Attachment I (Accessible PDF).pdf

ETA Advisory File Text

I-1Attachment I to UIPL No. 07-23 State UI IT Modernization Activities and Outcome Metrics Each state may receive up to 11.25 million to implement at least one of the UI IT Modernization activities described in the table below. Refer to Section 4.c.i of this UIPL. Activity Description Examples of Desired Outcome Metrics Cloud Migration State migration from legacy platforms such as mainframes to cloud-based technology that will measurably improve the flexibility and security of IT systems compared to existing metrics or conditions. The objective of a cloud-based migration is not only to move data securely from mainframes to a cloud- based system e.g. lift and shift but to use that transformation to improve the architecture of the data so that systems are ultimately more resilient and responsive to changing needs. More easily scale resources to meet changing demands and or more quickly deploy new IT applications or enhancements such as 1.Reduction in hardware and infrastructure costs States can evaluate the cost savings resulting from reduced hardware and infrastructure costs associated with the migration to cloud-based technology. This can be measured by comparing the cost of maintaining legacy platforms with the cost of using cloud-based technology. 2.Improved system performance States can measure the improvement in system performance resulting from the migration to cloud-based technology. This can be evaluated through metrics such as system uptime response time and user satisfaction. 3.Faster deployment of new applications States can measure the time it takes to deploy new applications enhancements and or more easily I-2 Activity Description Examples of Desired Outcome Metrics respond to new federal program requirements after the migration to cloud-based technology. This can be evaluated by comparing the time it takes to deploy applications using legacy platforms with the time it takes using cloud-based technology. 4. Increased system availability States can measure the increased system availability resulting from the migration to cloud-based technology. This can be evaluated by comparing the downtime of legacy platforms with the downtime of cloud-based technology. 5. Improved scalability States can measure the improved scalability resulting from the migration to cloud-based technology. This can be evaluated by comparing the ability of legacy platforms to scale resources to meet changing demands with the ability of cloud- based technology to scale resources. I-3 Activity Description Examples of Desired Outcome Metrics Outcome- driven Enhancements Replace or enhance applications with new solutions that will measurably improve state IT system performance compared to existing metrics or conditions. Examples of applications include but are not limited to claims status portals front end web page redesigns dynamic fact finding redesigned claimant initial and continued claims applications dynamic online help tools automated workflows improved batch job performance and monitoring. This category can also be used to improve e.g. refactor legacy code and or architecture that results in measurable improvements. Greater customer self-service Self-service in the context of customer experience and the UI program refers to a customer s ability to access information and perform certain actions related to their UI claim without requiring assistance from a UI representative. This includes features such as online application filing checking the status of a claim requesting benefit payments and updating personal information among others. Self-service options can provide customers with greater convenience control and speed in managing their UI claims while also reducing the workload and costs for UI agencies. 1. Customer self-service adoption rate Measure the number or share of claimants who use the new application to complete tasks on their own. Filing claims managing documents or checking the status of their claim. 2. Call center volume reduction Measure the decrease in call center volume after implementing the new application. Indicates that more claimants can complete tasks on their own. 3. Staff productivity or efficiency improvement Measure the increase in staff productivity or efficiency after rollout. Time saved on manual data entry or processing. I-4 Activity Description Examples of Desired Outcome Metrics 4. First-payment promptness improvement Measure the improvement in first-payment promptness. Indicates that the new application has reduced the time it takes to process claims and issue payments. 5. User satisfaction Conduct surveys or gather feedback from users to measure satisfaction with the new application. Includes ease of use clarity of instructions and user experience. Modular and API-driven Approaches Improve the flexibility of IT systems by breaking down complex monolithic systems into smaller more manageable components. Monolithic refers to a legacy software design pattern where all or many components are tightly integrated and dependent on each other making even simple IT changes costly time-intensive and risky. Instead a modular approach allows for changes to be made to a single component more easily than if those same changes were applied to the system as a whole. 1. Time and cost savings Measure the time and cost savings achieved by implementing a modular approach by comparing it with the time and cost required to make similar changes using the legacy system. 2. System uptime Measure the system uptime and availability after implementing a modular approach to determine if the system is more reliable and stable. 3. Maintenance time and costs Measure the time and cost savings achieved by implementing a I-5 Activity Description Examples of Desired Outcome Metrics In addition the use of API-driven approaches can further enhance flexibility by allowing different systems to communicate and exchange data more easily. Overall a modular approach provides many benefits including easier maintenance testing scaling and or modification of the IT system by allowing more targeted software changes and enabling modules to be replaced more easily. modular approach in terms of maintenance testing and modification of the IT system. 4. System performance Measure the performance of the new modular system compared to the legacy system to determine if the system is more efficient and scalable. Automation and Efficiency Apply new technology or practices to enable responsible uses of automation and improve staff efficiency. These investments drive measurable improvements Reduced costs Improved accuracy Improved timeliness Freeing up staff from manual processes so they can focus on higher value tasks. New Technology Examples Robotic Process Automation RPA Optical Character Recognition OCR Natural Language Processing NLP Chatbots Data Analytics tools etc. New Practices Example Lean Six Sigma is a system aimed at reducing defects in technology processes. The focus for Lean Six Sigma is data-1. Reduced processing time for tasks Measure the time it takes to complete specific tasks before and after implementing new technology or practices. This can show how much time is saved and how much more work can be accomplished. 2. Increased accuracy Measure the number of errors or mistakes made before and after implementing new technology or practices. This can demonstrate how much more accurate the system has become. 3. Cost savings Measure the cost of performing tasks before and after implementing new technology or practices. This can demonstrate how much money is saved through automation or increased efficiency. I-6 Activity Description Examples of Desired Outcome Metrics driven decision making continuous improvement and a customer-centric approach with technology as a core enabler of this approach. 4. Staff productivity Measure the amount of work completed by staff before and after implementing new technology or practices. This can demonstrate how much more work is being accomplished and how staff can focus on higher value tasks. 5. Improved customer experience Measure the satisfaction of customers before and after implementing new technology or practices. This can demonstrate how much more efficient and effective the system has become in meeting the needs of its customers. Agile Development Practices Implement Agile Development and Deployment Practices such as DevOps and Continuous Integration Continuous Deployment CI CD to improve the flexibility and sustainability of IT systems. Agile is a software development methodology that emphasizes iterative development where value is delivered incrementally and shaped by user feedback. It includes several supporting practices such as DevOps--which promotes effective collaboration between software developments and business stakeholders--with the goal of delivering software more quickly and reliably. 1. Reduced time-to-market for new features or applications. 2. Increased productivity and efficiency of development teams. 3. Reduced development and maintenance costs. 4. Improved software quality with fewer defects and faster bug fixes. 5. Higher customer satisfaction due to quicker delivery of features and responsiveness to feedback. I-7 Activity Description Examples of Desired Outcome Metrics CI CD is a similar practice that involves automating the process of building testing and deploying software changes. Often these practices are used together to increase the speed efficiency and quality of software development and deployment. These practices will drive measurable improvements such as reducing the time it takes to develop and deploy new features fewer defects fewer manual tasks and or cost savings. 6. Improved collaboration between development and business stakeholders leading to better alignment of IT systems with business needs. To measure these outcomes states can track metrics such as cycle time lead time deployment frequency defect rate customer feedback team productivity and cost savings. These metrics can be compared against baseline data or industry benchmarks to demonstrate the impact of implementing Agile practices. Defining and Measurably Improving the Customer Experience CX Establish baseline metrics for the customer experience CX for any website or portal where customers can access information services or resources related to state programs and services and engage in activities that will measurably improve at least one of those metrics. Some suggested metrics to consider include Usage metrics including the number of visits to the portal versus the number of logins to assess usage rates and identify potential areas of friction or other trends Completion rates such as the of claims completed online versus those that require in-person assistance Data analytics user research and testing. Additional CX outcome measurements include time to file online the percent of filers who successfully file a claim in each session and reducing drop off in the user flow. Explain how new IT system changes will measurably improve these goals. 1. Time and accuracy of task completion Measure the average time it takes for claimants to complete specific tasks on the portal such as filing a new claim or submitting weekly certifications and how better experiences can improve accuracy drive faster payments and reduce improper payments 2. Abandonment rate Measure the percentage of claimants who start a task on the portal but abandon I-8 Activity Description Examples of Desired Outcome Metrics User feedback collected from surveys or other forms that can be used to identify areas for improvement Task completion rates the of users who successfully complete defined tasks on the portal such as filing a claim or submitting documentation Error rates the frequency and type of errors encountered or made by claimants either due to system downtime or confusion that leads to claimants submitting incorrect or incomplete information. it before completing it. This can indicate that the task is too complex or difficult to complete. 3. Click-through rate Measure the percentage of users who click on links or buttons on the portal that lead to other pages or tasks. A low click-through rate may indicate that the design or layout of the portal is confusing or difficult to navigate. 4. Error rate Measure the percentage of users who encounter errors while using the portal such as system downtime or technical errors. This can indicate areas for improvement in the portal s infrastructure. 5. User satisfaction Conduct surveys or collect feedback from claimants about their experience using the portal. Ask about their overall satisfaction ease of use and any suggestions for improvement. I-9 Activity Description Examples of Desired Outcome Metrics Flexible Content Changes Invest in a content management system CMS or similar tools and approaches to make both public and internal-facing content changes to your system more easily For example a CMS enables the creation modification and publication of digital content in a centralized manner and can help streamline the content creation process improve content quality and promote consistency across communication channels. These investments will enable plain language changes to be made more easily and or provide multilingual support to the public. States can document measurable outcome examples for flexible content changes. This will verify that these changes reduce complexity for claimants and or reduce the potential for errors that contribute to delays and improper payments. 1. Content creation and publishing efficiency Measure the time it takes to create and publish new content on the portal. A successful CMS should help reduce the time required for these tasks. 2. Content quality and accuracy Monitor user feedback and complaints to evaluate the quality and accuracy of the content. Regularly updating and improving the content should lead to fewer user complaints and increased satisfaction. 3. Usability and accessibility Use analytics tools to monitor the portal s usage and user behavior and ensure that the CMS is helping to create a user- friendly experience. Monitor user engagement with features such as multilingual support to evaluate the success of these enhancements. 4. Consistency and compliance Evaluate whether the CMS has helped promote consistency in the messaging and presentation of content across communication channels. Compliance with federal and state regulations regarding content should also I-10 Activity Description Examples of Desired Outcome Metrics be monitored. 5. Cost-effectiveness Evaluate whether the use of the CMS has led to cost savings by reducing the time and resources required for content creation and maintenance. 6. Overall the success of a CMS should be measured in terms of its ability to provide a streamlined user- friendly experience that improves access to and understanding of UI programs and resources. Promoting Software Reuse Engage in any modernization effort that results in a component or artifacts that can be shared with other states and achieves one or more of the following 1 measurably improves the customer experience 2 reduces the cost of IT systems maintenance and or change based on baseline metrics or conditions 3 drive efficiencies that measurably reduce system issues defect or backlogs. Include open-source software reusable code and or design artifacts made available in a publicly available repository such as Git-Hub RFI RFP templates requirements documents system architecture diagrams and or related materials that may be useful to other states. Relates to any of the other areas but with evidence of sharing related components for reuse with other states the UI system . I-11 Activity Description Examples of Desired Outcome Metrics Other Project that Supports more Modular and Evidence Driven Approaches towards Modernization Propose an idea that aligns with this focus and directly improves the flexibility of IT systems and or promotes evidence-driven approaches to modernization States are encouraged to draw from the recommended metrics included in the other eight categories to support proposals for alternative ideas.