The Need for More Arizona Program Service Evaluators
Government service contracts are designed to efficiently provide workforce management to fulfill a client’s needs. Cooperative Contracts are the best solution when a client wants a similar contract and pricing terms as another pre-existing contract but has specific requirements that must be met. Configurable contract vehicles and solutions are tailored to meet the client’s particular requests, providing them with flexibility, quality deliverables, and saved time.
Challenge
Last year, the State of Arizona responded to nearly 2 million inquiries[i] regarding benefits and medical eligibility. The responsible agency faced a few key challenges that prevented them from keeping up with the inquiry bandwidth, including hiring additional Arizona Program Service Evaluators (PSEs).
As part of the PSE position, all candidates were required to complete a 12-week paid training course before beginning work in the call center. At the time, the Arizona unemployment rate was at 4.8%[ii], creating an even tighter labor market. The agency understood that to find the right people for these roles, it would require an impossible amount of time and focus.
Rather than diverting energy to fill the open positions for more Arizona Program Service Evaluators themselves, the Agency partnered with Knowledge Services to help identify qualified candidates and place them into the program.
Solution
Through the Knowledge Services vendor network, the agency worked with three uniquely qualified temporary staffing suppliers to support this initiative. Vendors provided candidates on a contract-to-hire basis during their 12-week training course until they were reassessed for placement in a full-time position as a PSE with the Agency.
The partnership was made possible by the Knowledge Services State of Arizona contract for Multi-Temporary Staffing Managed Service Provider (MTS-MSP) Services.
Results
The Knowledge Services MSP model ensured that the placement was a good fit for both parties: the candidates and the Agency.
Once candidates pass their 12-week training course through the selected vendor, they could officially be hired by the agency as a PSE.
Candidates not wanting to move forward with the PSE role following training could choose to opt out of the program or ask to be reallocated to a different role in the State. If the candidate did not pass the training course or did not meet expectations, their assignment ended or they could request to be transferred to a different role in the State, if available.
Overall, this gave the agency greater flexibility and opportunity to assess a high number of qualified individuals in a short amount of time. As a result, Knowledge Services provided the agency with a total of 79 converted Full-Time Employee (FTE) team members in 4 months.
The State of Arizona MTS-MSP: Multi-Temporary Staffing Services Managed Service Provider contract appoints Knowledge Services as the Managed Service Provider (MSP) for temporary staffing services through a Vendor Management System (VMS). Cooperatives such as quasi-agencies, cities, municipalities, and universities utilize this contract to expand and address unique needs within their communities.
[i] Department of Economic Security. (2018). 2017-2018 DES Annual Report (p. 9). Arizona: Department of Economic Security.
[ii] Laborstats.az.gov. (2019). Office of Economic Opportunity | Arizona Labor Statistics. [online] Available at: https://laborstats.az.gov/.
