Welfare Reform that Really Works #2

Ideas State Legislators Can Use

The comments below are from Jason Turner, Director, Capacity Building for Wisconsin Works--Wisconsin's welfare reform and jobs plan. Turner shared these ideas for state legislators committed to welfare reform that reduces caseload. He was featured at the recent American Legislative Exchange Council/Heritage Foundation welfare summit. (Paraphrased and used with permission.)

Legislative actions that perpetuate bureaucracy.

• Philosophical admonitions in legislative language.

• Increased funding for additional staff to accomplish stated legislative goals.

• Decreased funding to limit staff working on tasks contrary to stated legislative goals.

General concepts of what works.

• Decide what you want the bureaucratic organizations to accomplish.

• Decide how you will measure their progress at accomplishing it.

• Pay the organizations you want to carry out the objectives on a performance basis only, using your measurement yardstick.

Implementing "what works" concepts.

• Setting Up A Performance System

  • Provide welfare agency with some of their anticipated budget as a base, e.g. 70%.

  • Require agency perform to a minimum standard, then pay incrementally as they exceed the minimum standard (e.g., $800/full-time job placement; $400/part-time).

  • Other measurable for-pay accomplishments: (e.g., $X/month per individuals in work experience slots, caseload reductions, increased caseload working 35 hrs/wk).

• Publicize Measured Improvements and Reward High Achievers

  • Require welfare agencies to publish an annual report, measuring accomplishments according to legislated standards.

  • Set up press conferences to recognize high performing agency managers.

  • Decentralize decision making so local managers can accomplish goals in the best available way.

• Privatize Local Agencies/Functions To Generate Competition With Public Sector

  • Set up private welfare demonstration units to test privatization and provide points of comparison with public agencies.

• Use Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) Flexibility To Privatize Service Operations

  • Allow public agencies to compete for business because it is fair to do so and will reduce political opposition.

  • Set up RFP by county or region to avoid problems inherent in any monopoly.

• Privatization Alternative as Motivation for Change

  • Introduce legislation which requires the state to privatize in the event performance objectives are not met.

  • Introduce legislation requiring public agencies to justify their monopoly every budget period.

• Divide Large Urban Areas Into Smaller Geographic Units and Bid Out To Best Providers

  • Dividing up large urban areas replicates a smaller agency environment - more conducive to interpersonal "connectedness."

  • If there are several providers in one urban area, the competition will generate better service and accountability.

  • Alternative to dividing up geographically: Require multiple agencies to compete county-wide for certain functions, e.g. welfare-to-work services. Measure and pay on success rates.

• Generally Devolve Operations

  • Permit managers greater flexibility to achieve program objectives.

  • Eliminate process regulations in favor of outcome regulations.

• Develop Alternative and Parallel Information Sources

  • Legislators should attend state and national welfare conferences and develop expertise; try to stay on relevant committees for a lengthy period.

  • Legislators should develop a group of conservative local welfare managers who can explain and who value accountability for what is going on at the "street level."

  • Legislators should go out into the field on a regular basis to talk to line staff and welfare recipients.

  • Use state think tanks as policy idea generators and evaluators.

• Fight To Unlock Constraints To Effective Bureaucratic Management Imposed By Restrictive Work Rules

  • Allow agency to pay and promote its excellent people, and more easily downgrade consistent non-performers.

  
  

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  Evergreen Freedom Foundation P.O. Box 552, Olympia, WA 98507 Phone: (360) 956-3482, Fax: (360) 352-1874 Email: effwa@effwa.org