Accela Launches New Civic Application for Occupational Licensing to Help State and Local Governments Digitize Issuance Process, Improve Public Health and Safety

Low-code cloud solution makes it easier for licensed professionals - 25% of the U.S. workforce - to apply for and track status of their license; enables governments to better manage enforcement and maximize staff productivity

News provided by

Accela

Jan 21, 2021, 06:00 ET

SAN RAMON, Calif., Jan. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Accela®, the leading provider of cloud-based solutions for government, today announced the general availability of its new Civic Application for Occupational Licensing. The cloud-based, user-friendly solution makes licensing review and approval for licensed occupations simpler and more transparent to foster economic growth, increase government responsiveness, and help professionals focus on maintaining community public health and safety. This is the latest addition to Accela's suite of out-of-the-box SaaS Civic Applications, which are designed to help agencies provide "consumer-like" experiences for residents, shorten time to value, and come pre-built with valuable best practices.

"Efficient, effective, and scalable online occupational licensing enables jurisdictions to expedite workforce participation, fuel economic growth, and build trust with residents and business owners," said Troy Coggiola, Chief Product Officer at Accela. "Our new Civic Application for Occupational Licensing is a quick-to-implement cloud solution that removes many of the complex and cumbersome processes that can be challenging for licensees, and helps government agencies streamline and accelerate every step of the process to enhance community health and safety and increase employee productivity. The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the importance of system flexibility as occupational licensing policies are flexed to quickly accommodate expedited temporary licensing for retired, out-of-state, and pre-exam nurses, doctors, and other professionals. With a multitude of license types supported out of the box, the powerful underlying platform also enables jurisdictions to rapidly adjust to the challenges of the current public health crisis and beyond."

In total, about 25 percent of the U.S. workforce is employed in an occupation licensed at the state level. These vary across each state and include accountants, barbers, chiropractors, dentists, lawyers, nurses, pharmacists, and more. The occupational licensing process is critical in enforcing important public safeguards while establishing clear guidelines for licensed professionals. Traditional methods can pose a variety of challenges, including a lack of transparency into the application status, long application or renewal processing times, difficulty validating education or work credentials, and lost or misplaced documentation.

Accela's Civic Application for Occupational Licensing simplifies the entire license application and review process from start to finish, including submitting applications, paying the appropriate fees, providing education credentials and certifications, and tracking the application throughout the approval process. The solution moves all workflows and functions online, removing paper-based and manual steps to streamline the complexities of the licensing process and create transparent workflows for applicants. An easy-to-use online portal provides professionals with clear guidelines to obtain or renew licenses and makes it simple for applicants to upload documentation such as continuing education verification, reference letters, or work history. Agency staff have access to automated workflows and intelligent routing, which help improve data-sharing, speed up the review and issuance process, and execute public safeguards and proper code enforcement.

The Civic Application for Occupational Licensing also provides the following benefits:

Enhances customer service with the ability for agencies to accept license applications and renewals online 24/7 through an online portal, convenient online fee payment, and easy mobile accessibility for applicants and agency staff alike.
An open API facilitates integrations with external information systems to validate education, work history, exam results, or other requirements needed to meet the unique needs of agencies.
Powerful reporting tools empower leadership to measure, track, and analyze internal productivity and external activities, from the number of applications received, license types, late renewals, and more.
Enables agencies to manage resident complaints and any necessary enforcement actions against license holders to enforce rules, regulations, and appropriate professional practices.
Electronic document submission for employment history, transcripts, CE verification, or other required documentation speeds up the agency review process compared to paper applications being passed from desk to desk.
The ease of use and clarity in the process encourages compliance with licensing and renewal requirements, increasing revenue to agencies.
Automatic security patches and performance improvements and updates result in minimal maintenance for agencies.

Today's announcement builds on Accela's commitment to creating modern, intuitive user experiences for governments and the communities they serve. Accela's secure and flexible SaaS solutions equip governments with the resources to quickly respond to evolving community needs, increase efficiency, and maintain resilience to benefit 275 million citizens globally. Most recently, Government Technology acknowledged Accela among its 2021 GovTech 100 List for the sixth consecutive year, which recognizes leadership in technology benefiting state and local governments in innovative ways. To learn more about Accela's Solutions, please visit https://www.accela.com/solutions /.

About Accela
Accela provides market-leading cloud solutions that empower the most innovative state and local governments around the world to build thriving communities, grow businesses and protect citizens. More than 275 million citizens globally benefit from Accela's solutions, which are powered by Azure, for permitting, licensing, code enforcement, and service request management. Accela's fast-to-implement Civic Applications, built on its robust and extensible Civic Platform, help agencies address specific needs today, while ensuring they are prepared for any emerging or complex challenges in the future. The company was recently recognized as an Inc. Best in Business Award winner and a 2020 Microsoft US Partner Award winner for its innovative SaaS solutions to help governments respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, and was named as one of the Largest East Bay Tech Employers by San Francisco Business Journal. Accela is headquartered in San Ramon, California, with additional offices around the world. For more information, visit www.accela.com.

Contact: Kate Helete, (805) 458-5093, [email protected]

SOURCE Accela