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County approves two‑year TIBCO "Eva" phone system contract for Health & Human Services
Summary
The County Board approved a two‑year contract with TIBCO (Eva), an AI‑driven phone assistant, to expand Health & Human Services phone support and language access. Director Caroline Khan said the system is closed (sources county content only), can handle high call volume and may improve federal reimbursement under a pre‑purchase option.
Kandiyohi County Health & Human Services Director Caroline Khan asked the board Feb. 3 to approve a contract with TIBCO for Eva, an AI automated phone system intended to extend hours, support multiple languages and assist callers with program applications.
Khan described two procurement paths: a one‑year agreement at a higher annual fee or a two‑year pre‑purchase option intended to maximize federal reimbursement. She told the board the vendor’s Exhibit C would allow annual cost adjustments if call volumes exceed or fall below expected thresholds. Khan emphasized Eva is a closed system that will only source materials the county provides, not generative public AI.
Commissioners questioned costs, whether the technology would reduce staff and what liability or contractual review had occurred. Khan said contracts had been reviewed by county counsel and staff had consulted with other Minnesota counties (Stearns and Olmsted) that have implemented similar systems. She said the platform can handle up to 1,000 concurrent calls, automatically offer preferred language support (for Spanish and other spoken languages) and produce a dashboard to monitor performance.
Commissioner Veil Anderson moved to approve a two‑year TIBCO/Eva contract for Health & Human Services; the motion was seconded and passed by voice vote. Khan said staff would proceed with contract execution and implementation planning.
