Technology in the Management of High-Volume Caseloads

On November 1 2010, the Administrative Conference and the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) of the National Archives and Records Administration held a workshop to bring together experts from the public and private sector to discuss technological best practices in dealing with high-volume case loads.  Attendees included a small group of Federal agency representatives from agencies with high volume caseloads (such as disability claims, immigration review, and medical records access). Congress has directed the Administrative Conference to help Federal agencies study mutual problems, exchange best practices, and recommend improvements to Federal administrative processes. To these ends, the Conference is looking at how agencies can employ technology to reduce unnecessary litigation and to resolve disputes more efficiently. OGIS also is focusing on dispute prevention and dispute resolution in the administration of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Participating agencies included:

  • Social Security Administration
  • Department of Justice
  • Department of Homeland Security
  • Department of Veterans Affairs
  • Executive Office of the President
  • Internal Revenue Service

Colin Rule, Director of Online Dispute Resolution for eBay, and Ethan Katsh, Director of the National Center for Technology and Dispute Resolution, helped to facilitate the discussion.