We are pleased to share that our new Shepherd Case Management System received a Government Information Technology Executive Council (GITEC) Emerging Technology Award announced at a virtual summit hosted by the Advanced Technology Academic Research Center on September 15.
The Office on Trafficking in Persons (OTIP) received the Digital Experience Award for “promoting exceptional citizen service experiences through the use of digital technology, implementing best practices to radically improve the experience of government, and pushing boundaries to build customer-centric human connections in our digital world.”
OTIP Director, Katherine Chon, presented at the annual GITEC Emerging Technology Awards sharing a case study on the impact of modernizing the national requests for assistance process. For nearly 20 years, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has issued Certification and Eligibility Letters to certain individuals who have experienced a severe form of trafficking in persons. The letters provide eligibility to benefits and services to the same extent as refugees as authorized under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act.
Historically, requests for assistance were processed through encrypted emails, password-protected documents, manual data entries and scanning, physically printed case folders, and other ad hoc procedures which contributed to long case processing times, cumbersome case coordination, and data management challenges.
The new Shepherd Case Management System:
- Provides a streamlined way for individuals to request assistance, receive secure case coordination messages, and automatically check status updates and letter verification status
- Accelerates case processing time and the issuance of Certification and Eligibility Letters to connect survivors of trafficking to victim assistance programs
- Strengthens data privacy, security, and confidentiality protection while improving data management to inform evidence-based victim assistance and prevention programs
Results and Impact
- Decreased burden on the public and improved user experience by providing an easy-to-navigate interface that cut request submission times by 75% compared to the previous process.
- Issued 1,203 Certification and Eligibility Letters in FY 2019, a 37% increase from the prior year. Increased executive caseload visibility also allowed OTIP to expedite processing for urgent cases.
- Reduced case processing time by up to 10 hours per case, enabling survivors of trafficking to access services quicker than ever before. OTIP saved more than 800 hours of case processing time in FY 2019. By the end of FY 2020, OTIP decreased its pending case load by 75% from the previous fiscal year.
- Improved security and collaboration through role-based access to data in a single point system to bolster protection against fraud, reduce cybersecurity risk, and streamline case coordination.
- Improved accuracy and timeliness of reporting through structured data and robust analytics integrated into the system.
Acknowledgements
Discovery partners include colleagues at the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the ACF Office of Refugee Resettlement, the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, and other key non-government stakeholders who contributed their time and feedback.
The Shepherd development team includes the Office on Trafficking in Persons (OTIP) and the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families, REI Systems and TISTA Science and Technology Corporation (REI-TISTA):
Yoseph Asfaw (REI-TISTA), Rod Ashton (OTIP), Akash Bhot (REI-TISTA), Shabani Biboze (OCIO), Sebrina Blake (OCIO), Simon Bull (REI-TISTA), Katherine Chon (OTIP), Kate Cooper (OTIP), Lauren Devine (OTIP), Carolyn Hightower (OTIP), Faren Howell (OCIO), Vera Kiefer (OTIP), Michelleen Koranteng (OCIO), Gauri Kayande (REI-TISA), Yogesh Kumar (REI-TISTA), Randy McDill (OCIO), Christopher Miller (OCIO), Khaila Montgomery (OTIP), Denisse Ormaza (REI-TISTA), Betsy Reiber (OTIP), Chanelle Rollins (OTIP), Francisco Romero (OCIO), Aleena Warich (REI-TISA), Abhijit Warkhade (REI-TISTA), and Henok Worku (OCIO).
The development of the Shepherd Case Management System is responsive to recommendations to strengthen data collection efforts made by the US Advisory Council on Human Trafficking established by the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015. The project implements several strategic shifts under Reimagine HHS to put people at the center of our programs, generate efficiencies through streamlined processes, make HHS more innovative and responsive, and leverage the power of data. The project also implements the President’s Management Agenda to invest in IT modernization, keep data and systems secure, and effectively leverage commercial capabilities.