Breakout Session 2 - Florida Telecommuting Project - 3:30

Breakout Session 2 - 3:30

Doing More with Less:  Supporting a Telecommuting Workforce Through the Use off Technology 

Jorge Martinez, William D'Aiuto, Michael Holder, Pamela Waters- Florida

PowerPoint available

1 in 6 people in Florida are receiving SNAP.  60% of staff work from home - all levels of staff.

Laptop is assigned phone number extension therefore staff can answer calls from any location.  

Have telecommunicating guide (on NAPIPM website) 100 pages and telecommunicating agreement

Requires leadership buy-in

Requires investment in software.  Chat capabilities with program policy specialists monitoring.  Called Virtual Policy Consultant.  10 year old off the shelf program.  Virtual meeting room.

Adobe product log-in behind agency firewall.

Policy staff man the Chat and if they are in office, they can discuss among themselves before answering. Or they can work from home as solo policy expert.

Virtual Pre-Service classes for new staff development.  Remotely trains new employees.  New staff do not sit at home and train.  Come into an office location.  There for about a year before they can become virtual.

Virtual In-Service - training available to seasoned staff.  Allows for consistency. Training library accessible to all staff for any brush-ups they may need.   

Document Imaging System - Staff able to access documents from any location.  2 hour timeframe for submission to availability.  Handle 600,000 documents monthly via fax, upload through My Account, scanned or mailed. 

Disaster plan will deal with paper documents initially with scanning and indexing follow-up.

Workers can set-up courtesy notifications which will alert them when documents come in.

Staffing started  at 166 plus.  Now at 140 indexers.  All are contracted staff with pay for performance depending on quality and productivity of their work.  

Fax numbers statewide are directed to one central server. 

Managing in a Virtual Environment - real time service system allows monitoring of staff productivity.  Captures numbers of all activity.  Staff and supervisor have a work due report.  Utilizes instant messaging as virtual white board.  Utilizes virtual conferencing for training and meetings.  

Disconnects can occur as supervisors lose the "human"aspect of supervision.  Important to maintain contact.  Developed leadership curriculum using Passionate Education as platform. 

Passionate education involves sharing inspiration to others.  

Be a role model

Be visible (inspire) 

Be clear

Be transparent (open & honest)

Be accountable

Florida Active error rate '14 - 0.42%

Timeliness 98.5%

Retention depends on regions but around 50% have less than 2 years experience.  Salaries are a primary issue.  

Dashboard monitors staff productivity.  System records all keystrokes and supervisors can see all activity.  Also uses Skype to monitor staff.  Staff has to provide own internet access.  Broken equipment issues requires them to come into an office.  If placed on corrective action plan, they are called into an office.  Telecommuting is a staff option and is not required.  Staff opting into office environment are assigned a permanent work station.  If called back into an office, you work were space is available.