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Creating the "Paperless Office"
By Dennis Fecci Deputy Administrator, Management Information Systems Human Resources Administration of New York City Right now, the Human Resources Administration (HRA) of New York City is developing the operational plans that provide the groundwork for a new model of delivering welfare services throughout the city. This new model allows for the integration of existing systems so that the responsibilities of the Income Support Office and Office of Employment Services can be merged. In order to ensure that the restructuring of these offices is successful, HRA must provide a work environment that truly facilitates caseworker and client interaction. This means developing new computer systems that will help the city reduce its caseload and engage more welfare recipients in work activities. One component of this plan is the installation of networked PCs on every worker's desk in the Family Independence Administration (FIA). Once in place, these networked computers will give workers access to a variety of systems and tools which will greatly improve their ability to conduct business with ease and increased efficiency. Among the offerings will be such basics as e-mail, word-processing and spreadsheet applications. The more sophisticated aspects of the new system include electronic imaging of documents and interfaces with the New York State Welfare Management System (WMS), New York City WAY (Work, Accountability and You), and the Automated Child Care Information System (ACCIS). One of the chief features of the plan is the Paperless Office System (POS). What is the "Paperless Office"? To state simply: the POS represents a significant improvement over the current case management system. The primary goal of POS is to convert an intensely paper-driven process to a streamlined electronic system. This system has been piloted at the Hamilton Job Center in Manhattan, the Melrose Income Support Center in the Bronx (soon to be merged with Kingsbridge in the restructuring effort), and the Seaport Center in lower Manhattan. The workers at these facilities are using POS for all eligibility actions as well as some undercare and recertification actions. Because POS serves as a front-end tool to WMS, workers using POS can perform the entire application intake process electronically. Not only does the automation of the process save time and increase a worker's productivity, it results in a more efficient case handling process. POS allows the worker to electronically capture the client's signature on all required forms and scan in all pertinent legal and personal documentation. These forms and documents can then be viewed electronically via POS' document browser. In addition to maintaining electronic case files, POS incorporates business rules that can greatly reduce the number of error transactions. POS performs automatic checks that prevent the caseworker from making an eligibility determination on a case unless all the necessary information has been recorded and the appropriate support documents have been confirmed. Thus, errors are caught and addressed before the transactions reach WMS. POS as a Management Tool In addition to fostering a paper-free application process, POS also serves as a valuable management tool. POS stores key data elements that follow the progress of a case throughout the eligibility determination process. Center management can generate POS reports that track the timeliness with which staff makes eligibility determinations and there are reporting capabilities that notify management when cases are coming-due or over-due. These reporting abilities, in conjunction with a variety of other POS functions, provide management with a reliable tool for increasing the operational effectiveness of a center. The Future of POS The POS application is constantly being expanded and improved. A team of designers and developers are analyzing the progress at the pilot sites and they continue to add further business rule edits to the system. Given the existing capabilities and great potential for the system, the HRA's POS will soon be able to connect to and exchange data with agency systems throughout the welfare service community. With this development, POS can provide the template for an integrated case management environment.
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