Two of the largest legacy systems in California state and local government are moving closer to retirement, soon to be officially replaced by new Web-based technology.
In a procedural move, the L.A. County Department of Public Social Services on Tuesday sought authorization to terminate existing contracts for the Los Angeles Eligibility, Automated Determination, Evaluation and Reporting System (LEADER) and the the Greater Avenues for Independence Employment Activity and Reporting System (GEARS), according to an Oct. 4 memo.
Both legacy systems administer case management and eligibility determination for more than 3.5 million beneficiaries of public assistance programs. They're being replaced by the LEADER Replacement System that's slated to be fully deployed in L.A. County by the end of October.
Unisys is the system integrator for the original LEADER system. Hewlett Packard Enterprise is the prime contractor for GEARS.
Meanwhile, Accenture is the prime contractor on the $484 million LEADER replacement scheduled to be completed in 2017. Design and development of the new system started in 2012. The Office of Systems Integration is providing state-level project oversight.
According to the California Department of Social Services, the new LEADER system will determine eligibility and benefits for a variety of public assistance programs for Los Angeles County, including CalWORKS, CalFresh, MediCal, General Relief, Refugee Cash Assistance, Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants, Foster Care, KinGap and Adoption Assistance.
The LEADER Replacement System (LRS) will consolidate a total of 17 legacy systems, some of which were developed more than 20 years ago.
“LRS will serve as a national model for excellence in automation and technology advancement in the human services industry,” Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) Director Sheryl Spiller said last spring. “This Web-based system uses Web browsers and mobile platforms to support and respond to ever-changing public assistance programs and evolving business needs of both DPSS and the Department of Children and Family Services.”
L.A. County began piloting the LEADER Replacement System in September 2015, and officials say that client caseloads are scheduled to be implemented into the system at all Department of Children and Family Services county offices by October.
LEADER is one component of California’s Statewide Automated Welfare System (SAWS) project. The aim of SAWS is to integrate business processes for the state’s many social services — CalWORKS, SNAP, Medi-Cal, foster care, county medical services and others — into a single system.
Legislation signed by the governor in 2011 requires another 39 counties — part of a consortium known as C-IV — to migrate off their own system and consolidate onto the LEADER Replacement System. Migration of the C-IV counties is tentatively scheduled to begin during the 2017-18 fiscal year, according to a state planning document.
