While each office may view their role regarding constituent services differently, casework is often the most time consuming and resource intensive service they provide. Therefore, it is important to establish and enforce clear policies and procedures, while maintaining flexibility and active oversight to adapt to changing constituent needs.
Offices must have a clear understanding of the role and priority of casework in the office. The priority of casework depends on: the environmental, economic, political, or emergency circumstances of the district/state; the demographics of the district/state; the Member's view of their role; and the Member's political circumstances.
Additionally, having caseworkers with experience, training, good judgment, excellent communication skills, and solid project management experience is one of the most important aspects of a successful casework operation. Managing caseworkers is vital to the success of the casework operation, so it is necessary to have established procedures for decisions like how to train caseworkers, distribute case workload, and address issues when they arise.
What We've Learned
- Create a written casework manual to be distributed to each caseworker. A written casework manual provides efficient constituent support and ensures successful caseworker onboarding. This manual will serve as a training guide for new caseworkers and veteran staff and will provide uniform standards that will ensure the quality and consistency of the casework. While other topics may be useful, every manual should include the following:
1) The definition of a case
2) Procedures for casework intake, initiating cases, keeping constituents informed, and documenting and filing cases
3) Guidelines for following up with agencies
4) Guidelines for when to consult with a supervisor
- Building a rewarding workplace culture and a strong casework team are the two greatest investments into your casework operation. The caseworkers in your office are the most essential part of a successful casework operation. We often say they are on the frontlines of constituent service, fielding difficult and often emotional issues, while keeping a pulse on trending challenges in the Member's district/state. Caseworkers come from diverse backgrounds with unique skills, education, and work experience. Highly skilled workers will feel empowered to utilize their unique perspective and amassed knowledge to provide constituents with the greatest level of support. It is management's responsibility to create and maintain an environment for qualified and dedicated caseworkers to navigate and thrive in such a challenging, but rewarding role.
- Create and utilize a caseworker management protocol. The job of a caseworker is stressful, continuous, and often presents individuals with uncertain outcomes. Having an established protocol for hiring, training, managing, and empowering your caseworkers will create the foundations of a strong casework operation.
- Educate everyone (both District/State and DC staff) in the role casework plays with legislation, representation, and Member services. For a comprehensive approach to serving constituent needs, even DC staff need to know where casework fits in. Spoiler: it's more than most would think. Refer to Keeping It Local Figure 7-1 for a few examples: "Offices' Definitions of Casework Encompass a Wide Range of Services."
- Connect Caseworkers with corresponding Legislative Aides. Caseworkers have direct access to pressing and trending issues of a Member's constituency by way of constituent case requests. By encouraging a closer working relationship with Caseworkers and the Legislative Aides working in the same issues areas (e.g., healthcare, veterans, immigration, etc), a Member's team will be more informed and more capable of both creating important legislation (DC-facing), as well as educating constituents on how the Member is addressing their needs in Washington, DC (District/State-facing).
- Address caseworker burnout. The job of a caseworker is extremely stressful, and burnout is a major factor leading to caseworker turnover. Consider the following strategies to keep caseworkers content and engaged:
1) Rotating or cross-training caseworker assignments
2) Involving caseworkers in non-casework responsibilities
3) Creating outlets to discuss cases
4) Providing positive reinforcement
5) Adopting flexible work schedules
- Manage and monitor the casework system regularly. After the critical decisions have been made, the focus for offices must be how to best manage the casework system. The following activities are important for doing this.
1) Maintaining access to accurate essential information
2) Encouraging effective staff communication
3) Reviewing casework data in a regular, systematic way
4) Conducting regular assessments and adapting the system based on the results
5) Casework satisfaction survey template
