Page 12
ORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS State agencies are required to include information on the organizational relationship between the units responsible for certification and the units operating the E&T components, including units of the statewide workforce development system, if available. For the purposes of the questions below, E&T providers are considered to include units of the statewide workforce development system. FNS is specifically interested in ensuring that the lines of communication are efficient and that, if applicable, noncompliance with mandatory E&T is reported to the certification unit within 10 working days after the noncompliance occurs, per 7 CFR 273.7(c)(4). State agencies must also include information on the relationship between the State agency and other organizations it plans to coordinate with for the provision of services. The following questions are about how the E&T program is structured in your State agency. Indicate which division within the SNAP State agency is responsible for the E&T program. (i.e. establishes E&T policy, contracts for E&T services, monitors providers). For example, explain if the E&T program unit is separate from the SNAP certification unit, and if there are separate E&T units at the county level. ND DHHS oversees the SNAP program in North Dakota. The Office of Economic Assistance within ND DHHS manages the SNAP E&T program, which includes the establishment of E&T policies, contracts, and the monitoring of third-party E&T partners. The SNAP E&T team consists of a SNAP E&T Administrator and a SNAP Program Specialist. How does the E&T unit coordinate and communicate on an ongoing basis with the units responsible for certification policy? A majority of the communication between eligibility workers and E&T case managers is done within SPACES via work items. The SA will communicate with eligibility and E&T case workers via: Email Phone teams meetings FYI’s on the DHHS Insider E&T case managers use email as the form of communication for provider determinations. Describe the State's relationships and communication with intermediaries or E&T providers. Participant data and information is submitted to the State SNAP office on a monthly basis in a program tracking excel spreadsheet. The program tracking excel spreadsheet has the same design for both BEST and NDWORKS, but is tailored to the needs of each program. Describe how the State agency shares new policies, procedures, or other information with the intermediary or other E&T provider. When policy is updated, a Manual Letter is published on the Department’s SharePoint website (DHHS Insider). Policy staff will also post FYI’s for more immediate updates on the DHHS Insider. FYIs are emailed out to all HSZ employees. 1/29/26, 8:17 AM State Plan ND FY26 - Original Submission https://dam-fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/microsite/snapet-northdakotafy26stateplan//index.html 12/71