ODJFS agrees that all new policies and rules will be assessed for their impact on the family services duties and workforce development activities of county family services and workforce development agencies that are included in a Partnership Agreement. The assessment is to determine the appropriate level of training or technical assistance needed for local implementation. As part of the Clearance process, ODJFS will provide a training and technical assistance impact statement for rules and manual materials that have an impact on family services duties and workforce development activities of county family services and workforce development agencies included in a Partnership Agreement. The information may be found as a narrative statement in the draft transmittal letter or as a separate document explaining the ODJFS assessment of the training and technical assistance impact on the implementation by county agencies of rules or manual materials.

During the Clearance process, county agency reviewers will indicate in the Clearance response a county assessment of the type of training or technical assistance needed to implement the new policy or rule. The county reviewers may agree with the ODJFS assessment or may offer constructive recommendations for a different level of training and technical assistance needed for county staff to implement the rule or manual changes. The Clearance comments will be reviewed as part of the determination of appropriate training or technical assistance.

Review results may indicate a range of appropriate training and technical assistance needs including but not limited to:

• Simple policy change, requires no training in addition to the issuance of the policy through normal processes (ACT, MTL, ACT, PAM, CRIS-E flash).
• Moderate policy change, requires an overview of the policy and opportunity to ask clarifying questions. Training or technical assistance may be provided via video conference, through staff visits to counties, telephone consultation, or other identified means.
• Complex policy change, requires detailed walk through of the policy and opportunity for county staff to ask clarifying questions and discuss implementation issues or program coordination issues. Training or technical assistance may be provided via face-to-face training or technical assistance sessions, video conference, staff visits to counties, telephone consultation, or other identified means.

ODJFS will develop a plan to implement the appropriate level of training or technical assistance within 90 days after the effective date of a change in rule or policy. ODJFS staff will review policy changes with county staff at Technical Assistance meetings. County directors will coordinate with the appropriate ODJFS staff regarding additional need for technical assistance or training.