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User Experience Drives Changes in GetCalFresh

As part of its ongoing work on California’s food assistance program GetCalFresh, the civic tech group Code for America (CfA) recently conducted extensive user-centric research aimed at modifying eligibility expectations.

As part of its ongoing work on California’s food assistance program GetCalFresh, the civic tech group Code for America (CfA) recently conducted extensive user-centric research aimed at modifying eligibility expectations.

This effort, which members of the nonprofit and nonpartisan group wrote about recently on the website Medium, ties in with the overarching goal of CfA’s work in this area — to make it as easy as possible for residents to apply for food assistance in California. While researching the application process, CfA found that a large number of applicants were over the income limit to qualify — be it because they were overlooking sources of income or because the application worded its question in a way that resulted in guestimating.

Operating with the belief that those unlikely to be eligible due to income should find that out as quickly as possible, CfA turned to user-centric research to help it make changes to GetCalFresh, noting that getting rejected more quickly in the process would give applicants a chance to find alternative food assistance in a more timely manner.

To improve in this regard, CfA is now working to improve GetCalFresh’s application so that it provides better guidance about reporting income, specifically unearned income such as disability, veteran's benefits, money received from a friend or relative, and worker’s compensation.    

User-centered research and design is a process in which developers extensively study the people who use services, rather than just scientifically guessing at their needs. Relatively common in the private sector in recent years, the discipline is currently being deployed by an increasing number of governmental organizations and vendors across the country.

 

Zack Quaintance is the assistant news editor for Government Technology magazine. His background includes writing for daily newspapers across the country and developing content for a software company in Austin, Texas.