The 2022 Solutions Awards recognize CompTIA Public Technology Institute (PTI) member cities and counties that have implemented or updated innovative technology solutions within the past 15 months that positively affected local government performance and service to the public.
Awards are given based on jurisdiction population for Information Technology; Web Services, E-Government, Public Outreach, and Mobile Apps; GIS; and Public Safety and Emergency Management and Community Resiliency.
An independent voting committee reviewed all entries and selected award recipients.
General Services Agency Website
Web Services, E-Government, Public Outreach, and Mobile Apps
Population Over 250,000
COUNTY OF ALAMEDA, CA
The Alameda County General Services Agency (GSA) is one of the largest, most important departments in Alameda County, providing workspaces and essential support and services. GSA plans, designs and builds the structures that transform our community, including hospitals, libraries, and courthouses. GSA is also a diverse workforce of over 400 people, spanning a wide variety of trades and professions. By creating opportunities for local businesses, GSA fosters a thriving local economy. Their cutting-edge Energy, Sustainability and Clean Commute initiatives keep our neighborhoods safe, clean and green.One thing that wasn’t so cutting-edge was the GSA website. As one of the agency’s primary points of contact, the website includes crucial information for vendors and citizens. The information on the site was challenging to find due to the content being built from a content owner perspective rather than focusing on what the users needed. This made the site feel incomplete, unintuitive to navigate and inflexible on how it can be accessed. GSA partnered with the Alameda County Information Technology Department (ITD) and outside vendor Peak-Interactive to redesign and rebuild their website from the ground up. The new GSA website allows for easier updates, meets accessibility guidelines, works well on all devices, and most importantly, elegantly delivers easy-to-find, user-centric information to the county’s constituents.
Social Services Agency Virtual Kiosks with Anti-virus Scanning and Optical Character Recognition
Web Services, E-Government, Public Outreach, and Mobile Apps
Population Over 250,000
COUNTY OF ALAMEDA, CA
Alameda County Information Technology Department (ITD) collaborated with Alameda County Social Services Agency (ACSSA) to successfully launch a mobile friendly Virtual Kiosk web application that allows for residents to submit documents and/or request a replacement Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card or a Benefits Identification Card (BIC) without having to visit an office. One of the goals of the project was to provide residents a similar level of experience they would expect using a physical kiosk at an ACSSA office but with the convenience of accessing the kiosk’s services remotely from their computer or smart device. ACSSA assists approximately 475,000 individuals, or one in four Alameda County residents. The Virtual Kiosk is designed to assist all individuals as it accepts documents for all assistance programs and can replace benefit cards for food, cash, and medical assistance. The Virtual Kiosk is accessible to the public anywhere from any device, and the information provided is stored in a secure data center with controls and security elements in place to protect external access to Personally Identifiable Information (PII). As a result, this streamlines the process for ACSSA to keep track of any documents submitted or requests for replacement benefits cards safely and securely.
In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) Provider Online Enrollment
Web Services, E-Government, Public Outreach, and Mobile Apps
Population Over 250,000
COUNTY OF ALAMEDA, CA
Alameda County Social Services Agency (SSA) needs the prospective service providers of the In-Home Supportive Services to enroll in the program by submitting the completed application forms either by dropping in person or by mailing. After that, the staff will screen the forms for the completeness of the data submitted and then schedule the prospective to undergo an in-person orientation program. Once their background check is completed, they will be eligible to provide the service and get paid for their services. Alameda County Social Services Agency (SSA), in partnership with Alameda County’s Information Technology Department (ITD), launched a new online website that automates the enrollment and training process, thus the enrollment and training process can be completed online. The online website (https://ihsspe. acgov.org) provides providers more flexibility to submit their applications from anywhere, at any time, using any smart device. Prospective providers can be screened and set up with online training over Zoom. After attending the training, their attendance can be verified through the website. The application assists in qualifying providers and enables training to be conducted remotely. With the pandemic and associated shelter-in-place orders, this online enrollment and training process provides providers with a safe and secure way to enroll to be a provider.