Federal, state and local government agencies are responsible for delivering critical benefits programs to Americans in need. Yet billions of dollars in public benefits fail to reach millions of vulnerable families every year because our social safety net isn’t designed of, by and for our people.
The digital delivery of benefits assistance to millions of people has changed from in-person offices, to mail, to online forms and even mobile applications. The proliferation of new products to digitally enable benefits has subsequently sparked an evolution in governance practices and big questions about the “right” or “wrong” way to deliver to a public in need remain unanswered.
The course will build upon the foundational material of DPI-662M and dive deep into the challenges of implementation on the ground. The class will debate open questions and approaches using recent case studies, learn directly from practitioners in the field, and ground its work in the lived experience of real families across the country. The goal of this course is to empower students irrespective of technical background to serve in delivery and decision-making roles that directly impact the experience of our most in-need constituents on the receiving end of the U.S. social safety net.
