Improved Staff Communication Leads to Better Youth Services

Due to the nature of its mission, Juvenile Justice staff members often work in the field, visiting communities, individual homes and juvenile facilities across the state.  There was great inconsistency in the software and service providers utilized by these remote workers, which resulted in connectivity challenges and difficulty sharing information. 

The office environment was also problematic, as the organization’s server and computer hardware were using outdated software and running slowly.  Also, a POP email system was preventing staff, both internally and in the field, from sharing calendars, distribution lists and other pertinent data.  As a result there was a large information gap between the office staff and the field workers.  Juvenile Justice hoped to address this problem and establish a consistent, secure technology infrastructure for its employees to conduct business and better serve the target population. 

NPower Indiana sought to bring all office and field staff members to a common platform to ensure ease of communication, file sharing ability and ultimately help the organization run more efficiently.  A new server was installed with current Windows software, and new laptops for the field workers were purchased and outfitted with Windows XP and Office.  Microsoft Exchange replaced the POP email system that was also limiting staff interaction and productivity.

In addition to the equipment and software, NPower conducted field staff training on network connectivity to help Juvenile Justice staff maximize the value of this new technology investment.  NPower also assisted in the recruitment and training of a new IT staff person to provide technical support to the field case workers. 

Juvenile Justice now has a more reliable and efficient network infrastructure that provides a common platform for all staff members, both in-house and in the field.  This has resulted in increased productivity among both groups and allowed them to focus more time on mission related activities.  The ability to share calendars and files through Microsoft Exchange has greatly improved communication and collaboration among staff members, resulting in increased productivity benefits and encouraging them to share best practices for serving their constituents.  Finally, the field training and addition of a new IT staff member have enabled Juvenile Justice to become more self-sufficient in its technology utilization, and leverage this powerful resource to improve the way it provides services to the community.