Are the vulnerable populations you serve receiving the SNAP benefits they need to build a foundation for future success? We can help.
Agencies administering the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are tasked with the critical responsibility of providing resources to meet the basic sustenance needs of individuals and families with limited resources. In order to meet the need and position their participants for self-sufficiency and success, SNAP administering agencies must distribute benefits efficiently, accurately, and on time – all while facing ongoing fiscal and programmatic challenges. Public Consulting Group (PCG) is a national leader in SNAP consulting services, and our experts have the tools to help SNAP administering agencies meet these challenges collaboratively, efficiently, and creatively.
Our team includes professionals with experience in the many facets of public assistance programs, from state program and budget administration, to employment services operations management, front-line eligibility work, and staff training development and delivery. Partnering with PCG enables agencies to leverage our team’s extensive experience and proven consulting approach to support the effective provision of a wide array of necessary public services. From helping states to improve operational efficiency and meet timeliness standards, to identifying SNAP E&T partners and maximizing federal revenue, our approach allows us to provide exemplary results to our clients, and those they serve.
Why partner with PCG?
Experience
Over nearly 15 years, more than 16 states and municipalities have selected PCG as a trusted partner to address their SNAP needs, including business process redesign, organizational change management, and SNAP Employment and Training (E&T) partnership development and claiming.
Wide Range of Program Perspectives and Expertise
SNAP is not operated in a vacuum. PCG has deep expertise in public assistance programs that serve the same vulnerable populations, such as Medicaid and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), which are often administered concurrently with SNAP.
Thorough and Balanced Approach
Data alone will not adequately convey an agency’s approach, successes, and areas for improvement; neither will interviews with caseworkers. That is why we combine qualitative and quantitative methods to conduct thorough program analyses.
SNAP Consulting Services
Program Improvement
Because the needs of SNAP agencies are different, PCG offers an array of customizable consulting services that can be combined and modified to meet agency goals.
- Performance Improvement. Working in partnership with states and counties, our team will assess their SNAP programs and identify opportunities to maximize performance, improve employment outcomes for clients, increase operational efficiency, and help administrators meet federal performance standards.
- Organizational Change Management. The service delivery environment is constantly changing and evolving, and agencies must find ways to navigate these changes if they are to operate SNAP effectively. PCG’s team helps agencies prepare for change, identify challenges, and develop strategies to mitigate the effects and successfully navigate the transition. Our services include designing and implementing change management plans, coordinating agency efforts, and building internal change management capacity.
- Program Design and Process Improvement. To increase operational efficiency and provide a better experience for program participants, PCG works with SNAP agencies across the country to review program operation, and design and implement improvement practices for both front- and back-end staff processes, call center operations, and workflow procedures. Our deep experience with other public benefit programs, such as TANF and Medicaid, has been instrumental in helping states coordinate programs, including implementing integrated eligibility systems.
PCG worked with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on a multi-year effort to reshape service delivery for the SNAP program. With our support and guidance, the Commonwealth transformed its system – including staffing structures, client flows, and supporting technologies – and successfully created a more data-driven culture. Since the launch of our efforts, productivity has increased by over 18 percent, SNAP-related overtime decreased by 65 percent, and the time it took to process incoming documents decreased by 69 percent.
SNAP E&T Program Development and Claiming
SNAP E&T presents an excellent opportunity for states to support valuable programs while bringing additional federal revenue into their states. We help states access these funds in a compliant manner by identifying potential partners, building relationships, and processing claims.
- Third Party Partner Identification. Building or increasing third party partnerships provides states the opportunity to expand the provision of invaluable E&T services, fund successful programs, and bring additional federal revenue into the state. Effective E&T services can be a powerful driver to increasing the self-sufficiency of participants, and third party partnerships are key to achieving such outcomes. Recognizing this, PCG has partnered with several states to help them identify third party partners for their SNAP E&T programs and then develop strong working relationships with these partners.
- Third Party Reimbursement. Taking full advantage of the SNAP E&T program requires careful and consistent submission for reimbursement of E&T expenditures. PCG provides tools and procedures for reporting and claiming expenditures and works with third party providers to ensure that monthly claim for reimbursement are submitted accurately and on time. We also work with states and third party providers to identify potentially reimbursable programs, develop reimbursement methodologies, and maximize SNAP E&T 50:50 program reimbursement.
PCG worked with the State of Alaska to develop partnerships with four community-based providers in the Anchorage area. We assisted the state in developing the SNAP E&T plan necessary to secure more than $650,000 in federal reimbursement for the services these agencies provided to participants. Download PCG's SNAP Consulting Services data sheet to learn about the additional benefits and more!
Let the PCG team work for you! Contact us to learn more about how we can help.