U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services

User-centered strategy for TANF data reporting

Scaling user research practices for a data system that supports $16 billion in federal grants and 800,000 low-income families

I led user research that informed the aquisition and modernization strategy for the TANF Data Reporting System (TDRS). This critical data platform is used quarterly by states, tribes, and territories to submit data to the federal government to guide policy that reduces poverty and improves outcomes for low-income Americans.

I supported the team by identifying key user needs for the new system, advising on the acquisition package, and coaching partners on user-centered, iterative design practices that have been proven to reduce the risk of IT project failure in government.

I supported this project for 6 months and worked closely with a product manager, senior engineer, acquisition specialists, vendor teams, and agency partners.

Contributions:
User-centered procurement Coaching Audience segmentation Stakeholder mapping

Overview

Approximately 800,000 low-income American families receive cash assistance through Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) every month. A $16.5 billion TANF federal block grant provides funding to states, tribes, and territories, who then administer benefits to their low-income residents.

Each quarter, 50 states, 75 tribes, 3 territories, and D.C. have to report the work activities and characteristics of families receiving cash assistance through the TANF Data Reporting System (TDRS).

18F partnered with OFA to prototype and procure a new data reporting system and replace their 20+ year old system. This new portal would upgrade the data reporting experience, improve data quality, and inform better policy and programs to support low-income families that receive TANF.

My research findings and approach directly informed the roadmap and team practices that delivered a more secure, user-centered system

I was the lead user researcher during the assisted acquisition, which means I:

Within three years, OFA deployed a more secure, user-centered system that's actively used by over 85% of users.

I worked closely with a product manager, software engineer, acquisition specialists and our partners at OFA.

Section of a service blueprint detailing how states, tribes, and territories submit data to OFA.
To inform the RFP and lay a user-centered foundation to future work, I interviewed multiple OFA analysts and six grantees with varying processes and resources for submitting data to OFA. I created a service blueprint to map the current process, which identified areas of focus for the upcoming roadmap and key elements of the RFP.

Key contributions

  • Led research to assess the current data upload process and mapped "the last mile" for how data travels move from state, tribal, and territory systems to OFA systems.
  • Set up collaborative research environments with OFA staff to increase comfort and awareness of user research practices ahead of the build.
  • Identified preliminary user types and user stories for the RFP to communicate scope to prospective vendors and model user-centered, agile ways of working.
  • Advised on vendor selection and provided expert review of research plans, design staffing proposals, and vendor responses in interviews.
  • Onboarded vendor design team and collaborated on a vendor kickoff schedule that became a resource for future 18F projects.
  • Presented on market research and iterative design practices for federal IT projects to 300+ federal contracting officers.

Additional resources