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Office of Planning, Analysis and Evaluation

The Office of Planning, Analysis and Evaluation (OPAE) serves as an agency source for policy analysis, data synthesis, organizational planning, external engagements, research, and evaluation. OPAE’s work assists the agency's bureaus and offices in their efforts to improve program performance and effectiveness which ultimately, helps to attain their strategic planning goals.  

OPAE works proactively and collaboratively across all of HRSA's divisions, bureaus and offices, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and other Federal and external stakeholders. OPAE's goal is to foster communication, promote innovation, solicit input, coordinate efforts, build partnerships, and identify opportunities for cross-agency initiatives.  

Core Functions

Coordination of HRSA Affordable Care Act Activities, including implementing 63 provisions in the law. OPAE is responsible for ACA-related reporting, tracking, and clearance coordination within the agency and department. Additionally, OPAE serves as the principal HRSA resource for all ACA implementation issues across the HHS, including facilitation of partnerships and collaborations with other parts of HHS.  

Strategic Planning, Performance Monitoring and Reporting, including coordinating strategic planning process and performance assessment for HRSA; reporting on program performance for Office of Management and Budget requests and GPRA assessments; facilitating components of HRSA’s internal performance management process; and consulting across the agency on performance measurement.

Policy Analysis of issues and implications arising from legislation, budget proposals, regulatory actions and federal and state program or policy and their impact on safety net populations, providers, and health care systems; support HRSA staff and grantees in broadening their understanding of HRSA programs and national health policy developments including health care system and financing issues.

Research and Evaluation, including conducting internal evaluation and research studies, coordinating HRSA’s data collection efforts, and providing consultation services to HRSA offices and bureaus on their evaluation and research activities. OPAE ensures participant privacy and human subjects protection with respect to data collection activities and collaborates with HRSA programs to build agency data infrastructure and address external information requests.

External Engagement, including coordination of HRSA’s programmatic interaction with HHS agencies, other Federal agencies, State and local governments (including legislatures), and the national organizations that represent State and local officials, including contact between HRSA and the Regional Commissions. In addition, OPAE operates as the HRSA liaison to manage and coordinate study engagements with the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the HHS Office of the Inspector General (OIG) Office of Evaluation and Inspection (OEI).

Other Initiatives

IOM Study on Integrating Primary Care and Public Health. In September 2010, HRSA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) co-funded the 21-month study addressing the overarching question: How do we improve population health and reduce health disparities through effective integration and coordination of public health and primary care?

Healthy Weight Collaborative. In September, 2010, HRSA awarded $5 million for the creation of the Prevention Center for Healthy Weight to the National Initiative for Children’s Healthcare Quality (NICHQ).  This 30 month cooperative agreement to support a national quality improvement effort designed to prevent and treat obesity in the United States was funded by the Prevention and Public Health Fund, created by the Affordable Care Act.