Electronic Funds Transfer Association Names Michigan's Women, Infants and Children EBT program "Project of the Year"

The State of Michigan’s program for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefits has been recognized as the “Project of the Year” by the Electronic Funds Transfer Association and its eGovernment Payments Council.

The Michigan WIC EBT project which enables participating families to make WIC purchases through electronic benefit transfer (EBT) using the Michigan “Bridge Card," is supported by Affiliated Computer Services.  The card offers improved flexibility and security over traditional WIC paper coupons. The program is the first of its kind to provide statewide real-time online access that automatically validates WIC-approved items, reducing the chances of error at the checkout lane.

Nearly 2,000 vendors across the state are equipped to accept the card. An ACS customer care center located in Michigan provides 24/7 support in three languages (English, Spanish and Arabic) for program participants as well as vendors.

The program was named Project of the Year” by the EFTA and its eGPC for its groundbreaking status as the first statewide online WIC EBT project in the nation, said Kurt Helwig, president and CEO of the EFTA. Michigan’s WIC program director Stan Bein accepted the award at the organization’s convention in New Orleans.

“ACS is honored to be part of a program that has become a national model of how WIC benefits are distributed and administered,” said Joseph Doherty, executive vice president and group president of ACS Government Solutions. “We are eager to show other states how this solution benefits both government and program recipients.”

ACS also provides Michigan with EBT services for the state’s SNAP program (formerly known as food stamps), providing convenient access to benefits to more than 700,000 residents.

The Electronic Funds Transfer Association is the nation's leading inter-industry professional group promoting the adoption of electronic payment systems like EBT. The eGovernment Payments Council is a group within EFTA that provides thought leadership on the business and policy issues involved in the development and operation of EBT systems.

Kurt Helwig, president and CEO of the Electronic Funds Transfer Association and its eGovernment Payments Council present's Michigan's Stan Bien with the eGPC's 2009 Project of the Year award at its annual conference, EBT The Next Generation, in New Orleans.

                                         

Planning Starts for EBT The NextGeneration 2010

The production of EBT The Next Generation is an 11-month affair. Once the booths are all down and the goodbyes said, the conference planning committee takes a month off. (actually, 3 weeks). Then, in mid-December, the executive committee of the eGovernment Payment Council , which hosts the conference on behalf of EFTA , meets for its annual leadership and planning forum.

While the leadership and planning meeting covers a lot of ground in two days, about a third of that time is spent reviewing the results of the recently completed conference and planning the upcoming one. Among the topics we cover are:

• The marketing efforts: did they work?
• Statistics: How many people attended? Where did they come from? 
• Feedback: What were the results of the conference evaluations?
• What can we do better?

These are usually spirited discussions. The next day we spend several hours beginning the arduous task of putting the next show together. Among the topics we tackle:

• The fee structure: Can we hold the line on increasing fees?
• Expenses: Where did we go over budget? Why?
• Sponsors & exhibitors: Can we get more companies engaged?
• Programming changes: What are the "hot" issues we need to cover?
• Marketing: How do we get the message out about the conference?
• Venue: We are presented with a choice of several venues and formally approve one.

From that point on the Council plans pretty much constantly untile show time November 7, 2010. To give you an idea, here is a high level look at the "project management plan" for EBT The Next Generation:

• January: A conference call for volunteers to serve on the conference planning committee. Hotel contract signed.
• February: The planning committee holds its first planning teleconference. At this meeting we determine the broad outlines of the show: number of tracks, number of sessions, workshops, etc.
• Late February: Committee members select "high level" topics for breakout and plenary sessions.
• Early March: The first rough draft agenda is put together. The planning committee adds/drops sessions depending on the first rough draft.
• Mid March: the first "Save the Date" email goes out. Potential sponsors and exhibitors receive their first invitation to participate.
• Late March: Sessions are given titles and descriptions; conference members are selected to manage, or "facilitate" each session.
• April: Potential speakers are identified for all sessions, from keynotes to breakouts.
• May: the first formal draft agenda is presented. The first "Save the Date" postcard goes out.
• Early June: The final agenda is approved with session titles, descriptions and potential speakers. The agenda is posted to the conference website.
• Mid June: Speaking invitations go out. This process continues until September.
• Late June: the first draft of the conference brochure is produced.
• July: Work continues on locking down speakers and finalizing the conference brochure.
• August: Hotel logistics are finalized. Committee faciliators teleconference with speakers to plan sessions.  Brochure mailer is produced and mailed. 
• September: Speaker materials begin being assembled. 
• October: Last minute details are hammered out, including replacement speakers. Annual award winners are selected. Conference materials are drafted reviewed produced and assembled.
• First week in November: Materials are shipped to conference hotel. Plenary sessions are reviewed and blocked. Awards are shipped to hotel.
• November 7: Show time!

OK, all you proposal reviewers-how'd we do on our PMP?

For all of the logistical and marketing work we rely on Dana Benson and Amber Howell  of ATMIA Conferences, LLC. For all the rest of it we rely on Council members who give unselfishly of their time, and their organizations who graciously allow them to spend many work hours on conference calls, in meetings, writing presentations and on the phone cajoling potential speakers to join us in November.

The result every year is truly remarkable. A small group of people volunteering their time so that we can all share a little bit of our time and knowledge each year to make this a better industry.

I hope to see you in November in Phoenix!