Web Applications

ECONorthwest develops interactive, web-based tools that help people understand their eligibility for benefits programs.

ECONorthwest specializes in creating web applications that provide easily accessible and usable analytical tools for end users. We have been developing and delivering web applications since 1996, and have skilled staff dedicated to making complex software easy to use and trouble free. With sites developed by ECONorthwest, our clients have won important national and international awards, including the 2003 Government Technology Leadership Award.

On the back end, the host can easily maintain and update the application with new data and assumptions, eliminating concerns about multiple versions or outdated data. Our web-based solutions can incorporate large data sets in real time, so the end users always use the most up-to-date version of the tool.

Here are some illustrations of the types of web applications we've created:

Applications for Disability Planning

People with physical and mental disabilities face a myriad of complex rules when contemplating a possible return to work. To help them navigate those rules, ECONorthwest has developed easy-to-use, interactive models that calculate the income available to a disabled individual and his or her family after allowing for essential living expenses and benefits. These sites allow disabled individuals who receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or both to estimate the impact of earnings on their cash benefits, health coverage, food stamps, and housing subsidies.

Benefit Prescreeners

For decades, low-income people have had to navigate overwhelming and fragmented service delivery systems to meet the needs of their families. ECONorthwest has developed a web-based benefits prescreener then evaluates whether they are likely to qualify for assistance from up to 30 programs, including: food, health, cash, housing, energy, senior assistance, and tax credits. The site tells visitors which services they appear to be eligible for and directs them to the closest agency that provides each service. Our benefits prescreeners employ a flexible design that easily accommodates the addition of new questions, new programs, and other languages.

Other Applications

• Benefit-cost analysis tools for transportation projects.
• A Medicaid cost forecasting tool that incorporates different policy alternatives.
• A publicly available tool for accessing and analyzing K-12 educational data.

Interested in learning more about how ECONorthwest can help you with your next project? Our toolbox is full and our staff enjoy meeting new challenges.