Report 2009-101 Recommendation 4 Responses

Report 2009-101: Department of Social Services: For the CalWORKs and Food Stamp Programs, It Lacks Assessments of Cost-Effectiveness and Misses Opportunities to Improve Counties' Antifraud Efforts (Release Date: November 2009)

Recommendation #4 To: Social Services, Department of

This recommendation has been superseded by a recommendation from a subsequent report. See 2015-503 #9.

To make certain that counties receive the greatest benefit from the resources they spend on antifraud efforts related to CalWORKs and food stamp cases, Social Services should continue to address the recommendations of the steering committee and promptly act on the remaining recommendations

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From August 2015

Four Remaining Recommendations - Outstanding Steering Committee items:

CDSS/Fraud Bureau should:

1. Revise its county reports to include additional data on the number of investigations in the various types of welfare programs.

CDSS has begun to review the remaining Steering Committee's proposed additional data.

2. Review the cost effectiveness of various data match systems along with county feedback on the usefulness of each type of match.

CDSS has solicited county representatives to participate in the workgroup.

3. Provide regular reports for counties to use in monitoring the cost-effectiveness of their program integrity efforts.

CDSS has selected sample counties whose available data will be reviewed to initiate our assessment.

4. Maintain a central repository of fraud training ideas and materials created by counties and accessible to other counties via the Fraud Bureau.

The staff person assigned to this project will return from a leave of absence in October 2015. As a result, CDSS reassessed the workload necessary to complete the central repository and is extending the completion date until June 2016. The extension is needed in order to fully implement the central repository and meet current and new work priorities. However, CDSS will post material in the central repository on a flow basis, as it becomes available.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: See 2015-503 #9 for the most current assessment

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2014

CDSS completed the steering committee recommendations (as identified numerically in the steering committee report). Specifically, the outstanding recommendations since the last update were as follows:

2. CDSS Fraud Bureau should establish a standard method of computing county cost-savings. Fully Implemented. November 2009

3. CDSS Fraud Bureau should establish a standard definition of an Early Fraud versus Ongoing Fraud Case. Partially Implemented. July 2015

4. The CDSS Fraud Bureau should provide regular reports for counties to use in monitoring the cost-effectiveness of their program integrity efforts. Fully Implemented. January 2012

5. The CDSS Fraud Bureau should maintain a central repository of fraud training ideas and materials created by counties and accessible to other counties via the Fraud Bureau website. Partially Implemented. December 2014.

6. The CDSS Fraud Bureau and State Hearings Division should provide training and program guidelines on Administrative Disqualification Hearings (ADH) to assist the counties. Fully Implemented. Late 2013

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Not Fully Implemented

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2013

Partially Implemented/Estimated Completion Date: October 1, 2015. CDSS is continuing to address and act on recommendations from the steering committee. Lists of completed and outstanding steering committee recommendations are attached.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Not Fully Implemented

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2012

Since the BSA issued its report in November 2009, the CDSS has created a data warehouse that produces reports that are used to compare county performance in the areas of fraud activities.

In addition, the CDSS anticipates launching an extranet site in January 2013 that will be a repository for counties to post their best practices and training on fraud investigations, IEVS processes, etc. See updated response to Recommendation No. 3 for additional information.

Many of the BSA recommendations cannot be accomplished before the resolution of the analysis identified in our updated response to Recommendation No. 2.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Not Fully Implemented

All Recommendations in 2009-101

Agency responses received after June 2013 are posted verbatim.