Demands crippled state's welfare call centers
Source: By ROBERT T. GARRETT, The Dallas Morning News (TX), Monday, March 19, 2007
A state effort to replace many welfare benefits offices with privately run call centers fell victim to unrealistic deadlines, budget cuts, stumbles by the contractor, a flawed public education campaign and mishaps with government-purchased computer software.
…… Accenture executive Dave McCurley testified to a House committee last month that software-related "inefficiencies" and an unexpectedly high number of calls pouring into the call centers early last year "combined to effectively break the camel's back."
…… Alec Davis, a state employee who has been an eligibility screener for 14 years and works at an Austin call center, said he has seen private contractor employees make less than conscientious efforts to help aid applicants. ….. "The job done over the years by the state workers has been a lot better than they give us credit for," he said.