Utah s eFind

1. Utah�s eFind

2. Brief History The Utah Department of Workforce Services was formed July 1, 1997. Department of Employment Security (Job Service) Office of Job Training (JTPA) Turning Point Program (Displaced Homemakers) Office of Family Support (Welfare Programs) Office of Child Care

3. How it works. State is divided into 5 regions. State administered, region operated. 48 �One Stops� (Employment Centers) across the state.

4. Why eFind In FFY�s 1999 and 2000, Utah�s Food Stamp Program was sanctioned. One point of the FS reinvestment plan was to build a data brokering system (eFind). Eligibility Workers had been asking for a data brokering system for years�..now there was money to pay for it!!

5. Goals of eFind Improve Accuracy and Timeliness across the board Improve the Business Process of Searching Alternate Systems for Pertinent Information

6. eFind: What is it? eFind is a single web application that provides eligibility workers with intelligent, filtered, well organized information (such as wage, unemployment insurance, child support enforcement and Social Security data) from many different sources for the purpose of determining eligibility for a variety of public assistance programs.

7. Typical Process Under the �Old� Systemto Search for this Information� Multiple Systems needed to be searched For EVERY System: Unique username and password routine for each system Find every individual family member, one at a time �Print Screen� to capture information out of multiple systems Attempt to manually connect bits of information that you think might be related Come up with potential aliases, address combinations and histories, guess at family composition

8. Working Against Ourselves Continually adding new data sources to search Increasing the learning curve for eligibility workers New technology actually adds to the problem

9. Systemic Problems in Data Gathering and Matching Overabundance of information was cumbersome, and not acted upon FS QC was given the time, and found the errors Efficiency and accuracy of the eligibility worker was based on experience Time constraints forced workers to cut corners Precious little time for a thorough search The more difficult a system was to learn, the less likely it was to be utilized

10. eFind�s Primary Targets: Alleviate the burden of learning and extracting information from multiple, non-standard systems Eliminate the need to make hard copy comparisons among potentially related pieces of information, such as: Alias names and name changes Address changes and histories Changes in household composition

11. The �Fine Art� of Identifying Relevant Information Automatically Ties Together data from disconnected systems Valuing vehicles Vehicle matching Codifies �Best Practices� by making everybody an instant expert on searching all systems Motor vehicle assets Undeclared Income Sanctions etc

12. Data Sources Data source agreements were put in place with many of our data share partners. Federal Data: Social Security Verifying SSN Title II / Medicare income data SSI information Income data from SSA DRS: Federal Disqualified Food Stamp Recipient File National Directory of New Hires PARIS

13. Data Sources State sources: Wage: wages as reported to state unemployment agency LIHEAP: Low Income Heat Energy Assistance Program UI: unemployment insurance / compensation information TANF & FS: E & T participation case management system Worker�s Comp: Information from State Labor Commission IV D: Child Support Enforcement Income Deductions Non-cooperation Sanction and Disqualification information State Motor Vehicles State Driver License Division

14. Data Sources Other Sources: Local Housing Authorities Motor Vehicle Valuations (NADA) Address Repository SAVE (Alien Verification) Most Recent Enhancement: Vital Statistics

15. The technical stuff�.. eFind was built using J2EE technology (Java code) Application server: Sun 480 � 2CPU (16GB) Oracle 10g Warehouse server: Sun 4800 � 4CPU (holds an Oracle database) Operating system is Unix. Thin-client browser based Web browser only requirement for users Easy to maintain

17. Implementation eFind went into production in January of 2004 Training was rolled out to workers using computer simulations of eFind Help screens are available on each screen Full audit trail and confidentiality were stressed to staff. Information must be acted on Over time access to sources via Mainframe was eliminated eFind is constantly evolving

18. System Performance and Scalability Fast performance Average full search takes 5-15 seconds Currently averaging 7-8 searches per minute 2,200 searches per day One search includes multiple data sources, multiple individuals Capable of processing 25-30 searches per minute Easily manage 100,000+ searches per month

19. Security and Accessibility eFind is configured for secure communications User�s are required to register for eFind use User ID and password used for authentication eFind can be securely accessed from home or any location with Web access Ensures access on a �Need To Know� basis only Can�t search on general public � only on DWS customers Creates a full audit trail

20. End-User Acceptance eFind has been well received by user community Incorporated �Best Practices� into the system Easy-to-find, relevant information Saves users a lot of time �17 minutes down to 3 minutes� That�s on a full search (70% of searches are full, performed on all applications and recertifications) Helps to standardize decision making across all regions Reduces probability of errors

21. Return on Investment to Utah eFind cost $2 million to build $750K from FNS Reinvestment money $1.25 million across Financial, Child Care, and Medicaid Utah expects to save $2.1 million per year* Workers can manage a higher caseload, rather than hire additional staff eFind paid for itself in the first year!

22. Short Guided Tour

23. eFind is a concept eFind is not a software program A State can take the idea and tailor it to their needs Data brokering is a simple concept Code Screens �Get� Beans �Marshall� Beans Warehouse

25. Questions?

26. Contact Information Rachael Stewart eFind Program Specialist Utah Department of Workforce Services 140 E. 300 S. SLC, UT 84111 801-526-9257 rachaelstewart@utah.gov