Policy & Practice February 2015

One of the major concerns with a process management approach is distinguishing between high-touch and low-touch cases based on critical need. DTA made the decision to deploy a first worker assignment model for food stamp-only applications. This separation created a natural case seg- mentation from Temporary Aid for Needy Families (TANF) eligibility, which implies deeper poverty and a need for additional services best addressed with caseworker assignment. Several guiding principles shaped the successful October 2014 launch:  Š Clear executive stewardship. The executive commitment to successful change was unwavering.  Š Complete emphasis on account- ability. Stronger monitoring and controls supported earlier and easier course corrections as necessary.  Š Creation of a wide circle of support. It was important to listen to and connect with all constituencies impacted by the change.  Š Investment in the right technology foundation. IT enhancements such as expanded IVR and centralized correspondence and tracking tools were implemented.  Š Continuous communication. Clear internal and external communica- tions were a priority at every phase of the implementation. ADAPTIVE LEADERSHIP IN ACTION The success of this transformation in Massachusetts reflects a strong col- laboration from many stakeholders for a deep and passionate commitment to win back public confidence for DTA. Monahan’s leadership through the agency’s darkest hours shows that leadership doesn’t always require sophisticated techniques to be effective. Her pragmatic, hands-on approach offers several important leadership lessons for the entire human service community: 1. People: Get to know them, they are your greatest assets SM: I have a sense of pride inmy teamand the people that work for this agency andhowdedicated they are. This is consistent across human

In just a matter of months, Monahan led the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) from a very bleak period to one of enthusiastic transformation, culminating in the transition to a first worker assignment model for SNAP-only cases, supported by electronic document management and a centralized contact number. Early feedback points to faster applica- tion turnaround times, an increase in customer service, less stressed workers, happier clients, and reduced foot traffic in local offices. This initiative was completed on time, and early statistics reveal its effectiveness. Over two weeks in 2014—November 17 to 21 and 24 to 28—DTA delivered approximately 350,000 client services, handled nearly 70,000 call center inquiries, and had nearly 10,000 clients use the enhanced interactive voice response (IVR) system. During that same time period, the average wait time for the call queue decreased from 3:39 minutes the first week to 1:38 (minutes: seconds) the following week. Monahan’s straightforward, genuine approach has empowered staff, rallied stakeholders, and delivered outcomes for working families, children, and seniors, and for people with disabilities across the commonwealth. IN THE EYE OFTHE STORM StaceyMonahan:We had lost both the public’s and the legislators’ confidence.We didn’t have policy problems.We had public perception problems. I didn’t want our people to feel like theywere under attack. I wanted themto feel supported.

DTA is an agency with a clear mission. It provides food and nutri- tional assistance, cash assistance, and employment supports for one in eight people living in Massachusetts. With most of her career as a political advisor and only a brief period as chief of staff of the commonwealth’s Executive Office of Health and Human Services on her résumé, Monahan was named interim DTA commissioner in February 2013. With a short tenure and minimal exposure to public welfare administration, Monahan took over an agency in crisis. Like other public benefit agencies, DTA faced a perfect storm of chal- lenges—from rising caseloads and resource shortages to antiquated What’s more, the aftermath of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) performance sanctions and negative media had damaged the agency’s image and the public trust. The status quo had to change—and fast. WHERETHERE’S A WILL, THERE’S A WAY SM: I drewonmy background in politics to get thingsmoving. Youdo a lot of work and problemsolving on the fly in the campaignworld. I knew that we had to act fast to let people know that we cared, wewere listening, and that thingswere going to change. Monahan and her staff recognized the sense of urgency to drive change in an environment where everyone was watching every move they made. They needed a better way to balance the reality of an increased workload with limited resources. How would they decide to play the hand that had been dealt to them? Focusing on improving the efficiency of benefit delivery, they explored other states’ transitions to “first worker” assignment models for transactional or “low-touch” cases. Rather than assign one worker per case like traditional work methods, this approach assigns any available and trained worker to any case to complete case processing tasks. systems and citizen demands for improved service delivery.

Matthew Burnham is a Public Service Strategy executive at Accenture. He authored this article with insight from Stacey Monahan, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of

Transitional Assistance.

Policy&Practice February 2015 22