Wal Mart and WIC EBT

Former Next Generation Speaker Jennifer Smith from Walmart testified recently before the Senate Agriculture committee on WIC and EBT. Never shy about the company's position on EBT, Ms. Smith's comments included a request that Congress mandate development of one set of operating standards for WIC EBT. She also suggested that lawmakers consider making the WIC program interoperable in the same way the SNAP program is. This would be not only a technical change along the order that the program has never seen, but it would be a cultural change for the many agencies that administer WIC. And it would come on the footsteps of the new WIC food package and other administrative changes that right now have their hands full.

Perhaps the "ask" Walmart made at the hearing was for the Congress to mandate adoption of WIC EBT. This would force Congress to supply the funding that would finally end the use of checks and vouchers in the system.

There is no doubt that operating standards are necessary to propel WIC EBT into its next generation, much in the same way that the April 2002 food stamp operating regulations transformed EBT from experimental science to the sole method of benefit distribution (although it took 12 years) in the U.S.

But going to Congress with such a concept may fall into the "be careful what you ask for" category. While Congress may grant Walmart's wish, it may do so in a way that ties the hands of the executive agency (USDA) and saddles the EBT community with a set of regulations that are so proscriptive as to make development more difficult than it has to be. For an example, Google "digital TV converter," and see how a constraining law made a relatively simple task more difficult.

And mandating conversion to WIC EBT may be nirvana for EBT processors and consultants. But is it realistic given the lack of technology resources of most WIC agencies? There certainly are a good number of states that can take on that challenge in 2010 and 2011; however, there are many more that are underfunded, overworked, and would be, frankly, overwhelmed if told to just go out and "git 'er done."

The EBT community, the states, the federal agency and the private sector, have all worked on these issues methodically for many years before Walmart became a player in WIC EBT. It has been slow, frustrating work. But imposing mandates on unprepared states may not be the best way to accelerate the process. The EBT community could find itself no longer driving the train, but being dragged behind it.

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!

Report today from the Paris Cartes conference is that near field communications (contactless) technology will show strong growth in 2010.

BLOGGER

EBT Next Generation 2009--An Unqualified Success!

Having returned from EBT the Next Generation in New Orleans, I'm still riding high from all of the fun and excitement! How good to see everyone again and get together. I doubt many conferences have the same percentage of repeat attenders that we have.

The sessions were terrific. Top notch programming, especially on the WIC side. As usual they were timely, including Front Page Focus' take on the effect of the economy on human services operations, and the general session on eHealthcare and EBT.





Who will ever forget our trip to Rock 'N' Bowl where we rolled a 300--albeit every one's pins added together for all night! Dude, that was some bad bowling!

No matter the scores, there was plenty of food, spirits and networking, and I'll remember that as fondly as I remember our trip to the Dog Track in Jacksonville in 2004.


I'd be remiss if I didn't thank our sponsors, exhibitors and vendors for their financial support of the conference: ACS, FIS, J.P. Morgan, Maximus, Chaddsford Planning Associates, fiserv, Novo Dia Group, VeriFone, Bank of America, Oberthur, Visa, Mastercard, Visa and Burger, Carroll & Associates.








And how about our 2009 Award winners:

• Michigan WIC for its online EBT system statewide rollout
• Peter Relich, 20-year veteran of the eGovernment Payments Council, the Pioneer award winner--so richly deserved
• Ellen Vollinger of the Food Research and Action Center, our special achievement award for all of her assistance in spreading the good news about EBT to the nutrition and legislative communities

We're already looking ahead to next year in the Valley of the Sun, when we take the EBT The Next Generation traveling training show to Phoenix. NextGen13 is bound to be another success story for the ages.


Stan Bien, Michigan WIC Director, Ellen Vollinger, legal director of FRAC, and Peter Relich, SVP of MAXIMUS, show off their new hardware at EBT The Next Generation 2009.