Service Delivery Area: Benefits
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Automation + AI What Are Generative AI, Large Language Models, and Foundation Models?
What exactly are the differences between generative AI, large language models, and foundation models? This post aims to clarify what each of these three terms mean, how they overlap, and how they differ.
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Digital Identity Digital Identity: Emerging Trends, Debates and Controversies
This academic review covers the broad range of arguments, trends, and patterns from the emerging field of digital identity scholarship.
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Policy Fewer Burdens but Greater Inequality? Reevaluating the Safety Net through the Lens of Administrative Burden
This paper examines changes in administrative burden in U.S. social safety net programs, or the negative encounters with the state that people experience when trying to access and use the benefits for which they are eligible. While overall burdens have declined in most targeted programs, there is evidence of increasing inequality regarding who faces these burdens.
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Human-Centered Design Improving Unemployment Insurance Applications with CX Principles
This resource contains principles and examples of high-impact improvements to consider making in different parts of the online application. CX principles for online applications describes broadly applicable best practices that when implemented across the various sections of an online application can increase claimant self-service and reduce the need for interventions from state agency staff. The employer and occupation sections highlight promising improvements within these sections to collect employment history, reason for filing for unemployment (separation information), and a claimant’s occupation. Gathering the information for these sections is particularly complex for claimants and state agencies alike.
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Digitizing Policy + Rules as Code Understanding Law as Code
This course from the European Commission aims to provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of Law as Code and its relationship to digital-ready policymaking.
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Policy Optimizing Federal COVID Relief Funds: State Perspectives On Bolstering Child Care And Early Childhood Systems
This report examines how states strategically approached managing and administering the historic influx of COVID-19 relief funds for child care and early childhood systems, focusing on governance structures, funding management systems, and data systems
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Automation + AI Use of Advanced Automation in SNAP
This memo provides state agencies with guidance on allowable use of advanced automation technologies. FNS encourages and supports state agencies’ use of advanced automation technologies to enhance the administration of SNAP and foster public trust, both in SNAP and in the state agencies’ systems, within the framework of statutory and regulatory requirements.
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Making Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Enrollment Easier for Gig Workers
This article explores some of the challenges gig workers face in enrolling in SNAP, as well as present and future policy solutions to ease access to SNAP.
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Summer EBT Playbook
Playbook to implement a human-centered Summer EBT program in 2024 and beyond.
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Policy Analysis TANF Data Collaborative Pilot: Family Characteristics in Utah
The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Data Collaborative Pilot Initiative is a component of the TANF Data Innovation project. The 30-month pilot offered technical assistance and training to support cross-disciplinary teams of staff at eight state and county TANF programs in the routine use of TANF and other administrative data to inform policy and practice.
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Data New Mexico’s Coordinating SNAP & Nutrition Support Impact Report
The New Mexico Human Services Department and Department of Health, as part of the Coordinating SNAP & Nutrition Supports program, leveraged data sharing to align SNAP, Medicaid, TANF, and WIC. Their new online interface automates the referral process, making it easier for families to access the nutrition and economic supports they are eligible for.
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Data Michigan’s Coordinating SNAP & Nutrition Supports Impact Report
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, together with the Food Bank Council of Michigan and the Michigan Department of Education developed a comprehensive Food Insecurity Map and a closed-loop referral system for nutrition and economic supports. The goal of these initiatives was to leverage cross-sector data to inform policy decisions, streamline access to food assistance, and reduce administrative burden. This report documents lessons learned and outcomes of their project.