The overall objective for using CONNECTIONS data was to measure the effect of the use of mobile technologies on CPS work practices by using data from the central database. The CONNECTIONS dataset (i.e., the central database) contained information on case records and caseworkers’ progress notes. The information contained within each of these records included: Stage ID, Person ID, time- related information about the investigation stage (Intake Start Date, Investigation Stage Start Date, Investigation Stage End Date); progress notes information (Progress Notes ID, Progress Notes Event Date, Progress Notes Time, Progress Notes Entry Date, Progress Notes Types, Progress Notes Purposes); safety assessments (Safety Submit Date, Safety Approval Date) logged by caseworkers in each County DSS.

The CONNECTIONS data were pulled by the date a progress note was entered by participants during two timeframes—the pre- and during-pilot periods. These timeframes were equal in duration. A total of 132,045 progress note entries and 14,308 unique investigation stages made up the dataset from 448 CPS caseworkers. The table below shows the start and end times for both timeframes, the duration of each timeframe, the total number of progress notes entries, and the total number of unique cases per participating district.