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Approve a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the California Automated Consortia Eligibility System (CalACES) in conjunction with the Welfare Client Data System (WCDS) consortia of counties for the procurement, implementation, maintenance, and operations surrounding development of the California Statewide Automated Welfare System (CalSAWS)
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Published Notice Required? Yes _____ No __X__
Public Hearing Required? Yes _____ No __X__
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
The Department of Health and Social Services (H&SS) recommends that the Board approve a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the California Automated Consortia Eligibility System (CalACES) in conjunction with the Welfare Client Data System (WCDS) consortia of counties for the procurement, implementation, maintenance, and operations surrounding development of the California Statewide Automated Welfare System (CalSAWS).
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Food and Nutrition Services agencies of the United States Department of Agriculture directed the State of California to migrate to a single Statewide Automated Welfare System commonly referred to as SAWS or CalSAWS, by 2023. SAWS is the case management system for county eligibility staff providing CalWORKs, Welfare to Work, CalFresh, Medi-Cal, Foster Care, Refugee Assistance, County Medical Services Program, and General Assistance/General Relief. SAWS is made up of multiple systems which support eligibility determination, benefit calculation, benefit issuance, case management, and reporting.
In the early 1990s, several unsuccessful attempts were made to build a single system and instead, a strategy was developed whereby a limited number of systems, called consortia, would make up SAWS.
The three social services computer systems used by the 58 California counties are:
• LEADER (Los Angeles Eligibility, Automated Determination, Evaluation and Reporting), governed by Los Angeles - used by Los Angeles County only
• C-IV, governed by C-IV (Consortium IV) - used by 39 counties
• CalWIN (CalWORKs Information Network), governed by Welfare Client Data System (WCDS) Consortium - used by 18 counties including Solano County
Migrating to a single system aims to significantly reduce the financial cost to the State of managing and maintaining the various consortia systems. The first step in establishing CalSAWS was Assembly Bill ABX1 16 (2011), which required the C-IV system and LEADER system to combine into a jointly designed system referred to as California Automated Consortia Eligibility System (Cal ACES). CalACES formed on September 1, 2017, through a Joint Powers Agreement (JPA), and is comprised of forty (40) California counties.
The remaining 18 California counties, including Solano County, participate in the Welfare Client Data System (WCDS) consortium to manage and maintain the CalWORKS Information Network (CalWIN). The 18 WCDS counties have already begun working with the 40 CalACES counties in the development of CalSAWS for use by all 58 counties. Migration of all 58 counties to one system, CalSAWS, has been mandated by the Federal Government by 2023.
To prepare for the single system migration, representatives from CalACES, WCDS, and the California Welfare Directors Association (CWDA) formed the CalSAWS Leadership Team to collaborate on a CalSAWS governance structure and to identify issues requiring the procurement and implementation of certain shared computer services needed for all counties to eventually integrate into a single CalSAWS. The CalSAWS Leadership Team recommended that CalACES assume the legal responsibility for the procurement and execution of contracts with vendors for these shared services on behalf of CalACES and the WCDS counties for implementation by all 58 counties.
The MOU (Attachment A) has been developed between CalACES and WCDS in order for CalACES to procure and manage all needed shared services. All other WCDS/CalWIN consortium counties will also obtain necessary approvals of the MOU.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with this item. If future contracts procured or developed by CalACES have any related net county cost, H&SS will return to the Board with details and to obtain any necessary approvals. The costs associated with preparing the agenda item are nominal and absorbed by the department’s FY2018/19 Adopted Budget.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board could choose not to approve this MOU. This is not recommended as the State, and thus the 58 counties within the State, have been directed by the Federal Government to migrate to a single statewide automated welfare system (CalSAWS). The memorandum of understanding is necessary to enable WCDS, the consortium Solano County is a member of, to be in compliance.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
County Counsel has reviewed and approved the Memorandum of Understanding as to form.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION