx   10 pages

OEO Guidelines for Review of CAP Proposals Education Components, DRAFT, "For Discussion Purposes Only," July 23, 1965.

   Just two weeks after issuing the July 12 paper, OEO HQ further expands on the hope for coordination that was articulated in the July 12 memo.

IB5a-5 Guidelines for Review of CAP Education Proposals July 23 1965.pdf   88 pages

OEO Summary of the Higher Education Act of 1965 as ordered reported by the House Committee on Education and Labor,  June 24, 1965.

   OEO has aspirations for engaging with higher education, but they never came to fruition other than through the Upward Bound program.

IB5a-6 OEO Summary of the Higher Ed Act of 1965 June 24 1965.pdf   4 pages

OEO Summary of the Teaching Professions Act of 1965, Office of Economic Opportunity, July 28, 1965.

   OEO was fascinated with what teachers were asked to do.  Here OEO HQ summarizes their understanding of the Teaching Professions Act.  

IB5a-7 OEO Summary of Teaching Professions Act of 1965 July 28 1965.pdf   2 pages

IB5a-7 OEO Summary of Teaching Professions Act of 1965 July 28 1965.doc   2 pages

*** Donations Welcomed and Appreciated ***

IB5b Employment and Training and other topics 

Section summary. About section 1B5b, Employment and Training and other topics, by Jim Masters.

   The competition between the DOL and OEO started in the Spring of 1964 on the Task Force that designed the EOA.  DOL wanted all new E&T programs and money to be under DOL.  The Task Force, LBJ and Congress assigned some new programs to OEO instead.

IB5b-1 About 1B5 Program Guidance E&T and others.pdf   3 pages

IB5b-1 About 1B5 Program Guidance E&T and others.docx   3 pages

Memorandum from John Buckstead to all CAP staff, Report on the Conference on Community Development of Manpower and Employment Resources, December 6 and 7, 1965, dated February 16, 1966.

   The ideology of comprehensive, coordinated services takes root and  begins to grow.  

IB5b-2 John Buckstead report on Manpower December 1965.pdf   14 pages

The Unemployed and Community Betterment / A Guide to Projects Under the Nelson Amendment, Community Action Program/Office of Economic Opportunity, January, 1966.

   Senator Gaylord Nelson sponsored an amendment that empowered OEO to try out its ideas about how employment and training programs should be structured and managed.  It was small in money ($10 million) but huge in symbolic importance in OEO.

IB5b-3 OEO Nelson Amendment January 1966 .pdf   13 pages

Federal Legislation for a Comprehensive Program on Youth Employment, by R. A. Nixon, New York University, prepared for Youth-Work Institute (New York City) and Graduate School; of Social Work / Center for the Study of Unemployed Youth, February 1966.

   OEO had many specialized program units, which we called "shops," of anywhere from one to 25 staff.  They wrote things themselves and they funded focused research projects or gave multi-year contracts to Limited Purpose Agencies.  (When CSA went out of existence in 1981, there were 932 CAAs and 860 LPAs including every advocacy organization in the country.)  Here a research project at New York University described existing programs and what a more comprehensive system would look like.  Lots of good ideas, but like dozens of other drafts, this one was never issued in final form.

IB5b-4 Programs for Youth Employment February 1966.pdf   30 pages

The Community Action Agency's Role in Comprehensive Manpower Programs Planning & Problems, by Mrs. Roslyn Kane, Office of Economic Opportunity, Washington, D.C.,  prepared for Youth-Work Institute (New York City) and Graduate School; of Social Work / Center for the Study of Unemployed Youth, February 1966.

   The Kansas City Missouri Regional OEO Office pioneered many innovations for the CAA network.  Federal legislation called for creation of "manpower" planning councils at the federal, state and local levles.  OEO described guidelines the Field Staff should use working with the Department of Labor and state level E&T programs.  

IB5b-5 CAA Role in Comprehensive Manpower Programs 1966.pdf   43 pages

Department of Labor / The Manpower Administration Order No. 6-66, Establishment of the National-State Manpower Development Planning System, April 5, 1966. 

   DOL replies to the OEO aspirations with a new system which it will manage to plan and coordinate programs.

IB5b-6 DOL establishes manpower planning systems April 1966.pdf   16 pages

Community Action for Employment:  Manpower Development, Community Action Program / Office of Economic Opportunity, July 1966.

   This OEO pamphlet, "describes steps to follow in planning a comprehensive manpower program, enumerates and describes program elements essential to a comprehensive manpower services program, and outlines a number of resources which are available to CAAs wishing to implement a manpower program," (page 8).

IB5b-7 OEO Manpower Program Development July 1966.pdf   34 pages

OEO Memorandum to Regional CAP Managers from C/D William Bozman, Community Employment Program Material, December 5, 1966. 

   The Concentrated Employment Program was a step beyond the funding and scope of the Nelson Amendment.  OEO aspirations continued to grow.  

IB5b-8 OEO CEP Program Guidance December 5 1966.pdf   41 pages

OEO Kansas City CAP Memorandum No. 2-67, to all CAAs, from Wayne Thomas, Regional Administrator, CAP, on Local Manpower Coordinating Committees, January 23, 1967.

   Federal legislation required creating coordinating committees for "manpower program" planning, as most Employment and Training Programs were called then.  The Kansas City OEO Regional Office provided this survey for CAAs to use as tool to deal themselves into the county- and city-level planning  groups.  OEO Field Representative Jim Masters was the OEO representative on the Missouri State Comprehensive Area Manpower Planning System (CAMPS) committee.

IB5b-9 Local Manpower Coordinating Committees January 1967.pdf   4 pages

Recap of joint meeting of staff and John Ekeberg, Regional Director of Bureau of Work Programs, and Wayne Thomas, Regional Administrator, CAP, on July 21, 1967; documents dated July 27, 1967 and July 24, 1967.

   In July, 1967, KC OEO and KC DOL agreed that the fullest cooperation will occur, but DOL has decided its local E&T programs do not have to comply with the Checkpoint System that enshrined the CAAs as the local coordinating body.  About this same time, the relationship between the ESEA Title 1 program and the CAA in Chicago had broken down.  With the support of Mayor Daley, the school district submitted the ESEA application without the checkpoint form signed by the CAA, and it got funded.  The Checkpoint System imploded literally overnight.

IB5b-10 DOL and OEO staff to cooperate, but  July 1967.pdf   2 pages

Employment Programs for the Poor, A CAA Manpower Guidebook, Community Action Program / Office of Economic Opportunity, Washington, D.C., Revised May, 1969.

   OEO HQ published "A CAA Manpower Guidebook" describing the many types of employment programs developed by CAAs.  They also provided their version of what a "comprehensive manpower system" would look like.  35 pp.

IB5b-11 OEO Employment Programs for the Poor May 1969.pdf   90 pages

Economic Response to a Guaranteed Annual Income: Experience from Canada and the United States, by Derek Hum and Wayne Simpson, University of Manitoba, Journal of Labor Economics, 1993, vol. 1 1, no. 1, pt. 2.  1993.

   OEO funded the first Negative Income Tax or Guaranteed Annual Income projects in several cities.  New Jersey was the flagship project and was called "work incentives." President Nixon initially like the idea, but the experiments got lost in the Vietnam War, increasing antipathy towards the civil rights movement, Nixon's effort to close OEO, and Watergate.  This 1993 retrospective was published by two Canadian professors.   

IB5b-12 OEO experiments guaranteed annual income.pdf   34 pages

*** Donations Welcomed and Appreciated ***

IB5c Rural Community Action 

Section summary. Overview of section IB5c on Rural community action, by Jim Masters.

IB5c-1 About IB5c Rural.pdf   1 page

IB5c-1 About IB5c Rural.docx   1 page

The People Left Behind, A Report by the President's National Advisory Commission on Rural Poverty, Washington, D.C. Issued September 1967.

   Description of rural poverty issues.

IB5c-2 People Left Behind Nat Advisory Council on Rural Poverty Sep 1967.pdf   168 pages

IA2-10 The People Left Behind. OEO 1967 Sep Report of the President's National Advisory Commission on Rural Poverty 176 pp.docx   176 pages

OEO Guidance 6126-5, Rural Housing, November 11, 1971

   OEO Guidance "to acquaint CAAs with program opportunities in rural housing." 

IB5c-3 OEO Guidance 6126-5 Rural Housing  November 1971.pdf   8 pages

IB5d Cooperatives and Buying Clubs

OEO Guidance 6148-2, Operations Manual, Co-op Stores and Buying Clubs, October 31, 1971. [Cover only]

   Cover of operations manual and guidance issued by OEO on co-operatives and buying clubs.

IB5d-1 OEO Guidance 6148-2 Manual cover Coop Stores and Buying Clubs Oct 1971.pdf   2 pages

OEO Guidance 6148-2, Operations Manual, Guidelines for Establishing Co-op Stores and Buying Clubs, October 31, 1972, pages 1 to 38.

   First part of the Operations Manual for Co-operatives and Buying Clubs, by the Office of Economic Opportunity.

IB5d-2 OEO Guidance 6148-2 Coops pages 1 to 38.pdf   46 pages

OEO Guidance 6148-2, Operations Manual, Guidelines for Establishing Co-op Stores and Buying Clubs, October 31, 1972, pages 39 to 77.

   Second part of the Operations Manual for Co-operatives and Buying Clubs, by the Office of Economic Opportunity.

IB5d-3 OEO Guidance 6148-2 Coops pages 39 to 77.pdf   42 pages

Evaluations (IC)

Section summary. About section IC on Evaluations, by Jim Masters.

   OEO and CSA sponsored many types of feedback.  Dozens of surveys were done reviewing what CAAs were doing.  Most of the reports were descriptive, some assessed what difference the CAAs and specific types of programs were making.

IC-1 About IC Evaluations.pdf   1 page

IC-1 About IC Evaluations.docx   1 page

New Approaches to Evaluating Community Initiatives Volume 1 / Concepts, Methods, and Contexts / Evaluating Comprehensive Community Initiatives: A View From History, by Alice O'Connor, The Aspen Institute, 1999.

   An overview of the types of evaluations and how they were used by government agencies.   Alice also wrote the hugely influential book, "Poverty Knowledge" describing how knowledge was formed and was used over decades to shape public and government understanding about poverty and what to do about it.  

IC-2 OEO history of evaluation by Alice O'Connor.htm  pages n/a

IC-2 OEO history of evaluation by Alice O'Connor.docx   36 pages

An Annotated Bibliography of National Community Action Program Evaluations, 1965-1981, by the Foundation for Human Service Studies, Inc., August 31, 1981.  This report was submitted to the Office of Policy, Planning and Evaluation of the Community Services Administration.

   This is the most comprehensive listing of what OEO and CSA labeled "evaluations" ever published.  The locations of the reports themselves are almost entirely unknown.  Some enterprising graduate student should look for them at the organizations that produced these reports and the National Archives.  Perhaps the LBJ library, too.  

IC-3 OEO Annotated bibliography of Evaluations 1965 -- 1981 26 pages.pdf   26 pages

OEO A Self-Evaluation, no author or office cited, first 56 pages.

   In 1967 as part of the soul-searching caused by the riots, OEO did a sweeping review of all of its programs and activities trying to gain insights about what was working well and what could be improved.  It was a  "check your assumptions" review.  This file, probably published early in 1968, has the first 56 pages that describe the CAA network itself, employment and training programs, and others.  It includes a review of the OEO funding of family planning programs -- the first Federal money to support them.

IC-4 OEO Self Evaluation First 56 pages 1967.pdf   56 pages

OEO A Self-Evaluation, no author or office cited, pages 57 to 167.

   Continuing the undated self evaluation by OEO with Head Start, Consumer Action, Job Corps and more.  A lot of time and effort went into producing a review of this depth, but the authors are not listed.  My opinion is that it was produced by OEO employees because no outside contractor would understand this level of detail.  

IC-5 OEO Self Evaluation pages 57 to 167.pdf   110 pages

OEO Self Evaluation National Advisory Council -- section on the Economic Opportunity Council only.

   The National Advisory Council on Economic Opportunity produced annual reports that provided the biggest picture about poverty and what was being done to ameliorate the conditions and reduce the causes of poverty.   They were read and discussed avidly by OEO employees.  Examples of the reports are included in this achieve in the OEO and also the CSA  Institutional Change and Advocacy sections, since the National Advisory Council was an excellent advocate.

IC-6 OEO Self Evaluation National Advisory Council separated out 1967.pdf   9 pages

Utilization Test Survey Data for 591 CAAs, Office of Economic Opportunity, Office of Operations, January 1973.

   OEO HQ did a nationwide survey of what CAAs were doing -- focused  on the extent to which CAAs have mobilized non-federal resources.  This is an example of a "bridge study" between a traditional process evaluation and a focus on "results and outcomes" in the Government Performance and Results Act.

IC-7 Utilization Test Survey Data for 591 CAA's 1973.pdf   32 pages

A Summary of The Design and Implementation of the National Study, by Fred Doolittle and others from the Manpower Research Demonstration Corporation, August, 1993.

   In a study of the Job Training Partnership  Act of 1982, the Manpower Demonstration Research Council (MDRC) and others found there was not much by way of results for adults, and negative results among youth participants because participation in the program actually and ironically took time away from the youth gaining the on-the-job experience that produced wage increases.

IC-8 JTPA impact Evaluation 1993.pdf   156 pages

National Evaluation of Welfare-to-Work Strategies, by the Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation, December  2001.

   The MDRC was funded by the Federal government  to evaluate "welfare reform" efforts for the 1970s to present.  The best "welfare to work" programs of the 1970s and 1980s typically produced an income difference (between experimental and control groups) of a few hundred dollars.  The worst produced no income differences at all.  The only one that produced more than $1,500 difference in income was in San Diego, a region undergoing an economic boom at the time.  In 2001, MDRC President Dr. Judith Gueron said this about the impact evaluations of the welfare-to-work programs in the 1970s and 1980s, "Liberals were astounded the results were so modest, and conservatives were astounded there were any results at all."

IC-9 Impact Evaluation Welfare to Work MDRC 2001.pdf   488 pages

Workforce Investment Act Non-Experimental Net Impact Evaluation Final Report, by IMPAQ International, LLC and others, December, 2008.

   The DOL continues to struggle.  Then and now, about 85% of jobs are filled through personal contacts and action in the private sector and not through publicly-funded programs.  DOL spends 3 billion a year on job training while the private sector spends 82 billion.  What DOL does is not nothing, but it is not very impactful either.  This WIA evaluation closely tracks the findings in the  Impact Evaluation of the JTPA program done in the mid 1990s -- that led to the morphing of JTPA into the WIA.  

IC-10 Workforce Investment Act impact evaluation 2008.pdf   134 pages

Head Start Impact Study Final Report, by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Washington, DC., and Westat, January, 2010.

   The Head Start National impact study started in 1973 with the "Westinghouse Study" and seemed like it would never end, but it did with the publication of this HHS Head Start Bureau report -- and we will never be done discussing what it means.  

IC-11 Head Start Impact Study Final Report 2010.pdf   611 pages

Studies in Community Action, Volume II,  A Chronology and Bibliography, by Robin Klein, Kathryn S. Lazar, J.D., and Laura Zeisel, J.D. of The Foundation for Human Service Studies Inc. of Ithaca, New York, September, 1981.

   CSA published a study by a contractor that revisited the excitement during the formation and rapid evolution of OEO from 1964 through 1966.  There are additional historical reports by this contractor and as soon as we find them we will add them here :)

IC-12 Chronology 1964 through 1966 63 pages.pdf   64 pages
IA4i-5 History Volume II Chronology 1964 through 1966 63 pages.doc   65 pages 

*** Donations Welcomed and Appreciated ***

*** Donations Welcomed and Appreciated ***

Section IIB Community Services Administration Instructions

Section summary. About IIB1 CSA Instructions, by Jim Masters. 

   In this overview, Jim Masters, the archivist of these materials, identifies important CSA accomplishments and helps map that CSA Instructions related to Energy Program, GPMS and Nonservice Strategies are found in those sections of this archive.

IIB1-1 About IIB1 CSA Instructions.pdf   1 page

IIB1-1 About IIB1 CSA Instructions.docx   1 page

CSA Instruction 7850-1a Standards of Effectiveness

   Congress continued to debate the criteria that should be used for assessing the effectiveness of CAAs. CSA persuaded OMB and Congress that these Standards of Effectiveness should be used.  

IIB1-2 CSA Instruction 7850-1a Standards of Effectiveness July 1975.pdf   66 pages

The Evolution of Community Action / Training Manual / The Mission of the Community Action Agency (from CSA Instruction 6320-1), author and date not specified, by the Community Services Administration, 1975. 

   Continuing the tradition from the earliest days of OEO, periodically compilations of everything-we-believe would appear and receive widespread dissemination and discussion. This group of Training Manuals is based on CSA Instruction 6320-1 Mission of the Community Action Agency, which was a reissuance of widely praised OEO Instruction 6320-1 dated November 16, 1970 signed by Donald Rumsfeld.  This file of the opening sections of the Training Manual starts with an overview of the history, and includes training needs and goals, the mission, composition and responsibilities of boards, participation of the poor and the role of the board as advocate.   

IIB1-3 CSA Training Manual 1-7 Evolution (History) of Community Action 1975.pdf   112 pages

Training Manual:  The Role of the Board in the Planning and Evaluation Process, author and date not specified, by the Community Services Administration. 

   Pages 10-2 to 10-74 of this updated (but with no date or author given) version of the OEO Board Training Manual elaborates on planning and evaluation.  OEO and CSA both emphasized self-evaluation and the use of outside experts to evaluate programs.  

IIB1-4 CSA TM 10 Role of the Board in Planning and Evaluation.pdf   80 pages

Training Manual: The Board's Role in Mobilizing Resources, author and date not specified, by the Community Services Administration. 

   Pages 11-1 to 11-17 of this updated (but with no date or author given) version of the OEO Board Training Manual described it means to mobilize resources and how to do it.  Interwoven with the concepts of comprehensive services and coordination. 

IIB1-5 CSA TM 11 Board Role in Mobilizing Reources.pdf   22 pages

Trainer's Manual: The CAA Board and Public Relations, author and date not specified, by the Community Services Administration. 

   Pages 14-1 to 14-13 of this updated (but with no date or author given) version of the OEO Board Training Manual described  the role of the board as a whole and individual board members for public relations.  

IIB1-6 CSA TM 14 CAA Board and Public Relations.pdf   18 pages

CSA Staff Instruction 1100-1 The Mission of the Community Services Administration, from the Office of the Director, November 21, 1978.

   CSA staff decided they had talked a lot about the the mission of CAAs and needed to flesh out the concept with a statement about the mission of the U.S. Community Services Administration itself.   

IIB1-7 CSA Instruction 1100-1 the Mission of the CSA 1978.pdf   4 pages

CSA Instruction 6000-2c Compilation of CSA Instructions issued in 1979.

   Placed here in date sequence because it was issued in 1979, and is the last known compilation of CSA Instructions.  Note that most instructions are routine operational items like due dates and procedures and forms to fill out.  None of those routine bureaucratic items are included here.

   IIB1-8 CSA Instruction 6000-2c Index of all CSA Instructions January 1979.pdf   32 pages

CSA Instruction 6100-1b Chg. 2, Program Account Structure, announced by the Community Services Administration, October 16, 1979.

   Most years, CSA issued "program policy statements" which were its version of clusters of allowable strategies and activities, a.k.a. "programs."  The program accounts were activities that were drawn from subsections of the policy priority statements.  If a CAA was doing what was in a "program account" it would be routinely approved.  If a CAA was doing something outside the existing PA structure it would probably still be approved but required more justification.  

IIB1-9 CSA Instruction 6100-1b Change 2 Program Account Structure October 1979.pdf   24 pages

CSA Instruction 6400-01a, Boards and Committees of Title II Programs, by the Community Services Administration, May 8, 1979.

   The big changes here were (1) creating a conflict of interest policy for CAA Board members who might also be doing business with the CAA, and (2) strengthening the role of the Administering Board that each public CAA was required to create to advise it on policy and planning.  

IIB1-10 CSA Instruction 6400 -01a on CAA Boards issued May 8 1979.pdf   28 pages

Board Members' Manual by the Community Services Administration, 1980.

   This was written as a layperson's guide to everything a CAA Board was required to do.  It compiles and reworks earlier version of the Board Training Guide.  CSA hoped CAAs would take this and adapt it as needed and issue it as their local board manual.  

IIB1-11 CSA Board Manual 1980.pdf   90 pages

Policy Priorities for FY 1980, CSA Internal memo, author and date not given. 

   CSA provides guidance to agency staff to help them understand what was important -- to CSA.  CAAs could do things outside these priorities but CSA was moving towards a system of "address these priorities or tell us why you are not addressing them."

IIB1-12 CSA Internal memo Policy Priorities 1980.pdf   5 pages

Studies in Community Action Volume II:  A Chronology and Bibliography, continued, by Robin Klein; Kathryn S. Lazar, J.D.; and Laura Zeisel, J.D., Foundation for Human Service Studies Inc. September 1981.  

   A linear chronology of events 1975-80.
  Note: File named IIB1-13 History 1975 through 1980 with sources 76 pages.pdf is the same as the links below.
IA4i-8 History Volume II Chronology 1975 through 1980 with citations.pdf   76 pages

IA4i-8 History Volume II Chronology 1975 through 1980 with citations.docx   76 pages

Justification of Appropriation Estimates for Committee on Appropriations, Fiscal Year 1982, by the Community Services Administration, January 1981.  Author not given.

   The federal budgeting process for the upcoming fiscal year (FY) starts immediately after October 1 of the current FY. So, planning for fiscal year 1982 started after October 1 of 1980 (the start day of FY 1981) with negotiations between each agency and the Office of Management and Budget that usually wrap up by Thanksgiving.  By January of 1981, CSA went public with its proposed budget for FY 82 that would start October 1, 1981.  President Carter was promoting "zero based budgeting" i.e., agencies should start with an assumption of zero dollars and build their  justification.  CSA proposed to eliminate the $6m National Youth Sports program using ZBB.  National Youth Sports had been a line item in the EOA budget since Sarge Shriver committed OEO funds to the National Collegiate Athletic Association for -- something -- on college campuses.  This is not to say it was a bad program, just that OEO/CSA field staff never knew what this was about or how it fit with other activity.   

IIB1-14 CSA Justification of Appropriation Estimates 1982.pdf   63 pages

Section summary. About section IIB2, CSA Management Systems and Requirements, by Jim Masters.

   An overview of the creation and demise of the Community Services Administration.

IIB2-1 About IIB2 CSA Management Systems and Requirements.pdf    2 pages

IIB2-1 About IIB2 CSA Management Systems and Requirements.docx   2 pages 

Report for the President on the Community Services Administration / An Overview and Six Recommendations, by Joseph W. Aragon. Date not given; perhaps February, 1977.

   This is the "Aragon Report" that likely saved CSA and led to GPMS. President Carter commissioned an analysis of the CSA.  This is the report that was prepared with options to (1) terminate, (2) merge or (3) continue CSA with improvements.  President Carter decided to continue CSA with improvements.  

IIB2-2 The Joseph Aragon Report that led to GPMS Feb 23 1977.pdf   32 pages

Grantee Program Management System (GPMS) Memorandum by Community Services Administration Region 7, to Director Designee Dwight Ink, June 5, 1981. Excerpt.

   Most materials about the Grantee Program Management System were written by insiders for use by people who already knew OEO/CSA and CAAs.  The 100 page workbook was the preferred form of communication.  There were no succinct overviews of the system as a whole.  In June, 1981, CSA staff prepared this overview for incoming CSA Director Dwight Ink.  It is inserted here as a summary of GPMS.

IIB2-3 CSA Overview of the GPMS for Dwight Ink Jun 1981.pdf   18 pages

Field Test of the Grantee Program Management System Memorandum, to Laird Harris, Director of Field Operations, from John Buckstead. November 21, 1978.

   Thinking ahead, CSA Planning Director John Buckstead recommended the approach to use to do a field test of GPMS -- two years before GPMS existed in sufficient detail to do a field test. When the field test happened, it followed this methodology.  

IIB2-4 CSA Buckstead to Laird Harris Field Test of GPMS Nov 1978.pdf   3 pages

CSA Guidance 6321-2, CAP Management Guide / A Planning Guide for Community Action Agencies, by the Community Services Administration.   Date not given.  1979.

Anticipating what the GPMS would/should/might include, some enterprising CSA staff prepared this planning guide.  It remained useful as a general set of principles although GPMS itself went into far more detail about each step.

IIB2-5 CSA Planning Guidance for CAAs 1979.pdf   44 pages

GPMS Orientation Trainer's Schedule, Summer, 1980.

   Schedule of the CSA staff orientation to GPMS. All CSA Staff in each regional office received a five-day overview of GPMS.  

IIB2-6 CSA staff GPMS Orientation for CSA staff Trainers Agenda Aug 1980.pdf   7 pages

GPMS Orientation for CAAs, Third Draft. Author not given. October 14, 1980. 

   In the Fall of 1980, the initial workplan and budget to begin cluster training all CAAs on GPMS was prepared.

IIB2-7 GPMS Workplan for Cluster Training for CAAs Oct 1980.pdf   13 pages

GPMS Staff Manual, CSA Staff Manual 6710-1, March 1981.

   In the tradition of OEO and CSA, this was a everything-including-the-kitchen-sink effort to provide CSA staff with a comprehensive overview of the GPMS. 

IIB2-8 GPMS Staff Manual 161 pp March 1981.pdf   170 pages

Grantee Program Management System / Planning Phase / Skills Workshop, by CSA Headquarters Training and Technical Assistance Division, June 1981.

   The Trainer's Manuals (hereafter TM) were prepared for use by the 100 trainers who would train CAA boards and staff. About 85 trainers were CSA staff and about 15 were contracted professional trainers.  There were three phases of the GPMS cycle -- the Planning Phase, Performance Operations Phase, and Evaluation Phase.   These pages are the TM for the Planning Phase. GPMS materials were created by about 20 people, individually and in teams.  Sections were being developed, added, modified or removed on a continuous basis.   This TM is missing a few pages and the page numbering  is very confusing.  The most reliable page numbers are the penciled-in numbers in the lower right corners.

IIB2-9 GPMS Trainers Manual Planning Phase combined.pdf   116 pages

Grantee Program Management System / The Performance Phase: Impact Evaluation and Assessment of Project Progress, Planning and Management Functions / Training Guide / Skill Training for Community Action Agencies, by the Community Services Administration, Washington, D.C.  July, 1981.

   This is the Training Manual for the Performance and Evaluation Phases of the GPMS.

IIB2-10 GPMS Trainers Manual #4 Performance and Evaluation Jul 1981.pdf   109 pages

A Guide to Grantee Program Management System Technology, for CSA Regional Orientation, San Francisco, CA, held February 5-6, 1981. Author not given.

   This is the workbook for one of the early training sessions to tell CSA staff how their duties fit with the GPMS.  It also describes what trainers would be telling CAAs.

IIB2-11 GPMS Cluster Training for CAAs Overview for CSA Feb 1981.pdf   34 pages

GPMS Cluster Training Manual, pages 1 to 26. Author not given. 1981.

   Training was provided to a "cluster" of CAAs which could be all CAAs in a state, or CAAs from multiple states or all states in the region.  There were 400 people in cluster training in Region 5.  Cluster training took place in the Spring and Summer of 1981.  CAAs were asked to send a minimum of five people (1) Board Chair, (2) Board Program or Finance Committee Chair, (3) CAA Director, (4) CAA Finance Manager, and (5) a low-income person. Or -- more.  

IIB2-12 GPMS Cluster Training Manual CAAs pages 1 to 26 June 1981.pdf   26 pages

The Major GPMS Components for GPMS Cluster Orientation. Author not given, date not given. 

   This Cluster Training Manual reviewed the major components of the GPMS.  

IIB2-13 GPMS Cluster Training Manual CAAs Major Components pages 1 to 76.pdf   76 pages

Grantee Program Management System Case Study for Cluster Training, by John Johnston, date not given. 1981.

   This Cluster Training Manual was the case study for the hypothetical Northeast CAP.  It was  written by John Johnston based on his experience as a CAA Director and a State OEO Director.  

IIB2-14 GPMS Cluster Training Case Study on Planning Process Narrative June 1981.pdf   14 pages

Evaluation Process Narrative for GPMS Cluster Training, Manual on evaluation requirements.  Author not given. June, 1981. 

   CSA was requiring evaluation and a lot of it, including an impact evaluation on at least one CAA program every three years.  Earlier drafts of this Cluster Training Manual on evaluation had been around for about two years.

IIB2-15 GPMS Cluster Training Module  VII Evaluation Requirements June 1981.pdf   47 pages

Letter to Board Chairperson from Dwight Ink of the Community Services Administration, Washington, D.C., dated August 8, 1981.

   GPMS was occupying a lot of time for CSA and CAAs in 1980 and 1981. With the passage of the OBRA that would eliminate CSA and turn administration of Federal funds over to states, CSA Director Dwight Ink told CAAs that GPMS may -- or may not -- be continued by individual states.

IIB2-17 Dwight Ink tells CAAs GPMS may not continue Aug 1981.pdf   1 page

Memoranda from Community Services Administration; first from Robert S. Landmann to Graciela Olivarez, Agency Planning System, August 15, 1979. Second from John D. Buckstead to Robert S. Landmann, on Agency Planning System, August 6, 1979.

   CSA had its own internal planning processes that paralleled GPMS to identify priorities.  This describes that methodology, and in 1979 for the first time opened it up to comments and input from the Regional Offices and CAAs and states.

IIB2-18 CSA 1979 Aug 15 memo to CSA Director Olivarez about CSA Planning System.pdf   3 pages

Dwain Alexander Reminiscences, by Charles H. McCann. August 1, 2023.

   In the 1970s, OEO required each CAA to develop an Equal Employment Opportunity Plan for itself, and to encourage other entities in their community to develop an EEO plan as well.  The written information about these requirements has not been located.  In this document, Charles McCann, the former State CSBG Director in Missouri, recalls how Kansas City OEO Regional Office Field Representative and EEO Compliance Officer Dwain Alexander enforced the requirements.  OEO, CSA and CAAs were early developers of policies and methods related to what is now called diversity, equity and inclusion.  

IIB2-20 Dwain Alexander Reminiscences by Charles McCann.pdf   2 pages

IIB2-20 Dwain Alexander Reminiscences by Charles McCann.docx   2 pages

*** Donations Welcomed and Appreciated ***

IIB-3 Community Participation, Advocacy and Nonservice Strategies

Section summary. About section IIB-3 on Community Participation at CSA, by Jim Masters.

   About Community Participation, Advocacy and Nonservice Strategies.  These themes continued full force at CSA in an environment of increasing complexity of programs and systems.  This overview provides some highlights.  

IIB3-1 About IIB-3 Cmty Part, Advocacy and Nonservice Strategies.pdf   1 page

IIB3-1 About IIB-3 Cmty Part, Advocacy and Nonservice Strategies.docx   1 page

The Wasted Americans / Cost of Our Welfare Dilemma, by Edgar May, Greenwood Press, Westport, CT. 1964.

   This influential book described the faults of the welfare system and the opportunity cost of running benefit programs as "business as usual."  After learning about the book, Sargent Shriver invited Mr. May to become the first Inspector General at OEO, and he accepted.  OEO invented the IG system, now standard throughout government.

IIB3-2 Edgar May The Wasted American Cost of Our Welfare Dilemma 1964.pdf   236 pages

Letter from Faye Rattner to OCS Director David Kirker, describing Edgar May's book. February 25, 1987.

   OEO and CSA and OCS staff had standardized approaches to enculturating new management staff. One approach was to get them on the road to visit CAAs as soon as possible, and to go to a community meeting and a CAA Board meeting.  Another was to give them key historical documents and describe reasons why it was important and encourage them to read it.  Here, Faye Rattner who was with OEO from the beginning and continued through CSA and into OCS, described such a publication to a new OCS Director.  At CSA and OCS, nothing changed from this OEO approach.

IIB3-3 Edgar May CSA 1987 Feb 25 Faye Rattner letter to Kirker about Edgar May.pdf   1 page

CSA Instruction 6005-2 Citizen Participation Grant Program - FY 78, by the Community Services Administration, August 4, 1978.

   CSA tried to stimulate even more citizen participation, and to revive it where it was flagging.  CSA provided small grants to CAAs as an incentive in the program described here.

IIB3-4 CSA Instruction 6005-2 Citizen Participation Grant Program August 1978.pdf   8 pages

CSA Instruction 1100-1 The Mission of the Community Services Administration, by the CSA. November 21, 1978.

   Also included in the section of CSA Instructions, 1100-1 is repeated here for its discussion of the role of CSA itself in promoting participation of the poor and advocacy.

IIB3-5 CSA Instruction 1100-1 the Mission of the CSA Nov 1978.pdf   4 pages

National Advisory Council on Economic Opportunity / Eleventh Report, June 1979.

   The National Advisory Council on Economic Opportunity was created by the Economic Opportunity Act.  It was to OEO and CSA what the Kerner Commission had been to the whole federal government -- an opportunity to tell it like it was and to prescribe solutions.  OEO and CSA Field Staff loved these reports.

IIB3-6 CSA National Advisory Council 11th Report June 1979.pdf   127 pages

Opportunity II / Community Action: Past, Present and Future, Volume II, Number 3, by various authors, published by the Community Services Administration, Summer 1980.

   CSA Director Richard Rios, a community action guy, describes his understanding and vision.  Eight other authors contributed to this magazine edition.

IIB3-7 CSA Opportunity II Past Present Future summer 1980.pdf   22 pages

Creating Opportunity / Community Services Administration / FY 1979 Annual Report. October 1980.

   CSA produced an overview of all CSA programs and accomplishments for FY 1979.  

IIB3-8 CSA Annual Report Creating Opportunity FY 1979 Oct 1980.pdf   72 pages

Community Engagement and Advocacy DRAFT. Author not given.   July 10, 2012.

   Some CAA boards become engrossed in the machinery of program management at the expense of their advocacy responsibilities. They look inside the agency, down at the staff and programs and back at what has already happened.  They stop looking out, up and forward.  This paper had been around in one form or another since the late 1960s as an informal tool used by Field Staff to help boards revive their advocacy role.  This version was written in 2012 by an Interim CAA Director.  It discusses how a CAA Board can restart advocacy efforts, from the 1960s on.

IIB3-9 CAA how a CAA restart advocacy by the board itself Sep 1980.pdf   1 page

Summary Memoranda--Policy Analysis & Planning, from John Buckstead, Chief of the Division of Planning & Policy Analysis, Community Services Administration, to Robert S. Landmann (OPRE). October 2, 1980. 

   Issued by CSA Director of Planning and Policy Analysis John Buckstead, it was the last effort by the federal agency managing the EOA to systematically apply research findings to program operations.  Repeated  here because of its emphasis on advocacy.  

IIB3-9a CSA Policy Analysis Reports October 1980.pdf   22 pages

The Reporter / Special Reports:  Is Poverty Dead in America? Not by a long shot. Author not given. Published by the National Center for Community Action, Inc., Washington, D.C.  March/April 1981, Volume 6 Number 1.

The article on poverty's existence in America begins on page 17.

IIB3-10 The Reporter March April 1981.pdf   48 pages

The Reporter Magazine / Special Issue:  Denver's Disappearing Act, the Plight of the Elderly, The Poor Who Refuse to Disappear. also, The Community Services Act May Pass the Senate But it Won't Pass Muster.  Author not given. Published by the National Center for Community Action, Inc., Washington, D.C. May/June 1981. Volume 6, Number 2.

   CSA funded the National Community Action Agency Executive Directors Association (predecessor to NACAA and then the Partnership) for T&TA. NCAADA had a delegate agency contract with the National Center for Community Action, a group of civil rights activists from the Midwest long affiliated with CAAs.  The National Center specialized in advocacy and in saying the things about politics that OEO and CSA staff were thinking.

IIB3-11 The Reporter May June 1981.pdf   48 pages

Rediscovering Governance:  Using Nonservice Approaches to Assist Low Income People / A Guide.  Prepared by James O. Gollub, Douglas C. Henton, Shirley Hentzell, Steven A. Waldhorn, with the assistance of Nicholas R. Carbone, Gary Delgado, James R. King, Mike Miller, and Jack Morrison. Published by SRI International with CSA/OPPE funding, 

   Stanford Research Institute International was a consulting arm of faculty from Stanford University.  SRI built out the concept of nonservice strategies as methods to reduce poverty.  They labeled it, "Rediscovering Governance."  They identified laws and regulations and economic and social behaviors that either were causes of poverty, or held it in place, or if there were empty spaces where beneficial laws could be created.  This document is an overview and has a bibliography of publications beyond those listed below.  CSA hired SRI to adapt some of these materials for use by CAAs.  As described in the "About" introduction, nonservice strategies got lost in the transition from CSA to OCS.  Initially, OCS did not have the mandate or the staff bandwidth to help CAAs implement nonservice strategies.  Nonservice strategies should be revisited.

IIB3-12  CSA Nonservice Strategies SRI Feb 1981.pdf   73 pages

About nonservice strategies overview with links. Author not given, date not given.

   This two-pager reads like an introduction to a report on Nonservice approaches (advocacy for regulatory, tax and policy change) with hyperlinks to useful resources.

IIB3-13  About Nonservice strategies overview and bibliography.pdf   2 pages

Rediscovering Advocacy / The Role of Community Level Organizations in Promoting Nonservice Approaches / An Introduction. Prepared by James 0. Gollub, Douglas C. Henton, James R. King (PNC Associates), and Steven A. Waldhorn of SRI International, Center for Urban and Regional Policy. June, 1980. 

   CSA publication about how community-based organizations could identify and use nonservice strategies.

IIB3-14 CSA Nonservice approaches the role of community level organizations 12 pages.pdf   12 pages

A CSA publication focused on using nonservice strategies to create benefits for people with low incomes.

IIB3-15 CSA Nonservice Approaches to Assist Low Income People 73   pages.pdf

   This is the same file as IIB3-12  CSA Nonservice Strategies SRI Feb 1981.pdf

listed above. 

Rediscovering Governance / Using Nonservice Approaches to Address Social Welfare Problems / Interim Report, by SRI International, Center for Urban and Regional Policy, funded by HEW, Office of Human Development Services. April 1980.

   A CSA publication in which nonservice strategies are recommended for social welfare policies and programs.

IIB3-16 Nonservice Approaches to Address Social Welfare Problems 105 pages.pdf   105 pages

Rediscovering Governance / Using Nonservice Approaches to Address Neighborhood Problems / A Guide for Local Officials, SRI International, Center for Urban and Regional Policy, funded by HEW, Office of Human Development Services. February, 1980.

   A CSA publication that is a guide for local officials about how to use nonservice strategies to address neighborhood problems.  

IIB3-17 Nonservice Approaches to Address Neighborhood Problems 124 pages.pdf   124 pages

Rediscovering Governance / Using Nonservice Approaches to Strengthen Small Business in Urban Neighborhoods / A Regional Perspective, by SRI International, Center for Urban and Regional Policy.  August 1979.

   CSA continued the OEO tradition of helping start and nurture small businesses including family farms.

IIB3-18 Using Nonservice Approaches to Strengthen Small Business in Urban Neighborhoods 42 pages.pdf   42 pages

*** Donations Welcomed and Appreciated ***

IIB4a Energy

Section summary. About section IIB4a on Energy, by Jim Masters.

   Jim Masters, CCAP, gives an overview of this section on Energy assistance in community action.

IIB4a-1 About IIB4a Program Guidance Energy.pdf   1 page

IIB4a-1 About IIB4a Program Guidance Energy.docx   1 page

Retrofitting Existing Housing for Energy Conservation: An Economic Analysis, by Stephen R. Petersen and the U.S. Department Of Commerce/National Bureau of Standards in cooperation with Federal Energy Administration/ Energy Conservation and Environment and others. December, 1974.

   The National Bureau of Standards at the Department of Commerce provided the economic analysis that showed the benefits of conservation programs to reduce energy consumption.  Dick Saul, Pat Stolfa, Tony Jackson, Kate Jackson (no relation) and others at CSA turned those concepts into the Low Income Weatherization Assistance Program (LIWAP or WX).  CSA staff developed a partnership with the NBS that resulted in joint publications and conferences as seen in other items in this archive.

IIB4a-2 Retrofitting Existing Housing for Energy Conservation Dec 1974.pdf   80 pages

A Community Planning Guide to Weatherization, by the Community Services Administration. September, 1975.

   This is a wonderful example of OEO and CSA program development at its best.  Within months of the NBS/FERC economic analysis showing the benefits of energy conservation, this CSA document explains how to: assess homes; develop a plan to reduce energy costs; introduces the idea of solar power for heating; identifies specific funding authority from CSA; and points to other funding sources in DOL/CETA and DOL/JOP to help pay for employees to do weatherization.  

IIB4a-3 CSA Community Planning Guide to WX Sep 1975.pdf   19 pages

Save Energy, Save Money! Revised Edition, CSA Pamphlet 6143-5,  August, 1977.

   This is an update by CSA to an earlier version (likely May, 1977; not found) that shows homeowners and tenants how they can reduce energy costs and make their residence more comfortable.  

IIB4a-4 CSA Save Energy Save Money May 1977.pdf   52 pages

Colder...Darker: The Energy Crisis and Low-Income Americans / An Analysis of Impact and Options, by Eunice S. Grier, Community Services Administation. June, 1977.

   CSA commissioned this analysis of the housing stock in the U.S. and how people with low incomes move around (transportation) and identified strategies for reducing energy consumption.  CSA was building out (pun intended) its knowledge base about the scope of the need.

IIB4a-5 CSA Colder Darker Energy Crisis and Low Income Americans June 1977.pdf   100 pages

No Heat, No Rent: An Urban Solar & Energy Conservation Manual, by The Energy Task Force, New York City. Funded by CSA. September, 1977.

   CSA funded an Energy Task Force in New York City to explore energy conservation, focusing on solar hot-water systems.  This is their report.  

IIB4a-6 CSA No Heat No Rent New York City September 1977.pdf   99 pages

Training & Technical Assistance Procedures Handbook, by the Midland Energy Institute of Kansas City, MO.  March 1, 1978.

   The Midland Energy Institute was the T&TA contractor for the 60 CAAs in Region 7, and provided training on Weatherization and other programs.  John Wandless prepared a workbook describing the methods used for developing and presenting training programs and technical assistance.  

IIB4a-7 CSA T&TA Procedures Handbook Midland Energy Wandless 1978.pdf   70 pages

Small Farm Energy Project Newsletter, Issue #16, a project of the Center for Rural Affairs. January, 1979.

   CSA funded the Center for Rural Affairs in Walthill, NE to produce information about rural issues in general and small farms and energy conservation in particular.  "Sustainable" appears as a goal.  

IIB4a-8 Small Farm Energy Project Newsletter Jan 1979.pdf   16 pages

Solar Energy Policy by the Community Services Administration. CSA Pamphlet 6143-10. January, 1979.

   Solar heating of hot water and entire homes is promoted and so is windpower.  The National Center for Appropriate Technology in Butte, MT was a contractor to help develop conservation methodologies.  

IIB4a-9 CSA Solar Energy Policy January 1979.pdf   57 pages

Community Services Administration Weatherization Demonstration Project Plan, by Richard Crenshaw, Roy Clark, Robert Chapman, Richard Grot, McClure Godette.  Center for Building Technology, National Engineering Laboratory, National Bureau of Standards, Washington, D.C. March, 1979.

   Teaming up with the National Bureau of Standards, CSA continues to explore methods to reduce energy costs through architectural (building shell) changes and mechanical improvements (systems and appliances).

IIB4a-10 CSA Weatherization Demonstration Project Plan March 1979.pdf   88 pages

Developing Small Hydroelectric Dam Potential, CSA Pamphlet 6143-12, by the Community Services Administration. April, 1979.

   As well as reducing energy use, in some areas it was possible for a CAA to generate energy.  The NBS relationship also included a connection to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) which manages electricity generation and transmission.  We can do this, dam it!

IIB4a-11 CSA Developing Small Hydroelectric Dam Potential April 1979.pdf   19 pages

Community Planning for Home Heating Emergencies / A Guide for Community Action Agencies and Other Community-Based Organizations, CSA Pamphlet 6143-15. Written by Sandra Fulton Eccli.  Community Services Administration. October, 1979.

   The second Arab Oil Embargo in the Spring of 1979 caught most people by surprise. This guide for CAAs and other CBOs provides ideas for preparing for and responding to energy shortages.  

IIB4a-12 CSA Community Planning for Home Heating Emergencies October 1979.pdf   73 pages

Poor and Without Heat: National Overview of Price and Supply-Related Problems with Home Heating Sources Used by Low-Income People, CSA Pamphlet 6143-14, by Elizabeth Calomeris. Community Services Administration.  October, 1979.

   CSA continues to assess the economic impact from energy shortages to utility bills, and what communities can do in response.  

IIB4a-13 CSA Poor and Without Heat October 1979.pdf   62 pages

Energy and Equity: Some Social Concerns, edited by Ellis Cose, Joint Center for Political Studies. 1979.

   The concepts of equity and fairness have been goals and methods at OEO and CSA since the beginning.  This analysis was a precursor to the DEI work of today.  

IIB4a-14 CSA Energy and Equity Some Social Concerns 1979.pdf   99 pages

Too Cold, Too Dark / Rising Energy Prices and Low Income House [Sic] Author not given. Community Services Administration. July, 1980.

   This is an analysis of the energy supply industries, in particular electricity generation and fuel price trends (heating oil) and the impact on poor families. 

IIB4a-15 CSA Rising Energy Prices July 1980.pdf   47 pages

Optimal Weatherization (Proceedings of the National Conference on Optimal Weatherization--December, 1980). Various authors. NBS Conference. December, 1980.

   Proceedings of the conference on optimal weatherization, sponsored by CSA the National Bureau of Standards (NBS). Note that other federal agencies are now participating as well (HUD, DOL, USDA).  

IIB4a-16 Optimal Weatherization NBS Conference Dec 1980.pdf   238 pages

Nontechnical Summary of the Final Report "Optimal Weatherization of Low-Income Housing in the United States: A Research Demonstration Project."  U.S. Department of Commerce, National Bureau of Standards, National Engineering Laboratory, Center for Building Technology, Environmental Design Research Division, Washington, D.C. Sponsored by CSA. May, 1982.

   The demonstration program in IIB4a-10 above was started when CSA was still in existence and was still producing findings about positive results when CSA closed.  This nontechnical summary came out in May, 1982.

IIB4a-17 Optimal WX of Low-Income Housing Summary May 1982.pdf   52 pages

Optimal Weatherization of Low-Income Housing in the U.S.: A Research and Demonstration Project. NBS Building Science Sereis 144. By Richard Crenshaw and Roy E. Clark. Center for Building Technology, National Engineering Laboratory, National Bureau of Standards, Washington, D.C. September, 1982.

   The full report with technical analysis and lots of charts.  "There is no doubt that weatherization can bring considerable savings for low-income households, especially weatherization which involves both architectual and mechanical systems retrofits."  (See page 69.)

IIB4a-18 Optimal WX of Low-Income Housing in the U.S. September 1982.pdf   180 pages

Section Summary. About section IIB4b on Other Program Guidance including Rural, Employment & Training, and Community Development Corporations, by Jim Masters. 

   These few items are not grouped together because they are part of the same genus.  They are three different categories of program guidance given to CAAs.  They are grouped here for convenience.

IIB4b-1 About IIB4b Other Program Guidance Rural, E&T, CDCs.pdf    1 page

IIB4b-1 About IIB4b Other Program Guidance Rural, E&T, CDCs.docx   1 page

Rural America Poverty and Progress / Rural Development Policy Issues, Author not given, by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, December, 1977.

   This USDA analysis of the structural problems in rural development especially with federal programs was well received by Dick Saul, CSA Energy Programs Coordinator, and others at CSA.  It was the "what should be done" guidance for the era.   

IIB4b-2 Rural Development Policy Issues USDA Dec 1977.pdf   20 pages

Perspectives on the Structure of American Agriculture / Volume 1: The View From the Farm -- Special Problems of Minority and Low-Income Farmers, edited by Kenneth M. Coughlin. Prepared by Rural America with a grant from the Community Services Administration, as part of a U.S. Department of Agriculture inquiry into the "Structure of American Agriculture."  Spring, 1980.

   The crunch was on as the economics of the concept of the "family farm" were becoming less and less feasible.  

IIB4b-3 CSA Structure of Agriculture Volume 1 1-33 1980 .pdf   38 pages

Perspectives on the Structure of American Agriculture / Volume II: Federal Farm Policies,  edited by Kenneth M. Coughlin. Prepared by Rural America with a grant from the Community Services Administration, as part of a U.S. Department of Agriculture inquiry into the "Structure of American Agriculture."  Spring, 1980.

   The effects of Federal farm policies on small and minority farmers and on communities.  Price supports, credit and loans are analyzed.  Market concentration is described. 

IIB4b-4 Structure of Agriculture Vol 2 CSA Federal Farm Policies 53 pages 1980.pdf   55 pages

CSA Rural Policy Statement signed by Director Richard Rios, to CSA Grantees. January 19, 1981.

   Rural America was the center of growing turmoil over poverty policies.  CSA Director Richard Rios restates the CSA mandate for leadership on rural issues.

IIB4b-5 CSA Rural Policy Statement January 1981.pdf   8 pages

County Elected Officials and JTPA / The Rationale and Strategy for Partnership with Community Based Organizations / An Issue Paper, by the Center for Local and Community Research and the National Association of Counties.  Author not given, Date not given. 

   The Job Training Partnership Act was being conceptualized and this provided an opportunity for strengthening the relationship between CAAs and the local elected officials who would be the prime sponsors.  The National Association of Counties agreed and cosponsored development of this publication.  It did take advocates five years to get CAAs written in as a presumptive member of the local JTPA Advisory Council.

IIB4b-6 County Elected Officials and JTPA and CAAs for NACo .pdf   14 pages

Taking Hold: The Growth and Support of Community Development Corporations, by Robert O. Zdenek. March, 1990.

   Community Development Corporations were invented by CAAs and OEO as a way to increase community participation in development of and ownership in local enterprises.  Jeff Faux was the first OEO Director of the CDC program.  He went on to found the Economic Policy Institute.  Bob Zdenek was the Director of the National Congress for Community Economic Development, the trade association of CED and CDCs.  Bob wrote this historical account for NCCED's 20th Anniversary.       

IIB4b-7 Growth of CDCs 1990.pdf   52 pages

IIB4c Demonstration Partnership Programs (DPP)

Section Summary. About section IIB4C on the Demonstration Partnership Program (DPP), by Jim Masters.

   Some say this research, program development, demonstration and evaluation shop at the OCS embodies everything that OEO and CSA  had learned.  It was helped by having veterans from OEO and CSA -- John Buckstead, Faye Rattner, and Mary Ann MacKenzie -- managing it.  

About IIB4c the Demonstration Partnership Program.pdf   1 page
About IIB4c the Demonstration Partnership Program.docx   1 page 

Evaluation Guidebook / Demonstration Partnership Program Projects. Various authors. By the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Community Services.  February 14, 1994. Second Printing.

   OCS published this guidebook on conducting evaluations of DPP projects. It includes information on selecting evaluators, developing a program framework, finalizing the evaluation plan, conducting the evaluation process, and reporting plus final reporting requirements.

IIB4c-0 Evaluation Guidebook DPP second printing Feb 1994.pdf   72 pages

Six Memorandum of views on the DPP Initiative and funding questions. October 22,  1986 - January 12, 1989.

   Communications to and from OCS leadership regarding DPP appropriations, policy recommendations, legal opinion, use of funds for DPP purposes, etc.

IIB4c-1 Administrative history of the DPP 1986 -- 1989.pdf   10 pages

Memo to Director Kirker, Howard Rolston, and Jane Checkan on Research Opportunities on CSBG, by Jim Masters. July 26, 1987.

   Noticing that Director Kirker understood and was willing to try R&D, this compilation of ideas was put together by some OEO/CSA veterans and sent to him.

IIB4c-2 Memo to OCS Director Kirker on Research Issues 1987.pdf   6 pages

Summary of the Five Fiscal Year 1987 Demonstration Partnership Projects. Author not given.  Date not given. 

   The initial OCS Demonstration Partnership Program projects were a revolving loan fund, a microbusiness program and the buds of family development.  This file summarizes the original projects.  The mantra of the time was getting-people-off-welfare, so it shows up in these projects, too.  

IIB4c-3 Summary of FY 87 DPP Projects.pdf   2 pages

Evaluation Guidebook / Demonstration Partnership Program Projects. Author not given. Date not given.  By U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Community Services.  First printing, 1987.

   Every OCS Demonstration Partnership Program project had to build in evaluation from the start and file an evaluation report.  This is the original 1987 workbook.  The DPP Evaluation Guidebook had legs, it was reprinted in 1994.  

IIB4c-4 Evaluation guidebook for DPP projects 1987.pdf   76 pages

Summary of Final Evaluation Findings from FY 1989 / Demonstration Partnership Program Projects Monograph Series 100-89 / Case Management Family Intervention Models, by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Community Services. Author not given. June 10, 1982.

   OCS DPP funded Case Management which was borrowed from social work and turned into family development, the precursor to "two generation" projects.

IIB4c-5 Evaluation Findings from FY 1989 Case Management.pdf   124 pages

Summary of Final Evaluation Findings from FY 1989 / Demonstration Partnership Program Projects Monograph Series 200-89 / Micro-Business and Self-Employment, by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Community Services.  Author not given. June 10, 1992.

   The idea was that you are never unemployed -- you are either employed or self-employed.  Most businesses start with nothing, and a few thousand dollars in seed money and a little mentoring will enable many people to create a viable stream of income.  

IIB4c-6 Evaluation Findings from FY 1989 Micro and Self-Employement.pdf   96 pages

Demonstration Partnership Program Summaries and Findings FY 1990, by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Community Services.  Author not given. July 31, 1991.

   This CSA publication reviews the evaluations from DPP projects in 1990.  

IIB4c-7 Evaluation Findings from FY 1990 full.pdf   213 pages

Self-Sufficiency Project Implementation Manual / Lessons Learned from Eight Years of Office of Community Services Demonstration Partnership Programs. Prepared by BHM International, Inc. No Author given. October, 1996.

   CSA compiled the lessons learned from DPP projects into a "how to" manual for self-sufficiency projects, and produced this implementation manual. 

IIB4c-8 Self Sufficiency Project Implementation Manual Oct 1996.pdf   120 pages

Program Development:  Stop ‘Waiting for Godot,' by Bob Clark, John Buckstead and Jim Masters. April 13, 2005. 

   There is little appetite for Research & Development and program development in most federal agencies.  During the first Reagan Administration, Budget Director David Stockman set out to defund these efforts in all Federal agencies, and largely succeeded.  Subsequent administrations did not rebuild it in a systematic way.  Today, outside of some health programs (public health) and some education programs there is little appetite for formal program evaluation.  If the hunger for more R&D ever emerges, this paper by OEO and CSA veterans Bob Clark, John Buckstead and Jim Masters shows how a federal agency or a state could recreate it.  

IIB4c-9 Article Rebuilding the Program Development Function.pdf   16 pages

IIB4c-9 Article Rebuilding the Program Development Function.doc   16 pages

Section Summary. IID-1 About section IID on Appropriations, Inflation and the Poverty Gap, by Jim Masters.

   Jim Masters introduces the topics in this section, which describes appropriations for OEO and CSA from 1965 to 2000 and how those relate to inflation.  This section als review the "poverty gap."  All charts in this section were produced by Bob Clark, former OEO and HHS official and author of Maximum Feasible Success published by the Partnership.  The charts in this section provide insights about the structure of poverty.

IID-1 About IID Appropriations, Inflation and the Poverty Gap.pdf   1 page

IID-1 About IID Appropriations, Inflation and the Poverty Gap.docx   1 page

Appropriations in the context of inflation, by Robert F. Clark. Date not given.

   Bob Clark gives a narrative explanation about how inflation reduces the purchasing power of the dollar whether it is in your pocket or an appropriation of millions.  

IID-2 Appropriations in the context of inflation.pdf   2 pages

IID-2 Appropriations in the context of inflation.docx   2 pages

Appropriations History for Selected War on Poverty Programs:FY1965-2000 ($Millions), by Robert F. Clark. Date not given. 

   In this spreadsheet, Bob Clark produced a snapshot of what inflation did to Federal appropriations to OEO and CSA over the decades.

IID-3 Illustrating the concept of inflation.pdf   2 pages

IID-3 Illustrating the concept of inflation.xls   2 spreadsheets

Appropriations History for Selected War on Poverty Programs (FY1965-2000) CURRENT DOLLARS ($Millions) with inflation, spreadsheet by Robert F. Clark. Date not given.

   Bob Clark provides a detailed look at  the effect of inflation on appropriations for all the programs originally funded through the Economic Opportunity Act.  Several were later spun off (Foster Grandparents, Legal Services, LIHEAP).

IID-4 Appropriations over the decades with inflation.pdf   7 pages

IID-4 Appropriations over the decades with inflation.xls   2 spreadsheets

What is the poverty gap? By Robert F. Clark. Date not given.

   Bob Clark defines the poverty gap.  It is simply the number of dollars that the income of a person, family, community, etc., fall below a designated poverty line and helps indicate the depth of poverty.  Bob shows the total amount of money it would take to close the poverty gap.  This sophisticated research helped illuminate the structure of poverty.  

IID-5 What is the poverty gap.pdf   1 page

IID-5 What is the poverty gap.docx   1 page

POV28: Income and Deficit or Surplus of Families and Unrelated Individuals by poverty Status: 2018, by Robert F. Clark. Date not given.

   Bob Clark illustrates the poverty gap on people in different family structures.  

IID-6 POV28 table Poverty Gap CPS 2018.pdf   4 pages

IID-6 POV28 table Poverty Gap CPS 2018.xls   1 spreadsheet

Poverty Gap Over the Years, by Robert F. Clark. Date not given.

   Bob Clark provides a simplified illustration of the poverty gap in this spreadsheet.

IID-7 Poverty Gap simplified table Pfeiffer.pdf   2 pages

IID-7 Poverty Gap simplified table Pfeiffer.xlsx   1 spreadsheet

Section Summary.  About section IIIA CSBG and OCS, the first 20 years.  By Jim Masters. Date not given.

   Jim Masters summarizes the first twenty years of the Community Services Block Grant Act of 1981.  There were many twists and turns.

IIIA-1 About III Community Services Block Grant the first twenty years.pdf   2 pages

IIIA-1 About III Community Services Block Grant the first twenty years.docx   2 pages

Community Services Block Grant Program, provisions. By CSA staff, author not given. Summer, 1981.

   This document was written by CSA staff after the CSBG was passed (August 1981) and before it was effective (October 1, 1981).  This summarizes major provisions of the CSBG.     

IIIA-2 CSBG summer 1981.pdf   20 pages

The OCS Organization Chart, by the Office of Community Services. Fall, 1981.

   Shows the initial group of Presidential Appointees and senior civil servants brought in to manage OCS.

IIIA-3 1981 OCS organization chart Fall 1981.pdf   1 page

Community Services Block Grant Status Report on Implementation by States / The First Survey of what CAAs were doing under CSBG. 1982.

   As explained elsewhere, funds parked at the Institute for Local Self Government in Berkeley CA to help implement GPMS were repurposed to assist states to implement the block grant, and to find out what was going on -- by asking them.  The delicate dance of preserving and continuing community action in the Reagan Administration that sought its end was underway.  About half the states responded to this first survey.  One state, California, refused to respond on the grounds that former governor now President Ronald Reagan did not want this program, so California would not assist in any way.  A few months later, recognizing that the CSBG funds were flowing but California had no system in place to administer them, the State Office of Economic Opportunity temporarily reinstated all the OEO Instructions that had been issued from 1964 to 1974.  The number of states responding to the survey increased each year.  In 1986, a majority of the State CSBG Directors voted to reauthorize the CSBG and for Congress to approriate funds for it.  The Reagan ice was finally broken, and almost all states participated in the annual survey after that.  In 1986, with the majority of states now supporting CSBG, the annual survey was relocated to the National Association of State Community Services Programs.  

IIIA-4 The Very First CSBG Survey 1981 - 1982.pdf   8 pages

The National Data Collection Effort / Why do data collection on the CSBG using the NVRS? Written by Jim Masters, Center for Community Futures, perhaps 1982.

   This rationale for collecting information on the CSBG was written using several sources.  In the Fall of 1981, a "road show" with presentations on each block grant was conducted by the National Governors Association in each region.   ILSG funds were used to cover travel expenses for the CSBG presentation.  Information was gathered about what was happening at the federal and state levels of other block grants including what was happening about information collection.  The name National Voluntary Reporting System had emerged.  

IIIA-5 Why do Data Collection on the CSBG using the NVRS 1981 - 1982.pdf   2 pages

Memorandum for the Secretary, Merging of Community Services Block Grant and Social Services Block Grant--Decision, from Robert J. Rubin, M.D., Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. October, 1981.

   Since Congress had continued community action through the CSBG, HHS raised the idea of merging CSBG and the Social Services Block Grant.  This theme continued in the Reagan Administration through 1986.  It was finally put to rest with a GAO report described below.  

IIIA-6 Merge CSBG and SSBG October 1981.pdf   5 pages

The Human Services Insider Newsletter Examples, by the Human Services Information Center. Samples from January 29, 1982 (Vol 1, No. 2); February 12, 1982 (Vol.1, No. 3) and February 25, 1982 (Vol. 1, No. 4).

   This was written by community action advocates from all levels and favorite lobbyists.  The hope was it would be like The Reporter that reflected the thinking of people very committed to community action.  CSA  had funded The Reporter through NACAA and the National Center for Community Action, but this one had no grant funds supporting it.  It did not obtain enough subscription money to continue.

IIIA-7 Human Services Insider newsletter 3 examples 1982.pdf   16 pages

Statement by Dorcas R. Hardy, Assistant Secretary for Human Development Services, before the Committee on Education and Labor / House of Representatives, on merging CSBG with SSBG. February 28, 1985.

   HHS Assistant Secretary Dorcas Hardy (to whom the Office of Community Services Director reported) delivered this statement before a Congressional Committee that was another iteration of the ongoing idea of the Reagan Administration to merge the CSBG into the SSBG.

IIIA-8 ACF Asst Sec Dorcas Hardy says merge SSBG CSBG Feb 28 1985.pdf   11 pages

OCS Director Harvey Vieth letter Letter to Congressman Guy Vander Jagt on his rationale for eliminating CSBG. August, 1985. 

   OCS Director Harvey Vieth recommended eliminating funding for the CSBG and terminating the CSBG altogether.  Mentions administrative costs, a fixation of the times.  

IIIA-9 OCS Director Harvey Vieth rationale for eliminating CSBG Aug 1985.pdf   14 pages

A Description of Community Action Agency Operation in FY 1984, by the National Community Action Agency Directors Association. Published September, 1985.

   The National CAA Directors Association was revived by two CAA Directors, Leonard Dawson from Georgia and Ed Block from Iowa.  This nationwide survey announced, "We are back," and reports examples of programs in many domain areas as well as statistics on resources mobilized, staffing and other topics.  In this document, NCAADA describes what CAAs had done in FY 1984.

IIIA-10 NCAADA Survey Describing CAAs in FY 1984 Sep 1985.pdf   32 pages

Business Opportunities for Low-Income in Weatherization Programs / Workbook. By the National Community Action Agency Directors Association and Greg Newton of the Center for Community Futures. 1986.

   The National CAA Executive Directors Association developed a workshop to help CAAs learn to use Weatherization programs to generate additional revenue.  This required separating the profit-making activity (manufacturing windows, providing training programs, weatherizing homes for a fee for people who were not income eligible) from the activity that was government-funded for people who were income-eligible.  This is the workbook that was used.

IIIA-11 Business Opportunities in WX TOC 1986.pdf   6 pages

GAO Report to Congressional Committees / Community Services Block Grant Helps Address Local Social Service Needs. Author not given. 1986.

   The U.S. General Accounting Office surveyed CSBG and SSBG operations in several locations and found CSBG did provide needed services and there was no duplication of services with SSBG.  Bless OCS staffer Jane Checkan for helping GAO reach the right conclusions.  This report ended the talk about merging the two block grants.  A description about how to help GAO conduct reviews was provided to NASCSP, NACAA, NCAF and CAPLAW.

IIIA-12 GAO Report on CSBG 1986.pdf   40 pages

Letter or Memo from John Buckstead to John Finley, Suggested Policy Initiative for the Family Support Administration, April 24, 1986. 

   OCS staffer John Buckstead proposes an approach that would put CAAs in a central role in helping to strengthen families.  An early example of what became know as the family development or "two generation" approach.

IIIA-13 OCS suggested policy initiative Buckstead 1986.pdf   1 page

Compilation of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981, Native American Programs Act of 1974, Head Start Act, Follow Through Act, State Dependent Care Development Grants Act, Community Services Block Grant Act, Child Development Associate Scholarship Assistance Act of 1985, as Amended through December 31, 1986. Prepared for use by the Committee on Education and Labor, U.S. House of Representatives.  Published by the U.S. Government Printing Office, June 25, 1987. Second printing.

   Congress compiled the statutes as amended for CSBG, LIHEAP, Head Start and other Acts as of December 31, 1986. This was published in June, 1987.

IIIA-14 CSBG LIHEAP Head Start Acts through 1986 June 1987.pdf   65 pages

A Critique of Life Histories of Innovation: How New Practices Become Routinized, by John D. Buckstead, for PA 591, Research and Evaluation in Public Administration, October 15, 1987.

   A paper John Buckstead prepared for a class at Harvard described how OEO, CSA and now OCS got new practices adopted by CAAs.

IIIA-15 How New Practices Become Routinized Oct 1987.pdf   6 pages

CAA Management Series: CAA Board of Directors' Manual, by the National Association of Community Action Agencies. 1988.

   NCAADA was reconfigured to be the National Association of Community Action Agencies, with both the CAA Board Chair and the Executive Director as members.  OCS funded the NACAA to prepare a series of publications compiling "everything we know" on specific topics.  This was one of the first, on boards.  These were titled variously "manuals" or "workbooks" or had no designation. 

IIIA-16 NACAA Manual Board of Directors 1988 55 pages.pdf   70 pages

Community Action Agency Board Manual, by the National Association of Community Action Agencies, 1988 (another version).

   NACAA printed two versions of the CAA Board Manual for unknown reasons, perhaps trying to improve the appearance.

IIIA-16a NACAA Manual Board 1988.pdf   108 pages

New Partnerships Project Final Report, by Jim Masters, Center for Community Futures. 1988.

   OCS funded NACAA to try to create performance standards for CAAs that were agreed upon by the State CSBG Office and the CAAs in the state.  The test states were CA and FL.  It was successful and demonstrated that it could be done.  This report discusses those endeavors.

IIIA-17 NACAA New Partnership Project Final Report 1988.pdf   135 pages

National Association of Community Action Agencies / Personnel Management Workbook, prepared by the Center for Community Futures, August 5, 1990.

   John Johnston from Training for Community Action, the Region VII training contractor, adapts his work from helping to develop the Grantee Program Management System and its toolkit on analyzing poverty problems and uses it as a framework to use for deciding the capabilities of people the CAA should hire.  Hire the poor! He used the latest in personnel management concepts at the time.  This was before affirmative action and DEI.  NCAAEDA has changed its name to the National Association of Community Action Agencies (NACAA.)

IIIA-18 NACAA Workbook Personnel Management 1990.pdf   70 pages

National Association of Community Action Agencies / Successful Marketing and Public Relations / Building Better Images for Your Community Action Agency.  Author not given. 1988.

   NACAA published a workbook describing how to use marketing and public relations methods for both staff and board members to use to "tell the story."

IIIA-19 NACAA Successful Marketing and Public Relations 1988.pdf   90 pages

National Association of Community Action Agencies / CAA Planning Workbook, Volume II.  By Jim Masters. Second Edition 1991.

   This is the planning process created for CAAs as part of the Grantee Program Management System.  It says Volume II on the cover, but it is really the revised and updated version of Volume 1. So it is the second edition of the original publication.   

IIIA-20 NACAA CAA Planning Workbook second edition 1990.pdf   160 pages

National Association of Community Action Agencies / Staff and Board Development / CAA Board and Staff Training. Author not given. 1990.

   Introduced the concepts of an individual development plan for each staff person and board member, and development plans for the board as an entity and staff as a whole.  

IIIA-21 NACAA Staff and Board Development 1990.pdf   118 pages

Memo from Jim Masters of the Center for Community Futures to Marjorie Witherspoon and Ed Block on the subject of CSBG Information Needs and Demographics. December 1, 1991.

   In 1991, the controversy continued over collecting demographic information on every person who received services.  In the 1960s, in addition to the data needed to establish eligibility, OEO had mandated that CAAs collect detailed information on every person (the totals were reported on CAP Form 84) and stopped because neither the CAAs nor OEO found the data to be that useful.  In the late 1970s, CSA had contemplated it during development of GPMS and decided against it.  But here it was again.  The arguments in this file against the idea of collecting detailed demographic information were not successful, and collecting this information was started in 1988 as part of the CSBG Information System.

IIIA-22 CSBG Memo about Demographics December 1991.pdf   3 pages

Analysis of Issues regarding the Head Start Conference November 6-8, 1991, by Jim Masters, Center for Community Futures. 1991.

   In 1991, serious conflicts had arisen between CAAs as sponsors and their Head Start programs, fueled in part by federal Head Start Bureau employees in Region IV who kept stirring the pot especially about allocation of administrative costs.  NACAA and the National Head Start Association convened a conference of about 300 people from NACAA, NHSA and local programs to thrash through the issues. It turned out only some of the conflicts were based on the relationship between the CAA as sponsor and the Head Start program.  Many issues had to do with the evolution and growth of the program itself.  All the issues were surfaced and addressed, and the controversies evaporated.  One output of the event was the creation of impasse procedures to be used to resolve conflicts between the "big four:" the sponsor; the sponsor executive director; the Head Start Director; and Policy Council.  Another was the Bureau staff in Region IV were told to "chill out."

IIIA-23 Head Start Problem Solving Conference Analysis of Issues Nov 1991.pdf   7 pages

National Association of Community Action Agencies / Program Evaluation. Workbook edited by Jim Masters. 1991.

   CSA developed the Grantee Program Management System (GPMS) in the late 1970s for use by all CAAs, state CSBG offices and by CSA itself.  Of note is the Missouri peer evaluation system described in an appendix.   From 1988 to 1991, NACAA adapted the planning, board management, and evaluation methods developed for the GPMS for use by CAAs.  

IIIA-24 NACAA Workbook Program Evaluation 1991 128 pages.pdf   128 pages

National Association of Community Action Agencies / Emergency Management Series / Lessons Learned from Past Natural Disasters. Handbook by numerous contributors led by Jim Masters, Center for Community Futures. 1993.

   This reports the results of a nationwide survey of how more than 100 CAAs responded to natural disasters.  Using frameworks from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, NACAA assessed what had happened and made suggestions for CAAs to implement to prepare for future disasters.

IIIA-25 NACAA Workbook Emergency Management Series 68 pages 1993.pdf   68 pages

National Association of Community Action Agencies / Executive Directors' Manual, Volume II. By Jim Masters, Center for Community Futures. 1993. Second edition.

   This was actually the first manual in this series and was published in 1988.  In the 1960s, most CAA Executive Directors were leaders in the civil rights or labor movements or were church leaders.  They were charismatic.  By the 1980s most new EDs came from jobs in education or were retired military.  The manual provided guidance to CAA EDs about how to do most aspects of the job as it and the human development environment had evolved and expanded from the earlier "charisma" era.  

IIIA-26 NACAA Manual Executive Directors Second Edition 1993 96 pages.pdf   104 pages

What Is a Community Action Agency? Review of Current and Past Legislation. Author not given. Published by the National Association of Community Action Agencies, Washington, D.C. Summer, 2000.

   This research project was commissioned by John Buckstead, NACAA Executive Director.  Bob Clark, Jackie Lemire and Jim Masters pulled together all statutes and official issuances.  There is a long version and a short version.  This is the long version.  

IIIA-27 NACAA What is a CAA 2000.pdf   16 pages

Community Action Agencies and Faith-Based Organizations: A Legacy of Productive Partnerships. Author not given. Published by the National Association of Community Action Agencies. 2001.

   The community action movement arose at the same time as the civil rights movement.  Both were often led by people of faith.  In the 1960s, many Head Start programs started in an empty room in the church or synagogue basement.  President Reagan had proposed that churches be completely responsible for assisting people who were poor but the churches had responded it was beyond their capacity.  In 1996 Congress created a concept called "charitable choice."  It is a complicated and controversial concept.  In 2001, President Bush expanded the hope that churches would do more by creating Centers of Faith Based Initiatives in several federal agencies.  Those issues are reviewed here along with the long-standing partnerships most CAAs had with faith-based organizations.  

IIIA-28 NACAA CAAs and Faith Based Organizations 2001.pdf   52 pages

Meeting the Housing Needs of People in Poverty / Findings from a National Survey of Community Action Agencies. By the National Association of Community Action Agencies. 2001.

   This nationwide survey by NACAA reported on the wide variety of housing development activities by CAAs.  More than 85% of CAAs that responded provide housing services, from: construction; management of rental housing; or programs promoting home ownership.  A former OEO manager who had been hired at HUD helped create the HUD concept of Community Housing Development Organizations that were eligible to receive HUD funding.  The CHODO criteria included having a tri-partite board and other standards that made it almost an automatic designation for any CAA that applied.  Most Community Development Corporations were programs within or delegate agencies of CAAs.

IIIA-29 NACAA Meeting the Housing Needs of People in Poverty 2001.pdf   84 pages

*** Donations Welcomed and Appreciated ***

IIIB Monitoring and Assessment Task Force (MATF) and Results Oriented Management and Accountability (ROMA) 

Section Summary.  About section IIIB on the Monitoring and Assessment Task Force (MATF) and Results Oriented Management and Accountability (ROMA), by Jim Masters. Date not given.

   HHS/OCS created the Monitoring and Assessment Task Force (MATF) to develop policies and systems that showed that the community action network took the Government Performance and Results Act of 1991 seriously and that  results and outcomes could be defined and proven for the CSBG and CAA strategies.

IIIB-1 About IIIB ROMA and the MATF.pdf   1 page

IIIB-1 About IIIB ROMA and the MATF.docx   1 page

The original six national goals of ROMA adopted by the Monitoring and Assessment Task Force, by Jim Masters. 1995.

   For the first several months of the operation of the MATF, one group was arguing for there to be one goal -- self-sufficiency -- with case management as the sole strategy.  As the conversation continued it broadened to recognize that advocacy and institutional changes in the community might not have program participants per se, but these  were part of the misson -- so goals 2 and 3 were created.  Also there were people who might not become self-sufficient in the short term like Head Start children and youth, or even the long term like senior citizens -- but who should be counted.  Thus goal 1 was divided into two pieces and became goals 1 and 6.   Further there were possible improvements in the CAA itself, so agency goals 4 and 5 were conceived.   The MATF projected that these and the accompanying measures would reflect 90% of what CAAs did, recognizing there were always new or novel things that CAAs were doing that might be outside the framework.  The term Results Oriented Management and Accountability (ROMA) was created as the umbrella over everything the network was doing to show results and outcomes.  

IIIB-2 The six national goals of ROMA created by the MATF 1995.pdf   1 page   

IIIB-2 The six national goals of ROMA created by the MATF 1995.docx   1 page

Seven Points about ROMA, by Jim Masters. 1995-1996.

   Initially, the National Association of Community Action Agencies was tasked with assisting CAAs to implement ROMA, and published this series of articles with "how to" advice.  

IIIB-3 How to Implement ROMA articles 1-13 in the NACAA Newsletter 1995.pdf   3 pages

IIIB-3 How to Implement ROMA articles 1-13 in the NACAA Newsletter 1995.docx   3 pages

Minutes from the CSBG National Results-Oriented Monitoring and Assessment Task Force Meeting, July 28-29, 1999, in Washington, D.C.  Author not given. 1999.

   This shows the MATF members from all the national organizations -- OCS, NASCSP, NACAA, NCAF and CapLaw -- and the range of issues.  Both the participants and issues in this meeting were typical of MATF meetings from 1994 to 2000.  

IIIB-4 Minutes JUL 1999 MATF.pdf   15 pages

IIIB-4 Minutes JUL 1999 MATF.DOC   15 pages

Scales, From A to Y / Almost Everything You Ever Wanted Know…but Were Afraid to Ask, by the CSBG Monitoring and Assessment Task Force Scale and Ladders Committee. September, 1999. 

   Scales and ladders were created to show progress on a topic from in-crisis to thriving using a 5-step Likert Scale.  Scales and ladders were developed for individuals/families, communities and agencies.  

IIIB-5 ROMA Scales and Ladders workbook Sep 1999.pdf   49 pages

OCS’ Monitoring and Assessment Task Force National Goals and Outcome Measures, author not given. Revised September 13, 1999.

   The MATF published this workbook describing the 6 goals and suggested measures.  Note there were three types of measures:  direct measures, survey measures, and scales measures.  And "other" was and still is an option for CAAs to use their own locally developed measures.

IIIB-6 ROMA Goal and Measures Oct 1999.pdf   4 pages

22 Steps to ROMA Implementation: Peeling the Onion, workbook by Jim Masters. January, 2000.

   NACAA pulled all the advice about ROMA implementation together and published this workbook titled, "Peeling the Onion."

IIIB-7 ROMA implementation workbook Peeling the Onion Jan 2000.pdf   76 pages

OCS Information Memorandum 49, on Program Challenges, Responsibilities and Strategies--FY 2001-2003. February, 2001.

   This memorandum describes how the Office of Community Services (OCS) will carry out its compliance and technical assistance responsibilities for the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) program during the next two years to help assure that the Community Services Network remains strong, focused, effective, and accountable.  It included how to use ROMA for this.  

IIIB-8 OCS Information Memorandum 49 Feb 2001.pdf   10 pages

DRAFT OCS Information Memorandum on ROMA -  Progress Report and Next Steps. Author not given. Never issued. Perhaps 2001.

   OCS tried to continue its role in promoting ROMA.  As 2001 proceeded, the Bush Administration was instituting the Progam Assessment Rating Technique (PART) managed by the Office of Management and Budget that sought to enhance Administration/OMB control over measuring the effectiveness of programs.  PART largely ignored what the federal agencies had done and were doing under GPRA, but that is another story -- and this archive ends here.

IIIB-9 OCS IM ROMA Next Steps Draft 2-13-03 not issued.pdf   7 pages

IIIB-9 OCS IM ROMA Next Steps Draft 2-13-03 not issued.doc   7 pages

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IV Miscellaneous Items of Historical Interest

Social Values and Public Policy: From Opportunities to Rights and Back to Opportunities, by Jim Masters. Date not given.

Article Social Values and Public Policy on website.pdf   11 pages

Article Social Values and Public Policy on website.doc   11 pages

Community Capitals and Alleviating Poverty, by Cornelia Butler Flora. Date not given; assumed 2006.

Community Capitals and Alleviating Poverty Cornelia Flora about 2006.pdf   17 pages

On Fifty Years in Community Action, by Charles McCann, CCAP Emeritus. June 19, 2017.

FIFTY YEARS.pdf   1 page

FIFTY YEARS.docx   1 page

Handout from a CAP Workshop by Jim Masters on the Case for Change. August 21, 2005. 

   In this presentation, Jim Masters reviews the eras (of innovation fighting poverty) and some examples of each, the 10 signs the current era is ending, the 8 signs the next era is emerging, the 8 reasons why you should join us in creating new approaches, and an exercise that is the next piece of this program.

Handout Workshop 1 Jim's Case for Change text final with page numbers.pdf   8 pages

Handout Workshop 1 Jim's Case for Change text final with page numbers.doc   8 pages

How the Community Action Code of Ethics Came to be Committed to Writing, reflection by Charles McCann, CCAP Emeritus.  Date not given.

HOW THE CODE OF ETHICS CAME TO BE COMMITTED TO WRITING.pdf   1 page
HOW THE CODE OF ETHICS CAME TO BE COMMITTED TO WRITING.docx   1 page

What Was Really Great About The Great Society, article in the Washington Monthly Online, by Joseph A. Califano Jr.  October, 1999.

Joe Califano What Was Really Great About the Great Society 1999.pdf   8 pages

Letter to Thomas E. Green, Assistant Director of the OCS office in Little Rock, AR from Donald Sykes, Director of OCS. January, 1999.

   Donald Sykes' expression of OCS position on the use of CSBG funds to coordinate with and/or administer other federally programs.  The first page of this file is Jim Masters' plea for another copy to be sent to him.

Letter from Don Sykes to Thomas Green on allowable uses of CSBG Oct 2009.PDF   5 pages

Monitoring for Change, by Wayne Thomas. Date not given.

   This is the first 47 pages of Wayne Thomas' how to manual on for all agencies involved in monitoring their programs.

MonitoringForChangeManual.pdf   47 pages

MonitoringForChangeManual.docx   47 pages 

MonitoringForChangeUpdated.pdf   38 pages
MonitoringForChangeUpdated.docx   38 pages

Principal Problems and Causes of Poverty in Nebraska, prepared by Nebraska Technical Assistance Agency. July 16, 1971.

   Susan Eisenhart from Nebraska's T&TA agency sent this report to John Buckstead when he was in the Field Operations Division at OEO in Kansas City, MO in response to OEO Instruction 6501-1 mandating reports on the causes and conditions of poverty in the state.

Nebraska Report Causes and Conditions of Poverty August 1971.pdf   23 pages

Moving Families From Welfare to Work:  A Response from the Office of Community Services / True Welfare Reform through Capacity Building for Healthy Communities / Creating Career Opportunities Through Sectoral Development and Building the Structures that Will Provide Necessary Post-Employment Support Services and Incentives to Enable TANF Families to Move into the Economic Mainstream in Safe and Healthy Communities, by Richard Saul,  the Office of Community Services, Washington, D.C.  September, 2002.

OCS From Welfare to Work Dick Saul 2002.pdf   12 pages

John Joines, CEO of the Economic Security Corporation of Southwest Area in Joplin, MO grants permission to Charles McCann to share the video called "A Thirty-Three Year History of Community Action." Letter dated April 5, 2022.

Release on McCann video.pdf   1 page

Webinar Session 2, The State of Poverty in the US, by Jim Masters and Allen Stansbury of the Center for Community Futures for webinar sponsored by CAP June 29, 2016.

    The slides in this PowerPoint presentation include points on the changing demographics of poverty in the US, other trends in poverty, wage and salary trends, mobility in the US, weak recovery as the new normal, income and asset inequality, a draft of the White Paper, plus how this fits with ROMA Next Generation and Information Memorandum 138.

Session 2 State of Poverty in the US June 29 2016.pdf   69 pages

Session 2 State of Poverty in the US June 29 2016.ppt   69 slides

Table of Contents from The Future of Human Services 1987-1995, by Jim Masters, Center for Community Futures. 

The Future of Human Services TOC 1987.pdf   4 pages

See https://archive.org/details/philadelphianegr00dubo/page/n5/mode/2up for a free online version of The Philadelphia Negro; A Social Study, by W. E. B. Du Bois and Isabel Eaton, first published in 1899.

And See 

A History of Community Action in Missouri (M4V)

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Bonus Material by the Human Being Who Posted All of These Files on this Webpage:

On June 25, 2025, I asked ChatGPT a question:  If everyone obeyed the Golden Rule, how could poverty exist?

On June 25, 2025, ChatGPT said:

"This is a thoughtful and important question.

The Golden Rule — “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” — implies treating others with empathy, fairness, and care. If truly and universally followed, it would radically reshape human behavior and social systems.

So why might poverty still exist, even if everyone obeyed the Golden Rule?

1. Structural and Systemic Issues Don't Disappear Instantly

Even if everyone personally wished well for others, many systems — economic, political, legal — are deeply embedded with inequality. Changing personal behavior doesn’t immediately dismantle those structures. For example:

• A person might want to help the poor but still be participating in an economic system that underpays workers.

• A government official might have good intentions but be constrained by bureaucratic inertia or corruption they can’t fix alone.
  
  

Golden Rule behavior would help, but structural reform would still require coordination, time, and systemic redesign.

2. Different Interpretations of "What I’d Want"

People don’t always agree on what “good treatment” means.

• A billionaire might think donating a few thousand dollars is generous — because they’d be "grateful" for that amount if they were poor — but that may not address deeper injustices.

• Others may believe helping people "stand on their own feet" is more important than direct aid, even if urgent needs are unmet.
  
  

The Golden Rule depends on empathy, but also on imagination and awareness — which vary widely.

3. Global Inequity and Distance

Poverty often exists far from those with the power to alleviate it. Even if someone cares deeply, their immediate actions may not reach or affect people in distant regions where extreme poverty persists.

Golden Rule ethics tend to be strongest in local contexts. A fully global application would require people to:

• Acknowledge their global impact (e.g., consumption choices, supply chains).

• Act across borders, often through complex institutions.

4. Limits of Individual Action

Even if every individual acted kindly, poverty is not just about individual behavior. It involves:

• Land distribution

• Education access

• Healthcare systems

• Global trade policies

• Environmental degradation
  
  

The Golden Rule promotes moral behavior, but poverty solutions also require technical expertise, planning, and political will.

5. Human Limitations

Even well-meaning people:

• Make mistakes

• Struggle with their own needs

• Get overwhelmed or desensitized
  
  

So while the Golden Rule is a powerful ethical guide, human fallibility means its perfect application is aspirational — and limited.

In Summary:

If everyone obeyed the Golden Rule perfectly, poverty would likely diminish drastically — because empathy would drive fairer policies, aid, and social support. But poverty could still exist, especially due to structural inertia, global inequality, and the complexity of human systems.

Still, a world where everyone lived by the Golden Rule would be far closer to justice than the one we live in."

Right after that, I rephrased the question to ChatGPT and asked:  If everyone obeyed the Golden Rule, would poverty still exist? 

ChatGPT replied 6/26/2025 at 2:52p.m. with a non-identical answer:

"That's a profound question. The Golden Rule — “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” — is a moral principle that promotes empathy, fairness, and mutual respect. If everyone genuinely followed it in both personal and systemic decisions, then poverty as we know it would likely be greatly reduced — but not necessarily eliminated. Here's why:

How the Golden Rule Would Help Reduce Poverty

1. Wealth Redistribution Would Be Voluntary and Ethical
   People and corporations would not hoard resources knowing others are suffering. Extreme inequality would be morally unacceptable to someone following the Golden Rule.

2. Fair Labor and Economic Systems
   Exploitative labor practices, predatory lending, and unfair wages wouldn’t exist — employers wouldn’t treat workers in a way they wouldn't want to be treated themselves.

3. More Equitable Access to Education, Healthcare, and Opportunity
   Public policy and private philanthropy would focus on providing everyone with the same opportunities one would want for their own children.

4. Global Responsibility
   Wealthy nations would treat poorer nations with respect and fairness — in trade, aid, and climate policies.

Why Poverty Might Still Exist, Even With the Golden Rule

1. Limited Resources and Natural Disasters
   Even with good intentions, some communities might face poverty due to natural causes — droughts, floods, or geographic isolation.

2. Different Abilities and Needs
   Not everyone can contribute equally due to illness, disability, or other factors. Addressing their needs would require immense coordination and care, which, while more likely in a Golden Rule world, might still fall short at times.

3. Structural and Logistical Challenges
   Systems take time to change. Even with perfect intent, transforming economies, infrastructures, and institutions to fully eliminate poverty is a slow, complex process.

Bottom Line

If everyone truly lived by the Golden Rule, poverty would be dramatically reduced, especially the kind caused by inequality, greed, and exploitation. However, some level of hardship might still persist due to external and structural challenges — but in such a world, people would likely act swiftly and compassionately to minimize it."

P.S.  This human being would amend ChatGPT's response by adding that there are mature souls who choose to remain in poverty to promote Spirit over flesh. -- tkw

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