Building and Maintaining the SSBG Data Portal

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Community Services

IT Media and Communications Program Integrity Solutions Technical Assistance

Challenge

The Office of Community Services (OCS) administers the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) for all 57 grant recipients and is responsible for reviewing and approving pre- and post-expenditure reports. It needed a streamlined system for data submission and review, supported by expertise in both data technology and SSBG policies and operations.

Solution

OCS contracted with our subsidiary, WRMA, to launch, maintain, enhance, and provide technical assistance for the SSBG Data Portal. The data portal provided a central place for grant recipients to get information about the SSBG and submit pre- and post-expenditure reporting requirements, and for federal reviewers to review and accept or reject submitted forms. WRMA’s SSBG team provided ongoing support to ensure smooth operations and high-quality data by:

Maintaining and enhancing the user-friendly SSBG Data Portal
Delivering timely technical assistance and resources to grant recipients
Validating and analyzing submitted data to strengthen accuracy and accountability
Developing public data tools, including the online SSBG Data Dashboard and downloadable datasets

1998-2025

Duration of contract

2023

Year the SSBG Data Dashboard was launched by WRMA on behalf of OCS, offering a free public resource for SSBG data visualization

26 million

Children and adults using SSBG funds supported in 2020

Learn More About This Project

SSBG Data Portal

In 2013, WRMA developed the SSBG Data Portal and went on to provide frequent feature additions and user experience enhancements. The portal served as a secure reporting system for all 57 SSBG grant recipients to submit federally required pre- and post-expenditure data. OCS program specialists used integrated review and communication tools to streamline approvals and maintain accountability.

SSBG Data Dashboard

To improve public access and transparency, WRMA supported the development of the SSBG Data Dashboard. As the only validated national SSBG data source beyond the Annual Report, it allowed users to easily visualize SSBG data online or download it directly instead of searching through lengthy PDF reports.