Broadband Initiative Program
The American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 appropriated $7.2 billion in funds and directed the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Rural Utilities Service (RUS) and the Department of Commerce – National Telecommunications Information Administration (NTIA) to expand broadband internet access to underserved communities to spur economic growth, invest in technology infrastructure and increase job opportunities. RUS is providing loans and grants for broadband infrastructure projects in rural areas through its Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP). The NTIA is providing grants to fund larger-scale broadband infrastructure projects, public computer centers and sustainable broadband adoption projects with its Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP). USDA turned to The Engle Group to support this comprehensive joint initiative, targeted at the telecommunications infrastructure, linking local internet providers with the national and international network, reaching out to schools, libraries, hospitals, state offices, businesses and individuals.
The Engle Group collaborated with the USDA to:
- Serve as the public-facing grant applicant point of contact for USDA RUS and NTIA for the BIP and BTOP programs
- Provide a comprehensive centralized Broadband USA Help Desk to manage phone, email and web application support for the grant application system
- Provided applicants with a “one-stop” contact for issue resolution, receiving many commendations for superior customer service and process improvement
- Significantly reduced call volume due to trained staff effectively communicating with users
- Developed detailed workflow processes, documentation and training materials
- Created emergency escalation points Tier 1 and Tier 2 for help desk calls, providing expert level staff to focus on difficult questions
- Supported the application user interface to reduce errors and improve ease of use
- Improved custom SharePoint knowledge base and call tracking system providing valuable management information
- Implemented soft phone technology, expanding call coverage, reducing the risk of outages due to weather or other emergencies
- Consistently exceeded Joint Service Level Agreements ensuring quality customer experiences and to monitor continual service improvements
TEG’s USDA BroadbandUSA Help Desk professionals exceeded interagency service levels ensuring USDA’s success in achieving project goals with exceptionally high quality, innovation and value-added services.