Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the INSERT NAME OF LOCAL COC
and INSERT NAME OF LOCAL CoC PROVIDER AGENCY

I.	BACKGROUND
Provisions in HUD’s Continuum of Care (CoC) Program and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) Program interim rules require that all CoCs establish a coordinated entry system.  Minnesota funders of homeless and housing assistance have also adopted the coordinated entry system requirement for their grantees.  

Coordinated Entry Systems (CES) represent a CoC-wide process for facilitating access to all homeless designated resources, identifying and assessing the needs of persons experiencing a housing crisis, and referring clients to the most appropriate service strategy or housing intervention.  The Minnesota Coordinated Entry System (MN CES) is a strategy guided by statewide framework that enables all Minnesota CoCs to more consistently and accurately document needs, enables comparisons and analysis across all CoC jurisdictions, and ensures limited resources are allocated to achieve the most effective results.

II.	GUIDING PRINCPLES OF THE MINNESOTA CES
As adopted by the Minnesota CES Interim Decision Group (IDG), the following guiding principles have been adopted by all 10 MN CoCs and the MN tribal nations.  This MOU ensures that the local CoC provider in the INSERT COC NAME also agrees to adopt these guiding principles:

1.	Adopt statewide standards but allow flexibility for local customization beyond baseline standard.

2.	Promote client-centered practices – Every person experiencing homelessness should be treated with dignity, offered at least minimal assistance, and participate in their own housing plan.  CoCs will provide ongoing opportunities for client participation in the development, oversight, and evaluation of coordinated assessment.  Participants should be offered choice whenever possible.  

3.	Prioritize most vulnerable participants as the primary factor among many considerations – Limited resources should be direct first to persons and families who are most vulnerable*.  Less vulnerable persons and families will be assisted as resources allow.  
*Vulnerability will be defined locally.

4.	Eliminate barriers to housing placement – Identify system practices and individual project eligibility criteria which may contribute to excluding participants from services and work to eliminate those barriers.  Barriers could include conditions such as income or sobriety as eligibility requirements for enrollment.

5.	Transparency – Make thoughtful decisions and communicate directives openly and clearly.

6.	Exercise continuous quality improvement efforts – Continually strive for effectiveness and efficiency and agree to make changes when those objectives are not achieved.

7.	Promote collaborative and inclusive planning and decision making practices.

8.	Diversity – Acknowledge and honor tribal sovereignty; respect cultural, regional, programmatic, linguistic, and philosophical differences.

9.	State and local communities will use CE data to analyze local and statewide housing needs and create a diversity of housing options.

III.	Purpose 
While Minnesota has established a statewide strategy for CES, that strategy also requires that each local CoC design and implement their own local CES that reflects local community resources, client needs, provider capacity and unique CoC geography characteristics.  

In order to ensure the consistent implementation of the MN CES Guiding Principles and Strategic Plan, the MN CES IDG has developed several documents, including this MOU, to establish standard local agreements for the implementation of MN CES.  Additionally, this MOU ensures that all providers in each local CoC are using the coordinated entry system in an open, transparent, and consistent way.

IV.	responsibilities of the coc

(INSERT LOCAL COC NAME) will:

Planning 
1)	Represent the CoC at MN CES IDG meetings, and provide regular updates on the MN CES efforts to the local CoC; 

2)	Execute a CES partnership agreement with any CoC, tribal nation, or other jurisdiction with which CES data will be shared, eligibility criteria and program preferences will be coordinated, cross-jurisdictional referrals will be coordinated, or CES planning and management decisions will be coordinated.

3)	Coordinate with local ESG recipients in the INSERT COC NAME on coordinated entry, performance measurement, written standards, and other related topics;

4)	Coordinate, integrate, and leverage resources to maximize impact of services for individuals who are experiencing homelessness;

5)	Identify CES lead entity (or persons) charged with managing daily activities associated with CES planning, implementation, operations, and evaluation.

6)	Develop written standards for the local CoC, as required by the CoC Program interim rule, which include descriptions of local program components that are in alignment with the definitions provided in the MN CES Strategic Plan;

7)	Develop and implement written policies and procedures on how the local CoCs CES will be operated;

8)	Provide at least annual training to all staff dedicated to the local CES;

9)	Provide guidance and feedback to CES staff in their CoC;

10)	Oversee the client grievance and any local case conferencing process as necessary; 

Access
11)	Identify local access points for its CES that cover the CoCs geography and can be accessed by all households in need of assistance; 

12)	Develop an affirmative marketing plan that communicates how local stakeholders can access their local CES; 

13)	Provide marketing materials to local providers to ensure consistent communication about the CES;

Assessment 

14)	Incorporate the CoC agreed tool (i.e. Vulnerability Index-Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool (VI-SPDAT)) as a component of the Comprehensive Assessment phase of their local CES;

15)	Ensure that the locally defined assessment process includes an assessment tool that is publicly available, well-crafted, comprehensive, and results in an explicit score or referral result for all households that complete it; 

Referral
16)	In concert with the CoC agreed (i.e.VI-SPDAT) referral scores, publish local standards for prioritization and referral, and ensure that all participating providers are following these expectations;

17)	Ensure that local CoC agencies are providing consumers with the opportunity to enroll in CoC component types that are less intensive, but not more intensive, that the CES referral choice offered; 

Data and Evaluation 
18)	Work with the MN Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) staff to maintain the CoCs implementation of HMIS, including the MN CES Workflow;

19)	Provide open HMIS access to CES staff in their CoC;

20)	Provide regular performance reports to agencies participating in CES. 

21)	Evaluate at least annually the CoCs CES performance and progress of the CES.  Implement quality improvement adjustments to the CES as necessary. 

RESPONSIBILITIES OF PARTICIPATING PROVIDERS

(INSERT LOCAL PROVIDER NAME) will: 

Planning
1)	Participate in the CoC’s Coordinated Entry planning and management activities as established by CoC leadership; 

2)	Publish written standards for client eligibility and enrollment determination; 

3)	Notify the CoC of any changes to staffing that impact CES;

4)	Ensure that all staff participating in CES receive at least annual training from the CoC on the system;

5)	Provide regular supervision of staff participating in CES; 

Access
6)	Ensure that persons experiencing a housing crisis must access CoC services and housing using CoC defined access points; 

7)	Communicate project vacancies (bed and/or unit) to the CES administrative entity established by CoC leadership; 

8)	Limit project eligibility requirements to those that are required by funders; 

Assessment
9)	Use the locally defined assessment tool for coordinated entry; 

10)	Only use the locally defined assessment tool for coordinated entry when assessing for client eligibility and referrals; 

Referral
11)	Only enroll those clients referred according to the CoC’s designated referral strategy; 

12)	Provide consumers with the opportunity to enroll in CoC component types that are less intensive, but not more intensive, that the CES referral choice offered;

Data and Evaluation 
13)	Enter all data on clients in HMIS, as required by MN HMIS data timeliness, completeness, and quality standards; 

14)	Review any reports from the CoC on the performance of the agency in CES; and 

15)	Ensure that the agency is meeting local performance standards for CES

V.	CONFIDENTIALITY

All parties agree that they shall be bound by and shall abide by all applicable Federal or State statutes or regulations pertaining to the confidentiality of client records or information, including volunteers.  The parties shall not use or disclose any information about a recipient of the services provided under this agreement for any purpose connected with the parties’ contract responsibilities, except with the written consent of such recipient, recipient’s attorney, or recipient’s parent or guardian.

VI.	EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

The LOCAL COC and AGENCY mutually agree to be bound by and abide by all applicable anti-discrimination statues, regulations, policies, and procedures as may be applicable under any Federal or State contracts, statutes, or regulations, or otherwise as presently or hereinafter adopted by the agency.

VII.	TERMs of Agreement 

This MOU shall be effective upon adoption by each signatory agency and entity.  Annually, this MOU will be reviewed and updated to incorporate changes and clarification of roles and responsibilities.  Any part must provide written notice of change ninety (90) days before the annual termination date or it will be automatically renewed.  Otherwise, this Agreement may be terminated in accordance with the section on Termination below. 

Tribal Sovereignty- this agreement or any subsequent agreements shall not require an Indian tribe or band to deny their sovereignty as a requirement or condition.  

Termination. Any party may terminate this MOU for any reason or no reason by giving the other parties ninety (90) days prior written notice.  The party wishing to terminate this agreement for cause must provide a written intent to terminate notice to the party in breach or default.  The notice will provide thirty (30) days for the party in breach or default to respond to said notice with an acceptable plan to cure cause for termination

Severability. If any provision of this Agreement is judged invalid by any court, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect and be interpreted, performed and enforced as if the invalid provisions were not part of this Agreement.”

INSERT PROVIDER NAME					INSERT COC NAME

Signed:  							Signed: 				__________

Print Name:  							Print Name:  			___________

Title:    				                 			Title:  					

Date:  								Date: