"Governor Gilmore announced today that Virginia has received a $7.9 million high performance bonus for exceptional performance..."

Downers Grove, IL -- UPP Business Systems Consultant Jack Reid, charged with Federal Reporting for the Department of Social Services for the Commonwealth of Virginia, came across some interesting information: Virginia, along with only three other states, had not applied for the Federal High Performance Bonus.

The High Performance Bonus is part of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program created by the 1996 Federal welfare reform legislation. The bonuses reward the ten highest performing states for annual results in each of four categories: job entry, success in the workforce, improvement in job entry, and improvement in success in the workforce.

Reid learned that if Virginia could turn in the necessary information by the deadline, they could apply for the bonus. Jack and his team, including Unisys MAPPER expert and fellow UPP consultant, Rajesh Kumar, had just six weeks to get the job done.

Mission accomplished. Once all the numbers were in, Virginia was able to show a 63.27 percent placement rate. And, the Commonwealth learned that they would receive the maximum allowable award of $7.9 million for exceptional performance in placing TANF recipients in jobs.

High Performance Bonus grants can actually be applied for and received on an annual basis. Accordingly, Virginia now provides the necessary reports quarterly, as required, with the help of Cindy Davidson, yet another UPP Consultant.

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