# RCW 43.216.035: RCW 43.216.035: Office of innovation, alignment, and accountability—Duties and focus > Washington · Statutes · In force URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T43_C216_S035 ## Section - **Citation:** RCW 43.216.035 - **Heading:** RCW 43.216.035: Office of innovation, alignment, and accountability—Duties and focus - **Jurisdiction:** Washington - **Kind:** Statutes - **Status:** In force - **Text as of:** August 14, 2026 - **Source:** Compiled text - **Location:** Washington Code / Title 43 / Chapter 216 / Section 035 ## Text (1) Beginning July 1, 2018, the office of innovation, alignment, and accountability shall have a director, appointed by the secretary, who shall set the agenda and oversee the office, who reports to the secretary. The secretary shall ensure that the leadership and staff of the office do not have responsibility for service delivery but are wholly dedicated to directing and implementing the innovation, alignment, integration, collaboration, systemic reform work, and building external partnerships for which the office is responsible. (2) The primary duties and focus of the office are on continuous improvement and includes the functions in this subsection: (a) To review and recommend implementation of advancements in research; (b) To work with other state government agencies and tribal governments to align and measure outcomes across state agencies and state-funded agencies serving children, youth, and families including, but not limited to, the use of evidence-based and research-based practices and contracting; (c) To work with other state government agencies, tribal governments, partner agencies, and state-funded organizations on the use of data-driven, research-based interventions that effectively intervene in the lives of at-risk young people and align systems that serve children, youth, and their families; (d) To develop approaches for integrated real-time data sharing, aligned outcomes, and collective accountability across state government agencies to the public; (e) To conduct quality assurance and evaluation of programs and services within the department; (f) To lead partnerships with the community, research and teaching institutions, philanthropic organizations, and nonprofit organizations; (g) To lead collaboration with courts, tribal courts and tribal attorneys, attorneys, court-appointed special advocates, and guardians ad litem to align and integrate the work of the department with those involved in decision making in child welfare and juvenile justice cases; (h) To produce, in collaboration with key stakeholders, an annual work plan that includes priorities for ongoing policy, practice, and system reform, tracking, and reporting out on the performance of department reforms; (i) To appoint members of an external stakeholder committee who value racial and ethnic diversity and that includes representatives from a philanthropic organization, research entity representatives, representatives from the business community, one or more parent representatives, youth representatives, tribal representatives, representatives from communities of color, foster parent representatives, representatives from an organization that advocates for the best interest of the child, and community-based providers, who will advise the office on priorities for practice, policy, and system reform and on effective management policies, development of appropriate organizational culture, external partnerships, knowledge of best practices, and leveraging additional resources to carry out the duties of the department; (j) To provide a report to the governor and the appropriate committees of the legislature by November 1, 2018, that includes recommendations regarding whether the juvenile rehabilitation division of the department of social and health services should be integrated into the department of children, youth, and families, and if so, what the appropriate timing and process is for integration of the juvenile rehabilitation division into the department of children, youth, and families; (k) To provide a report to the governor and the appropriate committees of the legislature by November 1, 2018, that includes: (i) A review of the current process for addressing foster parent complaints and concerns through the department and through the office of the family and children's ombuds established in chapter 43.06A RCW that includes an examination of any deficiencies of the current system; and (ii) Recommendations for expanding, modifying, and enhancing the f the legislature by November 1, 2018, that includes: (i) A review of the current process for addressing foster parent complaints and concerns through the department and through the office of the family and children's ombuds established in chapter 43.06A RCW that includes an examination of any deficiencies of the current system; and (ii) Recommendations for expanding, modifying, and enhancing the current system for addressing individual foster parent complaints to improve child welfare, the experience of foster parents, and the overall functioning of the child welfare system; and (l) To provide a report to the governor and the appropriate committees of the legislature by November 1, 2018, that includes recommendations regarding whether the office of homeless youth prevention and protection programs in the department of commerce should be integrated into the department, and the process for that integration if recommended. ## Nearby sections - [RCW 43.216.005 RCW 43.216.005: Findings.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T43_C216_S005.md) - [RCW 43.216.010 RCW 43.216.010: Definitions.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T43_C216_S010.md) - [RCW 43.216.015 RCW 43.216.015: Department of children, youth, and families—Created—Duties—Agency performance data—Oversight board for children, youth, and families—Powers and restrictions—Stakeholder meetings.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T43_C216_S015.md) - [RCW 43.216.020 RCW 43.216.020: Department duties.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T43_C216_S020.md) - [RCW 43.216.021 RCW 43.216.021: Opioid overdose reversal medication and training.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T43_C216_S021.md) - [RCW 43.216.022 RCW 43.216.022: Annual quality assurance report.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T43_C216_S022.md) - [RCW 43.216.025 RCW 43.216.025: Secretary—Appointment—Salary.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T43_C216_S025.md) - [RCW 43.216.030 RCW 43.216.030: Secretary's authority.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T43_C216_S030.md) - [RCW 43.216.035 RCW 43.216.035: Office of innovation, alignment, and accountability—Duties and focus.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T43_C216_S035.md) - [RCW 43.216.040 RCW 43.216.040: Family services and programs—Administration.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T43_C216_S040.md) - [RCW 43.216.045 RCW 43.216.045: Advisory committees or councils—Travel expenses.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T43_C216_S045.md) - [RCW 43.216.050 RCW 43.216.050: Evaluation and research materials and data on private nonprofit group homes—Availability.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T43_C216_S050.md) - [RCW 43.216.055 RCW 43.216.055: Federal and state cooperation—Rules—Construction.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T43_C216_S055.md) - [RCW 43.216.060 RCW 43.216.060: Policies to support children of incarcerated parents.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T43_C216_S060.md) --- Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T43_C216_S035. Check the current official text before relying on it. Not legal advice.