California is seeking a contractor to provide "intake implementation readiness support services" for 25,000 users across the state who will use a new child welfare system.
The Child Welfare System — New System (CWS-NS) is one of California’s largest IT modernization efforts, and its intake system will be one of the first parts developed under the project's revamped approach, which is using agile design principles and is divided into multiple bid opportunities, or "modules."
"Intake Digital Service is the initial entry point into child welfare services and includes processes to receive referrals from community members and mandatory reporters. Mandatory reporters are individuals, who within their professional capacity — teachers, doctors, etc., are required by law to report suspicions and/or knowledge of child abuse, neglect or exploitation," the RFP says.
Intake implementation services is the third RFP released for the CWS-NS.
"Implementation services will occur both centrally (e.g., at the project office in Sacramento) and at the orgs around the state. The Intake user community currently consists of up to 7,000 staff located around the state. Also, up to 18,000 additional Child Welfare Services staff (social workers, public health nurses, probation officer, supervisors and support staff) access Intake information in the course of their daily work," the RFP explains.
The project's first two RFP modules — the Application Programming Interface (API) and Intake — have not yet been awarded to a vendor. The API award is coming soon, a source said, and the Intake will be awarded this summer. Child Welfare Digital Services (CWDS) is leading the project.
Officials announced in 2015 that replacing the large, monolithic CWS-NS procurement with a modular approach should reduce risk and help create more competition and participation among bidders. The project is currently budgeted at $449 million, although the state says that number is likely to change.
The Office of Systems Integration is leading a new effort to create a prequalified pool of vendors that will provide agile development services for state projects. CWS-NS is the first that will draw from the pool.