LSC seeks comment on draft revisions to its Technology Baselines: Technologies that Should Be in Place in a Legal Office Today (Baselines).
LSC hosted a webinar regarding these draft revisions on March 29, 2023. It provided attendees a brief review of the purpose and history of the Baselines, a summary of significant updates, and information on submitting comments to improve the revised Baselines document prior to its official release.
Please view the recording of the webinar via this Zoom link:
COMMENTS ARE DUE April 21, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. LSC will not consider comments submitted after the deadline.
Comments must be submitted as follows:
- Acrobat PDF format.
- Emailed as an attachment to a transmittal message sent to: techgrants@lsc.gov.
- Emailed with the subject line: Comments on Technology Baselines.
Questions about the draft revisions to the Baselines should be sent to techgrants@lsc.gov with the subject line: Questions about Technology Baselines Comments.
LSC first adopted the Baselines in 2008 and revised them in 2015. The Baselines address the use of technology in providing high-quality legal services to clients. They set out the technology capacities that LSC grantees should have in place or have available to them through a vendor or a partner. They also serve as a resource for LSC during reviews of grantees’ program quality. They are not minimum requirements.
- For reference: 2015 Technology Baselines
The draft revisions reflect the significant changes in the way legal services are delivered because of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the growth in cybersecurity threats since 2015. They include consideration of remote/hybrid work environments, cloud computing and policies, new security baselines for networks and data, document management strategies, social media policy, and the use of web and video conferencing systems. A summary of significant updates by section can be found in the draft document.
LSC conducted a comprehensive review and overhaul of the Accounting Guide for LSC Recipients (2010) with input from LSC grantees and LSC fiscal compliance analysis staff. The new Financial Guide removes outdated or inapplicable materials, improves material directly related to LSC-specific issues, and adds clarity about required and recommended financial practices, among other innovations. LSC announced the opportunity for public comment in the Federal Register. The comment period ended October 15, 2020.
- Federal Register Notice with background and instructions, 85 FR 40688 (June 7, 2020)
- Draft Financial Guide for Public Comment (July 7, 2020)
- LSC Financial Guide Reference to Updates and New Requirements (July 7, 2020)
- Comments Submitted (link to public folder in Box.com)
On December 15, 2021, LSC published a notice in the Federal Register seeking comment on specific revised sections of the Financial Guide. LSC previously conducted a complete overhaul of the Guide and sought comments on the overall document. In response to comments received on that draft, LSC revised certain sections of the Guide and now seeks comment on those limited changes. The comment period closed on January 31, 2022.
- Federal Register Notice with background and instructions. 86 FR 71288 (Dec. 15, 2021)
- Draft Financial Guide for Public Comment (December 15, 2021)
- Comments Submitted (link to a public folder in Box.com)
LSC revised the Performance Criteria it uses to evaluate the quality of grantees’ legal assistance. LSC sought comments on the proposed changes to Performance Area 4, “Effectiveness of Governance, Leadership, and Administration.” LSC announced the opportunity for public comment in the federal register. The comment period ended June 5, 2017.
LSC revised its process for developing the Grant Assurances for the Basic Field Grant program. LSC renamed the Grant Assurances the Grant Terms and Conditions, and made them part of the Requests for Proposals to better notify Basic Field Grant applicants about the legal, regulatory, and contractual grant requirements. Finally, LSC proposed adding several terms to the Grant Terms and Conditions. The comment period ended May 8, 2017.
LSC drafted a program letter discussing minimum requirements for LSC recipients when collecting financial eligibility information from applicants through automated intake systems, and when such systems can make financial eligibility requirements. The comment period ended May 16.
Final Program Letter 16-6: Final Guidelines for Automated Financial-Eligibility Screening
Federal Register Notice | LSC: Final Guidelines for Automated Financial-Eligibility Screening