In 1999, GAO surveyed state and local program  administrators in 15 states on the overall extent to which their current  information systems met different types of information needs for  administering and overseeing welfare reform. The majority  of the local officials that GAO surveyed reported that their current systems  provided half or less of the information needed for each of the three types  of information needs. A major shortcoming, cited to varying degrees by officials in  these states, is that some of the systems used by the agencies providing  services to TANF recipients do not share data on these recipients, thus  hampering a case manager’s ability to arrange and monitor the delivery of  services in a timely manner. Systems Modernization Efforts Are Underway in Several States

Presenters from North Carolina, Oregon, New Jersey, Utah, and Wisconsin  described initiatives that their states had undertaken to modernize  information systems for human services. Challenges for Systems Modernization Pertain to Intergovernmental Collaboration, Federal Funding Processes, and Project Management

Conference participants identified and discussed at length three key  challenges for systems modernization: enhancing strategic collaboration  among different levels of government, simplifying the cumbersome  approval process for obtaining federal funding for information systems,  and obtaining staff expertise in project management and information  technology. To meet such needs, automated systems must be able  to share data across the numerous programs that serve low-income  families, such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Medicaid,  child care, job training, vocational rehabilitation, and child welfare.
What GAO Found

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 replaced the Aid to Families With Dependent Children program with a block grant to states that provide Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). TANF strongly emphasizes work and job replacement and sets a five-year lifetime limit on federally funded TANF assistance to adults. To meet information needs for welfare reform, information systems must be able to share data across various programs, including TANF, Medicaid, job training, child care, and vocational rehabilitation. However, previous GAO studies found major gaps in states' information systems. Most of the local TANF administrators in 15 states surveyed by GAO reported that their current systems provide half or less of the information needed to manage individual cases, plan appropriate services for the caseload, and monitor overall program performance. The administrators are missing information because some of the systems used do not share data on these recipients, which constrains the ability of case managers to arrange and monitor the delivery of services. Five states--New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Utah, and Wisconsin--are modernizing their information systems to take advantage of recent technological advances. These initiatives have expanded their data-sharing capabilities to enhance program management and service integration. Three key challenges confront systems modernization: enhancing strategic collaboration among different levels of government, simplifying the cumbersome approval process for obtaining federal funding for information systems, and obtaining staff expertise in project management and information technology.