GovReport

On the Future of Government

Digital

California to Roll Out New COVID-19 Reporting System in October

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California will roll out a new COVID-19 reporting system in October after it awarded a renewable six-month, $15.3-million contract to healthcare technology OptumInsight, Inc., the state announced this week.  The announcement follows a recent failure of the state’s infectious disease registry CalREDIE to accurately report testing data, which reportedly resulted in the Department of Public Health director’s resignation last month.

“This system will reduce labor-intensive collection processes and minimize delays in reporting data so that public health experts across the state have swift access to the tools and data they need to prevent COVID-19 transmission and respond to new cases and outbreaks,” said State Chief Information Officer Amy Tong in a statement.

California will soon have plenty of test results to report, store, and analyze. Last week, Gov. Newsom announced a $1.4-billion contract with Massachusetts-based diagnostics company PerkinElmer to increase California’s COVID-19 testing from 100,000 to 250,000 per day.

CalREDIE suffered a significant glitch in July that caused COVID-19 cases to be underreported, which in turn led Gov. Gavin Newsom to prematurely announce “early good signs” in an Aug. 3 press conference.

DGS Measures Benefits of Teleworking

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When the COVID-19 outbreak in March forced most state workers to telework indefinitely, the Department of General Services (DGS) took the opportunity to begin a case study tracking the impacts of working from home.  Executives in the department’s IT and human resources divisions collaborated to develop a telework dashboard to visualize activities across the department.

Using a telework dashboard designed in May to track data and habits from its roughly 1,400 workers teleworking either full or part-time, DGS sought to discover the impacts of working from home that may inform the decision to telework even beyond the state-mandated shutdown.

According to DGS, its workers have saved a cumulative 16.4 years of commute time, 200,000 gallons of gasoline (worth approximately $620,000 at the pump), and 1,761 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

In addition to the positive environmental impact, 80 percent of DGS workers polled in a recent survey indicated that they would like to continue teleworking on a permanent basis.

See DGS’ dashboard here: https://telework.govops.ca.gov/tracking-telework/dgs-case-study/

Stewards of Change Institute teams with Stanford University on Equity Initiative

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The not-for-profit think tank Stewards of Change Institute (SOCI) and the Stanford University Center for Population Health Sciences have joined forces on a year-long effort combining academic research, data collection and collaboration with people across multiple sectors to identify systems-level changes that can fundamentally improve population health.

Leaders of the National Action Agenda to Advance Upstream Social Determinants and Health Equity say the effort aims to advance health equity and social justice, as well as value-based, person-centered care.

Daniel Stein, president of SOCI, said the collaboration also will facilitate a more effective response to health crises such as COVID-19, which has laid bare long-existing – but not always obvious – economic, social, racial and health inequities.

“The pandemic magnifies the importance of this effort,” he said. “It brings a lens to the populations that have always been at risk, underserved and under-resourced. It highlights the pain of those populations, but also those several strata up now finding themselves in need of government services. On another level, it highlights the extremely fragile nature of our non-system systems to address these disparities.”

Stein acknowledged that the problems occupy a “gigantic space,” and that to be effective addressing disparities the effort demands sharing data across systems that traditionally have operated vertically. This approach is critical to getting a full picture of the influences affecting someone’s life, he said. He cited as an example a homeless man diagnosed with diabetes who is given medicine that needs refrigeration.

“He has no place to keep his meds, so it’s worthless,” he said. “You need to think across the stream.”

The National Action Agenda includes the development of seven workgroups organized around individual social determinants of health, including: food (hunger and access); neighborhood and physical environment; economic mobility; education; community and social context (race, integration); health care; and legal services. Each group will bring together academic researchers, community organizations, government entities and provider groups, among others. Additional activities include a webinar series led by former California Department of Public Health Director Karen Smith, a national symposium at Stanford University and a proof-of-concept implementation project.

David Rehkopf, co-director of the Stanford Center for Population Health Sciences, said the collaboration sits perfectly with the center’s direction and mission.

“Our mission is to improve population health, and by publishing research papers we don’t do anything. We need to partner with others and bring people together. The innovative thing here is convening, to think through things to address problems. It’s a process of engagement and continuing to evaluate, to see what is working and not working with evidence from a variety of people.”

Rehkopf said individual policies and legislation can trickle down and affect massive improvements in health outcomes. He cited the impact of the federal and state Earned Income Tax Credit on reducing poverty, which he has for years studied and championed.

Both Rehkopf and Stein hope the collaboration among people from multiple sectors and with different backgrounds and voices will result in a handful of actionable recommendations that ultimately could be implemented to improve equity.

“Amid all the challenges going on right now there is an awareness and interest from a broader range of people to really work on issues of equity,” Rehkopf said. “Now is the time to do it and see what we can accomplish when we have this opportunity.”

Code for America Advisor to Help with California’s Tech Vision

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Very Little Gravitas LLC, a firm owned by consultant Dan Hon, was awarded a $246,840 contract with the California Department of Technology (CDT) to provide Vision 2023 IT Strategic Plan consulting services. This contract is in effect from August 10, 2020, through August 9, 2021, according to state procurement records.

Image: LinkedIn

In a tweet on August 14, Hon said “V. excited for me and my team to work on crafting the tech strategy for the world’s 5th biggest economy.”  He also said that former 18F Chief of Staff Cyd Harrell would be joining him in the consulting engagement.

Hon helped develop the California Child Welfare Digital Service in 2015 while working for Code for America. A year later he started Very Little Gravitas with a focus on helping California’s State government transform digital delivery to better meet user needs.   He continued to work as a consultant at Child Welfare Digital Services from 2017 to May 2020.

In 2016 and 2017 he was a digital transformation consultant for the California Health and Human Services Agency, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Hon currently serves as Code for America Summit co-chair and as a non-paid advisor to the organization, says his profile. The nonprofit, whose website says “We’re on a mission to make government work in the digital age,” was founded by Jennifer Pahlka in 2010.  The organization organizes thousands of volunteers in nearly 80 chapters across the U.S. to work on projects, such as GetCalFresh and ClearMyRecord to support government agencies.

Christman appointed to oversee California’s public health data operation

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Veteran data expert and former department CIO Scott Christman has been appointed to oversee California’s public health data operation, the program that tracks birth, death and marriage certifications, among other things.  The announcement came after last week’s high-profile COVID-19 data reporting glitch that reportedly cost the Public Health Director her job.

Christman, who is returning to government after a stint in the private sector, previously served as a project manager in the office that he now directs.  He also previously served in key roles such as acting agency information officer for the California Health and Human Services Agency and CIO at the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development.

As deputy director for the Center for Health Statistics and Informatics at the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), he is the first non-medical doctor to hold the position.   His predecessors include Jim Green, Linette Scott, and Este Geraghty, all MDs.   In the department organizational chart, he is a peer to department CIO Gary Nodine.  They both report to the chief deputy director.

Christman has been central in the state’s effort to develop open data policies and helped with the CDPH open data playbook, released in 2013, which evolved into the Statewide Open Data Playbook issued in 2015 by the Government Operations Agency.

Besides the recent reporting errors, for obvious reasons related to COVID-19, public health data has been a priority for the Newsom Administration.   The governor recently announced CalCAT, a forecasting and assessment tool that is also intended to reach citizen scientists, achieving unprecedented levels of government transparency, a theme in his book Citizenville.

Also last week on behalf of CDPH, the California Department of Technology launched a “challenge” with the vendor community to rapidly develop a solution to create a “robust and automated solution to securely and accurately collect, store, analyze and publish COVID-19 electronic lab reporting and case data for our constituents.” according to the state’s COVID-19 website.

Christman starts the new position on September 1.

 

 

 

 

 

Governor appoints new EDD executive team

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Gov. Newsom on Friday appointed new executive team members to the Employment Development Department to boost customer service and deal with the backlog of unemployment claims due to COVID-19.

On July 29, the governor announced a strike team to focus on the information technology challenges EDD faces, lead by GovOps Secretary Yolanda Richardson and Code for America founder Jennifer Pahlka.

From the announcement:

Maurice Emsellem, 61, of Berkeley, has been appointed senior advisor at the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency. Emsellem has been program director at the National Employment Law Project since 2015, where he has held several positions since 1990, including policy director, program director and staff attorney. He was a Soros Justice senior fellow for the Open Society Foundations from 2004 to 2005, an associate appellate counsel for the Legal Aid Society’s Criminal Appeals Bureau from 1987 to 1990 and staff attorney at the U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit from 1986 to 1987. Emsellem earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Northeastern University School of Law. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $165,000. Emsellem is a Democrat.  

Nancy Farias, 47, of Thousand Oaks, has been appointed chief deputy director of external affairs, legislation and policy at the California Employment Development Department. Farias has served as director of government relations at SEIU Local 1000 since 2017. She was deputy chief of staff at the Office of California State Senator Henry Stern from 2016 to 2017. Farias was district director at the Office of California State Assemblymember Mike Gatto from 2015 to 2017. She was deputy secretary of legislation at the Government Operations Agency from 2013 to 2015. Farias was deputy director of legislative affairs at the California Department of Human Resources from 2012 to 2013. She was legislative director at SEIU Local 1000 from 2009 to 2012 and senior vice president at Smith, Ruddock & Hayes from 2008 to 2009. She was an associate at Wolkon Pascucci from 2002 to 2008. Farias earned a Master of Science degree in political science from the University of Massachusetts and a Juris Doctor degree from Suffolk University Law School. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $180,600. Farias is a Democrat.

Kevin Matulich, 32, of Sacramento, has been appointed deputy director of legislative affairs at the California Employment Development Department. Matulich has been assistant director at the California Employment Development Department since 2019, where he served as assistant director of policy and external affairs from 2017 to 2019 and special assistant to the director from 2014 to 2017. He served in several positions in the Office of Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. from 2011 to 2014, including special assistant for appointments and constituent affairs representative. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $133,308. Matulich is a Democrat.

Carole Vigne, 41, of San Francisco, has been appointed general counsel and deputy director at the California Employment Development Department. Vigne has been senior staff attorney and program director of the Wage Protection Program for Legal Aid at Work since 2014, where she was a staff attorney from 2011 to 2014 and a Skadden fellow from 2007 to 2009. She was an associate attorney at Rukin, Hyland, Doria & Tindall LLP from 2009 to 2011. Vigne is a board member of Mujeres Unidas y Activas, and a member of the Coalition of Low-Wage and Immigrant Worker Advocates and the Freedom Network. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $170,772. Vigne is registered without party preference.

Carol D. Williams, 52, of Davis, has been appointed chief deputy director of operations at the California Employment Development Department. Williams has served as chief of the Filing Division at the California Franchise Tax Board since 2015, and was chief of the Accounts Receivable Management Division from 2011 to 2015 and director of the Revenue Recovery Services Bureau from 2006 to 2011. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $180,600. Williams is a Democrat.

State Chief Data Officer Outlines Vision and Goals for California’s Data Strategy

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Speaking to a Zoom audience of more than 80 people at the CalData Open Meeting on Aug. 12, California Chief Data Officer Joy Bonaguro outlined the future of statewide data strategy and the goals to ensure its effectiveness moving forward.

While data is a tool commonly used in many communities both private and public, it’s still somewhat of a foreign language to many state workers that could otherwise benefit from its use.

Among the biggest challenges listed by Bonaguro in a survey of state employees, ability to find and access data was the primary obstacle, while inconsistency of data terminology and the actual quality of data also proved to be major roadblocks.

Bonaguro mentioned three major strategic goals that, if achieved, could expand the use and efficiency of data in California. Those goals include: streamlining data access, improving data management and governance, and spurring data use and ability.

While those goals appear fairly straightforward, whether or not they can be achieved will come down to the state’s ability to maintain long-lasting and complete data sets, facilitating the open exchange of data between various agencies, teaching data skills, and hiring dedicated data professionals.

Of course, the implementation of data skills and jobs are likely a luxury given the current budget, Bonaguro admitted with a laugh.

“I’m pushing that off, unless something radically changes about my resources right now.”

Bonaguro made one important distinction when discussing exactly who should be driving data work within a department. While technology staff can provide the tools necessary to make use of data, the impetus for driving data must come from business staff.

“In areas where business leadership and executive leadership was engaged, [those surveyed] felt further along,” she said. “This isn’t something you can simply delegate and check off your list.”

If the objective is to create an emphasis on data from the top down, spurring on leadership may include adding the position of data executive to all departments.

“CHSS has a chief data officer, DMV hired a chief data officer . . . Is the chief data officer something we should promote across the state? I don’t know yet, but it’s something we can think about.”

Budget permitting, the push to incorporate data in all aspects of state government has begun.

Newsom creates ‘strike team’ to address problems with unemployment system

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Amid historic COVID-19 related unemployment highs and a day before a contentious Assembly hearing on California’s unemployment system, Gov. Newsom on Wednesday announced the creation of a new strike team to address the backlog of claims and ongoing information-technology related problems.

The California Department of Technology and Office of Digital Innovation will support the effort led by GovOps Secretary Yolanda Richardson and Jennifer Pahlka, former Code for America executive director who now heads U.S. Digital Response, a nonprofit organization helping government agencies respond to the COVID-19 crises.

“The strike team will identify steps to transform the unemployment insurance customer experience for the digital age. Within 45 days, the strike team will deliver a roadmap that outlines short-, mid- and long-term recommendations and solutions to transform the customer experience of applying for and receiving UI benefits,” said the announcement.

Wednesday’s announcement emphasized a new focus on the individuals impacted by the economic downtown. The state’s unemployment level is around 15 percent, with 7.6 million Californians filing claims, adding to $55 billion, according to media reports.

“While we have faced unprecedented challenges this year, unemployment insurance should be a human-centered system that supports people during hard times. From the first contact to final resolution and all communication in between, we are committed making the UI experience better for Californians,” said Julie A. Su, Secretary of the Labor and Workforce Development Agency in a press statement.

An Assembly Budget Subcommittee held a hearing on Thursday where lawmakers were critical of the department’s efforts, including recently signing a no-bid contract with Deloitte consulting.

Video of the 3.5-hour hearing is here: https://www.assembly.ca.gov/media/assembly-budget-subcommittee-4-state-administration-committee-20200730/video

 

 

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Closing the Digital Divide Task Force Hearing

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State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond will hold a hearing today of his task force to close the digital divide for California students who lack access to internet connectivity and devices.  Thurmond announced the task force on April 16 and heard from Internet Service Providers at its first hearing on April 20.

When: Thursday, July 23, at 1 p.m.

Where:  https://www.facebook.com/events/639314983667427/

Facebook page: The goal of this meeting will be to strategize around how California can prepare for distance learning when school opens from the standpoint of devices, what we can do to prepare digitally for the reopening of schools in distance learning, and provide an update on where we are on our campaign to get more digital devices. 

Kevin Cornish Named Covered California’s New Chief Information Officer

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Image:
https://www.coveredca.com

Covered California has a new executive to oversee the health agency’s IT strategy and tech initiatives, according to an announcement this week.  Kevin Cornish will serve as the chief information officer, replacing soon-to-retire Karen Ruiz, who has worked for Covered California since 2013 and has served as its CIO for the past five years.

Cornish has more than 31 years of experience in the IT industry. While at Kaiser Permanente, he led a multi-million dollar initiative to transform the healthcare provider’s technology infrastructure from the ground up. He then moved on to fill roles as CIO for the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, and most recently as chief technology officer for the University of California Office of the President.

“Kevin has spent more than three decades helping organizations build and expand their information technology infrastructure,” said Covered California Executive Director Peter V. Lee. “His knowledge, experience and passion will serve us well as Covered California continues its efforts to use technology to make health care work better for consumers and to support our team in serving millions of Californians.”

Covered California’s announcement can be found here.