Analyzing and Reporting on Tribal Program Data
If you didn’t have a chance to catch the webcast live, you can register to view a recording here.
In today’s world we have more data available to than ever before. Yet, few organizations truly understand how to harness this data and turn it into information and knowledge. During this webcast, we will define and explore how data analytics transforms data into meaningful information. We will also examine how Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) can be applied to inform and improve services for families and children.
We examined the increase in the amount of data being stored over the last decades and the trajectory of the rise of data in our lives today. Even with data all around us it may not be collected accurately or in a consistent manner. Analytics and CQI depend upon quality data, and it is essential that leadership supports the collection and use of data with a sense of purpose and a vision of goals and benchmarks to measure. We will discuss reporting and information systems which may be used to collect data, as well as other sources of information available from Federal and State governments.
So how can Tribes make use of this practical information?
Using analytics changes this abundance of data into digestible information that can be used for many meaningful purposes. Comparative spreadsheets with raw data are one of the simplest ways of modeling data. Taking raw data and creating charts and graphs to provide useful visual methods of viewing and analyzing data and can be achieved with commonly used programs.
During this part of the process is where you create descriptive information using the data, then predictive intelligence, which leads to prescriptive knowledge that can be used to inform decisions and changes to improve services and outcomes. The philosophy of Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) can be used to both ensure that data is accurately and consistently collected and as a method to analyze and react to the data. We will review in detail the cycle of CQI.
Register to watch here and email or call us with any questions.
Tribal Enrollment and Membership Management Software
The RiteTrack Enrollment Module provides a web-based, secure means of managing and reporting on the demographics and enrollment statistics of your citizens. From blood quantum calculations to tribal ID cards, RiteTrack manages tribal enrollment from start to determination and beyond.
During this webcast we reviewed:
- Demographics and Contact Information
- Family Tree Diagram
- Enrollment Process and Automatic Calculations
- Tribal ID Cards and CDIB
- Demographic Reporting
The customizable platform and unrivaled customer support are certain to benefit any Tribe’s Enrollment Department with its powerful functionality, intuitive interface, and project management availability.
This module also serves as the foundation for other tribal services.
Register to watch today and email or call us if you have any questions or would like further information.
Problem Solved: A Story of Vanquishing Risk and Complexity
I was told growing up that when you experience success you should act like you’ve experienced it before. Don’t flaunt your touchdown reception or first place finish; act like you’ve been there before. However, I quickly realized that there is a huge difference between simply acting like one has done something and actually having done it.
So, what does this all have to do with software implementations and case management? The simple answer is that there is a large collection of companies out there that claim to be able to take on massive projects to design, develop, and implement a large enterprise-level software solution. How should project leaders with large and complex projects choose a vendor from the plethora of options available to them?
Most people know that in enterprise-level software implementations, risk is proportionally tied to the complexity of the project. If the complexity goes up the risk does as well. With that in mind, what are we to think of projects on the extreme end of complexity? What if we are taking multiple legacy systems and want to put them into one single and comprehensive system? What if we also want to bring multiple departments together onto one single system in that same project? What if there are federal and state reports that must justify from the moment the system goes live? What if we need to integrate with other systems at the same time that everything else is happening? If risk of failure is directly proportional to the complexity of a project, should we even bother attempting such bold initiatives?
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The answer to that final question is a resounding ‘yes’. It is worth pursuing because of the benefits that it can lead to. Bringing multiple systems together reduces complexity and duplication of data entry which, in turn, reduces errors. Having multiple departments or facilities operate on one common platform increases communication and improves outcomes for clients. The risk, in other words, is worth the potential rewards that a system that can do all of those things could bring. However, that one question still lingers… What if it fails?
This is where proven success comes into play. It is not enough to know that a company could potentially complete a project. These projects need a company that has been there before. The type of system described above with multiple data conversions, bringing previously disparate departments together on one system, reporting to federal and state agencies accurately from day one, and integrating with other software systems describes most of Handel’s customers. We have proven success on every single one of our solutions, from unifying government agencies of a Tribe to providing a system that unifies detention and residential facilities for a county.
Large and complex projects require the devoted attention of software professionals who have repeated success and a strong, standard solution. We have devoted countless hours to designing, testing, and refining each of our solutions to meet the needs of our clients with our standard functionality, whether it is for a CPS Department, Juvenile Detention Facility, TANF Department, or a multitude of other systems. This standard functionality not only brings down cost, it also lessens risk.
While most systems require small changes, we have found that our standard platform will accomplish most of the needed functionality within the markets that we serve. Completely custom solutions that are built from the ground up may sound wonderful at the beginning of a project. However, these projects are the most likely to end up over budget, behind schedule, and outside of scope. We at Handel know this because that is how we used to build software solutions. We built our latest version of RiteTrack to combat all of those things; we provide a common framework to all of our customers, thoroughly test and refine each one of our software modules, and send updates to all of our systems whenever we make something better or fix the rare bug we run into. This means that not only is your project more likely to be successful on the front end, but also that our customers never have to worry about having a system that nobody knows how to fix or update five or ten years down the road.
And what of those things that will always be custom to an individual software solution? We handle (yes, pun is intended here) data conversions, systems integration, custom reporting, attaching custom modules to our standard framework, training and system documentation, and everything else imaginable on a regular basis. All of our staff, from our sales personnel to our project management staff to our software developers, are trained to create custom alterations and additions to make our software work for you in the most optimal way possible.
This combination of our standard software offering and our staff’s familiarity with providing insightful and accurate consulting creates a unique environment where we can reduce the risks imposed by time, cost, and scope of a project as a whole while also building a software solution that keeps your legacy data, communicates with other systems, and improves upon your organization’s reporting abilities. Handel’s ability to accomplish all of these extremely complex things comes from our more than 17 years of corporate experience and our tireless efforts to make the best standard software for each industry we serve. Our experience and work makes it possible for organizations to dream big about what their case management software can do for them.
Though these types of projects are large, complex, and sometimes even scary, Handel can help mitigate all of that. We have been there before and our customers have experienced great success using our system. Our track record shows that our methodologies, standard software offerings, and innovative technologies work. So, go ahead and dream big and know that if Handel is your partner your project, no matter how big, will be a success.
Tachi Yokut Tribal Social Service Department Implements CPS/ICW RiteTrack Module Creating Its Own Integrated Solution
The Tribal Social Services Department (TSSD) of the Santa Rosa Rancheria Tachi Yokut Tribe implemented another RiteTrack module which will manage Child Protective Services and Indian Child Welfare in late 2014. This is the second module in the Tribe’s integrated solution and stores member information centrally and is updated consistently from the Enrollment Department or TSSD. The Tribe began with the Enrollment module in 2012. RiteTrack allows tribes to consolidate data and remove the barriers of data silos and stores information in a single database system.
TSSD is an all-encompassing social service provider which focuses on serving tribal members, residents, lineal descendants, and other documented Natives.
Reaching Your Clients: The Importance of Address Verification
Often one of the most frustrating experiences a user of enterprise software can have is the inability to track address information in a consistent and reliable way. This arises mostly due to the fact that most software systems don’t verify address information, which leaves the formatting of an address up to each individual user. This “free form” system of entering data can seem to make a system more flexible, but in reality it creates a large amount of unusable data.
To provide an illustration, below are some examples of the issues that we have run into in our data conversions when organizations upgrade to RiteTrack:
- Incomplete, invalid, or missing zip codes
- Street address with no street name
- Descriptive text that is not an address such as ‘Incarcerated’, ‘Unknown’, or, my personal favorite, ‘I Do Not Know’
All of these issues lead to one common problem; addresses in most databases cannot be readily trusted to be accurate. During data conversions from legacy systems to RiteTrack, we often identify that up to 50% of addresses that were entered into an outdated system are incomplete, inaccurate, or not even an address. Luckily, there is one common solution to solve this problem. That answer is address verification.
RiteTrack utilizes the power of Google Maps to verify addresses, help complete missing information, and keep consistent formatting in the addresses that users track. This single solution, using Google’s API, leads to more accurate reporting, reduced data entry time, and, most importantly, a database that can be trusted.
What is more, by using Google Maps, RiteTrack also can provide all of the advanced functionality that users have come to expect from technology in other areas of their lives. If a person’s personal cell phone can provide them directions to their destination, then surely an enterprise software solution should be able to. Sadly, most systems don’t. When we developed RiteTrack we set out to change that. Below are a series of screenshots to show how easy it is to use our advanced address functionality to provide an unprecedented user experience.
Even with a poorly formatted address, as seen below, RiteTrack is able to make suggestions about the addresses that closely match a search.
Using the incomplete and poorly formatted address above, RiteTrack identifies potential addresses that have been verified as actually existing.
With a single click of a button a user can select the correct address, which will also be correctly formatted automatically for users. The data validation that was once was impossible in older systems takes two clicks in RiteTrack.
What is more, with a single click RiteTrack can access a Google Maps search of the address in a separate browser tab and users instantly have access to the power and functionality of Google’s software. No retyping the address; no copy and paste; it just works.
By being able to access Google Maps from inside of RiteTrack, users can not only view a map and a street view of a location, but can also get directions there, export those directions to their smart phones and other devices, or use any of Google’s other functionality. The power that users have come to expect from their personal devices can now also be brought to their offices. Handel believes that if your smart phone can do it, your enterprise software should as well.
Santa Rosa Rancheria Tachi-Yokut Tribe adds Child Protective Services/Indian Child Welfare Module
Handel Information Technologies began working with the Tachi-Yokut Tribe in 2012 when RiteTrack was deployed for the Enrollment Department. This implementation will now become an integrated solution as the CPS/ICW Module is deployed for the Tribal Social Services Department. We look forward to RiteTrack becoming an essential tool for the important work done by Tachi-Yokut Social Services staff.