Application Solutions with DocuSign

Grant App

To help those Alameda County local businesses negatively impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, the County Administrator’s Office, Board of Supervisors, and Social Services Agency partnered with ITD to create the constituent-focused, multi-lingual American Rescue Plan Act Cash Aid Grants application system.

ITD used low-code technology and DocuSign to develop the informative, secure, easy-to-use application that included workflow notification updates to both applicants and approvers as the application moved through the approval process. This new application eliminated paper-based processes, allowing businesses to submit and track their grant applications entirely online.

Assessment Appeals Public Portal

The online portal for the Assessment Appeals Board System developed by ITD for the County Administrator’s Office allows property owners to complete and submit an assessment 5,903 appeal application entirely online, including signing it through DocuSign and paying the filing fee.

Once submitted, the system automatically uploads the application to the Clerk of the Board’s file repository. The online portal also allows applicants to track their appeal status, participate in virtual hearings, and upload supporting documents as required. The new system has made the complex appeals process easy to manage and more efficient by eliminating manual data processing and providing County staff with an easy way to monitor the submitted appeals.

Treasurer – Penalty Tax Waiver App

The Online Penalty Waiver Project took a decades-old, manual, “Claim for Refund of Delinquent Penalty” application and review process performed by the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office and transformed it into a 100% online, self-service solution available 24/7.

This project implemented an online screening and pre-approval solution that automated repetitive activities, reduced paper usage and storage, and provided constituents with an option to securely upload sensitive documents to the County.

All aspects of the process were fully automated: eligibility determination, application signature using DocuSign, application approvals, secure online document storage, and secure document transfer to and from the Auditor-Controller’s office.

Virtual Weddings

In response to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Alameda County introduced a groundbreaking Virtual Wedding service, providing couples with a safe and innovative alternative to traditional ceremonies. The virtual
weddings allowed couples to exchange vows, connect with officiants, and share their special moments with loved ones—all from the safety and convenience of their homes.

Leveraging cutting-edge technology, the service featured DocuSign, enabling couples to electronically sign marriage documents, ensuring a legally binding and efficient process. This technology not only addressed the limitations on gatherings due to Covid-19 but also offered couples a unique and memorable experience while prioritizing the health and well-being of all involved. Embracing technology, personalization, and inclusivity, our county government was dedicated to making these virtual ceremonies a cherished and accessible option for couples navigating the challenges presented by the pandemic.

Canvassing App

The Assessor’s Office and ITD collaborated on this business process improvement project with the goal of increasing 110 staff efficiency and eliminating paper use by creating a preauction notices mobile Canvassing application that enabled  appraisers to served in 2023 electronically serve pre-auction notices to property owners and occupants.

The Canvassing app let occupants DocuSign the notice on a tablet, and it provided appraisers with real-time information about the property they visited and allowed them to update records in real-time during the visit. The Canvassing application reduced the total effort of annual business property canvassing by 50% and eliminated canvassing paper forms altogether.

Combined Charities

Combined Charities is a longstanding, highly successful web application that lets Alameda County employees easily donate to the charities of their choice during this annual, charitable-giving campaign. Employees can choose to have their donations deducted from their paychecks over time, or they can make a one-time payment with a credit card or e-check.

The Canvassing app let occupants DocuSign the notice on a tablet, and it provided appraisers with real-time information about the property they visited and allowed them to update records in real-time during the visit. The Canvassing application reduced the total effort of annual business property canvassing by 50% and eliminated canvassing paper forms altogether.

Polling Place Lease Card System

Before each election, the Alameda County Registrar of Voters (ROV) sends out approximately 900 polling location leases for property owners to sign and return, ensuring that polling locations will be available to the County’s 800,000 registered voters on Election Day. Leveraging DocuSign, ITD worked closely with ROV to implement a completely integrated system that sends personalized emails to all owners of previously-used polling locations.

Owners click a link in the email, which launches a browser, opens the Lease Card System, and brings up the owner’s lease. Once in the system, owners can update information, if necessary, and then DocuSign the new lease. DocuSign sends a copy of the executed lease to both the property owner and ROV staff, and changes in the lease details are automatically updated in the ROV database.

Thanks to this application, signed leases start showing up within minutes of the emails being sent, and the average time for leases to be returned went from 21 days to four days and reduced ROV staff processing time by 75%.

Deferred Compensation Online Forms

The Treasurer and ITD collaborated to develop a web application that allows Alameda County employees to electronically submit their Deferred Compensation payroll modification requests, leveraging DocuSign for employee and Treasurer signatures, workflow approval routings, and supporting documentation uploads.

Statement of Economic Interests
(California Fair Political Practices Commission – Form 700)

The Alameda County Clerk of the Board and ITD developed a modern, online system that allows the County’s Statement of Economic Interests (Form 700) filers to electronically submit their Form 700 statements and sign them via DocuSign.

The County’s Form 700 system enables Filing Officials and Officers to manage the process completely within the application, including sending notifications to employees that need to file a Form 700, providing users a link to the system, reviewing completed forms, and tracking outstanding requests.

The system was certified by the California Fair Political Practices Commission, and it is used by all Alameda County departments, school districts, Boards and Commissions, and Local Agencies.

ITD Electronic Purchase Request (ePR)

Looking to streamline their equipment and services procurement process, ITD created its ePR web application. This proven system has played a pivotal role in managing procurement approvals, eliminating redundant purchases and facilitating efficient, timely procurement for ITD staff over the course of several successful years. The user-friendly interface provides a quick, straightforward way for staff to submit their purchase requests, automatically routing the request to the appropriate approvers.

Key to this system is its DocuSign integration, providing a secure, digital signature solution, and enhancing the speed and efficiency of the overall process, from request through approval. DocuSign not only accelerates request processing but also ensures the authenticity and legality of the procurement transactions.

Personnel Requisition Form

Agencies such as the Health Care Services Agency and Social Services have continuous worker turnover. To fill vacant positions, hiring managers use an online, personnel requisition form which employs different approval workflows depending on the requested position and department.

The different workflow processes were setup as DocuSign templates and seamlessly integrate with the custom Personnel Requisition application. Department administrators have the ability to change workflow signers as needed, and the finalized data from the approved requisitions are displayed in departmental Finance and HR reports.

Sole Source/ Piggyback Requests

GSA-Procurement evaluates all sole source requests to ensure that they conform with the County’s Sole Source Policy and then issue an approved or denied finding.

 The Piggyback Collaborative Procurement Policy defines the procurement process in which goods or services are procured from or are a product of
a competitive bidding process managed by another government entity or by a mutual benefit association.

GSA Procurement and ITD created a web application to streamline the Sole Source and Piggyback request processes. Meeting the goal of eliminating all paper for these two processes, the Sole Source/Piggyback Request app uses DocuSign to manage the entire workflow chain, including electronic signatures, through to the final approval determination.

Technology Acquisition Review (TAR) Request

Alameda County procurement rules require that all agencies and departments obtain ITD approval prior to acquiring any Software or IT-related Hardware or Services.

ITD follows the Centralized Technology Policy and Cybersecurity Policy to make sure, among other things, that IT-related purchases are appropriate, do not duplicate existing IT resources (hardware and software,) and conform to cybersecurity safeguards and guidelines.

To make the process easier and faster, ITD built an internal. online TAR request form for this purpose, integrating DocuSign for workflow routings and signature approvals, eliminating the existing paper processes and significantly shortening turnaround times for TAR decisions.