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Assessing Mobile Technologies in Child Protective Services: A Demonstration Project

Abstract

Acknowledgments

Executive Summary

Introduction

District Environment and Conditions

Findings

Recommendations

Appendix A: Device Specifications

Appendix B: District Technology, Connectivity, and Participation During Pilot Period

Appendix C: Data Collection Methodology, Tools, Counts and Response Rates

Appendix D: Summary of District Teleconferences

Appendix E: Changes in Case Load From Pre-Pilot to During Pilot Periods by District

Appendix F: Description of Coding for Overtime and Technology Conditions

Appendix G: The Center for Technology in Government (CTG)

District Profiles
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Findings

Satisfaction

At the end of the pilot period, participants were surveyed and asked to rate their overall satisfaction with laptop use. The rating used a five-point scale from 5= “Very satisfied,” to 3= “Neither Satisfied nor Dissatisfied,” to 1=”Very dissatisfied.” The average satisfaction rating for each district is shown in Figure 6 below.

Figure 6 - Average Satisfaction Level with Laptop Use - by District
Figure 6 - Average Satisfaction Level with Laptop Use - by District

 

With the exception of Seneca County, all the satisfaction ratings averaged in the positive side of the range, with Albany, Chemung, and Wayne counties reporting very high overall satisfaction levels. The low satisfaction ratings for the Seneca County respondents is not reflected in their other survey results or comments, but may be related to a large workload increase. That district experienced the largest increase in caseload between the pre-pilot and pilot periods, up from 34 to 102 cases closed, and an over 70% increase in the rate of progress note entry. The satisfaction ratings for the other districts do not appear to be similarly related to changes in workload or productivity.

Figure 7 – Percent of Caseworkers that Would Recommend a Laptop to Do CPS Work
Figure 7 – Percent of Caseworkers that Would Recommend a Laptop to Do CPS Work

In the post-pilot survey participants were also asked if they would recommend using a mobile device (to do CPS work functions) to a colleague. Overall, in all the districts , 81% of the respondents stated “Yes” that they would recommend to their colleague using a mobile device to do CPS work, while 14% said maybe, and 5% said no, they would not.