What is Government Case Management?

A government agency’s ability to manage cases efficiently has the potential to greatly affect people’s lives. It’s the difference between whether or not someone can gain access to social services, whether the proper road closures are made, and how grants and funds may or may not be appropriated.

Agencies are aware of this and know that constituents want easier experiences. However, many seem to be falling short of delivering on this expectation. In fact, findings from our Connected Government report indicate only 16% of constituents say the government successfully uses technology to improve experiences.

When it comes to government case management, manual processes, and legacy systems may impede an agency’s ability to deliver effective service. Relying on manual processes may also result in a lack of standardization and an inability to access the right information at the right time. This is a problem that goes beyond the basics of productivity and operations. 

Efficient case management is necessary for government agencies to effectively serve constituents, improve satisfaction, enable transparent collaboration, and refine overall efficiency. To achieve this, agencies must adopt a strategic approach that prioritizes and supports the case management process, all while keeping constituents at the center of it all. We’ll cover what government case management is, why it’s challenging — but necessary — and solutions to help manage those challenges.

What is government case management? 

Government case management refers to the process by which government agencies handle and track cases or issues related to their constituents. It involves the management of various types of cases, such as social services, licensing, and judicial case management.

The goal of government case management is to ensure that cases are handled efficiently and in a timely manner, while also prioritizing the needs and well-being of the constituents involved. This typically involves tasks such as intake, assessment, documentation, coordination of services, monitoring, and resolution of cases.

If something needs to be done with or through a government agency, it requires a case — and that case requires management. Each government program or service — from contact center communications and business permit approvals to grants management, and everything in between — typically sets up a workflow (or set of workflows) for each case to ensure the right information is captured and tracked accurately.

What makes the case management process so challenging? 

Government case management can pose challenges for a variety of reasons. Namely that cases are often multifaceted, involve multiple stakeholders, and require a high volume of data. This is further compounded by intricate, and often nuanced, legal and regulatory requirements. 

Today’s government agencies use many different — and often disconnected — systems, making it difficult for information to flow freely and easily. Case resolution often relies on some degree of institutional knowledge and requires that government agents spend time researching and hunting down information. This makes resolving cases highly dependent on the individual agent’s knowledge and motivation, and results in a lack of standardization and transparency across the organization.

Things like outdated technology and a lack of scalability further slow down the process, which is complicated by strict data, privacy, and security regulations.

The combination of these challenges creates an overall process that’s not only inefficient but also susceptible to errors, inaccuracies, and dissatisfaction among both employees and constituents.

The solution? Software for connected case management. 

The right software for case management can help address these challenges. The right technology partner can provide solutions that accelerate the case management process by unlocking insights, standardizing processes, and unifying teams. They can also replace manual tasks with automated processes and then layer artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities — like predictive analysis — on top to provide real-time recommendations. These solutions not only better serve constituents, but they also enhance the employee experience as well. And, they do it more securely and at scale.

Ultimately, cloud-based case management solutions can empower government agencies with:

• The visibility they need to solve inquiries.
• The agility they need to provide better service.
• The ability to do both efficiently.

How to pick the right government case management solution

Improving the overall case management process goes beyond just strategy. It requires a secure, scalable technological foundation. 

A singular cloud-based platform supports business processes and case management from beginning to end. We’re going to cover how to pick the right government case solution based on key features like the ability to connect data, use automation and AI to streamline workflows, and low-code models that let you easily customize solutions as your needs change.  

Better case management begins with connected data

The first step for any organization looking to streamline processes and find efficiencies is to organize, harmonize, and unite the data at their disposal. The ability to harmonize data across a government agency (or agencies) is transformational because it makes data accessible, visible, and actionable, by creating a record — assuring everyone is on the same page. Ultimately, it is an organization-wide single source of truth.

A centralized platform provides a searchable, secure location for government agencies to view all case data and related interactions. It integrates critical data points across the case management life cycle in one centralized location, regardless of where they may have originally been generated or stored. This 360-degree view of every case allows service agents to effectively streamline and manage resolution workflows. 

This underlying data structure also makes it possible to deliver things like digital self-service, enabling constituents to solve problems without ever having to pick up the phone, satisfying the rising desire for digital-first engagements. 

Likewise, the employee experience is enhanced because powerful insights gained from connected data help them maximize their time. They can now focus less on spending cycles trying to find answers to easy self-serviceable tasks and dedicate more time to complex cases.

Increase productivity and value with automation and AI

So many of the challenges today’s government agencies face when it comes to case management stem from a reliance on manual processes and individual actions. 

Case management software solutions address this challenge through built-in automation. Easy step-by-step workflows reduce manual tasks, systematize processes, and free up employees to focus on more valuable work. The embedded AI working alongside these workflows makes it possible for the system to provide data-driven recommendations that enable smarter, more insightful decision-making directly in the flow of work. 

This not only increases productivity, it empowers employees with the information they need, exactly when they need it, allowing them to take action directly inside the platform. No toggling between systems, no switching screens, and no hunting down information. Everything is more accessible, understandable, and actionable — at the click of a button.

Enable easier communication, visibility, and access across teams

A government case management solution that encompasses a single console gives agents a centralized place to work, communicate, and resolve cases in a more unified, productive manner. 

This means that all incoming cases could be automatically processed and added to a centralized queue where agents can accept the work. All agents can now see which cases are in the queue and which have already been accepted. An agent can open a case directly from the queue, access all pertinent information instantly (the inquiry, case history, and customer information), and view it on one screen. All case-related activity, including any past constituent-agent conversations and points of contact, are now readily available to them in a single view. 

And, any case activity going forward will also be logged in the system. This means that any agent can pick up any case at any time and be fully up to date. They don’t have to search for information from multiple systems or ask constituents for the entire case history for a second or third time. 

In the cases where constituents may reach out with specific questions, an agent can use the system to easily surface relevant articles, open an email template, and create an email response at the click of a button. All the details are right there to help them resolve their case without the agent having to search out information, create an email from scratch, or do any extra legwork. 

Or, in the case where a constituent “needs answers now” and may not want to contact an agent, a self-service option is available where they can search that information on their own, to find all the answers they need.

Consistent and transparent information helps everyone understand the entire case management process. Constituents and case managers, alike, can follow and understand progress through the case management life cycle. Constituents can easily log in, see the status of their case, or pull up a full case history, without having to call in and take up an agent’s time. That said, should a constituent have questions, there is also the ability to speak with an agent directly in the portal.

Better case management is the foundation for future success

Implementing flexible, holistic case management software enables government agencies to meet the needs of their constituents more efficiently and effectively. More importantly, it allows them to do this in a highly informed, data-driven manner. 

The right technology can jumpstart the government’s ability to accelerate their digital journey. These solutions overcome current case management system challenges by streamlining processes, improving accuracy, and enhancing accessibility. Ultimately, this enables government agencies to improve how they service their constituents and transform the way their agencies operate.