Concept
DHS strives to be a dynamic, accountable and transparent agency, and to effectively and efficiently partner with community agencies to ensure that our mutual constituencies are provided with the opportunity to access the services they need.
In recent years, DHS has found that the current contracting system has severly limited DHS' ability to be flexible and responsive to emerging needs. Populations have shifted, needs have evolved, and the types of services and the number of providers has multiplied. The MAX Initiative was created to address today's environment and allow DHS the flexibility to respond to changing and emerging community needs.
MAX was created with three main objectives in mind:
- To increase the amount of DHS contract dollars that are competitively bid
- To increase the use of fee-for-service contracting to attract federal Medicaid match
- To utilize performance-based contracts
Rationale
MAX is intended to support the quality of services, foster creativity and innovation, and ensure that resources are allocated more efficiently. The RFP process provides a level of transparency, encourages all parties to reexamine programs and service delivery, and challenges both DHS and providers to become more innovative. It also encourages providers to specifically identify the goals, objectives, and outcomes of their programs.
