Systems Improvement

Definition and Overview

Systems improvement activities generally refer to collaborative and strategic processes that identify complex problems, develop community-driven solutions, and implement improvements. Examples of systems improvement activities include:

• Data collection, management, analysis, and system integration: Projects related to collecting, managing, and analyzing data and/or integrating data systems to advance communities’ homelessness efforts. Data-related proposals may be related to the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), an HMIS comparable database (i.e., a database for “victim service providers”), and/or other coordinated activities that use data to strengthen communities’ understanding of and response to homelessness.
• Coordination: Coordination across communities, regions, and/or the state at-large, including but not limited to case conferencing, coordinated entry systems, capacity-building and infrastructure, cross-sector partnerships, and other efforts.
• Resource utilization acceleration: Projects related to enhancing utilization of currently available resources, increasing speed of connection of resources to eligible households, or otherwise ensuring that homeless response systems connect households to resources as efficiently and effectively as possible.