PA Department of Community & Economic Development (DCED) Single Application for Assistance
Web application - .NET Executive Summary
The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) implemented the new Single Application for Assistance form for all (DCED) Programs, via a Customer Service Center (CSC) for the receipt and assessment of all incoming Grant, Loan, Tax Credit, Bond applications on the new DCED paper form called “Single Application for Assistance”. On the surface, it appeared that DCED had only changed the paper format. In reality the entire business process to request and receive financial assistance for its customers as well as the internal review and
management of all applications by DCED staff was changed dramatically and thus the electronic Single Application was born.
The following paragraphs briefly describe the different components of the Web application that make up DCED’s new way of doing business:
The Single Application for Assistance is more than just a Grant and Loan
management system; it is a new approach to economic and community development in Pennsylvania and is now being used as an Engagement Model.
The Electronic Single Application for Assistance is designed to allow a customer to utilize a single form for the submission to DCED for financial assistance regardless of the type funds being requested.
It eliminates the need for a Grantee to submit numerous applications at different times, on different forms, to different offices within DCED for assistance with both the Community and Economic development programs.
The Single Application for Assistance has an open submission policy where DCED will accept applications any time throughout the fiscal year rather than a specific window approach as in the past.
The Single Application also takes away the need for customers to be DCED financing specialists and allows them more time to concentrate on the details of their project.
Assists with the transformation of an array of often disconnected funding programs into a coordinated tool for enterprise and job growth for businesses and communities in Pennsylvania.
Supports community wide impact for DCED investment
Encourages Grantees to apply for Grants and Loans electronically for future business growth and expansion to create and retain jobs.
Grantees can apply any time from their own homes or through an organization.
The Electronic form on the Web allows them to input, save, print and submit the application with their user-id and password that they create prior to inputting information. The link to the electronic Single Application is https://www.esa.dced.state.pa.us/ESAW//
PA Department of Community & Economic Development (DCED) Single Application for Assistance
Web application - .NET
Justification for the nomination – Digital Government: Government to Citizen (G to C)
Concise description of the business problem and solution, including length of time in operations
The Single Application for Assistance is more than just a Grant and Loan management system; it is a new approach to economic and community development in Pennsylvania and is now being used as a Engagement Model. The web based application although has been in place for 5 years it has been re-engineered with .NET and has been in production for almost 15 months.
Assists with the transformation of an array of often disconnected funding programs into a coordinated tool for enterprise and job growth for businesses and communities in Pennsylvania.
Supports multiple forms of assistance being submitted on one application form anytime through out the fiscal year instead of the typical multiple formats and submission windows
Supports local initiatives designed to promote the stability of existing communities and to assist communities in achieving and maintaining social and economic diversity, ensuring a productive tax base and a good quality of life.
Supports community wide impact for DCED investment.
Encourages communities to think beyond their traditional boundaries to include multiple jurisdictions encompassing urban neighborhoods, multi-municipal or multi-county regions sharing common strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
Encourages customers to concentrate on project requirements/details rather than making their project fit a specific funding cycle or program regulation.
Encourages Grantees to apply for Grants and Loans electronically for future business growth and expansion to create and retain jobs.
Significance to the improvement of the operation of government; (below)
The Single Application for Assistance also changed the way DCED internally conducts its day to day business of serving customers.
The Single Application for Assistance is designed to allow a customer to utilize a single form for the submission of a project to DCED for financial assistance
regardless of the type funds (Loans or Grants) being requested. The web application design encourages customers to submit for multiple programs, rather than for partial
funding for the project. It also eliminates the need for a customer to submit numerous applications at different times, on different forms, to different program offices within DCED for assistance (unless required by law to submit through a specific entity). The Web based Single Application for Assistance has an open submission policy. DCED will accept applications any time throughout the fiscal year rather than a specific window approach as in the past. The web based application to available 24 hours 365 days a year. This allows customers to fully develop projects on their time schedule instead of rushing to submit a partially complete application to meet a submission deadline.
The Single Application also takes away the need for customers to be DCED financing specialists and allows them more time to concentrate on the details of their project. This is definitely a new way of doing business for Pennsylvania since in the past the needs of communities and businesses were addressed separately as through they had little or no impact on each other. DCED had to find a better way to serve all of its customers, whether they were businesses, communities, local governments, Technology or International and acknowledge as well as promote their
inter-dependence to be successful in carrying out its mission. The answer seemed simple since all of the previously named customers lived, worked, provided work or were a community in Pennsylvania – with the single application.
A version of Single application was implemented in late 2001 that was quite different than the paper application. The system was later re-engineered using Microsoft .NET (VB2003 Framework 1.1) that looked exactly like the paper application for ease of use, so that the DCED customers are able to apply online, save, submit, and print their application.
Creates one point of submission for all Single Applications for Assistance. A Customer Service Center (CSC) acts as the first point of contact for a
customer. CSC records all applications received by DCED into the enterprise wide electronic system and assesses each application for assignment to an account manager. CSC also helps customers who request assistance with information via the Internet to fill the application.
Endorses the customer friendly approach by using one format for all submissions with less paperwork involved. The applicant doesn’t have to know the rules and regulations of programs before submitting for assistance since the business logic and validations are built in the web based application.
Accommodates for Internet submission.
Track and report the data to various economic entities. i.e. Brookings Institute.
Reports all of the approved funding on the Internet
Benefits realized by Service recipients, taxpayers, agency or state. (below)
DCED receives over 10,000 applications per year requesting grant, loan, and tax credit funding for businesses, municipalities, and community groups. The requests
are submitted by applicants in paper format or electronically through the internet. Since the inception of the Web based application and the recently re-engineered .NET the electronic submission of applications has grown significantly to 35% of all applications submitted to DCED instead of paper. This grassroots grant program accounts for 75% of all applications coming into DCED and is used by many Commonwealth citizens seeking to improve the quality of life within their communities.
Training sessions have already been provided to Pennsylvania legislative staff who will apply on behalf of their constituents in the event the applicant/citizen group does not have access to a computer.
Streamlining of the grant process for these applications has been ongoing, with the electronic application serving as the “hub” or starting point for the process. The applicant completes the application on line and submits to DCED. From this point, DCED pulls the application into a database and begins the review process.
Numerous electronic processing procedures were put in place to develop quicker review and approval listings, correspondence processing, and contract processing. With the implementation of total-electronic submission of applications, processing time of 2500 applications per quarter is expected to be lessened considerably more; thus, providing much-needed funding to approved citizens groups in a quicker timeframe.
The applicant does not have to mail the entire application and the process can be started before the signature page comes into the Department. The Department will also be working on the Digital signature submission in the near future.
Savings within the agency is expected to be significant: Realized return on investment, short-term/long-term payback (include summary calculations).
The efficiency has increased significantly internally due to all electronic workflow processes.
Time savings of staff at initial data entry point: (hard numbers)
5 minutes per application processing (data entry of paper copy), vs. 1 minute Electronic processing (7500 hard copies annually @ 5 minutes = 13 weeks per year, at an average PA state employee salary of $41,429 annually) = approx.
$10,000/year
The interface with the Comptroller’s office saved over $120,000. The comptroller’s office used to input the information from our System and the paper was shipped to them via interoffice memo.
The long term payback would be that the Grantees apply on the Web and curtail submitting paper application.
Technology:
Originally developed in IBM Lotus Notes Domino; later Re-engineered and migrated to .NET technology using VB 2003; 1.1 Frame Work.
Uses the PA login authentication, with SSL enabled, housed in the Enterprise Server Farm.
