Governing for Results 13 - Washington State Digital Archives

Employment Security Department
Contracting Clean-Up
Employment Security Department’s (ESD)’s Contracts Office manages
transactions for personal and purchased services and serves as the central
repository for hard copy and electronic data files. Its two databases were
contaminated with duplications, incomplete information, and errors. Staff
struggled to retrieve accurate contract status and details. Customers wanted
more reliable information and better access to status reports. The system
demanded security features allowing only designated personnel to make
changes to template fields. Most importantly, information in hard copy and
electronic data files needed to match for business and legal purposes. Joined by
a professional computer consultant, the team brainstormed solutions, evaluated
options, identified an approach, established an action plan, and completed the
project. Desired modifications and revisions include regular quality reviews to
prevent future contamination.
Results
★ Merged old with new database, reducing active files from 7,318 to 3,275 and
archiving the rest. Applied standardized procedures for data entry.
★ Security features have purified database and project codes have been added
for more accurate and efficient referencing for customers.
★ Estimate 126 staff hours saved annually retrieving information.
★ A preliminary random sampling of 40 files revealed a 16% error rate in key
data elements. After improvement, sampling showed the error rate dropped
to less than 1%.
★ Now able to query the database, check individual contract status, and run
reports by project code, division, region, dollar amount, or contract type.
Team Name: Contracts Sub-Task Team
Team Members: ESD: Lorna Smith, Arnold Fajardo, Milly LaPalm, Marsha
Phillips, Sonja McMurray, Larry Oline, Barney Hilliard; Paragon Group: Bernie
Benson
CONTACT: Barney Hilliard, (360) 438-4008
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