California Child Support Automated System

Transcription

1 California Child Support Automated System NASCIO Recognition Awards 2010 Category: Cross-Boundary Collaboration and Partnerships 1

2 Executive Summary There are more than two million children in California who are dependent on child support for their economic security. It is the mission of the California Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) to ensure that these children and their guardians receive court-ordered financial and medical support. Yet, for years, the systems enabling services for these children fell short leaving too many children and guardians without needed resources and letting too many claims go unenforced. In response, the DCSS developed and launched the California Child Support Automated System (CCSAS) project. The system works across organizational boundaries, making it easier for program partners involved with the delivery of child support services to participate in enforcement activities. CCSAS utilizes an expansive set of software and hardware tools to meet federal requirements for statewide child support enforcement (CSE) systems. Through a combination of commercial off-the-shelf systems software with open source software and programming frameworks, CCSAS relies on an extensive computer network spanning the geographic distance of California. In June 2007, California started rolling out CCSAS to counties and by November 2008 had completed implementation in all of California s 58 counties at a total cost of $1.6 billion. The implementation of CCSAS enables a new California to aggressively pursue program performance goals. The benefits include: Increased performance, caseworker efficiency and effectiveness, and quality of delivered services resulting in savings of $3.5 million in 2005/06 and $115 million by 2009/10. Improved data quality and privacy, inter-jurisdictional case processing efficiency, and interactions with county courts and the Judicial Council. Reduced burden on employers and financial institutions complying with child support enforcement actions. Meeting the Governor s priority to meet federal child support requirements, relieving California of federal penalties in excess of $200 million per year. Statewide standardization of child support program policies and services. Maximizing the ease of system maintenance and enhancement while preserving the cost-effectiveness of an automated system. In addition, customers have experienced a significant improvement in the quality and consistency of services. Achieving these goals while increasing the collection of child support payments due to families and children to over $2 billion annually, has made a difference in the lives of those dependent upon Child Support services. 2

3 Description of Business Problem California had a severe coordination and collaboration challenge across its 58 child support organizations exemplified by the absence of a single statewide child support system. This led to numerous problems including: Non-compliance with federal child support requirements since 1997 penalized California in excess of $200 million per year. Child support data resided in 58 separate databases, resulting in case workers inability to readily view data from other counties, along with manual processes for case transfers between counties, thus requiring physical file transfers. Customers needing to know which local child support agency to contact to access payment information due to limited availability of information that was outdated. Child support payment calculations lacked consistency and uniformity because individual child support agencies and courts interpreted and applied rules differently, putting California at risk of losing certification by Administrative Office of the Courts. Enforcement actions, such as wage withholding, liens, tax intercepts and license revocations, were based on manual efforts which were unsuccessful and time consuming to pursue. These specific problems hindered DCSS in achieving its goal of continuously increasing collection of child support payments due to families and children to more than $2 billion annually, representing a consequential interruption of services provided to the children and families of California s more than 1.7 million child support cases. Solution California had to consolidate and share a common system in order to become more effective and efficient. The central need was the creation of a single statewide child support system capable of providing high quality cost-effective services to California s demographically diverse and mobile population. The CCSAS system security framework aligns with NASCIO s CIO priorities to provide robust security as it incorporates tools to provide centralized management and control of: Identification and Authentication Determining whether individuals or systems are who they say they are. Authorization Determining what access privileges have been granted to a user, group, application or process and enforcing these privileges. Integrity Providing proof of the correctness of the content. Confidentiality Protecting information from unauthorized snooping. Non-Repudiation The ability of both parties in a transaction to provide a third-party confirmation that the sender sent the message and the receiver received the message. 3

4 Auditing Creating a chronological record of the user, the systems, application, and network activities of transactions. The CCSAS solution utilizes an expansive set of software and hardware tools to meet federal requirements for statewide CSE systems. Through a combination of commercial off-the-shelf software with open source software and programming frameworks, CCSAS relies on an extensive computer network spanning California s geographic distance. The CSE is a multi-tiered web browser application using Microsoft Internet Explorer as the human interface with an Apache Web Server. The application uses the Java programming language and IBM s suite of Rational tools. The CCSAS uses Hyperion and Adobe products for creating and viewing reports and forms, DB2 for both the relational database and the data warehouse, IBM s Content Manager to store and retrieve scanned image files, IBM s Tivoli Workload Scheduler to help manage the batch schedule, and IBM s Tivoli Access Manager and WebSEAL to secure the application and provide authentication, authorization, data security and centralized resource capability management. The CCSAS host hardware infrastructure includes 10 load balanced IBM AIX servers running in a secured clustered environment. A wide area network connects the CSE system to the local area network of the 52 Local Child Support Agencies in 58 California counties. The CCSAS is both an internal Intranet application used by more than 8,000 child support case workers statewide, and an external outward facing self-service Internet application used by child support case members, with an estimated one million or more users. Communication In order to achieve buy-in, program stakeholders were engaged to help define what features and functions would deliver the best value in the new statewide system. Participants included local caseworkers, case members, program professionals and advocates, employers, financial institutions, interface partners, and the courts. Each group was given the opportunity to provide input and be educated on the benefits of the new system. Additionally, outreach was performed through focused interactive forums, mailings, posters, public service announcements, public forums, the DCSS website, and the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) Unit. Significant user training was conducted in formal classroom sessions, via webcast, and in specialized boot camps to ensure that users understood how the new system supported their work functions and activities. Ongoing forums continue to provide specific outreach and education for CCSAS users and stakeholders as needed. 4

5 Rollout NASCIO s CIO priorities for consolidation, virtualization and shared services goals were met during rollout as the CCSAS Project replaced six consortia-based systems serving 58 counties and multiple auxiliary systems. The system also leveraged virtualization by reducing seven large Unix systems into two. These systems contained massive amounts of data that had to be converted to the new application--approximately two terabytes of case data. The collection and disbursement processing performed locally was discontinued and replaced by a single statewide collection and disbursement processing facility. That dedicated central facility processes more than 600,000 payments and disburses an average of $105 million each month. More than 80 percent of all disbursements are made electronically, including use of an Electronic Payment Card for members without bank accounts. Two million case identifiers were assigned, requiring contact with case members and employers, and synchronization with interface partners. Broadband services were expanded, new hardware for more than 8,000 caseworkers were installed, and training was delivered on the system, processes and procedures. Each activity was performed iteratively for each implementation wave with minimal interruption to service delivery statewide. Significance CCSAS has helped California achieve a number of the Governor s and State CIO s strategic priorities especially the goals of using technology s potential to transform lives, be economic and sustainable, facilitating collaboration that breeds better solutions, self-governance in the digital age and provide reliable and secure services that meet the changing needs of constituents. Departmental goals were met to ensure children and families receive court-ordered financial and medical support and to use technology to make it easier and faster to locate individuals to collect child support and reduce delays for families. National goals were also met as CCSAS is the first webbased application of its kind in the United States to support achievement of Federal Child Support Performance Measures. Benefit of the Project CCSAS has led to both qualitative and quantitative benefits all of which align with both NASCIO and state CIO strategic goals. CCSAS aligns with NASCIO s CIO priorities for budget and cost control, consolidation, shared services, security, infrastructure, document/records management, identity and access management, and virtualization through savings, cost reduction, replacement of six consortia-based systems, physical server reduction, a single statewide system, enhanced security safeguards, and a consolidated call center. CCSAS aligns with the State CIO s strategic goals of IT as reliable as a utility, fulfilling technology s potential to transform lives, self governance in 5

6 the digital age, and economic and sustainable by providing a reliable and secure IT infrastructure, providing accessible, reliable and secure services, advancing communication and partnerships between stakeholders, enabling greater accountability through enhanced government accessibility, ensuring that the management and use of technology contributes to efficient government operations and facilitating collaboration that breeds better solutions. The high degree of cross-boundary collaboration that exemplifies this program has brought new levels of value to an array of benefactors such as: Families: First and most important the 2 million children dependent on support have more security as the system has helped to produce a 53 percent increase in collections and the ability to uniformly respond to inquiries in a timely and more cost effective manner. Case workers: Over 8,000 state and local child support workers now have a statewide view with immediate, real-time access to essential data allowing them to provide services to 1.7 million case members throughout all 58 counties, where previously separate databases were maintained. Clients: Individual case members now have access to review and update their case information via the Internet, including update their profile, make payments, review disbursement history, set up direct deposit or request an electronic payment card. Each of these functions previously required contact with an assigned local agency. Employers: Businesses that help enforce child support rules now have the ability to update their contact information and make payments via the web instead of through a local child support agency. Employers are able to use bank transfers, debit cards and credit cards to remit payments. Interface partners: More than 70 organizations that submit or retrieve data now have one common interface instead of multiple interfaces with multiple consortia systems. Previously there was no ability to view, coordinate or consolidate case activities across the multiple cases in multiple counties, resulting in duplicative work, erroneous information, inappropriate enforcement actions, negative customer feedback, fodder for advocacy groups and negative media. Judicial system: Family Law Courts now have secure and seamless access to information that helps judges make decisions and enforce case rulings. Partnering states: The more robust enforcement framework contributes to increased levels of collections for states that California has reciprocal enforcement agreements with. Federal and state leaders: Officials now have better access to the data, via one single statewide system, needed to manage and continuously improve program performance and maximize federal incentive funding tied to program performance improvement. 6

7 From the qualitative perspective, CCSAS provides a fully functional system that meets all federal and state certification requirements and fulfills Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger s goal of achieving federal certification as a single statewide child support system, to avoid paying over $200 million+ in federal penalties. From the quantitative perspective, the level of consolidation and shared services brings cost under control and generates specific financial returns such as: Under CCSAS, the State avoids paying federal penalties ($200 million+ per year) by having a federally certified statewide automated CSE System in place. System maintenance and operational costs were reduced by $66 million annually compared to maintaining and operating six consortia-based systems supporting 58 individual county operations. Since full implementation of the Enterprise Customer Service Solution in July 2009, an average of 55 percent of the nearly 657,000 monthly callers were able to receive the information they wanted via the self-service IVR. During 2009, the Self-Service Website was visited almost 14 million times, averaging approximately 1.2 million hits per month, resulting in a 36 percent reduction in annual customer service calls, translating into direct savings in customer services resources. California passed a month-long Federal Certification Review in June 2008 resulting in a $190 million reimbursement to the state s General Fund. Centralized collection of child support payments provides for the allocation and distribution of funds across all cases based on federal regulations that were not possible without a statewide system. Since 2005, electronic payments have risen steadily from 17 percent of the total projected to 56 percent for 2009/10. Electronic payments and disbursement are faster, more accurate and less expensive to process than paper checks. Total combined electronic payments and disbursements have steadily risen from just 14 percent in 2005/06 to a projected 68% in 2009/10 and trending toward 74 percent in 2010/11. CCSAS has helped produce a 53 percent increase in collections and the ability to uniformly respond to inquiries in a timely and more cost-effective manner. Increased performance, casework efficiency and effectiveness, and quality of delivered services resulted in savings of $3.5 million in 2005/06 and $115 million by 2009/10. Overall, California is in a much better position with CCSAS. Children and families are more secure, payers and partners have improved access to services, taxpayers have realized a return, and the DCSS is meeting its mission to ensure children and families receive court-ordered financial and medical support and to use technology to make it easier and faster to locate individuals to collect child support and reduce delays for families. 7