Policy & Practice | Fall 2024

structures with known data can be expressed and closed with focus. Technology: There is a wide range of technological innovations that can improve and augment Eligibility Operations. While these technolo gies are well understood, they are not yet widely implemented, presenting significant opportunities for improve ment. Artificial Intelligence tools, for instance, show great promise, with a focus on incremental implementation to validate value and safety.

automatically receive and process 80 percent of documents, requiring effective distribution and manage ment to meet this goal. n Customer Engagement. From virtual agents that handle calls to virtual pre-interview discussions and text-based mobile engagement, there is a wide range of possibilities to drive capacity and keep clients engaged with accurate benefits. n Work Completion. Once work is visible, we focus on making it smart and making it disappear. Handling calls and completing tasks—or even entire applications or change pro cesses—without worker engagement is critical and likely the biggest oppor tunity area. Some programs can be fully automated for most clients by focusing on common situations. n Task Assistance. Processes for recruiting, training, and providing on-going support for caseworkers are ripe for change. Tools that monitor performance to identify training needs, provide quick answers, and offer shortcuts for complex issues are just some of the opportunities. n Data Support and Quality Monitoring. There is signifi cant room for improvement in integrating data to achieve a com prehensive understanding of the client's situation. Implementing monitoring tools for transactional quality is essential to enhance the entire workflow system. People: Focusing on new goals requires reimagining the role, location, objective, and culture of state agency staff as well as how they engage the community. An effort that

includes attitudes, priorities, and skills needed is a key step. This approach opens the door, for example, to recon sidering the use of local offices. While cultural shifts take time, they are worth the investment. Making It Happen Determining the best way to procure and develop the roadmap is crucial. First, it is important to separate most of the roadmap work from the IE compliance and accountability efforts. Adding capacity-building projects to an IE system often necessitates prioritizing policy compliance over improvements, so it makes sense to keep these efforts distinct. We prefer to bundle related improvements across the people, process, and technology areas where outcomes can be measured. Next, agencies should consider their potential outsourcing alternatives and outsource areas where the outcomes align with achieving a specific goal, such as a program type or a com prehensive segment of work. Many agencies outsource segments like call centers. However, this approach carries some risk, as the reason for calls often stems from problems elsewhere, and ending a call does not consistently equate to resolving a client’s request. Outsourcing a program such as Child Care, the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), or Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) can align with desired outcomes and free up capacity. Now, Let’s Get To It Eligibility Operations is poised for transformation through bold goals and innovative approaches. Imagine families consistently gaining access to needed benefits in less than an hour and the change in agency perception and experiences that would result. This is within reach, and the time to start is now. Let’s modernize Eligibility Operations together to meet the needs of our communities, improve capacity, and do more good. Reference Note 1. https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/ public-sector/our-insights/insights-into better-integrated-eligibility-systems

When thinking of the technological aspects of an agency’s roadmap, it is important to consider: n Visibility. Few management reports prioritize capacity and innovation progress. Work should be made visible, and the impact of automation should be measured. n Work Distribution. A task routing solution that identifies and monitors the best channels and tools for distributing and completing tasks is crucial. This is especially impor tant as we aim to help agencies

Imagine your agency’s goal is to have 80 percent of applicants receive accurate benefits determined in 30 minutes or less and delivered through a seamless, modern experience.

Now that is a bold goal.

Fall 2024 Policy & Practice 23