Government Technology - September 2008 - (Page 50)

social services Average Hours Per Week of Mobile Device Use by Location 3.31 3 Hours per Week 2.51 2 1 0.59 Field Court Home 0 SEPT_08 menting contacts in the central system, and preparing form-based and narrative-style historical information. Through the state’s mobile-technology initiatives, caseworkers can work from other locations. One of the assessment’s main goals was to provide real-time input into the overall implementation and deployment strategies of the mobile-technology initiatives. The assessment focused on two core areas: understanding how the technology is used in the work setting and how it impacted the work itself. Information about mobility use and general satisfaction was used for midcourse and overall decision-making. Armed with assessment findings in areas such as device capabilities, satisfaction, effects on productivity and general obstacles, leadership teams from participating agencies made strategic and tactical modifications to enhance the comprehensive implementation plan. Some midcourse adjustments included changing networking infrastructure to increase system performance speed and initiating cross-department discussions on compensation policies. Post-assessment findings influenced device selection and smaller, more manageable deployment numbers. This feedback loop emerged as the assessment’s most effective component. Over the course of the two-year study, 600 CPS caseworkers from 27 local social service departments participated. Approximately 500 caseworkers responded to online surveys, while 186 caseworkers and supervisors participated in 24 small workshops and interviews. In addition, data analysis was performed on approximately 180,000 progress note records for 18,000 open cases. The findings showed that CPS caseworkers gained: increased flexibility in where and when they work and most significantly, access to information while out of the office. Caseworkers overwhelming recommended mobile technology use in CPS work. One caseworker said, “Having a laptop increases my opportunities to access services while in the field and affords me more independence in acquiring clearances.” While another commented, “I have used the laptop to complete safety assessments, enter interviews, complete RAPs [risk assessment profiles] and other case-related work when I am not in the office.” In each deployment, caseworkers used the mobile technologies most frequently at home. This was surprising because the expectation was for use in the field — at appointments, court, client visits or in between visits. “After a day of client visits I can go home and take care of family, then sit down and document all my notes from the day,” said one caseworker. “Before I had a laptop, I had to go into the office to do documentation, but then not get home until really late. This helps me balance my work and family a little bit better.” Caseworkers also used the technologies between client visits, on commutes and while waiting in court. For some caseworkers, having a connected laptop allowed them to reduce the their travel time. One caseworker said, “I mainly use the laptop to update my notes and submit cases. I also use it to check and return e-mails and for directions. When I am in the field and get a new case, I use it to read supervisory directives and case history, and I don’t have to drive back to the office to get all the information.” In the study, caseworker productivity was measured by determining whether mobile technology assisted caseworkers in entering progress notes more efficiently and if the technology helped them complete documentation. Data extracted from the state’s central child welfare information system showed modest gains in timeliness when using laptops and more significant gains in overall case closings. Regarding personal time management and work output, caseworkers said they felt more in control of their work and now have more opportunities to perform required documentation. Percentage of Caseworkers that Would Recommend Using a Mobile Device to Do CPS Work 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Yes 81% Percent 14% Maybe 5% No 50 http://www.govtech.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Government Technology - September 2008

Government Technology - September 2008 Contents Point of View On the Scene Big Picture Four Questions for... Up Close Fork in the Road On Time and On Target On the Record, Off the Charts Government’s Greatest Asset? Easy Access Finding the Money Security in the Wireless World The Case for Mobility Spectrum Products Two Cents signal:noise Digital Communities Contents A New Government Paradigm News is Now Transformation Web 2.0 Style Protecting Community Media Thinking Regionally Government at La-Z-Boy Speed

Government Technology - September 2008

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