Planning Coordination & Quality Control (PQC)

General Description of Functions/Services

Staff of the Planning Coordination & Quality Control Unit are called upon by the Secretary and by staff of the various Divisions to provide technical assistance, carry out special in-depth research and analysis, and manage projects of the types described below:

• Birth to Three (Part C) Early Intervention System
  This is the administrative unit for the statewide Birth to Three Early Intervention System in Delaware. It supports a coordinated system of Early Intervention as outlined in Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This system provides resource and policy information concerning services for children ages birth to three years with developmental disabilities or delays and their families. Through Child Development Watch, Division of Public Health, the system provides assessments, service coordination, Individualized Family Service Plans, and referrals to community services to families of children with disabilities or developmental delays. The system assists families in coordinating services  based on their child’s disability or delay. Eligibility is based on diagnosis and degree of developmental delay, not on the family’s income.
• Human Subjects Review Board (HSRB)
  The HSRB functions in accordance with federal regulations governing Institutional Review Boards. The Board’s activities are managed by this Unit, providing both the chairperson and primary staffing. Projects must be submitted for HSRB review whenever Department clients are to be the subjects of a research project. This mandate covers research done both by DHSS staff and outside researchers. Only after a project has been approved by the Board and the DHSS Secretary can it be carried out. The Board must have at least 12 members, three of whom must be from outside the Department. Currently, there are four outside members, representing the areas of law, ethics, prisoner advocacy and nursing.
• Quality Control
  This unit determines the eligibility for and accuracy of the benefits received by clients for Food Stamps and  Medicaid. It also provides feedback to the Division of Social Services staff regarding findings and assists in developing solutions to problems identified.
• Special Projects/Analysis of Cross-Cutting Issues/Program Coordination
  Topics handled by this unit are usually those that affect more than one target population, typically involving several Divisions within DHSS and possibly outside stakeholders/consumers/advocates. Generally, the project involves bringing together a group of subject matter experts from throughout the Department to fulfill the given assignment.
• Strategic Planning
  This unit oversees the development of the Department’s strategic plan. This identifies the Department’s key objectives in each of several core services. It also describes the internal & external factors affecting the achievement of those objectives, activities conducted, and the performance measures used to track the Department’s effectiveness. Strategic planning guidelines & department level plans are available at the Budget office website .

Additional Information

• Services
  • Birth to Three
  • Human Subjects Review Board review
• Publications and Forms
• PQC Contact Information
• Service and Administrative Office Locations