HEALTH CARE AND HUMAN SERVICES POLICY, RESEARCH, AND CONSULTING - WITH REAL-WORLD PERSPECTIVE. IT Development and Enhancement Technical Assistance Exchange TA Call April 14, 2010

2 IT Development and Enhancement TA Resources Available NASUA and Lewin Grantee Activities, Trends and Lessons Learned Grantee Presentations Alabama Maryland Q&A and Discussion

3 IT Development and Enhancement – Areas of AoA Grantee Focus Awareness and Information Developing more comprehensive electronic resource databases Making resource databases public, more accessible and searchable Automating I&R/A service tracking Assistance and Counseling Automating and standardizing data collection about individuals served Increasing reporting capacity Increasing capacity to analyze service data and track trends

4 IT Development and Enhancement – Areas of AoA Grantee Focus Streamlining Access / Eligibility Determination Automating assessment tools Making applications accessible to consumers and/or professionals online Building capacity for electronic referrals Community Living Program and VDHCBS Supporting individual budget development and tracking Tracking participants’ individual goals and outcomes

5 Trends to Keep in Mind Ubiquitous broadband Integrate mobile, wireless technologies into the organization’s resources, so personnel are supported with information resources “anytime, anywhere.” Data sharing and collaboration Talk to partners about data federation and sharing of data, even if you start small with something like RSS (Rich Site Syndication) Open data standards Embrace the power of open standards like XML (Extensible Markup Language).

6 Integrate as many programs and business functions into one system as possible Identify ongoing funding source up front for any new system Identify your goals and system specifications before talking to vendors Allow adequate time and resources for determining your specifications Involve end users (e.g. program staff, consumers) in developing your specifications, choosing enhancements, selecting systems Administer / maintain systems at the state level wherever possible Promote statewide standards Coordinate state and local IT development initiatives Develop database management/maintenance strategy before launching Lessons Learned

7 Technical Assistance Exchange Contacts Carrie Blakeway Senior Consultant, The Lewin Group John Thompson Senior Policy Advisor, NASUA