State Letter #10-01

Data Submission Procedures for FY 2010 Refugee Social Services (Including Secondary Migration Data) and Targeted Assistance Grant Formula Allocations

Publication Date: November 24, 2009
Current as of:

TO: STATE REFUGEE COORDINATORS
NATIONAL VOLUNTARY AGENCIES
OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES

FROM: Eskinder Negash, Director
Office of Refugee Resettlement

SUBJECT: Data Submission Procedures for FY 2010 Refugee Social Services (Including Secondary Migration Data) and Targeted Assistance Grant Formula Allocations

This State Letter is intended to inform States of the timeline and requirements for data submission for FY 2010 Refugee Social Services and Targeted Assistance Grant formula allocations, via the ORR Data Submission Website (as first described in State Letter #07-02.

The ORR Data Submission Website is now an approved OMB Data Collection instrument which expires April 30, 2012. This OMB approved data collection replaces the ORR-11, which is now obsolete. Changes in the issuance of the leading three digits of the social security number by the Social Security Administration (SSA) made the ORR-11 invalid for purposes of collection of secondary migrant data. All references to the ORR-11 have been removed from the Data Submission Website. For more information about this change, please refer to the attached Federal Register Notice (74 FR, No. 51, 11585-11586).

The Data Submission Website allows States to upload data files securely and permits ORR to provide verification to States of receipt of the data, perform front-end editing to reject invalid data immediately after receipt with explanation of reasons for rejection, and to resubmit corrected files.  This process has ensured that States’ final data submissions are complete and correctly formatted to maximize probability of accurate data matching and formula allocations. This Data Submission Website will be used once again to determine FY 2010 formula allocations.

States will upload the following data files to the Data Submission Website:

  • Social Services Secondary Migration data file: For this file, States provide the number of refugees and entrants who were resettled in the U.S. for 36 months or less as of September 30, 2009, and who had initially been resettled in another State. Asylees are not reported in Secondary Migration data files; only refugees and entrants are included. The data will be used in determining Refugee Social Services formula allocation amounts (allocation levels are adjusted for secondary migration).
  • Social Services Asylee and Entrant files: States provide data on asylees and entrants they have served that arrived in the U.S. between October 1, 2006 and September 30, 2009. These data will be matched against ORR’s Refugee Arrivals Data System ( RADS) and verified records will be used in determining formula allocation amounts.
  • Targeted Assistance Asylee and Entrant files: Only the 30 States that are qualified recipients of Targeted Assistance formula awards as determined in FY 2008 should report data for asylees and entrants they have served that arrived in the U.S. between October 1, 2004 and September 30, 2009. These data will be matched against ORR’s RADS. Verified records will be used in determining formula allocation amounts. Please note that in order to utilize secondary migration data in determining Targeted Assistance formula allocations at the county level, ORR would need to receive accurate county-level secondary migration data from all the States. To date, all States have not been able to provide county-level data for matching.

In preparation for FY 2010 Social Services and Targeted Assistance formula allocations:

  • States should submit the name, e-mail address, and telephone number for a primary and an alternate user of the website system to Gayle Smith by e-mail at gayle.smith@acf.hhs.gov by COB December 11, 2009. All prior users must be reauthorized to gain access to the website.
  • States are invited to submit asylee and entrant data for FY 2010 Refugee Social Services and Targeted Assistance formula allocations, as well as Secondary Migration data for refugees and entrants, in the 32-day period between January 11 and February 8, 2010. The website will be open 24 hours a day, seven days per week during this period.
  • The primary and alternate users identified in response to this letter will receive instructions on use of the web-based data submission system prior to January 11, 2010, directly from General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT), ORR’s contractor for the Refugee Arrivals Data System and the Data Submission Website.
  • The only opportunity to submit data is from January 11 to February 8, 2010.

Please direct questions to Gayle Smith at (202) 205-3590.