Evaluation of the expanded off-line EBT system in Ohio : moving to a statewide EBT system using smart cards for food stamps

94 Pages·1999·6.1 MB·English

Historic, Archive Document
Do not assume content reflects current
scientific knowledge, policies, or practices.

a Evaluation of the Expanded
Off-Line Electronic Benefits
Transfer System in Ohio
_ United States
Department of
~ .. Agriculture _
Food and
« Nutrition Moving to a Statewide
gue Service...
EBT System Using Smart
Gere Analysis’
~ ©”N utritiona,n d
Cards for Food Stamps
Evaluation
Interim Report

Evaluation of the
Abt
Expanded Off-Line
EBT System in
Ohio
Abt Associates Inc.
Moving to a
55 Wheeler Street
Statewide EBT
Cambridge, Massachusetts
02138-1168
System Using
617 492-7100 telephone
Smart Cards for
617 492-5219 facsimile
Food Stamps
Hampden Square, Suite 600
4800 Montgomery Lane FNS 53-3198-4-022
Bethesda, Maryland
20814-5341
March 1999
301 913-0500 telephone
301 652-3618 facsimile
Prepared for
Jenny Genser
USDA/FNS/OANE
640 North LaSalle Street 310] Park Center Drive
Suite 400 Alexandna, Virginia 22302
Chicago, Illinois
60610-3781
Prepared by
312 867-4000 telephone
Paul Elwood
312 867-4200 facsimile
John Kirlin
Seth Cooper
Sandra Nolden
Chnistopher Logan. Abt Associates
Eugene Costa
Cheryl Owens, Phoenix Planning &
Evaluation
USDA's Non-Discrimination Statement
“The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color,
national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases
apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille,
large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA*s TARGET Center at [phone] (voice and TDD).
ITnod efiplee nad ecnocmep laAivnetn uoef, diSsWc,ri mWianasthiionng,t ownr,it eD CU SD2A0,2 50D-ir9e4c1to0r , orO fcfailcl e (2o0f2 )Ci v7i2l 0R-i5g9h6t4s , (Rvooiocme a3n2d6 -TWD,D )W.h itUtSenD AB uiils dainn ge,q ua14lt ho pSptorreteutn iatnyd
provider and employer.”
Acknowledgments
On behalf of the authors, I would like to thank the many individuals at the Ohio Department of Human
Services (ODHS), the EBT vendors, and at FNS who assisted us in the preparation of this report.
Within ODHS, special thanks go to Mr. David Schwartz, the project director for the Direction Card
system. Mr. John Scaggs and Ms. Elinor Kohler of ODHS also assisted with our data collection efforts.
We would also like to thank those county staff who provided information on county implementation
efforts. There are too many staff to enumerate them all here, but we would especially like to express our
gratitude to Janet Converse of the Montgomery County Department of Human Services (CDHS), K*Anna
Black of the Miami CDHS, Linda O’Neal of the Clark CDHS, Charlotte Rangi of the Greene CDHS, and
David Erbaugh of the Preble CDHS. These EBT coordinators were quite willing and gracious to spend
time with us and explain the EBT implementation process during our site visits and follow-up telephone
calls.
A team led by Citicorp Services, Inc. (Citibank) is responsible for the design, development,
implementation and operation of the Direction Card“ system. The Citibank project director is Mr. Marc
Abramson, and he is assisted by Ms. Lucy Roberts. Both were quite willing to work with us as we
endeavored to learn how the system operates and how it is being implemented. Other members of the
Citibank team who have been equally helpful to us are Mr. Charles Feicht and Mr. Joseph McCorkhill of
Century Technologies, Inc. (CENTECH), and Mr. John Bianco of Stored Value Systems (SVS).
At FNS, I would like to thank Ms. Joyce Kohler, who is FNS’ EBT liaison for the State of Ohio. She
helped us considerably in our efforts to understand the relationship between FNS and ODHS as the state
embarked on this ambitious project. Most especially, however, I wish to thank Ms. Jenny Genser, who
serves as the FNS project officer for the evaluation of the Direction Cards” system. Ms. Genser has
provided thoughtful guidance and considerable support to this evaluation. I would also like to thank
those staff, past and present, within the FNS Office of Analysis and Evaluation who reviewed the draft of
this report and provided many useful comments and suggestions. These reviewers include Mr. Steven
Carlson, Ms. Julie Kresge, Ms. Margaret Andrews, and Ms. Carol Olander.
Finally, I wish to thank the other members of the evaluation’s project team who contributed to this report.
The project’s technical reviewer is Mr. Chris Hamilton, and Ms. Carissa Climaco provided analytic
support. Ms. Susan Byers Paxson produced this report and its graphics. | am also indebted to the
support provided by Mr. Eugene Costa and his staff from Phoenix Planning & Evaluation, subcontractor
to Abt Associates on this evaluation.
John Karlin
Project Director
Abt Associates Inc.
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Contents
OS GETT SN Ng te ae ek en ee ee oe en ]
SPA [Reta L ceL OLFOUUCKION meme a7 eee on eh ie OU itee esata nan abet ogayh 4.4.31 ge oydeglees din 7
MRT ESVO IUALIOU CIOJ CCLLVES Sanh horen osn ada eh ccs icah te Acln) ols kalau <i gno r + fl
Pees LineAnC CG)t ieline ein SV SLCINS. 5s tae. Weed Uh ae A pais out chan daic ghsts 8 8
oR EtCVIGUSAOLL-L Ne. LPD emOnstraliONs!s.,eaes ean a Me nae eR Fl nus eo 9
Ame AM erection Card eS VSCOM Pimaee hee nPane ta Seokc ah esh e Sica9 10
Pea EDOLECANIE ZPAO L tew ren Ae Neste re ecient A Rs od alani Siok shola"ishnla a 1]
Chapter 2: System Description and Operation ............0.00.. .cc.c .ce.ce. e0ee. e ee 13
Bie LTALECOCLURCCLON) en eer A ag rhs ae A eR tl 9 re Ra so is
2 SOLPanizalions aay paee yee ee a Pee ees A UR TER E oAahen, 0.6 0m He shrina’ 13
iesOnio Deparimenvor mMulnal SETViCeS 445 ste a ee aa ye 13
County Depaltments Of uinal SCrVICES hanna eri kta ne ate 13
Ee ert ane] Cam tp eee I a a oi ag aid eR al be eel, apie ye 14
‘The trood ang Nutrition service USDA’: | 2.5.7. sd feeksa cus va erin 14
Pe OVEr VIEW Olin DireculOn (ards: SYSLEM ¢ os:4: -u.c4.s 4 oe ain ee eee ies 14
lentl g HOLT, os son paints Ahi A Uy ee eee tere oe eee Se ee we 15
SY steNETOCESSOL NOSE (COMPULeT eet as 2 svat lie gl oek is a eee a A 15
Sidlc ReCIplent MNIOMmMauOn SVSLCIIN s+: ees cule tok cea ee ia L7
Card vinnacement system 5 eee) fc, cainin dd. ae tade ede aoe esh ates 17
POSTE QUIDINEN( omer tattle ether eh ction fs as. seated ake ona gic ans We
PEICCOMMMUMICAUIONS TACLINCS sy eats yy Gece, ald eee hl ON, ee Re eee 18
EEC PETALIOUIS CIVEK VICW Mane eee oe en Po oo Sect MO aa ens OF Se LR aN 19
Curdussuanice ana Taine. Ye ce ae ee ee ea so rE asin id 19
Benenitssuance and. COuection ae sens 5 a teratun en ah tert eS le, Gee 21
BeneriG RecemipUon erent te as u.2 ele haired oie otto oe a Oe mn apes 29 23
Manual ralisaculonsS Wen G8. Atte h cade 8 tir nes F ese wie he 2 ee a kt ars 23
Retailer Settlemenitow. saree ee cr tes & See a ee OA cole eee ten) alata es 24
2.5 Differences Between the Direction Card and PayEase Card Systems .............. 2a
ECUIPITICH ERP MRe Ret ete ces. eG oie hs BG RAS 8 A aaa nnd 25
Coperational uinproveMientss nc te tcc «6 ie cerns sce eo ene eee ei eara ener 26
FREOFDE IT Paneme Oran oc ietise o5n0) Gener sict s teat aes aneseynneG es oieP ee eetcdeeaea era aeN ort Pal
STITTT AG rng GR A Re PP el cr ne a ge para oO ANE eet aga 28
Chapter 3: System Design and Development ......6..... c.ece. ce.ce .c.ece .ee.e es 3H
MM ITLL OCIECLIOM Me Me Rr cr rere oss ek Fc rake yah hooey aieana OeaN Cre» abeRRE te lek op. ala ns 3]
PeCACONITSCULTOCUTCECUL Smee eae aay arate tere ae AR enacts es eteratee cosas ons 31
Be eavaten) Design a. .u Peete Retain eee eee Meee Ane sae Bos 33
Sater Desipiy ACtVILIES cr cimrer Nato ae Gen naa er Gide tama da Aaa a 34
Detailed system Design: Document anisnisn 15 std eae ie Apis wale 38
BAS SVSICOT DG VEIODINEDL vita sere tee eet ter! eats ee ier anola bes miei Gina Giles +s Sgn es 40
LEY SEGS SFr SSE T eo pt a Ss Oe ee ORE an ra ee ea 41
Abt Associates Inc. Contents
Test: Plans, yf ssh fox asco ys 8 ok oe. Soi Da ae RS
Acceptance: Test tosis cis a so cS Sek is On ee ect e 43
Chapter'4: Design and Development Costs’; 0.2 0-0 2. ens ek ee 45
4.1 Introduction \<.5:¢70atk es nlueen eck Bed sok ad tet acinar n 45
42 Research Desien and Data Sources)... 2. 2.400052) ee eee 45
4:3 Overview of Design and Development Costs’) 275a10 55) 47
4.4 Vendor Design and Development Costs <5... 0.8) ee 48
Citibank? ic55 ha 5 cbt Se ot Fale ea ie oe te ey ke Ceo 49
Century Technologies, Ino’> 29 icse eee no et eeee ee 49
Stored Value Systems < 552.05 2 2025 ee ee 50
4.5 Ohio Department of Human Services Design and Development Costs ............... 50
46 County Design and Development Costs’ 7.7... 2-725 0s ee oe a1
4.7 Comparison of Design and Development Costs to the Pilot ....................... a2
Chapter 5: System Implementation { 2°... ....:....-00+ :+s:e1e+ .5es1 S+ee 55
5.1) Introduction... 525 -.o cca carota bess een oe ene ae
2.2 sequencing of System Implementation... 20). saneeie eae nee nn 56
>:3 Implementation Plani.28)2 20 ee oe ot ee oe eee 58
3.4’ Retailer Conversion Activities’ 9... 5..- fone tee 60
5.5, County Conversion ‘Activities 227% 24..: scent eee 61
5.6 Recipient Conversion Activities... 24.01) ne pee 64
3.7 Implementation Problems’ .47..2; 90. oe eee ee ee 67
Software Problems! 23.0555. 32.0 he en ee 67
Hardware Problems’. 752. 2u.4... 2 ee eee ee 68
Chapter 6: Current System Operations. .:..,.......0) .t.22e,20 50 69
6.1 Introduction. 1.25 Ocssn.5 obe sh en 52 wu eee eee ee 69
6.2 Benefit Issuance and Collection Activities 77.0" ..°.......2. 20...) ee 70
6:3: Benefit Use™. . 2.24 22 St eee ne ee Te
6.4 Settlement ec ei oo Ue es os ee ee 73
6.5"'Card Deployment 20.37 2. oA bec ee eee ok eee 74
6.6 Customer Service”. o. zc ct hen ened ete oe ete ee We)
6.7 Conclusion 22455 sei us iyo tat, ciel eee re ee 78
Appendix Az Glossary’ 249.5022 ese ee 79
Contents Abt Associates Inc.