The Client
The Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) is a public-private partnership whose primary objective is advancing and diversifying the state’s economy. The ACA serves as Arizona’s leading economic development organization, leading and coordinating economic development and marketing efforts throughout the state. The ACA is overseen by a board composed of the Arizona Governor and statewide leaders in business, academia and workforce.
The ACA also houses the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO), which coordinates Arizona’s workforce planning with economic development, supports the state workforce board (Workforce Arizona Council), and provides economic, demographic, regulatory, and tax research and analysis.
The Challenge
In March 2021, the National Governors Association (NGA) awarded a grant to the Arizona Commerce Authority to develop and scale innovations that increase employment and deliver stronger workforce outcomes in Arizona. ACA sought to achieve this by advancing technology currently in use and expanding access to workforce services provided through their one-stop delivery network called ARIZONA@WORK.
The delivery network was supported by a patchwork of technologies that were performing poorly and lacked much-needed integration and functionality. ACA leadership knew they needed a robust new platform, but were unsure how to articulate their needs, identify potential options, and assess implementation costs.
MSS Business Transformation Advisory (MSSBTA) was contracted for a three-month effort to engage with the ACA, the AZ Department of Economic Security (DES), and 12 local workforce development areas to gather and compile technology system requirements. These requirements will be used to inform the development of a Unified Service Delivery Platform. The effort was sponsored and led by Kolu Wilson (Workforce Administrator, AZ Office of Economic Opportunity).
Our Solution
MSSBTA interviewed over 100 stakeholders across five state agencies and 12 local workforce areas, including leaders, case managers, administrators, educators, job seekers, employers, and One-Stop operators.
Utilizing surveys, interviews, and group sessions, MSSBTA captured pain points with the current solution and documented requirements for a potential replacement. MSSBTA was able to ensure adequate participation and buy-in due to its objective third-party perspective. MSSBTA also documented the core operational processes, which the workforce areas found extremely helpful because the processes had never been documented.
MSSBTA also engaged with other high-performing state boards to understand best practices and recommend them to the ACA. To gather high level cost estimates, we conducted a market scan for vendors who could potentially fulfil the documented requirements and solicited price information from them.
MSSBTA compiled and delivered the final recommendations on use of technology for effective service delivery, along with stakeholder requirements and high-level cost estimates, to leaders at ACA and DES. These recommendations will be used to inform and guide a significant portion of the DES modernization project.
MSSBTA also presented to the Workforce Council Measuring Effectiveness team, which helped secure additional support for the replacement solution.
In addition to the core activities above, MSSBTA provided appropriate and timely status communications to the leadership team and ensured that risks and issues were addressed.
Their Results
On an aggressive timeline, MSSBTA delivered a complete inventory of the IT systems supporting the public workforce programs, end-to-end maps of the core operational processes, a gap analysis of the current technology platform, potential replacement options with cost estimates, and a list of best practices in coordinate workforce service delivery. ACA leaders presented the results of the engagement at the NGA Fall Symposium in Phoenix (September 2021) and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive.
“We hosted the NGA in Phoenix this week. Our colleagues at the NGA raved about our work products from the WIN Grant. Thanks again for ALL your hard work, collaboration and coordination...you knocked it out of the park!” – Vice President, Workforce Strategy
Deliverables
Inventory and evaluation of IT Systems that support workforce programs
Current state process flows
Stakeholder requirements for a fully integrated state-wide system
High level-cost estimates for potential replacement solutions
Recommendations on use of technology to enhance coordinated service delivery