The American Rescue Plan Act
Learn more about how the American Rescue Plan can help your state or local government with IT modernization and digital transformation initiatives.
How Can I Leverage ARPA Funding?
BETTER ENABLE REMOTE WORK
When the Coronavirus pandemic began, very few governments or schools were prepared for remote work. ARPA funding can directly address this challenge by allowing state and local governments to invest in remote work technologies such as teleconferencing software, digital form taking, electronic content management platforms, and automation tools. Building a digital infrastructure that allows your team to work from anywhere can minimize interruptions of service and even improve turnaround times and streamline your operational budget.
CENTRALIZE DATA & DOCUMENT ACCESS
Converting paper records into fully searchable digital documents and consolidating them with your other electronic content makes nearly every operational process easier. Once your archives have been converted you can then re-allocate space that was previously dedicated to paper storage. Additionally, migrating your digital content to the Cloud using an electronic content management (ECM) platform has the added benefits of better security, simplified compliance, and superior disaster recovery.
MEET RISING CITIZEN EXPECTATIONS
The prevalence of online self-services in banking, shopping, and more have led to rising expectations for governments and schools. Citizens expect the same online, user-friendly interfaces and processes they experience in the private sector to carry over into public sector services. Delivering on these expectations often means re-thinking your infrastructure. ARPA funding provides and opportunity to jumpstart your modernization and be better prepared for future challenges.
Check Out the Webinar
Now On-Demand
Tune in for our American Rescue Plan Webinar to learn more about this initiative with DOMA’s digital modernization experts, Josh Borum, Jim Fisher, and Dwayne Tharp. They will be discussing options for allocating American Rescue Act and answering some common questions.
ABOUT THE INITIATIVE
Allocation of $350 Billion in ARPA Funds
About the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)
The Federal government has allocated $350 billion for eligible state, local, territorial, and Tribal governments to respond to the challenges of COVID-19 and strengthen our communities. Unlike the CARES act which only addressed governments of 500k or more, the ARPA’s
Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds provide direct federal funding for governments of all sizes.
Spending some of your ARPA funding to improve your IT infrastructure and technology offerings can deliver the following benefits:
- Technology Can Reduce Infection Risk – Moving previously in-person processes to self-service online platforms or apps promotes social distancing and allows at-risk individuals to request services safely.
- Automation Combats Increased Demand for Government Services – Incorporating more automation reduces the burden on government workers and school staff while also delivering faster results.
- Data Improves Decision Making – Business intelligence tools can clarify data to help your institution track infection rates, mitigate risk factors, and identify underserved areas and populations.
- Digital Infrastructure Increases Access for the Underserved – Offering services and records requests securely online improves access for those who face barriers such as poor transportation or unusual working hours which prevent them from procuring services in person.
- Digital Transformation improves Continuity and Trust – Modernizing your school or government with digital technologies can help keep vital functions running during unexpected crisis. Keeping the community informed and keeping services online isn’t always easy with a remote workforce, but digital technology makes it possible to remain flexible no matter the crisis.
A Case for the Cloud
The Cloud is a key part of any modernization strategy. If you haven’t already migrated your systems to the Cloud you’re missing out on some amazing benefits such as :
- Scalability – Increase or decrease your workloads and storage with ease.
- Pay as you Go and Pay Only for what You Need – With the Cloud you only pay for the computing power, storage, and features you need making it an affordable alternative to legacy systems
- Low Maintenance – Cloud software doesn’t require as much maintenance as legacy options, you’ll always have access to the latest tools as they emerge
- Minimize On-Site Infrastructure – Say goodbye to costly server rooms and other on-site infrastructure like paper file storage. With serverless computing and hybrid options like VMWare on the Cloud, you can take advantage of a virtual workspace that scales to meet your every need.
- Disaster-Proof Your Data – The Cloud offers the best disaster recovery protection available and offers secure access to your valuable data, software, and resources from anywhere.
State, local, and Tribal governments may use payments from the Fiscal Recovery Funds to engage in planning and analysis in order to improve programs addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, including through use of targeted consumer outreach, improvements to data or technology infrastructure, impact evaluations, and data analysis.
Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds
Department of the Treasury
Read a Case Study
The best way to understand the impact of Digital Transformation is to see how it has helped other states, cities, and K-12 school systems.
Migrating the city of Port St. Lucie, Florida to the Cloud has delivered an estimated 42% savings on hosting costs.
K-12 Case Study
Implementing an electronic document management strategy for Newport News Public Schools helped them eliminate an inefficient legacy system.
Learn more about ARPA
The Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds provided by ARPA are designated for four main purposes*:
- Support urgent COVID-19 response efforts to continue to decrease spread of the virus and bring the pandemic under control
- Replace lost revenue for eligible state, local, territorial, and Tribal governments to strengthen support for vital public services and retain jobs
- Support immediate economic stabilization for households and businesses
- Address systemic public health and economic challenges that have contributed to the unequal impact of the pandemic
At first glance these don’t sound like technology-focused goals, but digging a little deeper into the mandate it becomes clear that investing in technology is integral to delivering on these initiatives. Digital infrastructure is key to fostering civic engagement, enabling remote work, improving access, and ultimately delivering better service to a growing populace.
With that in mind some technology initiatives that would be eligible for this funding include:
- Digitizing Paper Records to make them More Accessible – Centralizing your content makes it more accessible for remote work which reduces Covid transmission risk
- Software & Platforms : Virtual meeting, constituent relationship management, electronic content management, etc.
- Broadband Internet Infrastructure – At risk communities sometimes lack the reliable internet needed to access online schooling, city/state services, and other vital digital resources
- Business Intelligence or Other Data Services – Data visualization and other forms of data intelligence can be used to address public health risks, negative economic impacts, and track allocation of resources
*Source: Department of the Treasury
You can request funding directly from the Department of the Treasury. The terms of requesting funding and additional details on how non-entitlement units may receive funding are listed online at the link above.
ARPA funds will be issued in two tranches to local governments, with the second tranche being paid twelve months after the first payment.
A recipient may only use funds to cover costs incurred during the period beginning March 3, 2021, and ending December 31, 2024. This funding is “use it or lose it” meaning that any funds not obligated by December 31, 2024, and any funds not expended to cover such obligations by December 31, 2026 must be returned.
Each government entity has a pre-allocated set of funds.
| Type | Amount ($ billions) |
|---|---|
| States & District of Columbia | $195.3 |
| Counties | $65.1 |
| Metropolitan Cites | $45.6 |
| Tribal Governments | $20.0 |
| Territories | $4.5 |
| Non-entitlement Units of Local Government | $19.5 |
Details on the specific allocation for your state, city, or other government can be accessed from the Department of the Treasury website under Allocation Information.
DOMA Technologies can deliver cloud, document conversion, and content management services within your budget. We are experienced at working with state and local government customers and can help you make the most of your funding no matter what stage of modernization you are at. As experienced providers for government customers we can ensure you meet compliance guidelines and that our solutions are tailored to meet the requirements for ARPA funding.
Whether you are looking to get started by centralizing your records and scanning backfiled documents or you’re looking for more advanced business intelligence and hyper automation tools, DOMA is ready to get you moving forward.
DOMA has 21 years of experience working with federal agencies, state/local governments, and K-12 school systems offering digital services, cloud solutions, and healthcare information management paired with an innovative records management software.
To date DOMA has digitized over 105 Million records while upholding the highest standards of information security, compliance, and customer service.
Learning Resources
WATCH THE WEBINAR NOW
Tune into our informative webinar and learn more about the American Rescue Plan Act
and how you can take advantage of funding.
Blogs
Making the Most of Your Budget: Cloud Solutions vs. Digital Services
What does the American Rescue Plan Act mean for State and Local Governments?
