Ohio is upgrading its human services and eligibility systems with the help of Accenture. Following a competitive bidding process the state chose the systems integrator for a project to build the new system through August 2018. Residents will now be able to access human services programs more easily and complete some parts of the eligibility process online. The company is working on similar updates in Iowa and Kansas.
A new, service-based technology enterprise framework at the core of the planned system targets cost savings for IT system development, operations and maintenance. The new system will also facilitate data-sharing among state agencies and offices, providing the state and its county partners with new capabilities to enroll people and manage human service operations.
The human services suite of products from Accenture Software will be used, enabling the state of Ohio to meet federal guidelines and to extend the system over time to support additional programs beyond the initial inclusion of Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
The company also announced it will be opening a new delivery center in Austin, Texas, to provide software development and support as well as consulting and technology services for the company’s health and public sector work across North America. The center is targeted to grow to around 300 jobs by the end of 2013, which would bring the number of Accenture employees in Texas to more than 5,000. The company has other Texas offices in Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio.
“We are focused on helping public agencies seize transformative opportunities to improve citizen services while adapting to budget realities. We have worked with the state of Texas for over 30 years and Austin is key to our efforts to leverage technology and software to meet government needs,” said Stephen J. Rohleder, the Austin-based group chief executive of Accenture’s Health & Public Service operating group.
