Policymaker and Practitioner Perspectives and Insights from Colorado: An Interview with Dr. Ki’i Powell, Ian McMahon, Michael Martinez-Schiferl, Rebecca Balu, and Samantha O’Neill Dunbar

Abstract

What are key barriers that prevent complementary safety net services? How are states and localities navigating those barriers? For policymaker and practitioner perspectives on these questions, we turned to experts in the Colorado Department of Human Services: Dr. Ki’i Powell, former director of the Office of Economic Security; Ian McMahon, director of the Division of Economic and Workforce Support; Michael Martinez-Schiferl, former operations manager in the Division of Economic and Workforce Support; Rebecca Balu, employment and training manager; and Samantha O’Neill Dunbar, budget and legislative manager in the Office of Economic Security. Colorado has sought to overcome administrative burdens by developing shared-eligibility systems that allow individuals to apply for multiple services through a common application process. This approach has enhanced user experiences from the perspective of service recipients, but it shifts administrative burdens to the implementing agencies, who face complex data demands arising from federal and state-level policy design and strained workforce capacities. Colorado’s experiences underscore how resolving administrative burdens depends on federal and state policy action above and beyond agency-level adjustments. The conversation, led by Susan Moffitt, occurred on November 29, 2022, and has been edited for length.