Online COVID-19 Vaccine Incentive Program Application

About the Program

Category: County Administration and Management (Best in Category)

Year: 2022

The online COVID-19 Vaccine Incentive Program application streamlined and saved staff time and costs by replacing the proposed manual process with an online application, verification, and approval process that provides easy tracking and transparency, while maintaining the confidentiality of vaccination information. Its flexible design has enabled the county to adapt and leverage the core development as new employee leave programs are implemented, with efficient rollouts at lower costs, and an improved employee user experience. It was developed to efficiently implement Travis County’s voluntary COVID-19 vaccination incentive program. In August 2021 Austin Public Health raised the area’s COVID-19 risk-based guidelines to its highest level. The program, which was offered to help reduce the risk of community transmission by encouraging vaccination, awarded 16 leave hours to employees providing proof of receiving the recommended COVID-19 vaccine doses. Within four weeks, the Auditor’s Office designed and programmed the in-house application that automated incentive leave submission, review, and award. The application, accessed through ESS (Employee Self-Service), allowed employees to submit digital vaccination proof and program administrators to confirm employee eligibility and award leave hours. To maintain confidentiality of vaccine information, security was controlled, with the vaccine card digital image purged upon verification.