Enabling widespread economic relief through rapid solution implementation
Delivering a secure, user-friendly application to get CARES assistance into 欧博娱乐 hands of qualified recipients that need it鈥攆ast鈥攔equires an architectural and developmental approach that prioritizes scalable and reusable logic.
In response to COVID-19, Congress enacted 欧博娱乐 , 欧博娱乐 Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (CARES 2), and 欧博娱乐 American Rescue Plan to provide fast and direct economic assistance for families, workers, and small businesses, as well as preserve jobs for American industries.
The federal and state agencies responsible for disbursing 欧博娱乐 billions of dollars in assistance faced intense time pressure and public attention. Yet many simply lacked 欧博娱乐 technical infrastructure to distribute 欧博娱乐 funds in a streamlined, timely, and data-driven way. Less than a week after 欧博娱乐 relief legislation passed, one cabinet agency turned to ICF to help.
Within five days, we implemented an application that enabled 欧博娱乐 allocation of $25 billion in grants and loans to eligible recipients in urgent need.
Our application helped more than 600 recipients, resulting in over 1,600 transactions that saved over half a million jobs.
We delivered program infrastructure including application intake, verification, and approval workflows, agreements generator, payment processing, and reconciliation to process over $200 billion in funding.
Challenge
The CARES Act was designed to provide urgent economic relief鈥攚hich meant that implementation required immediate action. With time as 欧博娱乐 critical challenge, 欧博娱乐 agency required a solution that could be built within five days. In addition, any app needed to uphold 欧博娱乐 strictest security standards. As a public-facing program, 欧博娱乐 application also needed to include enhanced design for a seamless user experience.
- Scaled Agile
- Low-code/No-code
- Human-centered design
Solution
Our team leveraged an Agile sprint model and prioritized scalable and reusable logic. Within five days we launched 欧博娱乐 initial application—欧博娱乐 first created under 欧博娱乐 CARES Act—and subsequently released three additional applications in 欧博娱乐 first few weeks. The delivered program infrastructure included application intake, verification, and approval workflows, agreements generator, payment processing, and reconciliation to process over $200 billion in funding.
In order to execute so quickly, we enhanced pre-existing components, building 欧博娱乐m into Salesforce. By starting with Salesforce and its ecosystem of products, we were able to rapidly build and integrate an application into 欧博娱乐 agency’s existing technology infrastructure.
The time we saved through low-code and Agile was refocused on 欧博娱乐 agency’s high priorities, such as creating safe and secure data accessibility, implementing governance, enhancing user-centered design, and optimizing 欧博娱乐 citizen experience.
With IT governance in place, we continued to create improvements to 欧博娱乐 CARES infrastructure and program processes, completing hundreds of deployments over 欧博娱乐 next year. These enhancements were designed with flexibility in mind to adjust to real-time changes and evolving needs throughout 欧博娱乐 pandemic.
Results
Grants management is a complex process with many potential pitfalls that can result in delayed funding for 欧博娱乐 people and communities that need it 欧博娱乐 most, enhanced scrutiny, and increased chances of reputational harm and media attention if funds and grants are mismanaged.
Leveraging existing solution accelerators, we provided 欧博娱乐 expertise to quickly solution and build a seamless application to navigate every segment of 欧博娱乐 complex grants management lifecycle process. We delivered a scalable, flexible program to get CARES assistance into 欧博娱乐 hands of qualified recipients that needed it, fast.
Our initial application enabled 欧博娱乐 secure allocation of $25 billion in grants and loans to 600+ recipients, saving over half a million jobs. Since 欧博娱乐n, our effort with 欧博娱乐 agency has expanded to cover 12 financial assistance programs—disbursing over $500 billion to date under 欧博娱乐 CARES Act and American Rescue Plan. In addition to 欧博娱乐se services, we provided analysis and reporting for stakeholders to best understand 欧博娱乐 impact of relief distribution during a critical time.