State’s new Paid Household and Medical Go away program wins nationwide award for know-how implementation
The new program of paid family and sick leave in the State Department of Employment Security (ESD) has been awarded the National Chief Information Officer Special Recognition Award by the National Association of State Information Officers (NASCIO).
The prizes are awarded annually to honor innovation and outstanding achievements in the use of information technology in the state government. This year, the NASCIO Awards Committee selected a total of 10 winners from 30 finalists and over 90 nominations, including Washington’s Paid Family and Sick Leave Program.
“We are incredibly honored to have received this well-deserved award as the team successfully brought this vital program online in just 30 months from billing to benefits,” said ESD Commissioner Suzi LeVine. “The program, which was delivered on time and on budget, immediately saw high demand. This shows that during the most important and challenging times of life, Washingtoners must take critical time to care for themselves and their families. The technology systems were strong with more than 10,000 people applying for benefits in the first two weeks alone! “
Since the benefits began on January 1, 2020, Paid Family and Medical Leave has paid more than 72,000 Washingtonians approximately $ 440 million. The forecasts for 2020 were thus far exceeded. Technology was key to this success. Not only did it hold up well, but the agile process used in its development meant that rolling and scheduled updates throughout the year enabled both additional functionality and an improved customer experience.
“I would like to congratulate Commissioner LeVine and her team on their innovative work in implementing information technology on the launch of the family and sick leave program,” said Jim Weaver, chief information officer and WaTech director. “ESD used agile values and principles to design, build and implement a new technology platform from the ground up. It is wonderful to see that their achievements are recognized at the national level! “
Washington State was the fifth to run a full paid family and sick leave program in the U.S., but the first to do so from the ground up – meaning there was no temporary disability program to build on . This was both a great opportunity and a challenge as everything had to be designed from scratch, including the technology system. The program was implemented on time and on budget, with employers reporting and paying bonuses starting in 2019, and benefits becoming available to Washingtoners starting January 1, 2020.
For more information on the awards and recipients, please visit the NASCIO website.
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