The Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES)
| AGENCY AT A GLANCE DES was established in July 1972 by the
Arizona Legislature to provide an integration of direct services to people, and to reduce
duplication of administrative efforts, services and expenditures. Today, DES is organized
into six program divisions and two support divisions:
Division of Aging and Community Services
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Division of Benefits and Medical Eligibility
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Division of Children, Youth and Families
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Division of Child Support Enforcement
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Division of Developmental Disabilities
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Division of Employment and Rehabilitation Services
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Division of Business and Technology Services
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Division of Employee Services and Support
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Each month, more than one million people seek DES services. The DES
annual budget of $2.6 billion combines federal and state monies for more than 60 human
service programs. DES has approximately 9,600 employees working in more than 250 offices
statewide. The DES quality initiative, Excellent Service through People, or ESP,
began in 1992. To maintain our competitive edge, the ESP initiative seeks to instill the
principles of total quality in all areas and at all levels of the organization. |
Strategic Initiatives
To be competitive and meet the needs of our customers in the new
millennium, we must maintain our commitment to total quality. We are striving to find new
and innovative methods of doing business, eliminating duplication, and breaking down the
service delivery silos. We are exploring ways in which we can provide a seamless set of
services, a "no wrong door" philosophy, in which our customers will have quick
and convenient access to the services they need wherever they are.
Quality Management
The ESP initiative is led by the Executive Team comprised of DES senior
management. The Executive Team, which meets weekly, sets the example for leadership and
continuous improvement in the department. The middle managers at DES meet in monthly
forums know as PACE (Partners in Action, Change and Excellence). DES is divided into six
geographic areas of the state called districts. The management teams in the districts meet
regularly as District Quality Councils. The ESP initiative actively involves DES employees
in all aspects of their work through Quality Champions, Process Improvement Teams and Task
Teams.
Mission, Vision, Guiding Principles, Goals and Priority Areas
- Mission: The Arizona Department of Economic Security is a human service agency
dedicated to working with the people we serve to achieve their self-sufficiency.
- Vision: Quality Service. Organizational Pride. Client Self-Sufficiency.
- Guiding Principles: We lead by example. Employees are paramount. Client
satisfaction is vital to our success. We value stakeholder partnerships. Continuous
improvement is the cornerstone of our quality initiative. We manage by facts.
- Goals: To increase client self-sufficiency. To improve DES performance. To
increase stakeholder partnerships. To increase community employment opportunities. To
increase employee satisfaction. To encourage innovation aligned with our mission.
- Priority Areas: Children. Employment. Family Self-Sufficiency. DES
Efficiency/Accountability.
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