Policy & Practice April 2015

interrupted. For example, when the benefits center (call center) went live, a significant coordination effort was required to simultaneously decommis- sion the old telephone system, advise clients of the new phone number (through mailings and messaging), while also keeping other offices working on the old systems. The significance of the parallel releases and compressed schedule is that it maximized the benefit of the ConneCT functionality in a minimal amount of time. Low-cost, yet

enterprise system for receiving and servicing incoming calls; and Š Š Document Management and Workflow alleviates the need for paper-based processing and provides centralized access to documents and visibility into document status. While the functionality included in ConneCT has been implemented previously as distinct projects, the sig- nificance of ConneCT is that they have been done in parallel and use a highly compressed, overlapping schedule.

paper processing, including copying, filing, and storing/retrieving paper documents. Š Š Further propelling the need for change was the unprecedented increase in public demand for DSS services, in part from the recession from 2007–2009. DSS offices were receiving nearly 879,000 calls and processing 3.7 million pieces of paper per month. To remediate these issues, the department developed a service mod- ernization initiative and initiated the ConneCT project, which sought to open new channels for clients to interact with DSS and help workers maximize efficiency through the use of modern technology tools. The department sought to achieve a highly accelerated schedule that entailed seven functional releases occurring in parallel in just 18 months. The intent of each release was to capture “quick wins” without additional investment in EMS or wholesale eligibility system replace- ment. The department envisioned a set of reusable services that could be used across the ConneCT releases and could serve as a framework for the future for additional functionality and extensions. The following is a brief summary of the ConneCT solution: Š Š Pre-Screening allows clients to independently check for potential eligibility online without having to visit or call DSS; Š Š Client Accounts provides secure, anytime access to generic and case- specific information to clients via the Internet; Š Š Online Application allows clients to apply online and provides a dynamic verification checklist to clearly explain what verification is required; Š Š Online Redetermination and Change Reporting allows clients to report changes and conduct redeter- minations online; Š Š Interactive Voice Response (IVR) provides secure, anytime access to generic and case-specific informa- tion to clients by phone; Š Š Benefits Center/Call Center provides a centralized, consistent

“ConneCT is enhancing the ability of DSS to serve our clients and also to improve the operation of the department. The initiative has increased access for clients to the department and to the health, food andmany other vital serviceswe provide.”

—CONNECTICUT DSS COMMISSIONER RODERICK L. BREMBY

impactful marketing techniques also were used to build awareness of the ConneCT web services. This included implementing new case- worker voicemail scripts and e-mail signatures to inform clients about ConneCT through existing communi- cation channels. While still in implementation mode (for example, the agency is working to mitigate call-waiting at Benefits Centers that offer many more services than the usual call center), the ConneCT project is more than worth the investment in time and technology. “ConneCT is enhancing the ability of DSS to serve our clients and also to improve the operation of the depart- ment,” Bremby said. “The initiative has increased access for clients to the department and to the health, food and many other vital services we provide.” Lou Polzella is the chief information officer of the Connecticut Department of Social Services and a past president of IT Solutions Management for Human Services (ISM), an affiliate of APHSA.

“To achieve the aggressive timeline,” notes DSS IT Director Lou Polzella, “the project developed creative ways to implement services in a manner in which they would be re-usable and build on the prior releases without sig- nificant re-work.” For example, Polzella says, EMS web service was used to feed legacy data used for client accounts, IVR and benefit center (call center) screen pop. The authentication mechanism for client accounts (using a user name and password) was implemented as a shared service that also provides authentication for IVR (using a client ID and PIN). FileNet was used for document management and workflow but a FileNet API was used to provide real-time document status to clients through the client account and IVR systems. The interconnectivity of the releases and technical integration that was used to achieve it makes ConneCT unique and significant. Additionally, the implementation strategy that was required to carry out the concurrent releases was meticu- lously planned and executed to ensure that business operations were not

April 2015   Policy&Practice 29