Colorado’s FAMLI program selected as 2024 NASCIO State IT Recognition Awards finalist

DENVER - The National Association of Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) announced the finalists for their coveted 2024 State IT Recognition Awards. These prestigious annual awards honor innovative projects and excellence in using information technology in state government to address critical business problems, improve business processes and elevate customer experience. More than 120 nominations were submitted, and Colorado's Supporting FAMLI(es) & Empowering Lives nomination was recognized as an award finalist in the Digital Services: Government to Citizen category.

"We are absolutely thrilled and honored to be selected as a finalist for this esteemed award," said Naim Razzak, Director of Innovation and Technology at the Division of Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI). "This recognition is a testament to the unwavering dedication, hard work and innovative problem solving of so many team members who worked tirelessly to create technological solutions that meet the needs of all Colorado employers while serving individuals and families through some of the most stressful times in their lives. We're proud to see more than 121,000 claims submitted so far this year, 96% of which were filed using the technology we built from the ground up, and 60% of that utilization happened on mobile devices."

Created in 2020 upon voter approval, FAMLI ensures Colorado workers have access to paid leave to take care of themselves or their family during life circumstances that pull them away from their jobs, so they don't have to choose between earning a paycheck and taking care of their families. Benefits became available beginning January 2024.

"The Colorado Digital Service team at the Governor's Office of Information Technology was proud to collaborate with the FAMLI team and vendor to build this program using human-centered design principles," stated Sarah Tuneberg, Director-Colorado Digital Service. "This program is a great example of what state government can achieve when we understand people's experiences before crafting technology solutions."

Award winners will be announced at the NASCIO Annual Conference Awards Dinner on Tuesday, Oct. 1.