Arkansas Administrative Code
Agency 168 - Arkansas Economic Development Commission
Rule 168.00.14-003 - Weatherization Assistance Program: July 1, 2014 - June 30, 2015

I.2 Budget

I.3 Proposed Weatherization Projects

DOE Allocation Subgrantee Network PY2014

I.4 Summary of Major Changes from the 2013 Program Year

In 2013, the state issued a Request for Qualification (RFQ) for additional service providers to address multi-family units and special projects; there were four (4) responsible bidders each of whom met the minimum requirements to participate in the WAP. One new subgrantee will be allocated a territory; one other will complete multifamily units in each congressional district and the remaining two will work on special projects.

Arkansas has elected to set the maximum cost per unit at $5,000. This maximum cost does not include Health and Safety and Capital Intensive Heating and Cooling Modifications (LIHEAP funds). Please note Arkansas uses LIHEAP funds for capital investments to reduce the overall DOE cost. The rationale for reducing the average cost per unit is that:

1. PERSONNEL - Prime Applicant only (all other participant costs must be listed on 6. below and form DOE F 4600.4, Section B. Line 6.f. Contracts and Sub Grants.

2. FRINGE BENEFITS -

3. TRAVEL - Identify total Foreign and Domestic Travel as separate items.

4. EQUIPMENT - as defined in 10 CFR 600.202. Definitions can be found at http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_00/10cfr600_00.html.

5. MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES - as defined in 10 CFR 600.202. Definitions at http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_00/10cfr600_00.html.

6. CONTRACTS AND SUB GRANTS - All other participant costs including subcontractor, sub-grants, and consultants.

Provide the information below for new proposed sub recipients and subcontractors. For ongoing subcontractors and sub recipients, if this information is provided elsewhere in the application, it does not have to be restated here, but please indicate the document and page numbers where it can be found.

For example-Competitive, Historical, Quote, Catalog

7. OTHER DIRECT COSTS - Include all direct costs not included in above categories.

8. INDIRECT COSTS -

1. Black River Area Development Corporation

1403 Hospital Drive, Pocahontas, Arkansas 72455-3847

Type of Organization: Community Action Agency

Source of Labor: Private Contractors and Crews

Contact: James Jansen - Email: jjansen@bradcorp.org

Phone: 870-892-5219 Fax: 870-892-0707

Counties Served: Baxter, Boone, Clay, Fulton, Independence, Izard, Lawrence, Marion, Newton,

Randolph, Searcy, Sharp, Stone, Van Buren

2. Central Arkansas Development Council

321 Edison Avenue, Post Office Box 580, Benton, Arkansas 72018-0580

Type of Organization: Community Action Agency

Source of Labor: Crews and private contractors

Contact: Larry Cogburn Email: lcogburn@cadc.com

Phone: 501-315-1121 Fax: 501-778-9120

Counties Served: Calhoun, Clark, Columbia, Dallas, Garland, Hempstead, Hot Spring, Howard,

Lafayette, Little River, Miller, Montgomery, Nevada, Ouachita, Pike, Polk, Saline, Sevier, Union

3. Community Action Program for Central Arkansas

707 Robins Street, Suite 118, Conway, Arkansas 72034-6517

Type of Organization: Community Action Agency

Source of Labor: Private Contractors

Contact: Jennifer Welter Email: Jennifer.welter@capcainc.org

Phone: 501-730-1493 Fax: 501-329-9247

Counties Served: Cleburne, Faulkner, White

4. Crowley's Ridge Development Council

2401 Fox Meadow Lane, Post Office Box 16720, Jonesboro, Arkansas 72403-6711

Type of Organization: Community Action Agency

Source of Labor: Crews and Contractors

Contact: Darla Tate Email: dtate@crdcnea.com

Phone: 870-802-7100 Fax: 870-935-0291

Counties Served: Craighead, Crittenden, Cross, Greene, Jackson, Mississippi, Poinsett, St. Francis,

Woodruff

5. Crawford-Sebastian Community Development Council, Inc.

4831 Armour Street, Post Office Box 4069, Fort Smith, Arkansas 72914

Type of Organization: Community Action Agency

Source of Labor: Private Contractors

Contact: Mark Whitmer Email: mwhitmer@cscdcaa.org

Phone: 479-785-2303 Fax: 479-785-2341

Counties Served: Benton, Carroll, Crawford, Franklin, Johnson, Logan, Madison, Scott, Sebastian,

Washington

6. Pine Bluff-Jefferson County Economic Opportunities Commission, Inc.

817 South Cherry Street, Post Office Box 7228, Pine Bluff, Arkansas 71611-7228

Type of Organization: Community Action Agency

Source of Labor: Private Contractors

Contact: Linda Inmon Email: linmon@pbjceoc.org

Phone: 870-536-0046 Fax: 870-535-7558

Counties Served: Arkansas, Ashley, Bradley, Chicot, Cleveland, Desha, Drew, Grant, Jefferson, Lee

Lincoln, Monroe, Phillips, Prairie

7. Elevate

100 Gamble Road, Little Rock, Arkansas 72211

Type of Organization: Non-Profit

Source of Labor: Private Contractors

Contact: Brannon Runions Email: brannon@elevateus.org

Phone: 501-410-3305

Counties Served: Conway, Lonoke, Perry, Pope, Pulaski, Yell

8. Better Community Development, Inc.

3805 West 12th, Suite 203, Little Rock, Arkansas 72204

Type of Organization: Non-Profit

Source of Labor: Private Contractors

Contact: Darryl Swinton, Email: dswinton@bcdinc.org

Phone: 501-379-1539

Counties Served: TBD

(1) The Arkansas subgrantees will utilize the Arkansas Weatherization Program (AWP) a utility Demand-side Management Program approved by the Arkansas Public Service Commission.

With the implementation of the new management software system, the state will begin the first of its kind in the state Residential Carbon Trading Initiative. The National Association for State Community Services Programs (NASCSP) Residential Carbon Trading Program creates new revenue through the sale of carbon offsets on the voluntary carbon market. The Residential Carbon Trading Initiative will help the WAP measure its environmental impact by quantifying emissions reductions and generate additional revenues to expand weatherization program services to more low income and moderate income households.

(2) The state is experiencing increased Health and Safety cost due to the implementation of ASHRAE 62.2. To address this issue, the state will utilize an Inter-Local Agreement between the state and The Home Depot. The Office of State Procurement (OSP) has negotiated discount prices with the Home Depot that will allow the state to receive a three percent (3%) rebate on all purchases. The rebate will be returned to the state and will be considered earned income which will be used to complete additional units. The funds will be returned to the sub grantee who earned it.

The Inter-Local Agreement will provide an option to subgrantees with regards to materials (refrigerators, CFL's, etc.) and compliance with ASHRAE 62.2. In addition, The Home Depot has negotiated prices with contractors for plumbing, electrical and HVAC work who are willing to work statewide. Subgrantees will conduct their normal procurement process but will required to compare local prices to the Home Depot prices; if local prices are in excess of the prices in the Inter-Local Agreement the subgrantee will be required to use the Inter-Local Agreement negotiated by the U.S. Communities Program.

(3) The state has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development. This MOU will allow the state to reduce the number of deferrals and assist the Secretary of Agriculture's Poverty Initiative as well as to advance the cause of healthy and sustainable affordable housing in rural communities by enabling both parties to serve more families in more ways and in more rural areas.

(4) The state is also collaborating with the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and USDA on multifamily weatherization. The state will set aside funding to address multifamily developments in the state's four Congressional Districts.

(5) Arkansas plans to implement a WAP Pilot called AEO Community Efficiency Project (CEO). The CEO will allow the state to collaborate with the AWP and other utility funding programs, USDA and HUD. The CEO will target a community in an area of the state with high poverty and high energy burden; the state will coordinate with the municipal leadership and target income eligible clients for WAP and USDA funding. Utility funding will be leveraged with WAP and USDA funds to allow the state to complete more units. The state will collaborate with USDA and HUD to address multi-family units in the community.

Once the work is completed the community will be recognized by the state as an "Energy Efficient Community". The municipal leadership and any participants who would like to attend will be invited to participate in the Annual Weatherization Day activities where they will be formally recognized.

(6) In addition during the Community Efficiency Project, the state will pilot its Home Energy Labeling Project using the DOE Home Energy Score for residents who are ineligible for the WAP. The Home Energy Scoring Tool will allow homeowners to compare the energy performance of their homes to other homes nationwide. It will also provide homeowners with suggestions for improving their homes efficiency.

(7) Healthy Homes is a comprehensive approach to combat disease and injury in the home driven by scientific evidence that links substandard housing and poor health. Healthy Homes interventions take a holistic approach to coordinated mitigation of housing-related hazards, rather than addressing a single hazard at a time. This method allows Healthy Homes practitioners to address a wide array of health and safety issues, including lead poisoning, asthma (exacerbated by moisture, mold, and pests), exposure to radon and other toxic chemicals, and injury caused by old or dilapidated housing among myriad others. Healthy Homes funding is provided by several federal agencies including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

V.1.1 Approach to Determining Client Eligibility

Definition of Income Used to Determine Eligibility (Client Eligibility) Low income will mean that income in relation to family size, which:

V.1.2 Approach to Determining Building Eligibility

Procedures to Determine that Units Weatherized Have Eligibility Documentation All dwelling units certified as eligible for services shall be occupied by an income-eligible household family unit with income at or below 200 percent of the poverty level, or "which contains a member who has received cash assistance payments under Title IV or XVI of the Social Security Act or applicable State or local law during the twelve month period preceding the determination of eligibility for weatherization assistance," or which contains a member which has received energy assistance payments under the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program during the twelve month period preceding the determination of eligibility for weatherization assistance. Subgrantees are required to keep documentation in each client file for review during Program Compliance and Onsite Project monitoring visits by the state WAP staff.

Reweatherization Compliance

Homes weatherized on or before September 30, 1994 are eligible to be reweatherized. No more than 10% of a subgrantee's DOE completions may be reweatherized without approval from the state. The priority wait list will be followed in addressing reweatherized units.

Building Eligibility - Housing Types

Eligible housing types include owner and renter-occupied single-family homes, manufactured (mobile)

homes, and multifamily buildings.

Rental and Multifamily Building Procedures

Rentals may be weatherized when occupied by an eligible client 3, and:

3 See V.1.1 Approach to Client Eligibility

[] The subgrantee has written permission from the owner or his agent. Such written permission shall be permanently maintained in the file of the client whose unit is weatherized.

[] The benefits of weatherization assistance will accrue primarily to low-income tenants.

[] Not less than 66 percent (50 percent for duplexes and four-unit buildings) of the dwelling units in the building are eligible dwelling units or will become eligible dwelling units within 180 days under a Federal, State, or local program for rehabilitating the building or making similar improvements to the building.

[] The subgrantee must obtain and place in the client file a signed agreement from the landlord (or authorized agent of the landlord) that states that for a minimum of twelve (12) months after weatherization work has been completed on a dwelling, the tenants in that dwelling will not be subjected to rent increases because of the increased value of dwelling units due solely to weatherization assistance provided under this part.

[] No undue or excessive enhancement shall occur to the value of the dwelling units.

[] In the event of a dispute between the tenant and property owner regarding the issues listed above, the subgrantee will attempt to resolve the dispute; if that fails, the tenant will be referred to legal aid by the subgrantee.

[] In the case of a vacant rental dwelling, weatherization assistance may be provided if there is assurance that a low-income household will inhabit the dwelling within 180 days of the date the weatherization service was completed.

[] The Arkansas Weatherization Assistance Program does not seek property owner agreements for placement of liens nor does it use other contractual restriction.

[] Subgrantees will provide copies of the signed Landlord Agreements to the tenants and ensure that documentation is placed in the Subgrantee Client File.

Multi-family Buildings

The total amount of funds that can be invested in a multi-family project is determined as follows: Multiply the total number of income-eligible units in the multi-family building by the current statewide average cost per unit. The total is the maximum amount of DOE funding available to weatherize the building. All units in the building can be served and all units should be reported to DOE. However, because the state has elected to use LIHEAP funds to weatherize multi-family buildings, the amount that will be invested will be based upon research which indicates that $1,500 per unit is the average cost experienced. Adjustments to this figure will be made as needed to address multi-family buildings in Arkansas.

Deferral Process

There are conditions and situations under which a subgrantee must not or may choose not to weatherize an otherwise eligible dwelling unit. Information for making this determination may become evident during either the eligibility process or during the initial inspection process. The Arkansas WAP Deferral policy is part of the Health & Safety plan found in the Arkansas Subgrantee Operations Manual, Chapter 7 Technical Standards and Best Practices, VI. Health & Safety.

V.1.3 Definition of Children

Children are defined as those individuals under the age of 19.

V.1.4 Approach to Tribal Organizations

Low-income members of Indian tribes will receive benefits equivalent to the assistance provided to other low-income persons within Arkansas. Arkansas has no identified Indian Tribes.

1. Disabled persons 60 years of age or older

2. Persons 60 years of age or older

3. Disabled persons

4. Native American persons

5. Persons with children under six years of age

6. Other eligible clients

The term "disabled person" means any individual who: has a physical or mental disability which constitutes or results in a substantial handicap to the individual's employment; or has had a record of having, or is regarded as having a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more of the individual's major life activities; or has a disability which would make the individual eligible to receive disability insurance benefits or Supplemental Security Income from the Social Security Administration or developmentally disabled assistance from the Department of Health and Human Services; or is a veteran or surviving spouse, child, or dependent parent of a veteran receiving compensation from the Veteran's Administration for a service connected disability or death; or is a veteran or surviving spouse or child of a veteran receiving a pension from the Veteran's Administration because of a non-service connected disability; or is a veteran receiving a pension from the Veteran's Administration because of being on a Medal of Honor Roll of one of the military services.

Subgrantees must serve clients according to date of application submission, by priority by county. As a rule, within an individual county, a lower priority client should never be served prior to a higher priority client if the higher priority client's application date preceded the lower priority client's application date. Subgrantees must document irregularities in the selection of clients. Subgrantees are authorized to develop procedures for addressing applications that have aged for more than twelve (12) months because of lengthy waiting lists in individual counties.

Prioritization of Single Family Homes and High Energy Users

Single-family homes remain the primary target of the Arkansas Weatherization Assistance Program. Subgrantees have been authorized to develop procedures to prioritize client households based on their energy burden.

V.5.1 Technical Guides and Materials - Definition of Work Quality, guidelines and Standards

Currently Arkansas uses the Arkansas Weatherization Field Guide and Installation Standards to provide guidance to subgrantees in determining how weatherization work measures are installed. All work is performed in accordance to the USDOE-approved energy audit procedures and 10 CFR 440 Appendix A.

Beginning with Program Year 2015, Arkansas will adopt the Standard Work Specification "Deck of Cards" maintained on an on-line system by Santa Fe Community College ("SFCC"). The Standard Work Specification Deck of Cards (SWSDC) is considered the Gold Standard by DOE for compliance with SWS. The SWSDC will replace the current Arkansas Field Guide.

The SWSDC is comprised of a set of PDF documents ("Cards") that incorporate the National Standard Work Specifications (SWS), which define performance requirements for a particular task, into a Department of Energy (DOE) Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) field guide to be used as a tool for weatherization services training, implementation, and inspection. Each "Card" in the "Deck" addresses the elements of an individual Standard Work Specifications (SWS), providing both written instructions and photographic illustrations for performance of the SWS.

Communication of Guidelines and Standards

Beginning in Program Year 2014, the state will ensure that all subgrantee agreements and subgrantee vendor contracts contain language which clearly documents the following:

V.5.2 Energy Audit Procedures

Single Family

Site-specific audits using ECOS must be run on all single-family frame homes weatherized with Arkansas Weatherization Assistance Program funds.

For Program Year 2014, the Arkansas Energy Office has submitted mobile home energy audits procedures to the USDOE for review as a part of a new program management software package, ECOS. Site-specific audits must be run on all mobile homes weatherized with Arkansas Weatherization Assistance Program funds.

Multi-family Energy Audits

DOE has advised that multi-family buildings that have more than three stories should not be weatherized using the NEAT audit. Currently, Arkansas has no multi-family audit; for Program Year 2014, the Arkansas Energy Office has submitted multi-family audit procedures to the USDOE for review as a part of a new program management software package. The Energy Conservation Online System or ECOS will add a multi-family audit to the Arkansas WAP.

Savings to Investment Ratio

For Program Year 2014, Arkansas has elected to raise the Savings to Investment Ratio (SIR) for Capital Intensive furnace or cooling efficiency modifications, doors and windows to 3.0 or above. The SIR means that the expected energy savings from installing the measure is equal to or greater than the initial cost of installation. All other measures must have an SIR of 1.0 or greater must be installed up to the maximum cost per unit allowed by the state. All energy-savings measures must be considered and ranked in order of descending SIR; the higher the SIR, the higher the priority.

Opting Out or Skipping Cost-effective Weatherization Measures

Completion of all measures with an SIR of 1.0 or greater is required up to the maximum cost per unit allowed by the state. No measure may be skipped in order to complete a measure with a lower SIR. In other words, measures may not be skipped and/or clients cannot 'opt' out of a measure.

V.5.3 Final Inspection -

Inspection and Monitoring of Work Using Guidelines and Standards

DOE requires that Quality Control Inspectors working for the WAP possess the knowledge, skills and abilities in the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Job Task Analysis for Quality Control Inspectors. This requirement applies to all individuals who perform an evaluation and sign off on work performed in homes including final inspectors and state monitoring staff.

For Program Year 2015, the state will ensure that QCI competency is demonstrated by mandating certification as a Home Energy Professional (HEP) Quality Control Inspector (QCI). The state will require that each Program Monitor become certified as a HEP QCI and/or the state will hire a third-party contractor with the HEP QCI credentials. Each subgrantee will employ or contract with a Certified Home Energy Professional Quality Control Inspector. And because the state is ultimately responsible for ensuring that every unit reported to DOE meets the work quality guidelines required by the WAP, subgrantees must include in their application package the credentials of all staff employed as a QCI and of any third party organizations engaged to conduct QCI's.

Effective PY 2015, Arkansas will implement policy and procedures to address situations when the QCI is not inspecting units using the standards adopted by the state and consistent with SWS. This policy will include disciplinary action that will result in the disallowance of the unit for reimbursement until the final inspection is conducted by a QCI and additional monitoring to ensure that state protocols are consistently followed. If state protocols are not consistently followed, the subgrantee risks the state reducing their funding allocation and using the funds to hire a third party QCI or having funds reallocated to another subgrantee.

Quality Control Inspection

Beginning in Program Year 2015, the Arkansas Energy Office will require that every DOE WAP unit reported as a "completed unit" must receive a final inspection by a certified QCI ensuring that all work meets the minimum specifications outlined in the SWS in accordance with 10 CFR 440.

*Units will be inspected using criteria found in the specifications outlined in the Work Quality section of this plan.

* Every client file will have a form that certifies that the unit had a final inspection and that all work met the required standards. The certification will be by a certified QCI. Signatures will meet the requirement. If a unit has received both a final inspection and has also been monitored by the state, two certification forms will be available in the client file - one for each inspection.

* The Quality Control Inspection will include an assessment of the original audit and confirm that the measures called for on the work order were appropriate and in accordance with the state audit procedures and protocols approved by DOE.

Arkansas has elected to implement one of the DOE standard options for administering quality control inspections- Independent QCI: the QCI is the individual that has no involvement in the work on the home either as the auditor or as a member of the crew. Each subgrantee must have a certified QCI on staff or must have a third party certified QCI perform final inspections on each unit prior to submitting the unit as a "completed unit" to the state.

The state or a DOE approved representative (third party certified Quality Control Inspector) will perform quality assurance reviews on at least 5 percent of all completed units. In order to prepare for 2015, this could occur in 2014. If the sub grantee does not have a certified QCI on staff they will be allowed to contract with a state approved certified QCI

To ensure the individual who is functioning as the quality control inspector is able to consistently perform both tasks, the state has developed a quality assurance plan that requires the individual complete the Quality Control Inspector training at an accredited WAP Training Center and be a certified Quality Control Inspector (QCI). When the Home Energy Professional Energy Auditor Certification becomes available, the state will mandate this certification as well.

To ensure that there are a sufficient number of certified individuals available to meet the requirements of this section, the state has developed a training and certification plan as described in section V.8.4:

V.8.1 Overview and Organization

The weatherization program is administered by the state, an independent state agency. Beginning with Program Year 2014, the state will implement a new program management system called the Energy Conservation Online System or ECOS. ECOS supports the US Department of Energy's state administered Weatherization Program and will allow the state to combine the WAP with other state and regionally financed energy conservation programs. The ECOS application is a comprehensive management information system that extends from client selection and energy audit to final billing and monitoring of weatherization jobs. The core of ECOS is a U.S. DOE-approved residential energy audit application and integrated job-costing and management system that generates work orders in addition to providing inspection tools to capture test results and track changes as the job proceeds to completion.

ECOS provides the tools to manage all critical business processes of the weatherization program. Additionally, the software application captures and stores all critical health and safety data about a home including moisture issues, mold issues, air quality, CO2 levels and more. It can and will be updated to reflect program changes at the state and federal levels. The application is customizable for any state or local agency.

V.8.2 Administrative Expenditure Limits

The State Energy Efficiency Programs Improvement Act of 1990 permits subgrantees receiving less than $350,000 in federally appropriated Low Income Weatherization Assistance Program funds to receive up to an additional 5% share of administrative funds. However, due to the federal requirement that limits administration to a maximum of 10%, the state would have to reduce its 5% share in order to allow the subgrantee network an additional amount for administration. To do so, would impact the state's ability to administer the program and therefore, is not an option.

V.8.3 Monitoring Activities

To ensure quality workmanship throughout the State, The state implements a comprehensive project and program compliance monitoring strategy. The WAP Network of subgrantees provides access to weatherization services in each of the state's seventy-five (75) counties based on the relative need of the low-income population residing in each county of their service area.

Monitoring consists of visits to subgrantees to review program administration and compliance functions as well as onsite visits to inspect weatherized homes. The state performs annual Program Compliance Monitoring including a review of fiscal and administrative systems to assure compliance with all applicable rules and regulations. Program Monitors conduct monitoring and technical assistance centered on monthly site visits to work sites and completed weatherized homes during several phases of project implementation.

Inspection of Weatherized Homes

Program monitoring consists of the inspection of recently weatherized houses. Some subgrantees will be monitored each quarter, while others are monitored more frequently or infrequently depending on production and identified needs to address quality and/or health and safety concerns. The goal is to inspect five (5) percent of weatherized homes for each subgrantee; however, the state will monitor additional units in progress to ensure work quality; therefore, if deficiencies are noted, the percentage could increase to ten (10) percent of all homes weatherized.

Quality Control Monitoring

State Program Monitors will accompany subgrantee crews and contractors as they conduct final quality control inspections. This provides the opportunity for the state to provide technical assistance with weatherization techniques such as CAZ (combustion area zoning) and air sealing.

File Review Monitoring

State Program Monitors complete an onsite file review for every weatherized home that is inspected.

Lead Safe Weatherization Site Visits

State Program Monitors will make periodic unannounced site visits to homes that are being weatherized to observe that the required lead-safe work practices are being used by crews and contractors. This is an opportunity to clarify and demonstrate best practices related to lead-safe weatherization.

Program Compliance Monitoring

The state believes monitoring is an extremely important aspect of weatherization program management. A successful monitoring program improves subgrantee operations, identifies problems early enough for corrective action, and promotes quality work. The state considers monitoring to be an assessment of subgrantee performance in fulfilling program objectives.

A Program Compliance monitoring will be conducted annually with each subgrantee. Program compliance monitoring consists of a financial review and an administrative monitoring.

The financial review will include:

V.8.4 Training

Beginning in Program Year 2014, the state Training Plan will require comprehensive training for all WAP workers that is aligned with National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) Job Task Analysis (JTA) for the position which the worker is employed.

The Training Plan will address two distinct categories, Tier 1 and Tier 2 Training.

*Project 1.1: Tier 1 Training: Comprehensive, occupation-specific training which follows a curriculum aligned with the JTA for that occupation. The Tier 1 Training will be administered by a training program that is accredited by IREC for the JTA being taught.

*Project 1.1.1: Develop a Weatherization Training Center (WTC) with a curriculum aligned with the JTA for each occupation. Both training programs are accredited by IREC for the JTA's.

(Milestone: Developed two WTC's: Pulaski Technical College (PTC) and North West Arkansas Community College (NWAC) Date: Q4 FY 2011)

*Project 1.1.2: Provide Tier 1 training to all workers in the Weatherization Assistance Program.

(Milestone: Provided funding to the WTC's to provide Energy Auditor, Quality Control Inspector, Crew Leader and Retrofit Installer/Technician training both classroom and field training.

*Project 1.1.3: Ensure that each worker in the WAP attends training at one of the two training centers.

(Milestone: Revised grant agreements to add T&TA funds to cover cost of training Date: Q2 FY 2012)

*Project 1.1.4: Develop a Training Tracker to inventory and analyze training needs of all current weatherization employees.

(Milestone: Training Tracker developed and published in 2012. The Training Tracker serves as a status document showing what training each WAP Subgrantee staff has received; based on analysis, the document will include a list of training that is needed for certification. Date: Q4 FY12)

*Project 2.1: Tier 2 Training: Single issue, short-term, training to address acute deficiencies in the field including dense packing, crawlspace, ASHRAE 62.2-2013, noted in monitoring reports by state monitors, the DOE Project Officer, internal state audits, QA Review visits and IG reports, etc.. Conference trainings are included in this category.

Milestone: Single issue training will be held during the Annual Weatherization Training Conference October 29-31, 2014 Date: Q4 FY 2014)

The state combines comprehensive field monitoring with an extensive training and technical assistance program to identify areas weakness to improve work quality and delivery of program services and to correct subgrantee administrative and management problems. Field monitoring also provides an opportunity for on-site training and technical assistance and the identification of areas where more extensive training is needed.

Subgrantee Monitoring4

4 See V.8.6 for WAP Monitoring Strategy

Two Program Monitors and a Budget Specialist are responsible for monitoring and evaluating the operation of the WAP program at the subgrantee level as outlined in the State Plan.

Technical Assistance

Each weatherization subgrantee is assigned a WAP Program Monitor on a rotating basis that is responsible for completion of the inspection and technical assistance activities that are part of the Program Monitoring and Compliance Strategy. Technical assistance provided may include but is not limited to: staff training, policy interpretation, state plan clarification, working with subgrantees to address deficiencies and training subgrantees on new weatherization techniques.

State Staff Training

Training is essential for staff development and is provided on an ongoing basis to upgrade the quality of service delivered by the WAP Program Monitors. Each monitor will be required to complete the QCI training and become a Certified Home Energy Professional. Monitors are also expected to research and attend training opportunities offered through the Arkansas WAP Training Centers, which will enable them to gain additional knowledge and skills in: weatherization technology, furnace technology and diagnostic equipment.

Lead Safe Weatherization Training

Lead safe weatherization training will be offered through the Arkansas WAP Training Centers during the 2014 Program Year. The state will continue to ensure that WAP Network contractors and crew receive training and ongoing technical assistance regarding the RRP and Lead-Safe Weatherization Work Practices through the WAP Training Centers and through monthly site visits to observe Lead Safe Weatherization Practices of crews and contractors.

State Technical Working Group

The Weatherization Director from each subgrantee will attend meetings with the state WAP staff to discuss technical issues, specific problems, innovative solutions, and program direction. The Weatherization Training Centers, WAP Directors and Program Monitors will make up the State Technical Working Group which will meet during the 2014 Program Year Annual Grant Guidance and during the Annual WAP Training Conference to discuss training needs, updates on Weatherization Installation Measures and Standards, including Health & Safety.

Arkansas's WAP Training Centers

The accredited training component of the DOE Guidelines for Home Energy Professionals project guarantees the existence and availability of high quality standardized training programs within the home energy upgrade industry. To ensure that Arkansas is in compliance with these guidelines, the state has contracted with two community colleges to establish a training network strategy that will assure training availability throughout the State using the U.S. DOE curriculum and is supplemented with a series of in-depth topical trainings that are identified during the 2014 Program Year.

Both site-based Weatherization Training Centers in North Little Rock and Bentonville are accredited by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). The accredited training programs ensure that individuals receive the proper training to become certified Home Energy Professionals and to do the quality work that is defined in the standard work specifications

Both training centers have provided weatherization training classes including Installer Fundamentals, Installer Intermediate, Crew Chief, Energy Auditor, Mobile Home Weatherization, Home Energy Auditing, CAZ, Lead-safe Weatherization, and Renovate Right Protocol (RRP).

Ongoing training and direct technical assistance will provided on subjects such as combustion area zone (CAZ) testing, air sealing techniques, implementation of ASHRAE 62.2, identification of health and safety conditions such as mold and moisture, the OSHA 10 and 30 hours trainings are among those that will be provided at least once to each subgrantee in the 2014 Program Year.

First priority to attend the trainings is reserved for the Arkansas WAP subgrantee staff and contractors. Training is delivered through a site-based center in North Little Rock and Bentonville, Arkansas and two mobile training centers that serve other community college sites across the state. The schedule through June 30, 2015 is not finalized but will include testing for the Home Energy Professional Quality Control Inspector Certification Testing. The delivery of training will also be dependent on the amount of funds allocated for training and technical assistance activities from the USDOE.

Subgrantee Training and Technical Assistance

Each subgrantee will receive an allocation of funds to help offset the cost of their inspector and crew workers while attending training or to provide training for their weatherization staff and/or contractors.

Consumer Education and Outreach

The educational component has been designed to enhance program participants' understanding of home energy efficiency improvements, to increase energy savings, and to contribute to the ongoing effectiveness of installed weatherization measures. Educational materials have been prepared by the state (a calendar with tips to save energy) and training has been provided to our subgrantees. The state will continue to require WAP subgrantees to provide client education to each WAP client. Subgrantees will be required to provide (at a minimum) educational materials in verbal format to the client along with the calendar as a leave behind.