(a)    The Department shall enter into a memorandum of understanding with an entity that has expertise in child welfare best practices to assist in the development and implementation of a local department self-assessment process to monitor the quality of:

(1)    child welfare services provided by the local departments; and

(2)    the management of the child welfare system by the Administration.

(b)    A local department self-assessment shall be conducted every 3 years.

(c)    In conducting the self-assessment, a local department shall be required to:

(1)    incorporate the results from the outcome measures in §§ 5-1303 through 5-1306 of this subtitle;

(2)    incorporate the results of the quality assessment of casework services in § 5-1308 of this subtitle; and

(3)    consider the results of the case reviews conducted by the Citizens’ Review Board for Children.

(d)    After a local department self-assessment is accepted by the Administration, the local departments shall develop a plan to:

(1)    maintain performance that meets standards;

(2)    strengthen areas needing improvement; and

(3)    describe how areas needing improvement will be addressed and how improvements will be measured.

(e)    The Secretary shall adopt regulations governing the local department self-assessment process, including:

(1)    the development of quality assurance procedures;

(2)    performance standards;

(3)    the timing of the assessment;

(4)    the scope of the assessment;

(5)    the process by which the Administration may accept or reject the local assessment and the plan;

(6)    the process by which the Administration shall monitor the implementation of the local plans described in subsection (d) of this section; and

(7)    the process by which the Administration shall use the assessments of the local departments to develop the statewide assessment under Title 45 § 1355.33(b) of the Code of Federal Regulations.

(f)    (1)    The Department shall enter into a memorandum of understanding with an entity with expertise in child welfare best practices to collect and maintain information necessary to conduct a local department self–assessment and statewide assessment.

(2)    Any unit of State government substantively involved with abused or neglected children may contribute information to the entity provided in paragraph (1) of this subsection.