Policy & Practice October 2017

DOING MORE WITH LESS The use of digital technology is essential to meeting the changing expectations and culture of our society as well as driving the behav- iors and responsibilities we expect. It’s also becoming an imperative in terms of driving efficiencies and offering better, alternative channels of interac- tions. A Brookings report from 2012 indicated that government (federal, state, and local) employment had decreased, by more than 580,000 jobs since the close of the prior recession, to the lowest level in more than 30 years. 1 Even more striking, from the same Brookings report, “To examine the direct consequences of lower government employment, consider the case in which employment had hewed to its historical level. Between 2001 and 2007, the average ratio of government employment to popula- tion was 9.7 percent. Had that share remained steady, government employ- ment would have been more than 23.6 million in June 2012 as compared to its actual level of 21.9 million. That is, employment would be 1.7 million jobs higher today if the share had remained constant.” We know that public demand for services did not decline and has, in many cases, increased. We are often

truly asked to do more with less. That is a reasonable, albeit challenging, public expectation. Getting more positions (i.e., full-time employees, or FTEs) is a rarity; demands must be met by increased technology use, redeployment of staff (which can also be supported via technology), and new partnerships. If you haven’t already, do an exercise to determine the amount of time your staff spends on the phone across the entire workforce. Think about how many FTEs are handling mail (inbound and outbound) and the costs associated with mailings. Think about all of the verifications and legal notices across programs and the questions and work they generate. Think about the time lag between field work and inputting information into a central system. One core question often asked by outsiders is whether the population served in health and human services is ready for the digital age. The answer is that it’s no different than any other population. A majority will be able to utilize it, many will embrace it, and you will need contingencies for others. According to the Pew Research Center, 64 percent of adults making less than $30,000 per year own a smartphone. 2 That number has grown significantly, just in the last couple of years, as smartphone penetration continues to outpace desktop and laptop use. Additionally, comScore research shows that 71 percent of online minutes in the United States

are spent on mobile devices. 3 There is no question that citizens have adopted mobile as their primary method of accessing the Internet, and their expec- tations have subsequently evolved. IMPROVING CUSTOMER SERVICE AND OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY With technology continuing to evolve at a rapid pace, there are a number of proven avenues that agencies can pursue, with goals of improving customer service and operational efficiency. The key is to identify specific consumer behaviors and needs, and then translate them for government service. Whether it’s providing valuable information or delivering self-service tools directly to the citizens they serve, today’s digital capabilities provide a multitude of ways for health and human services agencies to interact and engage with their core constituents. In Louisiana, MAXIMUS Digital Solutions has partnered with the Louisiana Department of Health to help Medicaid enrollees find a health plan and provider via their smart- phone. The Healthy Louisiana mobile app was designed with three key themes in mind—simplicity, speed, and security. By strictly adhering to those principles, the app allows Medicaid enrollees to choose their health plans in a matter of minutes, and on their own time—from their own devices.

Michael Bostian is the Senior Director of Mobile Products with MAXIMUS Digital Solutions.

Doug Howard is a Senior Vice President with MAXIMUS Human Services North America.

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Policy&Practice October 2017