This report is only one step in a longer term effort to improve caseworker’s ability to meet the needs of children and families in NYS. This study recommends maintaining support for laptop deployment, but its also suggest several factors to consider before making more investments.

The larger question is: “How much mobility is desired?” If a highly mobile caseworker is the ideal, then several policies must be revisited, such as working from home, overtime, and field and office day scheduling. Restricting where and when a caseworker can work, limits their ability to be mobile.

On the technical side, optimizing infrastructure and connectivity is also critical. This includes considering swapping laptops for traditional desktops. Aside from the concerns of supporting multiple platforms, caseworkers may be more apt to use the laptop outside the office when they are accustomed to using it in the office as well. Planning for connectivity should be addressed in the beginning and continually assessed for effectiveness.

Finally, any technology deployment rests on a strong foundation of training and support. In many cases when there are no dedicated resources for this steps, such initiatives flounder. A strong predictor of successful deployment of technology is the overall effort for training and ongoing support.