How to Build a Case Management Process in the Public Sector

Case management involves tracking, processing, and resolving cases efficiently while providing transparency and accountability to stakeholders. A clearly defined approach to handling cases enables government agencies to achieve better results while delivering on their mission faster. Yet despite the prevalence of case work in the public sector, many agencies either lack a digital case management solution entirely or still rely on legacy, commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) solutions that make it difficult to work efficiently.

Let’s discuss the steps to building a successful case management process for your agency and what you should think about at each stage.

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Before you begin building your case management process, it’s important to define your requirements. This involves identifying the types of cases your agency typically handles, as well as the goals you hope to achieve. Consider the following questions:

• What types of cases will your process handle?
• What is the expected volume of cases?
• Who will be responsible for managing cases?
• What are the expected service level agreements (SLAs) for resolving cases?
• What data and metrics will you need to track to measure success?

By answering these questions, you can start to establish a foundation for your case management process.

Once you have defined your requirements, the next step is to choose a case management solution. Consider the following factors:

• Ease of use: How easy is the system to use? Will it require extensive training for your team?
• Features: What features are available, and how do they align with your requirements?
• Integration: Can the system integrate with your other tools and systems, such as your CRM, ERP, or email?
• Agility: Is the system fast and easy to update?
• Scalability: Is the system scalable to accommodate exponentially more cases as your needs evolve?
• Cost: Does the cost align with your budget?

According to Gartner, composable software increases resilience and enables faster innovation. Composable software is typically a better choice for case management than off-the-shelf software because COTS software is typically not scalable and is time-consuming and costly to update. And we know, updates are common in government applications and workflows and regulations frequently change.

With your requirements defined and your case management solution selected, it’s time to outline the steps for handling cases from start to finish. Some key steps to consider include:

• Case intake: How will cases be received by your agency? Will constituents be able to submit cases through a web form, email, or phone?
• Case routing: Once a case is received, how will it be routed to the appropriate person or team for resolution? Will there be different queues or categories for different types of cases?
• Case triage: How will cases be prioritized based on their severity or impact? Will you use SLAs to establish response and resolution times?
• Case resolution: How will cases be resolved, and by whom? What will your mix of human and digital workers look like? What steps will be taken to ensure a satisfactory resolution for the constituent?
• Case closure: Once a case is resolved, how will it be closed out in the system? What steps will be taken to ensure that the case is fully resolved, and that the constituent is satisfied?

By outlining these steps, you can establish a clear workflow for handling cases that aligns with your agency’s requirements. Note that automation can greatly enhance the case management process. For example, automated routing can streamline case intake and automated prioritization based on rules to minimize delays and improve outcomes in case triage.

Once your case management process is defined, it’s time to train your team on how to use it—including the system itself as well as workflows to follow. It’s important to ensure that everyone involved in handling cases is fully trained and that they understand the importance of following the process. Ideally, you should select an intuitive system that requires minimal training.