Categry: Infrmatin Cmmunicatins Technlgy Innvatins Cntact: Jenna Cvey, Assistant Cmmissiner f Digital Technlgy Prject Initiatin: 6/1/2010 Prject Cmpletin: 12/11/2014
Executive Summary MN.IT Services, led by Minnesta s Chief Infrmatin Officer, is the Infrmatin Technlgy (IT) agency fr Minnesta s executive branch. Our staff f nearly 2,100 dedicated and innvative IT prfessinals wrk in ver 90 physical lcatins, including 22 agency-based ffices. One f ur ffices, MN.IT @ DEED, is embedded within the Minnesta Department f Emplyment and Ecnmic Develpment (DEED) and exclusively serves that agency business. Frm January 2011 until December 2014, MN.IT @ DEED staff engaged in a cllabrative prject with business partners and users frm DEED and the Minnesta Department f Human Services (DHS), and emplyment and training service prviders acrss the state t imprve Wrkfrce One (WF1). WF1 is an existing web-based case management applicatin that prvides jb search and training services fr mre than 100,000 eligible Minnestans, and tracks required data fr state and federal cmpliance. WF1 is used daily by apprximately 2,000 jb cunselrs in DEED Wrkfrce Service Areas, cunties and independent nn-prfit emplyment service prviders lcated thrughut the state. Several factrs drve the need fr this prject, including: The prgramming language used t develp the aging WF1 applicatin was n lnger supprted by the vendr, and required significant reprgramming. WF1 had limited reprting capabilities. That meant that many data inquiries were fulfilled by manually cunting paper files. Mre rbust search and reprt features were desperately needed t reduce drains n resurces needed t fulfill grwing demand fr emplyment data. Jb cunselrs were lcated acrss the state, and needed instant, secure access t jb search infrmatin and client files anytime, frm anywhere. WF1 was cumbersme and lacked usability, s jb cunselrs ften spent valuable time entering required data, limiting time spent helping clients find jbs and training. This prject was the first time MN.IT @ DEED had used Scrum, an agile methdlgy, t manage a prject t build an applicatin. The Wrkfrce One team credits the methdlgy fr helping them cmplete the prject n time and under budget by $1 Millin. With imprved stakehlder and custmer satisfactin, MN.IT @ DEED plans t use agile methdlgy t manage future IT prjects. The WF1 prject imprved access t jb searches, training and reprts, increasing jb cunselrs ability t help unemplyed Minnesta citizens find better jbs mre quickly. 2
Business Prblem and Slutin Descriptin The prblem Several urgent factrs drve the need fr this prject: Within a very shrt timeframe, the prgramming language in which WF1 was written wuld n lnger be supprted by the vendr. The ecnmic and plitical cncerns arund rising unemplyment rates created a high pririty and added urgency t the need fr reprt data. When Minnesta s rapidly rising unemplyment rate tpped ut at 8.1 percent in 2009*, Wrkfrce staff suddenly became inundated with immediate demand fr real-time statistical reprts frm the Gvernr s Office, Minnesta legislatrs, U.S. Department f Labr, cunty bards and the media. Althugh the unemplyment rate has t 3.7 percent in December 2014, the demand fr reprts has nt dwindled. *Surce: US Department f Labr, Bureau f Labr Statistics: http://data.bls.gv/timeseries/lasst270000000000003?data_tl=xgtable These demands highlighted the weful inadequacies f the reprting features f the WF1 applicatin. In sme cases, Wrkfrce staff were manually cunting paper files t create reprts. This created a time-cnsuming drain n staff resurces and lengthy wait times fr reprts. Cunselrs acrss the state needed instant, secure access t cmprehensive, up-t-date jb and training infrmatin frm anywhere, anytime t meet the grwing needs f clients. Jb cunselrs were required t enter data int WF1 fr cmpliance. Using the applicatin was inefficient and time-cnsuming. The result was that jb cunselrs ften fund themselves spending mre time entering data, leaving little time t help clients lcate and secure emplyment. The slutin MN.IT @ DEED ensured lng-term supprt frm the vendr (Micrsft) by rewriting the web applicatin with updated technlgy. Develpers used requirements gathered frm stakehlders and users t imprve the applicatin usability. They fcused n streamlined data entry t imprve efficiency, restructuring security t maintain data integrity and imprving accessibility features fr screen readers and dictatin sftware. The prject team used Scrum methdlgy, a frm f agile prject management. Scrum cnsistently engages users and stakehlders thrughut the life f the prject, respnding t their requests and t changing laws and plicies by making mdificatins t the applicatin befre the final release. This ensures cntinuus imprvement in the quality f the final deliverable. 3
Significance Stakehlder grups included: Department f Emplyment and Ecnmic Develpment Wrkfrce Develpment Divisin staff Department f Human Services staff invlved in jb placement and training activities Minnesta citizens in need f emplyment and training services Agency leadership, managers, the Minnesta Gvernr and State Legislature This prject was the first time MN.IT @ DEED used agile methdlgy t manage a prject t build an applicatin. The prject team credits the methdlgy fr helping them cmplete the prject n time and under budget. With imp rved stakehlder and custmer satisfactin, MN.IT @ DEED plans t use agile methdlgy t manage future IT prjects. The Wrkfrce One Team engaged stakehlders thrughut the redesign prcess using Scrum methdlgy, a frm f agile prject management. Scrum methdlgy cnsistently engages users and stakehlders thrughut the life f the prject, respnding t their requests and t changing laws and plicies by making mdificatins t the applicatin befre it ges live. This ensures cntinuus imprvement in the quality f the ultimate deliverable. Stakehlder satisfactin has been measured thrughut the prject. Bth users and stakehlders reprt increased satisfactin with the prject because they feel the develpment team is respnsive t their needs. Hw the prject imprves the peratin f gvernment This prject exemplifies cntinuus imprvement, transparency and accuntability in delivering IT prjects and supprting the State s nline services fr Minnesta s citizens. All f these are gals and initiatives f MN.IT s strategic plan and the strategic directin f the Gvernr f Minnesta. The Agile-Scrum methdlgy required the team t be flexible and remain respnsive t users and stakehlders changing needs. At any time n thrughut the prject, the team and stakehlders new exactly hw much wrk was cmpleted and hw much wrk remained. This transparency created accuntability fr bth the prject team and the stakehlders and fstered a shared wnership f the final prduct. 4
Benefits f the Prject WF1 is used by staff wh prvide jb search and training services t eligible Minnestans. Many f the enhancements included in the WF1 rebuild fcused n making case management prcesses mre efficient, s that jb cunselrs nw spend less time n data entry and mre time serving their clients. One f the majr imprvements t WF1 included a cmplete verhaul f reprting. WF1 nw includes a wide variety f new and/r enhanced pre-built reprts and rbust ad-hc reprting capability, allwing fr mre efficient data extractin and imprving transparency t stakehlders, gverning bdies and taxpayers. As a web applicatin, WF1 is accessible t authenticated users anytime, anywhere with an Internet cnnectin. Navigatin and findability was imprved expnentially, reduced frm an average f three t five clicks per task t just ne click frm each main client recrd. The applicatin was built t be intuitive with high usability t eliminate the need fr extensive user training t use the applicatin. While there has nt been sufficient time t gather metrics, it is anticipated that users will need far less help in learning t use the new WF1 applicatin. The team is planning t prvide help in shrt training vides, a big difference frm previus user training needed. Managing cases electrnically reduced csts fr prviders because it reduces paper strage requirements and they can easily access custmer infrmatin between lcatins withut having t mail dcuments back and frth. Case managers are able t view enrllments and services in prgrams beynd what they wrk n, allwing them t target precius resurces where custmers need them mst. Fr several prgrams, WF1 links financials t prgram services, allwing fr better fiscal versight. Tracking custmer services fr all emplyment and training prgrams in a single system helps t ensure cnsistency in service delivery and data cllectin. Prviders are able t clsely mnitr their custmer s utcmes and deliver additinal services when necessary t ensure the best utcme. WF1 s flexibility allws prviders t track special grants withut having t pay fr special prgramming. Meeting federal and state emplyment and training reprting requirements is mre efficient and less expensive because f standardized data cllectin and reprting within WF1.. Descriptin f impact f the prject Imprving prject and prtfli management thrugh the use f standard methdlgies and disciplines is ne f the tp 10 pririties f NASCIO State CIOs. The Wrkfrce One Team engaged stakehlders thrughut the redesign prcess using Scrum methdlgy, a frm f agile prject management. Using Scrum methdlgy we were able t cnsistently engage users and stakehlders thrughut the life f the prject, respnding t their requests and t changing laws and plicies by making mdificatins t the applicatin befre the final release. 5
Stakehlder satisfactin has been measured thrughut the prject. Bth users and stakehlders reprt increased satisfactin with the prject because they feel the develpment team is respnsive t their needs. Financial Return n Investment Prject cst was $5.6 Millin, which was $1 Millin under budget. Cst savings were nt immediately realized, but cme in the frm f increased efficiency and reduced time and labr csts fr jb cunselrs using the system. Using agile prject management resulted in reduced cmpletin r reslutin time and a $1 Millin cst avidance. The prject team credits the methdlgy fr helping them cmplete the prject n time and under budget.. Nn-Financial Return n Investment There were several intangible benefits f the prject, mst arund imprved relatinships and increased custmer satisfactin. Imprved relatinships: The team that built and maintains WF1 is hused within Minnesta s Department f Emplyment and Ecnmic Develpment, the state agency that versees mst f the prgrams listed abve. The WF1 Team s prximity t and clse cllabratin with prgram staff and prviders increases their knwledge f prgram requirements and allws them t be respnsive t plicy and law changes in a cst effective manner. Custmer satisfactin: The fllwing three examples were ranked extremely lw n the satisfactin scale during the pre-prject discvery sessins. A pst-prject survey gave the same three items high satisfactin ratings after the prject launch. Credential capture: Cunselrs are required t track any credentials (diplma, certificates etc.) that the client receives while participating in emplyment and training services. In the ld system, there were three places where users culd capture thse credentials, making it cnfusing t knw whether r nt the credential was attained. In the new system, credentials are captured and tracked in ne place, which users have identified as a data entry time savings. Emplyment Plans: Cunselrs are required t track a client s emplyment plan in the system. Smetimes these emplyment plans need t be updated, but mst f the infrmatin stays the same. In the ld system, the cunselr culd cpy an ld emplyment plan and add t it, but culd nt delete infrmatin that was n lnger relevant. They nw have that ability in the new system, and have ranked this highly amng the new features in the system. Perhaps the biggest intangible imprvement during this prject was cmmunicatin with users and stakehlders. In the pre-prject feedback survey, dissatisfactin with the cmmunicatin effrts frm the WF1 team was a fur star item. That meant that the cnsultant wh cnducted these feedback sessins heard it multiple times, frm multiple users in multiple areas f the state. In ur mst recent 2015 satisfactin survey, when asked What did yu like abut the WF1 prject?, the number ne answer was the cmmunicatin effrts f the WF1 prject team. 95% f respndents were very satisfied r smewhat satisfied with the infrmatin that they received abut the WF1 prject. 82% f respndents were very satisfied r smewhat satisfied with the pprtunities t prvide input n the prject. This was a huge psitive shift in the relatinship between IT and business users and has resulted in a much mre cllabrative and effective partnership that benefits everyne. 6
Measurement The team created a prduct backlg, a list f items t be cmpleted befre the system launch, early in the prject. This list f items changed vertime depending n business pririties, but served as a cnstant guide fr prject wrk effrts. The team measured their success by the number f prduct backlg items cmpleted each mnth and reprted team prgress t users and stakehlders thrugh mnthly review meetings. The team als measured stakehlder satisfactin thrughut the prject using surveys. The mst recent stakehlder satisfactin survey indicates that 86 percent f respndents feel that the WF1 system greatly enhances r smewhat enhances hw efficiently they can d their jb. Als, 86 percent f respndents feel that the WF1 rewrite is greatly imprved r smewhat imprved cmpared t the ld WF1 system. 7