Office of Population Affairs (OPA)

This annual reporting requirement is for family planning services delivery projects authorized and funded under the Population Research and Voluntary Family Planning Programs (Section 1001 of Title X of the Public Health Service Act, 42 United States Code [USC] 300).

Annual submission of the Family Planning Annual Report (FPAR) is required of all Title X family planning services grantees for purposes of monitoring and reporting program performance (45 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] Part 742 and 45 CFR Part 923). FPAR data are presented in summary form, which protects the confidentiality of individuals who receive Title X-funded services (42 CFR Part 59).

The FPAR is the only source of annual, uniform reporting by all Title X family planning services grantees. It provides consistent, national-level data on the Title X Family Planning Program and its users.

Information from the FPAR is important to OPA for several reasons. First, FPAR data are used to monitor compliance with statutory requirements, regulations, and operational guidance set forth in the Program Guidelines for Project Grants for Family Planning Services ("Program Guidelines"), which include:

• Monitoring compliance with legislative mandates, such as giving priority in the provision of services to low-income persons [Section 1006(c) of Title X of the Public Health Service Act, 42 USC 300], and
• Ensuring that Title X grantees and their subcontractors provide a broad range of family planning methods and services [Section 1001(a) of Title X of the Public Health Service Act, 42 USC 300].

Second, OPA uses FPAR data to comply with accountability and federal performance requirements for Title X family planning funds as required by the 1993 Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA). Current GPRA performance goals for the Title X Family Planning Program include priority in the provision of family planning services to low-income individuals, access to and utilization of cervical and breast cancer screening, and access to on-site human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing at Title X-funded clinics.

Finally, the program relies on FPAR data to guide strategic and financial planning, to monitor performance, and to respond to inquiries from policymakers and Congress about the program. The FPAR allows OPA to assemble comparable and relevant program data to answer questions about the characteristics of the population served by Title X projects, utilization of services offered, composition of revenues, and program impact. FPAR data are the basis for objective grant reviews, program evaluation, and assessment of program technical needs.