Presque Isle- Jamie Chandler, Chief Operating Officer and Amy Murchison, Program Coordinator both at Aroostook County Action Program (ACAP) recently received ROMA certification, as ROMA Implementers.
Jamie Chandler has worked in health and social services fields for over 18 years. Since joining ACAP in 2013, Jamie has had the opportunity to work directly with staff in all areas of the Agency. Jamie has been a key leader in the organizational transformation at ACAP to adopt a comprehensive service delivery model that incorporates a Whole Family Approach to delivering services. Jamie continues to advance this work in her role as COO, as she provides oversight to all Agency programs. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Health Science from Husson College. Jamie is a native of Aroostook County and is proud to work and raise her family here.
“I am excited to be one of two staff members at ACAP to be recognized as a ROMA Implementer.” states Jamie. “The practices of ROMA ensure agencies are accountable to the communities they serve and the legacy of Community Action.”
Amy Murchison has worked in the nonprofit sector for 19 years and joined ACAP 6 years ago. Amy started her ACAP Career as an Early Head Start Home Visitor then transitioned to a Program Coordinator for the Early Care and Education Program. Amy supports implementation of program standards and collaborates with the Family Coaching team to support ACAP’s Whole Family Approach implementation. She has been a key staff member in ACAP’s adoption and implementation of the Whole Family and Comprehensive Service Delivery approach. Amy is a 2001 graduate of the Bachelor of Social Work program at the University of Maine at Presque Isle and is an Aroostook County native.
“Like Jamie, I am honored to be chosen as one of the two ACAP staff to participate in the ROMA Implementer certification process” says Amy. “Results Oriented Management and Accountability provides ACAP with a key tool as a Community Action Agency to address the needs of our community and continued work to meet ACAP’s mission.”
Results Oriented Management and Accountability (ROMA) is based upon principles contained in the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993. ROMA provides a framework for continuous growth and improvement. It is a complete management and accountability process that is focused on the results achieved as a result of an agency’s activities. The process to become a ROMA Implementer (NCRI) involves a demonstration of understanding of the basic concepts related to Results Oriented Management and Accountability, demonstration of experience in using ROMA in job duties, and acceptance of role in the national network to promote the use of the full ROMA Cycle in an agency. There are four phases to the training and certification process: taking an E-Course, attending a one-day Introduction to ROMA Training, preparation of a portfolio to demonstrate understanding of the concepts and use of the practices, and a final exam.
The use of ROMA was mandated though an amendment of the CSBG Act of 1998. It is part of the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG), which ACAP as a Community Action Agency (CAA) receives funding to change the lives of County residents for the better and help communities to become better places to live. CAA’s nationwide are change agents, not simply service providers. The change they focus on is the transition to self-sufficiency. Through the use of ROMA CAA’s are to project, not only the number of units of services they will provide and the number of people to be served but also to identify the number of results that will be achieved by these participants or by the CAAs themselves while working on community revitalization and building agency capacity.
Aroostook County Action Program is proud of the accomplishments of both agency leaders and looks forward to their contributions as the agency continues to serve over 14,000 Aroostook County residents annually. Their commitment to continued learning, the Aroostook County Action Program and our community is clearly demonstrated through this certification.
