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Maximizing Current and Future Mobile Technology Investments

Abstract

Acknowledgments

Executive Summary

Background

An Extended Assessment

Maximizing Current and Future Technology Investments

Recommendations

APPENDIX A: Methodology

Appendix B – Wayne County Department of Social Services

Appendix C – Onondaga Department of Social Services

Appendix D – New York City Administration for Children’s Services (ACS)

Appendix E: Workload measures

APPENDIX F: About the Center for Technology in Government (CTG)
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Maximizing Current and Future Technology Investments

Understanding Compounding Effects on Productivity

In order to better understand the true effects on caseworker productivity and how influences can quickly compound, the following formula shows, in the most basic way, a caseworker’s potential for productivity. A caseworker’s amount of work is based on the rate at which work is done multiplied by the time available to do work.

RATE x TIME = AMOUNT OF WORK

This equation is quite simplified, as it takes into account several assumptions, including a) caseworkers are working at their maximum effort at all times but are not capacity constrained, b) case difficulty is evenly distributed among caseworkers, and c) caseworkers are using laptops with wireless connectivity.

In this equation, the rate at which a caseworker does work, such as case documentation, is multiplied by the time available to do this work equaling the amount of work completed. Increasing or decreasing the rate and/or time will either positively or negatively impact the amount of work completed. In theory, laptops should increase the rate and time that work can be done and subsequently the amount of work each caseworker completes. Factors such as poor or nonexistent wireless connectivity, practices that discourage use, and heavy caseloads, create a compounding effect where any laptop benefit is diminished exponentially.

Impacts on Rate of Work

The LDSS with the lowest cases per employee per day indicator – NYC/ACS – showed the most positive gains in timeliness and productivity, while the LDSS with higher cases per employee per day indicators (as compared to NYC ACS) showed gains in timeliness and productivity although with more modest changes (Onondaga and Wayne) (see Appendix E for more details). Although in some districts the suggested reasonable caseload levels are very hard to achieve, it is seems likely that those LDSS where caseloads are at more manageable numbers may benefit more directly from the use of technology and therefore be more likely to demonstrate a more noticeable return on investment.

Mobile technologies such as wireless laptops have the potential to increase the rate of work by providing access to information in the field and reducing a large portion of travel time. Traditionally, when a case is assigned and a caseworker is in the field or at home, he or she would call a colleague and have them read the case information. With a laptop, caseworkers in the field can access the information and get started on the case without having to take the information by hand. When any case information is needed in the field, access to that information can happen almost immediately.

The amount of work completed is highly impacted by technology and connectivity. Processes that have multiple sign-ons increase the amount of time that it takes to boot-up the system, thus slowing down the rate at which work can be done, or if the boot-up time becomes prohibitive, it could deter use altogether. Connectivity speed and availability play a large role in rate of work. If it becomes faster to drive back to the office than to work from the field because the connection is slow and multiple interruptions in connection mean subsequent sign-ons, the potential for an increased rate of work is diminished.

Management policies influencing the amount of resources invested in infrastructure and connectivity solutions also affect rate of work. Management decisions that reduce infrastructure and technological support resources may impair the operating environment and increase the likelihood that the technologies are not used or become obsolete overtime. For instance, if caseworkers lack access to their own broadband card, their opportunities to connect are limited. Also, LDSS which are supporting mobile technologies require a different type of technology support, so that the devices can be maintained appropriately and consistently over time. .

Impacts on Time

Connected laptops hold the most potential to increase opportunities to work. Some caseworkers have time to do work in between client visits potentially avoiding a trip back to the office, some on their commute, others in court, and some catch-up at home after regular work hours instead of sitting in the office. There is tremendous potential for using time differently with a connected laptop. Even if rate of work did not increase, a caseworker’s productivity could increase by simply opening up more opportunities for pockets of work time. There are many incentives and disincentives in creating more work opportunities, some of which are described below:
  • Willingness to use laptop at home. Working after regular work hours at home is dependent on policies. If there is no policy about compensation, some caseworkers may use it at home just for their own “piece of mind.” Although this is true for some caseworkers, there are just as many that will not use it at home because there is no policy. This is because if they work in the office, they get paid, whereas if the work at home they do not. Some LDSS created policies that did not support laptop use at home. It was reported that this type of policy had an effect on everyone, even those who were using the laptop at home after hours for their own personal satisfaction. A district-wide unsupportive policy has a clear overall negative effect on laptop use.

  • Willingness to use laptop in the field. If a caseworker can foresee themselves using the laptop in the field he/she will bring it into the field. If not, caseworkers generally leave it at the office, at home, or the in the trunk of the car. Since it was widely agreed that caseworkers should not use a laptop in a client’s home, the only time they can use out in the field is before or immediately after the visits. Subsequently, if policies (or suggested practices) discourage using laptops in the field, caseworkers will not take the laptop with them when they leave the office. In one LDSS, a supervisor was not comfortable with caseworkers doing work in places other than the office and therefore would not let caseworkers use the laptop in the field. The caseworker reported that the supervisor preferred to monitor the employees’ work while in the office. Variations in supervisory policies, specifically those that discourage use outside the office, drastically decrease the potential for spontaneous work opportunities that exist during the day. Creating policies and practices that promote using the laptop in the field add to the opportunities to use “existing time during regular work hours.” Increasing the time a caseworker has during regular work hours to complete work can potentially have a positive effect on productivity.

  • Willingness to use laptop in court. Court presents many opportunities to do work. The original thinking about waiting time in court was that it had the potential to be used more productively. Caseworkers sometimes waited two or three hours to represent their cases. However, caseworkers reported that there are many barriers (including technical, social, and procedural) to using the laptops while in court house. Courts also pose other issues, which may or may not be within the control of the LDSS, including cramped and non-private spaces to work, the security and anti-terrorism infrastructure of new courthouse buildings, and court room overcrowding. Many caseworkers reported that they are less apt to bring the laptops to court if they are aware of these barriers, which subsequently decreases other spontaneous uses.

  • Willingness to work during commute. For those workers who have time during a commute to do work, productivity depends on the wireless connectivity and the physical space to work. If each person has their own broadband card and is comfortable in the space to work, then they do so. These pockets of time prove to be quite productive for some caseworkers who get extra work time in every day. Investment in connectivity solutions that work for each caseworker is critical to make sure that when these opportunities arise, caseworkers can take advantage of them.

  • Willingness to use on weekends. A laptop is considered very useful by caseworkers who are on-call for the weekend. On-call caseworkers are compensated for this period of time and it is considered part of their normal work assignments. For those that are not on-call but are looking to catch-up on documentation over the weekend, the policies for compensation after work hours applies here as well. If policies are supportive of after hours compensation, caseworkers indicated they would use time during weekends; if not, then only those seeking personal ‘piece of mind’ will use the laptop over the weekend to catch up on documentation.