NEW YORK OFFICE OF TEMPORARY AND DISABILITY ASSISTANCE

OVERVIEW

Prior to a large blizzard striking the upper east coast, Governor Cuomo of New York issued an order to implement inspections of homeless shelters and other shelters for vulnerable populations.

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OTDA and OITS were tasked with the implementation of this ambitious initiative and given a very short timeframe in which to have an automated and reportable process in place—about a week for the first go-live. This meant a mobile application allowing inspectors to record their results, as well as a backend process for reporting, would need to be established in very short order.

THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

TruePenny and its partners, worked together with the OTDA to take the proposed form format and questions and adapt it into a mobile interview, using Oracle Policy Automation (OPA). Our developers worked with the business in a fast-paced, collaborative environment in order to hammer out the necessary requirements. After the initial go-live, TruePenny assisted with questions in the training of inspectors on using the application in the field.

LOOKING FORWARD

TruePenny is proud to have been part of this project and of meeting the strict timeline inherent to the initiative. A key objective had been to create a user-friendly application, working in unison with the OTDA, that could be deployed without the need for a traditional development cycle rendering the work obsolete by the time it was complete. Through working closely with the agency and partners, TruePenny was ultimately able to hand off the maintenance and expansion going forward, and was happy to have enabled this positive outcome.

TESTIMONIAL

“The TruePenny team proved themselves quick to respond and flexible in hitting tight deadlines while working with the New York Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance. This flexibility was vital to a successful go-live. The team also worked closely throughout with other involved groups and partners to craft a solution that met the requirements of OTDA.

Developers for TruePenny showed an exceptional understanding of Oracle Policy Automation (OPA) capabilities, and how the product could be used to meet OTDA needs, as well as an ability to communicate these capabilities clearly with the OTDA team so that the effort could be collaborative. We feel confident that TruePenny can be relied on to provide the correct solution. They were willing to offer solutions that decreased reliance on the OPA application so that OTDA's needs would be best met.”

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Peter J. Santiago, MS, PhD.

Office of I.T. Services