SNAP EBT Planning Consultant

Dhaka Technologies Limited Company | Contract Employment Type: Contract (approximately 29 months, starting on or about January 1, 2027) Engagement Type: W-2 or 1099 ($40 to $50 per hour) Position Summary Dhaka Technologies Limited Company is hiring a SNAP EBT Planning Consultant on behalf of its client, a state human services agency. The consultant will guide the agency through the re-procurement of its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) services, from updating the EBT services RFP and preparing the federal Advance Planning Documents, through the evaluation of vendor responses, to acceptance testing of the new EBT system. The consultant will build and maintain the project timeline, keep every activity on track with U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service (USDA FNS) deadlines, and work closely with agency leadership, the state evaluation team, FNS and the EBT processor. The engagement is expected to run approximately 29 months, starting on or about January 1, 2027. Key Responsibilities Develop and maintain the project timeline for the EBT re-procurement and make sure all activities meet USDA FNS deadlines. Review the agency's SNAP EBT Services RFP and prepare updated drafts that address current federal requirements, including SNAP EBT regulations, FNS policy guidance and procedures, provisions of the Agricultural Act of 2018 and later amendments, and industry technical standards such as the Quest Operating Rules applicable to SNAP. Research and document the state's business and technical requirements and build them into the RFP. Take part in project calls with USDA FNS on the re-procurement RFP and the Advance Planning Document, and help the agency evaluate and implement FNS recommendations and changes. Develop the plan the agency's team will use to evaluate RFP responses, including technical and cost evaluation criteria, the pricing evaluation structure, and scoring guidelines aligned with the state's statutory RFP evaluation criteria. Prepare training materials, train the evaluation team on the evaluation tools (on site or virtually), and compile scores and summary documents that support the final award decision. Develop and submit for FNS approval the Implementation Advance Planning Document (IAPD), and IAPD Updates (IAPDU) as needed, in line with the current FNS Handbook 901 and all applicable federal regulations. This includes the transmittal letter, executive summary, functional requirements, general system design, capacity study, project management plan and resource requirements, security planning, training plan, schedule of activities, milestones and deliverables, cost allocation plan, and proposed budget. Prepare a comprehensive Test Plan, following FNS Handbook 901, Section 3.5.24, that defines the testing types (unit, integration, performance, end-to-end, user acceptance, regression and fail-safe testing), test team roles and responsibilities, test databases, test cases and scripts, the test schedule, acceptance testing procedures, Go/No-Go criteria, and contingency plans to revert to the legacy system. Manage all testing processes and coordinate testing activities with the EBT processor to confirm the system meets program requirements, design specifications, performance standards, usability expectations, capacity demands and security requirements. Lead System Acceptance Testing (SAT) covering functional requirements, security, recovery, system controls and what-if scenarios; prepare all SAT documents, scenarios and evaluation materials; review specifications, interface specifications and outputs; provide written comments; attend tests and test result walk-throughs; and take part in regression testing. Train state staff to perform user acceptance testing. Evaluate the overall completeness and results of testing, and prepare the written evaluation of test results for FNS review and approval. Required Qualifications 10 or more years of experience in consulting, program management or procurement for state human services, public benefits or health and human services information systems. Direct experience with SNAP EBT (or WIC EBT) services for a state agency, including at least one EBT procurement, re-procurement or processor conversion. Working knowledge of federal SNAP EBT requirements, including 7 CFR Part 274, FNS policy guidance, the Agricultural Act of 2018 and the Quest Operating Rules. Experience preparing federal Advance Planning Documents (IAPD or IAPDU) under FNS Handbook 901, or comparable federal Advance Planning Documents for state human services systems. Experience writing or rewriting state government RFPs and designing proposal evaluation criteria, scoring tools and evaluator training. Experience leading system or user acceptance testing for a state system, including test plans, test scripts, Go/No-Go criteria and written evaluations of test results. Excellent writing skills and the ability to produce clear, federally compliant documents. No current employment with, or contract to, an EBT processor. Available for the full engagement, starting on or about January 1, 2027. Three professional references from previous engagements. Preferred Qualifications Experience supporting an EBT processor transition, including card issuance, retailer integration and conversion planning. Familiarity with eWIC, Summer EBT or other EBT-delivered benefit programs. Experience working directly with FNS regional office staff. Experience with state cost allocation plans and federal financial participation. Experience with Medicaid Enterprise System (MMIS) procurements or CMS Advance Planning Documents. Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. #J-18808-Ljbffr Dhaka Technology Limited