SNAP EBT Planning Consultant

Position Summary The SNAP EBT Planning Consultant will guide a state agency through every phase of its SNAP EBT re-procurement. This includes updating the RFP, designing the bid evaluation process, writing the Implementation Advance Planning Documents (IAPD) and getting them approved by USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), and leading system testing and acceptance testing for the new EBT system. The consultant will build and maintain the project timeline and make sure all work meets USDA/FNS deadlines and requirements. Key Responsibilities RFP development and federal compliance Review the state’s SNAP EBT Services RFP and recommend changes so it meets current federal requirements. These include SNAP EBT regulations, FNS policy guidance, the Agricultural Act of 2018 (Farm Bill) and later amendments, and the Quest Operating Rules. Research and write the business and technical requirements for the RFP, and prepare updated drafts. Join project calls with USDA/FNS about the re-procurement and the Advance Planning Document (APD). Help the agency evaluate and carry out USDA/FNS recommendations and changes. Proposal evaluation planning Write a full evaluation plan for scoring RFP responses, covering technical and cost evaluation criteria, the pricing evaluation structure, and scoring guidelines that follow state procurement requirements. Create training materials and train the evaluation team, on-site or virtually. Prepare scoring sheets and summary documents that support the final award decision. Advance Planning Documents (IAPD/IAPDU) Write the Implementation Advance Planning Document, submit it to USDA/FNS, and see it through approval, following the current FNS Handbook 901 and all applicable federal regulations. Prepare all required IAPD sections: transmittal letter, executive summary, functional requirements, general system design, capacity study, project management plan and resource requirements, security planning, training plan, schedule of activities and milestones, cost allocation plan, and proposed budget. Prepare IAPD Updates (IAPDU) when needed, for example after funding changes, schedule delays of more than 120 days, or changes in procurement method, cost allocation, scope, or system architecture. Test administration and System Acceptance Testing (SAT) Write and manage a full test plan following FNS Handbook 901, Section 3.5.24. It should cover unit, integration, performance, end-to-end, user acceptance, regression, and fail-safe testing. Define test team roles, test databases, test cases and scripts, test schedules, acceptance procedures, Go/No-Go criteria, and contingency plans for returning to the legacy system. Coordinate all testing with the EBT processor. Lead System Acceptance Testing, covering functional requirements, security, recovery, system controls, and “what-if” scenarios. Train state staff to perform user acceptance testing. Attend test walk-throughs, review interface specifications and outputs, and take part in regression testing. Write the evaluation of test results and submit it to USDA/FNS for review and approval. Project management Build and maintain the overall project timeline through 2029. Make sure all deliverables meet USDA/FNS deadlines and approval requirements. Required Qualifications 7+ years of experience in SNAP, EBT, or public assistance program technology, consulting, or project management Hands-on SNAP EBT experience , such as an EBT procurement, re-procurement, processor transition, or conversion for a state agency Experience writing Advance Planning Documents (APD, IAPD, or IAPDU) under FNS Handbook 901, with documents submitted to and approved by USDA/FNS Working knowledge of SNAP EBT federal regulations , the 2018 Farm Bill , and the Quest Operating Rules Experience writing or evaluating government RFPs , including evaluation criteria and scoring Experience leading system testing and user acceptance testing on large government IT systems Strong technical writing sk…

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