Reviewer: Andrew Coy, CEO, Digital Harbor Foundation
Date: August 8, 2025
Application ID: PolicyEngine-Policy-Library-PBIF-2025
This application presents a well-structured technical solution to a real problem affecting communities we serve daily. The team understands both the technical challenges and community impact of broken benefit access systems. While the infrastructure approach is sound, the application would benefit from stronger community workforce development components and more explicit pathways for community tech capacity building.
| Dimension | Score | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Impact | 8/10 | Clear community benefit but limited workforce development component |
| Technical Feasibility | 9/10 | Strong technical team with realistic implementation plan |
| Responsible AI | 7/10 | Good technical approach but limited community input in design |
| Strategic Fit | 7.5/10 | Addresses important infrastructure but limited community tech focus |
| Scalability | 8.5/10 | Good technical scalability, questions about community engagement scale |
Overall Score: 8.0/10
From our work in Baltimore and nationally, I see the daily impact of the problems this application addresses:
Direct Observations:
- Community navigators waste hours weekly tracking down current benefit forms
- Families lose benefits when caseworkers can't access current eligibility rules
- Local CBOs duplicate document collection efforts across organizations
- Spanish-speaking families face additional barriers when translated documents disappear
Community Value Proposition: The permanent source_id system would eliminate the "document scavenger hunt" that our community partners face daily. This is infrastructure that would immediately improve life for families we serve.
Concern 1: Limited Community Voice While the application mentions "community contributions," there's minimal evidence of community organizations being centered in the design process. The partner list focuses heavily on academic institutions and larger organizations.
Concern 2: Digital Divide Assumptions The API-first approach assumes communities have technical capacity to integrate these tools. Many grassroots organizations lack developers or technical staff.
Concern 3: Workforce Development Opportunity Missed This project could create significant workforce development opportunities - training community members in document curation, policy analysis, and technical skills - but this isn't addressed.
Community Organization Challenges:
- Most CBOs lack internal technical capacity
- Dependence on external contractors for technology needs
- Limited understanding of how to leverage APIs or technical tools
- Staff turnover makes technical knowledge retention difficult
Opportunity Assessment: This project could become a pathway for building community technical capacity rather than just providing infrastructure.
Proposal: Develop certification program training community members as document curators
- Skills: Policy document analysis, quality assurance, version control
- Career Path: Part-time to full-time roles with participating organizations
- Community Benefit: Local expertise, job creation, community ownership
Proposal: Technical training helping CBOs integrate Policy Library API
- Skills: Basic API usage, data integration, tool customization
- Audience: CBO staff, community college students, career changers
- Outcome: Reduced dependency on external contractors
Proposal: Train community members in policy analysis using archived documents
- Skills: Document research, comparative analysis, policy impact assessment
- Career Path: Entry-level policy research roles, advocacy organizations
- Community Benefit: Local expertise, policy leadership development
Strengths:
- Multiple output formats (JSON, XML, CSV) serve different technical levels
- RESTful API follows standard practices
- Documentation commitment suggests usability focus
Gaps:
- No mention of simplified integration tools for non-technical users
- Limited discussion of community-friendly interfaces
- Missing consideration of organizations with minimal technical infrastructure
Develop: Simple web interface for CBOs to access documents without API integration
- Searchable document library with filtering
- Direct download options for common document types
- Email alerts for document changes affecting local programs
Partner with: Organizations like Code for America, TechSoup, or local civic tech groups
- Provide integration support for community organizations
- Develop template implementations for common CBO use cases
- Create community of practice for technical capacity sharing
Include: Mini-grants for CBOs to build technical capacity
- Funding for staff training on API integration
- Support for hiring part-time technical assistance
- Equipment/software for organizations lacking basic infrastructure
Direct Employment (Current Plan):
- 2.5 FTE in Year 1 (Lead Engineer, ML Engineer, Policy Analyst)
- Potential expansion to 4-5 FTE in Year 2
Community Employment Opportunities (Recommended Addition):
- Document Curators: 10-15 part-time positions across jurisdictions
- Quality Assurance Specialists: Community members trained in document verification
- Community Liaisons: Local experts connecting Policy Library with CBOs
- Technical Assistance Coordinators: Supporting CBO API integration
Skills Development Pathways:
- Policy research and analysis
- Document management and version control
- Basic web development and API integration
- Data quality assurance and testing
- Community outreach and training
Direct Benefits:
- Job creation in communities most affected by benefit access barriers
- Skill development leading to career advancement
- Reduced administrative burden freeing staff for direct service
Indirect Benefits:
- Improved benefit access leading to economic stability
- Community technical capacity building with applications beyond this project
- Local expertise development reducing dependence on external consultants
- Community Advisory Board: Include CBOs from different geographic regions and populations served
- Needs Assessment: Survey community organizations about document access challenges
- Workforce Development Planning: Identify opportunities for community employment and training
- Training Program Development: Create curriculum for community document curators
- Partnership Network: Establish relationships with community colleges and workforce development organizations
- Pilot Community Positions: Hire first cohort of community-based document curators
- No-Code Interface Development: Build tools for non-technical community access
- Integration Bootcamps: Launch technical training for CBO staff
- Community of Practice: Establish network for sharing best practices
- Workforce Development Evaluation: Assess job creation and skill development outcomes
- Community Ownership Models: Explore pathways for community governance
- Replication Toolkit: Document community engagement model for other regions
$498K focused heavily on technical development (81% personnel for core team). While appropriate for infrastructure project, misses community capacity building opportunities.
Community Workforce Development (Additional $75K Year 1):
- Community curator training program: $30K
- Technical capacity building grants: $25K
- Community liaison positions: $20K
Community Engagement Infrastructure ($25K Year 1):
- Community advisory board support: $10K
- No-code interface development: $15K
Total Recommended Budget: $598K (still within PBIF range)
Cooperative Structure:
- Community organizations become stakeholders in governance
- Shared decision-making on priorities and development
- Revenue sharing for communities contributing labor
Local Chapter Model:
- State or regional community organizations manage local document curation
- Technical infrastructure provided centrally
- Community expertise and governance managed locally
Skills-Based Sustainability:
- Training programs create ongoing workforce pipeline
- Community technical capacity reduces long-term operational costs
- Local expertise improves document quality and relevance
Community partnerships reduce:
- Single point of failure through distributed expertise
- Quality control issues through local knowledge
- Adoption barriers through community champion model
Community engagement addresses:
- Scaling challenges through distributed workforce
- Sustainability concerns through local ownership
- Government relations through community advocacy
This application addresses critical infrastructure needs affecting communities we serve daily. The technical approach is sound and the team has proven capacity. However, the transformational potential can only be realized with stronger community integration.
Strengths:
- Solves real problems affecting vulnerable communities
- Technically feasible with experienced team
- Creates sustainable infrastructure for long-term community benefit
- Open source approach enables community contributions
Required Improvements:
- Community Advisory Structure: Establish within 90 days
- Workforce Development Integration: Add community employment and training components
- Community-Friendly Tools: Develop no-code interfaces for CBOs
- Capacity Building Support: Include grants and training for community organizations
Funding Recommendation: $575K (increased from $498K)
- Original technical development: $498K
- Community engagement enhancement: $77K
This project has exceptional potential to transform benefit access infrastructure while creating community workforce development opportunities. With proper community integration, it becomes a model for how technical infrastructure projects can build community capacity rather than simply serving communities.
The urgency of the problem and strength of the technical team justify funding, but maximizing impact requires centering community voice and capacity building from the start.
Total Recommendation Score: 8.0/10 - FUND WITH CONDITIONS