Data Analyst & Data Program Manager/Specialist

Novalink Solutions LLC•Baton Rouge, LA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Office of Technology Services (OTS) was established to recognize cost savings through the consolidation of State IT assets and resources. OTS leads the State’s technology procurement process to standardize technology, seek operational efficiencies, and ensure scalability of new products. This role involves providing temporary IT personnel for Data Analyst and Data Program Manager/Specialist positions. The scope of services includes cost allocation, financial modeling, documentation, implementation support, and federal claiming support for various United States Department of Labor (USDOL) grants, Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) grants, the SNAP Employment and Training (SNAP E&T) grant, TANF grant, and other federal funds awarded to Louisiana Works. Resources will be available to work both onsite and remotely. Louisiana Works administers multiple federally funded programs and requires a compliant, documented, and sustainable cost allocation methodology to ensure costs are charged to benefiting programs and support accurate federal claiming and financial reporting. This engagement focuses on establishing a defensible administrative cost allocation methodology that supports integrated operations while ensuring compliance with federal and state cost principles and claiming requirements. The services require professional accounting judgment, interpretation of federal and state cost principles (2 CFR 200), development of cost allocation methodologies, and preparation of financial documentation supporting federal claiming. The Contractor shall evaluate direct and indirect costs, shared services, program operations, IT, fiscal functions, policy, oversight, and management that benefit one or more covered grants. Target implementation dates are July 1, 2027, and October 1, 2027, dependent on timely contract execution.

Requirements

Professional accounting judgment, including the interpretation and application of federal and state cost principles (2 CFR 200).
Development of cost allocation methodologies.
Preparation of financial documentation supporting federal claiming.
Application of professional accounting standards and judgment in the development of cost allocation methodologies and support financial documentation for federal claiming.
Ensure that all analysis, methodologies, and recommendations are consistent with, at minimum: 2 CFR Part 200 (Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards), 45 CFR Part 95 (Subpart E –Cost Allocation Plans), USDOL, RSA, FNS, and other applicable federal agencies administrative claiming guidance, and Applicable USDOL, Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), FNS, TANF, and other program-specific grant requirements.
Explicitly identify how proposed methodologies align with these requirements.
Cite specific regulatory authority supporting each proposed cost pool, allocation base, and methodology.
Identify any areas where Louisiana Works’s current practices or interim controls may not fully align with federal requirements and provide recommendations to achieve compliance.
All recommendations shall be supported by documentation sufficient to withstand federal review.
Coordinate regularly with Louisiana Works Fiscal leadership and designated program staff.
Perform work collaboratively with Louisiana Works personnel through structured working sessions.
Designate a project lead responsible for coordinating project activities, facilitating working sessions with Louisiana Works staff, and maintaining a project timeline.
Review existing funding structures.
Analyze current allocation of personnel, IT, policy, fiscal, and management costs.
Evaluate interim time coding controls.
Identify areas of potential noncompliance, unsupported allocation methodology, or misalignment with federal cost principles.
Provide a written assessment identifying compliance risks and required corrective actions.
Document current cost pools, allocation bases, coding structures, and administrative claiming flows.
Develop a compliant and fully supportable administrative cost allocation methodology.
Identify shared administrative cost pools.
Define appropriate and supportable allocation bases.
Develop allocation formulas and distribution methodologies.
Address treatment of eligibility operations, integrated IT systems and system development costs, policy and program oversight, fiscal and administrative support functions, and management and supervisory functions.
Provide financial modeling quantifying projected federal and state share impacts.
Provide written justification for each cost pool and allocation base.
Include recommended internal control procedures and documentation requirements.
Define reporting and coding structure necessary to operationalize the methodology.
Determine and document the appropriate public assistance cost allocation plan structure and supporting documentation.
Determine whether revisions to existing cost allocation documentation are required.
Determine whether new or amended grant-specific cost allocation documentation is required.
Prepare complete Public Assistance Cost Allocation Plan narratives, schedules, and allocation documentation.
Assist Louisiana Works in developing and providing responses to federal questions.
Provide technical and accounting support during the federal review and approval process.
Prepare written responses to federal inquiries.
Participate in meetings or technical discussions with federal reviewers.
Revise documentation as necessary to address federal feedback.
Develop a detailed implementation roadmap.
Provide specific guidance for aligning administrative allocation.
Provide comprehensive documentation sufficient for Louisiana Works to maintain, apply, and update the methodology internally.
Identify any required changes to time reporting, coding structures, or financial system configuration.
Evaluate and quantify opportunities to maximize allowable federal reimbursement.
Analyze the financial impact of anticipated changes in federal participation and reimbursement rates.
Evaluate current and proposed allocation methodology to ensure all allowable administrative costs are properly identified, supported, and claimed.
Identify and document opportunities to maximize allowable federal reimbursement.
Develop detailed fiscal modeling to project federal and state share impacts.
Provide recommendations to stabilize and protect federal revenue streams.
Quantify the estimated annual fiscal impact of recommended allocation changes.

Nice To Haves

Experience with prospective time coding and other cost-capture controls.

Responsibilities

Complete cost allocation, financial modeling, documentation, implementation support, and federal claiming support for all United States Department of Labor (USDOL) grants, all Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) grants, the SNAP Employment and Training (SNAP E&T) grant, TANF grant, and any other federal funds awarded to Louisiana Works.
Assess current cost controls and recommend improvements needed to support compliant federal claiming under the covered grants.
Develop a defensible administrative cost allocation methodology that supports integrated operations while ensuring compliance with federal and state cost principles and claiming requirements.
Evaluate direct and indirect costs, shared services, program operations, information technology, fiscal functions, policy and oversight, management, and other applicable administrative functions that benefit one or more covered grants.
Coordinate regularly with Louisiana Works Fiscal leadership and designated program staff throughout the engagement.
Designate a project lead responsible for coordinating project activities, facilitating working sessions with Louisiana Works staff, and maintaining a project timeline.
Review existing funding structures for USDOL, VR, SNAP E&T, TANF and any other federal fund administrative functions.
Analyze the current allocation of personnel, IT, policy, fiscal, and management costs.
Evaluate the interim time coding controls implemented by Louisiana Works.
Identify areas of potential noncompliance, unsupported allocation methodology, or misalignment with federal cost principles.
Provide a written assessment identifying compliance risks and required corrective actions.
Document current cost pools, allocation bases, coding structures (including WBS, cost centers, internal orders), and administrative claiming flows for each affected program, including identification of any undocumented allocation assumptions currently relied upon for federal claiming.
Develop a compliant and fully supportable administrative cost allocation methodology in accordance with federal and state cost principles and reporting requirements.
Identify shared administrative cost pools across USDOL, VR, SNAP E&T, TANF, and any other federal programs.
Define appropriate and supportable allocation bases for each cost pool.
Develop allocation formulas and distribution methodologies that are fully supported and consistent with federal and state cost principles.
Address treatment of eligibility operations, integrated IT systems and system development costs, policy and program oversight, fiscal and administrative support functions, and management and supervisory functions.
Provide financial modeling quantifying projected federal and state share impacts under both current and proposed allocation methodologies.
Provide written justification demonstrating that the allocation method is necessary, reasonable, allocable, and consistently applied in accordance with federal and state cost principles for each cost pool and allocation base.
Include recommended internal control procedures and documentation requirements to ensure ongoing compliance and audit support, and consistency in application of methodology.
Define, for each cost pool and allocation base, the reporting and coding structure necessary to operationalize the methodology, including how costs will be captured, tracked, and reported within Louisiana Works financial systems and federal claiming processes.
Determine and document the appropriate public assistance cost allocation plan structure and supporting documentation needed for the covered grants.
Determine whether revisions to the existing cost allocation documentation are required.
Determine whether new or amended grant-specific cost allocation documentation is required for any covered funding source.
Prepare complete Public Assistance Cost Allocation Plan narratives, schedules, and allocation documentation necessary to support federal submission.
Assist Louisiana Works in developing and providing responses to federal questions associated with the methodology and Public Assistance Cost Allocation Plan submission.
Provide technical and accounting support to Louisiana Works during the federal review and approval process associated with the cost allocation methodology and public assistance cost allocation documentation.
Prepare written responses to federal inquiries, participate in meetings or technical discussions with federal reviewers as requested by Louisiana Works, and revise documentation as necessary to address federal feedback.
Develop a detailed implementation roadmap to support implementation of the methodology aligned with Louisiana Works’ target date of July 1, 2027.
Provide specific guidance for aligning administrative allocation effective July 1, 2027, including interim steps necessary prior to full implementation.
Provide comprehensive documentation sufficient for Louisiana Works to maintain, apply, and update the methodology internally.
Identify any required changes to time reporting, coding structures, or financial system configuration necessary to support the approved allocation methodology.
Evaluate and quantify opportunities to maximize allowable federal reimbursement consistent with federal and state cost principles and claiming requirements.
Analyze the financial impact of the anticipated change in applicable federal participation and reimbursement rates beginning Federal Fiscal Year 2028.
Evaluate the current and proposed allocation methodology to ensure all allowable administrative costs benefiting USDOL, VR, SNAP E&T, TANF, and any other federal programs are properly identified, supported, and claimed.
Identify and document opportunities to maximize allowable federal reimbursement.
Develop detailed fiscal modeling to project federal and state share impacts under current allocation structure, proposed allocation methodology, and revised federal participation rates.
Provide recommendations to stabilize and protect federal revenue streams associated with integrated program and administrative operations and quantify the estimated annual fiscal impact of recommended allocation changes under applicable federal participation and reimbursement rates.