In each, the California departments of General Services (DGS) and Technology (CDT) are acting on behalf of an agency and a department within that agency to issue Requests for Innovative Ideas (RFI2), soliciting GenAI solutions to problem statements. The opportunities originate from a notice DGS released Dec. 21, which indicated the process would generally follow Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Executive Order N-12-23. That order, signed Sept. 6, compels the California Government Operations Agency, CDT, the Office of Data and Innovation and the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development to work with other state entities on drafting a report looking at “the most significant, potentially beneficial use cases for deployment of GenAI tools by the state,” as well as risks. Find Industry Insider — California’s coverage of the report here and coverage of previous state GenAI opportunities here and here. Among the takeaways:
- Acting on behalf of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), DGS and CDT seek innovative GenAI solutions for health-care facility inspections. Hospitals and skilled nursing facilities in California that are licensed by CDPH are regularly surveyed or inspected to ensure they meet state and federal requirements. Survey documentation, however, can have subjective outcomes or inconsistent citations depending upon the surveyor — but documented findings of deficiencies must be able to withstand challenges and appeals via appropriate details, supporting evidence, consistency, and no mistakes. CDPH needs to meet demand with efficiency and effectiveness, and confront an existing process that is labor-intensive and delays surveyors from moving on to the next survey.
- Acting on behalf of the California Health and Human Services Agency (CalHHS), DGS and CDT seek innovative GenAI solutions for language access. CalHHS is looking for timely, cost-effective, accurate and culturally appropriate translation and adaptation solutions capable of leveraging GenAI, and human translation capacity, to enable residents with limited English proficiency to “meaningfully access health and social services information, programs, benefits, and services.” Newsom’s executive order N-16-22 signed Sept. 13 directs state agencies to take steps to embed equity in their internal operations, policies, programs and services. CalHHS is the first state agency to release a language access policy aimed at setting minimum standards to ensure access to information and services for the nearly 20 percent of residents with limited English proficiency. Translating and adapting vital information related to CalHHS public programs is costly, time-consuming and labor-intensive and may lack consistency depending upon the translation — resulting in barriers to access.
- In pilot mode, the health-care facility inspection opportunity looks to use GenAI tools to document in a timely fashion and analyze surveyor facts or findings to come up with a set of outcomes or citations that match state and federal requirements. Goals include saving surveyor time by providing accurate findings capable of yielding comprehensive reporting; generating outcomes or citations that line up with facts and findings and are consistent with state and federal laws and policies, reducing subjectivity and variability; and boosting surveyor job satisfaction and staff retention. The goal for the language access solution is to show the potential for responsible integration of GenAI tools into the agency’s translation and adaption workflows, resulting in increased speed, efficiency and consistency of translations and generating improvements in language access for residents with limited English.
- For respondents interested in the health-care facility inspections opportunity, the state will hold an online RFI2 conference at 9 a.m. Tuesday. For respondents interested in the language access opportunity, the state will hold an online RFI2 conference at 11 a.m. Tuesday. Questions on both opportunities are also due Tuesday. Innovation concept papers for both opportunities are due by 5 p.m. Feb. 20 and will be evaluated Feb. 21-April 3. In parallel timelines, respondents selected for either opportunity will be notified April 4; proofs of concept contracts to do POCs in Phase 2 will be developed from April 4-14; and POC contract awards will be made April 15-19. The opportunities’ second phases in both instances — the completion of POCs — are estimated to commence April 19. Final contract award dates have not been set.
