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regulations. The CalFresh E&T Management Evaluations Unit regularly coordinates and communicates with the Operations staff on any identified deficiencies or weaknesses in the county. Describe the State's relationships and communication with intermediaries or E&T providers. The CDSS is county-administered with state oversight, and through this structure, first-line communications and relationships exist between the state and CWDs/State Partners (including the Foundation for California Community Colleges intermediary, Fresh Success). Local program development, technical assistance, and operational compliance are shared areas of collaboration between the state and local program administrators. In-person, written (both formal and informal), and virtual communication methods are maintained between organizations, ensuring all parties are informed and supported within the CalFresh E&T Program. Describe how the State agency shares new policies, procedures, or other information with the intermediary or other E&T provider. The CDSS shares new policies, procedures, and other regulatory guidance for CalFresh E&T with counties and state partners, including CDSS intermediary (Fresh Success), through All County Letters, All County Information Notices, All County Welfare Directors Letters, and County Fiscal Letters on CDSS’ public website. In addition, CDSS supports compliance practices for state partners through ongoing technical assistance, partnership forums, Management Evaluations, webinars, and Annual Training. The CDSS communicates with the participating counties and state partners to convey important policy updates or interpretations, convey programmatic changes, collect required plan documents and reports, and conduct compliance reviews, referred to as “management evaluations”. The primary modes of communication are via publication of guidance found on CDSS’ website, direct emails to the point of contact staff, and phone calls. The CDSS CalFresh E&T team has at least three analysts assigned to each county and state partner by region to add a localized perspective when providing technical assistance. • Counties and state partners communicate directly with their CDSS regional analysts and program managers by phone or email and the general CalFresh E&T mailbox when they have questions. • The CDSS conducts webinars/trainings that include: Partnership Forums, CalFresh E&T Annual Training, and Data and Reporting. • The CDSS conducts management evaluations for all participating counties and state partners. Counties and state partners communicate policy and programmatic changes with their sub-recipients and include those processes in their E&T Annual Plans. Describe how the State agency, intermediaries, and E&T providers share participant data and information. Include the names of any MIS systems (or other modes of communication) used. The CDSS has access to the MIS system used by the counties to capture CalFresh recipient data elements. The current MIS system used is CalSAWS. All counties and state partners send E&T participant information to the CDSS through secure automated file exchange (SAFE). Access to the SAFE is granted by the CDSS, upon submission of the User Access Form- GEN 1395 and security is ensured by the CDSS Information Systems Division (ISD). If the State uses a MIS system, describe the E&T related data that is tracked and stored in those systems (e.g. referrals, noncompliance with program requirements, provider determination, etc.), and whether the system(s) interact with each other. 1/28/26, 11:04 AM State Plan CA FY26 - Original Submission https://dam-fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/microsite/snapet-cafy26stateplan//index.html 32/286