A Bold Plan to Transform Access to the US Social Safety Net | Amanda Renteria | TED

譯者: Patricia Kuo 審譯者: Shelley Tsang 曾雯海

My dad's first lesson to me was,

我父親給我的第一課是

"Look people in the eye, mi hija,

「女兒，看著人們的眼睛，

make sure people see you and you see them."

確保他們看見你，而你也看著他們。」

He has been a proud janitor, farm worker, shoe shiner,

他一直是個引以為豪的看門人， 農場工人，擦鞋匠，

home builder and small business owner.

房屋建築師和小企業主。

He has seen the world from so many different lenses

他用許多不同的角度看過世界

and has lots of stories to tell.

並有許多故事可以說。

But there's one I've never been able to get out of my head.

但一直有件事情讓我無法忘記。

A story when my dad was a young kid.

一個關於我父親年幼時的故事。

He and my tio Milo knew exactly when the trucks would come in.

他與我的舅舅米羅清楚的知道卡車的時間表。

Under the freeway, just as the sun set,

就在日落時高速公路下面。

they jumped the fence to get into the dump.

他們跳過了圍欄進入垃圾場中。

And as they waited for the trucks,

在他們等待卡車時，

they'd make bets on who would find the best food.

他們會打賭誰能找到最好的食物。

An uneaten apple they could clean,

一顆他們可以清洗又沒吃過的蘋果，

a perfect banana, sometimes a candy bar or a wrapped sandwich.

一根完美的香蕉，甚至是糖果或是包裝好的三明治。

And then they'd grab whatever they could find,

他們會收集他們所有能找到的東西，

and save the very best to bring home

並將最好的帶回家

to their even younger brothers and sisters.

給他們年幼的弟弟和妹妹。

I hate that story.

我討厭那個故事。

But I share it

但我會分享這個故事

because we can't solve what we can't see.

因為我們不能解決我們不知道的現象。

In 1936,

在 1936，

this image of the migrant mother

這個移民母親的照片

captured the living conditions in the West,

捕捉了西部的生活情形

showing lawmakers what people were going through.

向立法者顯示西方居民處在的環境。

After it published,

這張照片發布後，

the United States government sent 20,000 pounds of food,

美國政府送了 20,000 磅的食物過去，

and that image solidified support

那張相片帶來人們堅定的支持

for the very first safety-net programs in America.

也是美國第一個社會安全網計畫。

Yet still today, more than 37 million Americans are still living in poverty.

然而直到今天，仍有超過 3700 萬的美國人生活在貧困之中。

One in six kids.

6 個孩子中就有 1 個生在貧困家庭中。

As a student of economics and a career public servant,

作為一個主修經濟學的學生和公務員

I know we've been at this for a long time.

我知道我們推行這個計畫很久了。

But it's my work today that has given me the hope

但也是我現在的工作帶給我希望

that we can finally end poverty as we know it.

能夠結束貧窮。

And here's why.

這就是為甚麼

Right now, there are 80 public benefit programs

現在有 80 個公益計畫

all across the country,

在全國各地

intended to provide critical anti-poverty resources.

試圖提供貧窮家族極度需要的資源。

Yet an estimated 60 billion dollars in benefits

然而估計 600 億美元的福利

go unclaimed every year.

在每年無人認領。

Sixty billion.

600 億

I believe, in large part, due to complicated,

我相信，最普遍的原因是因為流程的複雜度，

outdated systems

過時的系統

that weren't designed to see the people they serve.

沒有將使用者的需求視為設計條件。

I want you to imagine for a moment that you lost your job,

我想要你們花一點時間思考，如果你們失業了

and you don't know how you're going to put food on the table.

不知道怎麼維持生計了。

But you hear about this government program that can help.

但你聽到一個可以幫助你的政府計畫。

And you begin the process of applying.

並開始申請補助

The first thing you realize is

你會意識到第一個問題便是

you can't do it on the only online connection you have, your phone,

你不能在你唯一擁有的手機上操作

because the only way to apply online is through a desktop computer.

因為線上申請的唯一途徑需要通過電腦。

So you head to the community library, you go through screen after screen,

因此你走道社區圖書館，一頁頁的瀏覽

answering close to 200 questions,

回答了將近 200 題的問題，

wading through confusing instructions.

困惑的讀著指令。

It feels a little bit like a game of gotcha,

有點是像是在玩鬼抓人一樣，

except your benefits are at risk.

只是是你的福利處在危險之中。

Now, if you're from a place like my hometown,

現在，如果你來像是我家鄉的地方

a small rural farming town,

一個農村小城鎮，

there isn't an easily accessible public venue with desktop computers.

那裏沒有鄰近的公共桌上型電腦。

So you have to find a ride to the nearest social services office,

所以你必須搭車 到最近的社會服務處，

maybe 30 miles away.

也許在 30 英里外。

When you get there,

當你到達那裏

you have to walk through metal detectors with two security guards,

你還需要與兩名保安一起走過金屬探測器

past a long table of scattered paper forms into the main waiting room.

填寫一大疊混亂的申請單才能進入等待室。

It's loud, and there's a long line leading to that service counter.

等待室很吵雜還有一群人排在服務櫃台後。

When you get to the front of it,

當你走到前面時，

you're met with a thick, clouded sheet of bulletproof glass

你會看到厚厚一層霧面的防彈玻璃

separating you from someone who could finally help.

將你與服務人員阻隔開。

That has been the system in America for many communities like mine.

這是在美國許多社區的制度。

So it's no wonder that 14 million Americans aren't enrolled

也難怪有 1400 萬個美國人沒有申請

in child and food nutrition programs,

兒童和食品營養計劃

or that six million are missing health care benefits.

和那 600 萬沒有健保福利的人們。

Technology has changed almost every aspect of our lives.

科技幾乎改變了我們生活上每個方面

It's made things faster, more efficient, automatic.

它讓世界更快速，更有效率，更自動化。

We need to do the same for people seeking benefits.

我們需要對於需要幫助的族群做出一樣的事情。

I work for an organization called Code for America.

我為美國程式代碼組織工作。

We deploy human-centered technology,

我們部署以人為本的科技，

the kind that respects you from the start,

那種從一開始就重視使用者的科技，

meets you where you are,

在你需要時伸出援手的科技，

provides an easy, positive experience.

提供一個簡單又積極的經驗。

And our research has shown

我們的研究顯示

there are four factors we need to overcome.

我們需要克服四個問題。

First, we know that far more people have access to the internet

第一，我們知道比起電腦人們更容易從手機連接網路。

on their phone than a desktop computer.

So applications should be online and mobile-friendly.

因此操作應該是線上且手機友好的。

Second, lots of people are falling off because the process is complicated.

第二，許多人放棄因為流程太過複雜。

So applications need to be simple and easy to use.

因此申請流程應該要變得簡單明瞭。

Third, we know that people who are eligible for one program,

第三，我們知道許多符合一個福利制度的人

like food assistance,

像是糧食援助，

are pretty likely to be eligible for another, like health care.

也有很高的機率符合另一個福利的申請條件，像是健保。

So let's combine processes where we can.

所以我們盡可能地將流程合併。

And finally, we know there are unseen heroes in government --

最後，我們知道許多不知名的英雄在政府單位中，

caseworkers, social workers --

像是社會福利工作者和社會福利工作者。

on the front lines, navigating old systems.

他們站在前線操作著老舊的系統。

We can equip them with the data and tools to streamline their efforts.

我們可以為他們配備數據和工具來簡化他們的工作。

Here's what California's food assistance used to look like.

這是加州的食物援助過去的樣貌。

183 questions, 51 pages of screens available only by desktop computer.

共有 183 道題目，51 個頁面，並只能在電腦上操作。

We took that application and redesigned it.

我們使用那個申請頁面並重新設計。

This is GetCalFresh,

這是 GetCalFresh，

a mobile-first application available 24 hours a day

第一個 24 小時服務的手機申請軟體

in multiple languages, with chat support.

其中包含不同的語言設定並配有線上支援專線。

(Applause)

(掌聲)

California's food assistance application

加州的食物援助申請

went from one of the most complex in the nation

從最複雜的系統

to being recognized as one of the easiest application experiences of any state.

變成每個州縣認定最簡單的申請程序。

For 10 years we had been working with multiple states

10 年以來我們為許多州縣服務

on projects just like that,

這類的計畫

showing the importance and potential of digital delivery of benefits.

顯示數位化福利的重要性和潛力。

And that's when the pandemic hit.

這時疫情爆發了。

And these images in West Valley, Utah; San Antonio, Texas;

這些相片包含猶他州的西瓦利，德州的聖安東尼奧;

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

賓夕法尼亞州的匹茲堡。

Parking lots filled with families waiting for food.

停車場中停滿了等待食物的家庭們。

America could finally see what we had been seeing for a decade.

美國終於看到我們看了 10 年的問題。

The growing number of people in poverty and communities left out

越來越多的貧困人口和社區不被福利制度保護

as a result of failing systems.

也是失敗政策的後果。

Our phone started ringing.

我們的電話響了起來。

From Washington to Maryland,

從華盛頓到馬里蘭，

we helped states distribute 600 million dollars in benefits

我們幫助各州分發 6 億美元的福利

to kids in school lunch programs.

給學校午餐計畫的兒童。

Louisiana used our best practices tools in notifying people.

路易斯安那州使用了我們最佳的工具通知人們。

They proactively sent out more than 40 million texts to residents

他們主動傳送超過 4000 萬條短信給居民

on how to access critical services.

教導他們如何申請這些緊急補助。

And in Minnesota, we developed an all-in-one application

在明尼蘇達州，我們開發了一個多合一的應用程序

for nine different safety-net benefits.

給九種不同的社會安全網福利。

That can be completed in less than 14 minutes.

只需要 14 分鐘便可以全部完成。

(Applause)

(掌聲)

Nearly 200,000 people immediately applied in the first six months.

接近 200,000 個人立刻在前 6 個月申請。

And for the first time ever,

這是史上第一次

Minnesota's system integrated to reach all sovereign tribal nation members.

明尼蘇達州的系統整合並能聯繫到所有美洲原住民主權部落的成員。

(Applause)

(掌聲)

That's what is possible,

這就是可能的，

and this is the moment to keep going,

這是繼續前進的時機，

redesigning our safety net for a new time and a new age.

為了一個新的世代重新設計社會安全網。

And we can do it all across the country, as governments reset.

在政黨輪替時我們能在全國各地執行。

Over the next seven years,

在未來的 7 年內，

we will partner to redesign systems to unlock 30 billion dollars in benefits

我們會合作來重新整頓系統帶來 300 億美元的福利

for 13 million eligible people in at least 15 states.

給在 15 州中 1300 萬個符合條件的人。

We will bring data scientists and engineers,

我們會與數據科學家和工程師，

technologists and researchers together,

技術人員和研發人員一起，

sitting side by side with government teams.

與政府團隊一同工作。

And our Safety Net Innovation Lab will improve upon and share best practices

我們的社會安全網創新實驗室將改進並分享最有效的做法

so that every government can benefit.

使每個政府單位受益。

Because at the heart of our audacious goal

因為這是我們推行大膽的計畫的核心

is to show the world what’s possible when we use the best tools we have today:

是向世界展示當我們使用優秀的工具:

human-centered technology and government.

以人為本的技術和政府，能帶來的好處。

So that families aren’t waiting in parking lots for resources.

這樣貧困家庭不需要等待在停車場尋找資源。

Or kids,

或是兒童

growing up like my dad,

像我父親

aren't searching for food by whatever means possible.

不用一直尋找食物。

Then, then we will see

那麼，接下來我們會看到

the true potential of every kid.

每個兒童真正的潛力。

And that's the calling of this moment to redesign our systems

這是重新整頓社會福利系統的號召

to see people, all people.

讓我們能看到人們，這些全部的人。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause and cheers)

(掌聲和歡呼)