On March 27, 2020, U.S. Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act in response to the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. State Workforce Agencies (SWAs) across the nation scrambled to develop technical solutions to accommodate millions of Americans suddenly eligible for unemployment benefits. Throughout the pandemic, rules, policies, regulations, and legislation were—and remain—fluid and evolving and SWAs are interpreting and implementing federal and state changes constantly. 

The first-ever virtual National Council on Teacher Retirement (NCTR) conference was a culmination of great ideas, discussions on the changing pandemic situation and how it affects work, and how technology plays a decisive role in keeping data secure. Our Chief Information Officer Warren Gordon was on a panel speaking about All things IT: from Cybersecurity to Telecommuting. Here are his thoughts and excerpts from the discussion.

“Change is the only constant in life, and if we’ve learned anything from 2020, it’s that you best be prepared.”

With the unprecedented pass of the federal CARES Act to deal with the economic impacts of COVID-19, State Workforce Agencies across the nation scrambled to develop systems that could quickly accommodate millions of Americans suddenly eligible for unemployment benefits. IT leaders and software application developers were hit with an urgent and immediate demand for technology solutions without knowing the volume and scaling requirements—in an environment that was highly visible, politically charged, and frequently covered by mass media.

As we plan for the new normal, it’s time for Medicaid plans to evaluate the change in member expectations and behavior. People are now performing jobs successfully at home in record number, and a recent Gartner poll shows that 48% of employees will continue to work remotely in the future. In short, remote work and service are trends set to control the remainder of 2020 and 2021.

Your organization’s data is critically important – and quite vulnerable – during a new solution implementation. Consequently, your vendor should offer advanced security options to protect your data during your project implementation. Further, they should also provide you detailed security protocols and plans for converting your data accurately and efficiently. In your analysis of determining which pension administration software is best for your organization, be sure to keep maintaining data integrity at the top of your list.

After understanding what to look for in a Pension Administration Software – and how to evaluate whether or not it will meet your organizational goals – it’s time to focus on another obstacle entirely: implementation. Depending on the size of the organization, transitioning to a new solution could take weeks, months – even years. Plus, new regulations and innovations can sometimes cause further delays and overhaul hindrances. In truth, this project is no small feat.