WIC EBT Feasibility Study and Cost‐Benefit Analysis

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Virginia Department of Health WIC EBT Feasibility Study and Cost-Benefit Analysis 6.1.1 HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE WIC MIS: The Crossroads SAM system will be EBT-ready, anticipating the roll-out of the e- WIC program, and will be developed and implemented in parallel with e-WIC. This means there will be no significant changes to the hardware and software of Virginia’s WIC MIS. Any modifications and integration work can be accommodated during the SAM design and development phases. This is a distinct advantage to Virginia’s e-WIC program. E-WIC System: The State will need to invest in servers and server licenses and pay VITA a hosting fee. The State and its contractors will be responsible for porting the system and any development, configuration or testing that is needed. State staff and/or contractors will need to become familiar with the software so that they are capable of application maintenance and any future enhancements that may be required. Clinics: The e-WIC software will be web-based. There will be no additional requirements for PCs, software, or PC connectivity at the local level. Clinics will require a minimum of two terminals. The waiting rooms at the local clinics may require slight modifications to accommodate the POS terminal and the terminal connectivity. Retailers: Virginia has determined that it does not want to deploy stand-beside terminals nor does it want to be in the business of managing retailer POS terminals and other peripheral equipment. Virginia’s intent is to address the issues of ECR integration and POS configurations with the greatest efficiencies, while working on cooperation with these critical stakeholders. Retailer activity will begin at the very earliest stages of the project and will likely require the support of contractors through the implementation period. 6.1.2 ORGANIZATION At this time, the State does not foresee that e-WIC will require a change in how WIC Services is organized. The State plans to delegate one full time staff member to manage the EBT program and understands it will need to assign personnel to maintain the UPC database. The State is considering which Teams these staff persons will be assigned to. Local agencies and clinics will not require organizational changes. 6.1.3 OPERATIONS E-WIC System: If e-WIC is taken in-house, VITA will provide hosting and communications services. VITA services include 24x7 maintenance of the State’s servers and processors. If outsourced, the e-WIC contractor will be responsible for all aspects of system operations. State Level: State level staff will need to be trained on the new system, processes, and the reporting capabilities available through e-WIC. New operational activities will naturally occur as new and different types of data are made available to state-level staff. Local Level: Local offices will need to be trained on the new technologies and processes. Paper food instrument printing and issuance will be eliminated; card and benefit issuance will be added. Other processes will not change. Overall, the local clinics will receive the greatest level of efficiencies with e-WIC implementation. 32 V 1.2 August 20, 2008
Virginia Department of Health WIC EBT Feasibility Study and Cost-Benefit Analysis Retailer Management: The State does not intend to provide or maintain stand-beside POS terminals. Instead, it will provide some level of subsidies to retailers; the hardware and software purchased with these subsidies generally come with a warranty; as with Texas, once the subsidy is given, retailers will manage their own equipment. Client Help Desk Support: For client support, the State intends to follow the same processes as the paper based system, requesting the clients return to the local clinic if support is required for their cards or benefits. The State will require either the e-WIC or the SAM system, depending on final design, to provide web-based client support. These steps are anticipated to minimize the requirements for a client help desk. The State is assuming, however, that it may need to increase its current help desk staff by one FTE if the system is brought in-house. Retailer and Clinic Help Desk Support: The State anticipates that the current help desk operators and retailer liaisons will provide the necessary help desk support in the e-WIC environment. 6.1.4 SITE State Level: If the system is taken in-house, VDH will need to house the servers at the VITA facility. There are no other facility changes anticipated at the State level. Local Level: The only changes anticipated at the local level are the slight modifications necessary to install POS terminals in the WIC clinic waiting areas. 6.1.5 FISCAL The in-house system will require an up-front investment in hardware, software and services, including a significant investment in retailer support and retailer infrastructure. However, it is seen to provide a significant savings in operations costs, becoming cost-neutral within six years of operations. 33 V 1.2 August 20, 2008
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WIC EBT Feasibility Study and Cost‐Benefit Analysis

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