[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 213 (Monday, November 8, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61752-61753]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-24293]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food and Nutrition Service
Request for Information: Center for WIC Modernization and
Delivery
AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), USDA.
ACTION: Notice: Request for information.
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SUMMARY: The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is issuing this Request
for Information (RFI) to gain insights from interested parties about
establishing a resource center that supports State and local Special
Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
agencies in improving the WIC application and certification journey.
This is a request for information that may inform a future
cooperative agreement. It is not a solicitation for proposals or
proposal abstracts. The purpose of this notice is to:
1. Determine the level of interest that exists for the proposed
service;
2. Obtain information about the approach to providing the service,
including needs, capabilities, and requirements; and
3. Gather information on the potential constraints and risks
associated with this approach.
Information gathered through this RFI may be used to inform
potential strategies for supporting and improving State and local WIC
operations. FNS welcomes comments from all stakeholders.
DATES: Written comments must be received on or before December 8, 2021.
ADDRESSES: FNS is seeking information from a broad array of
stakeholders--such as nonprofits, WIC State agencies, WIC local
agencies, and others--about the Center for WIC Modernization and
Delivery, the capabilities necessary to complete this work, relevant
examples or case studies, and the capacity needed to support State and
local WIC agencies. Responses to this RFI may be submitted by a single
party or by a team.
USDA invites submission of the requested information through one of
the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting
comments.
Email: FNS will accept electronic submissions emailed to
[EMAIL]. The email should contain the subject line, ``Response to RFI:
Center for WIC Modernization and Delivery.''
All comments submitted in response to this RFI will be included in
the record and will be made available to the public. Please be advised
that the substance of the comments and the identity of the individuals
or entities submitting the comments will be subject to public
disclosure. USDA will make the comments publicly available via http://www.regulations.gov.
Response to this RFI is voluntary. Respondents should respond to
this RFI in a Microsoft Word document attached to email. This document
should contain the following:
Three clearly delineated sections: (1) Cover page with
company name and contact information; (2) approach, no more than 10
single-spaced pages in length; and (3) business information.
1-inch margins (top, bottom, and sides).
Times New Roman and 12 point font.
Privacy Note: All comments received from members of the public will
be available for public viewing on regulations.gov.
In accordance with FAR 15.202(3), responses to this notice are not
offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding
contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated
with responding to this RFI.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sarah Widor, Director, Supplemental
Food Programs Division at (703) 305-2746.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA; Pub. L. 117-2) provided
$390 million in funding for WIC to carry out outreach, innovation, and
program modernization efforts to increase WIC participation and
redemption of benefits. See ARPA section 1106. Despite clear evidence
that WIC drives better health outcomes, only about 57% of WIC-eligible
mothers and children participated in the program in 2018. The funding
provided through ARPA is a critical opportunity for WIC to undertake a
range of high-impact projects to increase WIC's participation rate
through an improved enrollment and participant experience, and to
reduce disparities in program delivery.
Given this unprecedented opportunity to invest in programmatic
innovations, FNS solicited input from a diverse range of stakeholders.
FNS convened 27 listening sessions representing different stakeholder
perspectives, interests, and geographies on ways to increase program
participation and retention, improve the participant experience,
streamline benefit delivery, and reduce disparities in program
delivery. FNS also partnered with the U.S. Digital Service (USDS) to
conduct research on how to improve the WIC certification process. This
RFI is seeking information to build on that research.
FNS would like to partner with one or more organizations to create
a Center for WIC Modernization and Delivery that will leverage human-
centered design (HCD), modern technology practices, and data to improve
the certification journey for WIC participants. This Center will be a
resource for the 89 WIC State agencies (States, DC, territories, and
Indian Tribal Organizations), and potentially WIC local agencies, to
access cross-functional delivery capabilities to support digital
transformation and service design initiatives. These capabilities might
include data science, design, engineering, procurement, product
management, and research expertise that states can leverage to develop
and implement solutions aimed at improving WIC certification processes.
The Center will work closely with FNS and USDS to define its approach
and ensure solutions are practical, integrated into clinic practices,
and drive towards a better participant journey through the WIC program
and improved outcomes. FNS expects the Center to support WIC State
agencies in improving enrollment and service delivery through a variety
of ways, such as:
Supporting State and local agencies in developing project
ideas and proposals aimed at improving the participant journey and
program outcomes;
Helping State and local agencies use HCD, technology, and
data more effectively in their clinic operations to increase enrollment
and reduce disparities in program delivery;
Assisting State and local agencies in addressing technical
and/or service gaps; and
[[Page 61753]]
Working with State and local agencies to implement
holistic technology solutions and process changes. This might include
helping them prototype, test, and iterate on potential solutions; and
evaluating existing products or developing new ones for adoption by
agencies. The Center might assist State and local agencies in procuring
or implementing these solutions and measuring their impact on
enrollment and retention.
Examples of solutions aimed at improving the applicant and
participant experience may include:
Participant-facing technology tools such as online
schedulers, document uploaders, and participant portals;
Data matching, interoperability, and/or cross-enrollment
projects to reduce the documentation burden on participants;
Technology platforms, which allow applicants to choose
video, phone, text, or other voice applications to connect with WIC
clinics;
Content updates, such as content strategy or plain
language updates to websites, forms, or notices;
Data analytics tools; and
Process improvements.
In addition to providing direct support to State and local
agencies, FNS expects the Center to identify, evaluate, develop, and
disseminate effective solutions and technical standards across States,
and help WIC State agencies leverage their data to improve the WIC
customer experience. It will also facilitate collaboration between WIC
State agencies to address common operational issues.
FNS anticipates that the Center will support multiple WIC State
agencies at once. The Center should have quick access to talent
covering a spectrum of potential needs, and must be agile and capable
of meeting shifting goals and objectives as they learn more about the
problem space.
II. Responses
FNS is seeking information from stakeholders on the following
questions. Responses should be limited to 10 single-spaced pages that
follow the formatting guidelines above. Respondents should not include
proprietary information or concepts in their responses.
FNS requests the following information:
(1) What capabilities should the Center have to effectively support
State and local WIC agencies in implementing new technology solutions
and process changes?
(2) How should the Center evaluate WIC State agency needs and
prioritize projects?
(3) How should the Center work with State and local WIC agencies to
help them modernize their WIC programs and improve the participant
journey through WIC?
(4) How should the Center share and promote the reuse of best
practices, solutions, code, reference implementations, and other
resources among WIC State agencies to help them address common
operational issues that impact the customer experience?
(5) How would you define and measure success for the Center?
(6) What risks do you foresee in establishing a Center to support
WIC State agencies? How would you mitigate those risks?
(7) Do you have any other feedback or suggestions on this Center-
based approach? Please describe in detail.
Cynthia Long,
Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-24293 Filed 11-5-21; 8:45 am]
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