Model system for smaller counties tested in Minnesota - automated food stamp program

Food and Nutrition, April, 1986 by Mary Jane Gettinger

Model System For Smaller Counties Tested In Minnesota

"User-friendly" is what food stamp staff in Dakota County, Minnesota, are calling their new automated system. The system, developed jointly by federal, state, and local staff, is especially designed to handle food stamp certification and issuance transactions in small to medium-sized counties.

"It's a great system," says Pam Nolan, computer consultant for the Dakota County Economic Assistance Division. "It does a lot for both workers and managers, and it improves accountability."

Planning began

3 years ago

Planning for the system began in 1982 when the Food and Nutrition Service's Washington staff asked the agency's Midwest regional office (MWRO) to develop and test the possibility of implementing an automated food stamp system on a microcomputer.

"We chose Minnesota," says Dave Witt, assistant director of family nutrition programs for MWRO, "because they do not have a statewide automated system for certification and issuance of food stamps. The Minnesota state agency agreed with the idea and chose the Dakota County Economic Assistance Division in West St. Paul as the test site."

Fred Martinowsky, computer specialist with FNS' Information Resources Management Division in Washington, was the project leader. It was his job to search for suitable software--that is to find a database management system that would operate on a microcomputer and that could do multiple tasks using multiple stations.

"This was the first time anyone had tried using microcomputers for the Food Stamp Program," says Martinowsky. "A number of automated systems are being used for food stamp certification and issuance, but these generally are in areas with large caseloads or are statewide operations.

"There are a number of states that are county-oriented and could use smaller, less expensive systems. Microcomputers cost about 1/20 the amount needed for a mainframe system."

It took Martinowsky 6 months to research and select a database management system. He had to study market surveys, make telephone calls, talk to salesmen and visit some existing mainframe systems. He chose "OPTIMUM" because it would allow several operators to do different tasks at the same time.

Implemented in

several stages

In June of 1983, Jeff Tripodi, computer programmer for MWRO, volunteered to work on the overall system design and the detailed programming. Having worked in the Food Stamp Program for 3 years, he had both the skills and the knowledge of program regulations to generate the required output documents.

Computer consultant Pam Nolan, a former Dakota County employee, was instrumental in developing the system. She and Tripodi decided what information would be put in the computer, how the information would be manipulated, and what reports would be generated. They also wrote the user manual.

When the county decided to implement the system, Nolan prepared small group training sessions for Dakota County staff to give an overview of the system and provide information on the input and output documents. She plans to conduct additional training sessions as the need arises.

Martinowsky and Tripodi did the detailed programming, after first mastering the "OPTIMUM" language. The computer system called for approximately 100 program modules.

"Writing the modules was a long, detailed process that involved taking a goal or objective and breaking it down into minute steps to reach the end result," Tripodi explains.

Speeds processing

and reporting

The Dakota County system is designed to handle most major food stamp certification and issuance transactions for a maximum of 2,500 cases. As Tripodi explains, the system helps the food stamp staff with almost every step of determining eligibility, calculating benefits, and keeping track of household participation in the program.

"In the area of certification," he says, "the new system can distinguish among new applications, reapplications, recertifications, desk reviews, and corrections.

"For households that are eligible, the system can figure out the proper food stamp allotment, create a household record for storage and retrieval on the automated database, and issue a notice of decision.

"It can also generate listings authorizing the proper issuance of food stamps on both a daily and monthly basis, store all information previously maintained on Household Issuance Record (HIR) cards, and meet state and federal reporting requirements.

"Finally, it can generate statistical reports and notices based on information stored on the database. Its potential in this area is considerable."

Special form

used for data

In processing applications or updating records, food stamp staff use what is called a "turn-around document." This two-part form is divided into five major sections: household, income, shelter, allotment, and household members. Areas involving allotment calculations are highlighted.

"During either an interview or a desk review," says Nolan, "the financial worker ensures that the food stamp application, the household report form or the change report form are complete and that all verification requirements have been met.