The Minnesota Department of Human Services (MH DHS) helps Minnesotans meet their basic needs so they can live with dignity and in safety. MN DHS pays special attention to child welfare. One of the most important aspects of many service plans, is an Out-of-Home Placement Plan (OHPP) document. The OHPP is a document used in SSIS. OHPP’s address the federal and state case plan requirements that support children’s safety, permanency and well-being. OHPP are required for children in need of protective services, or when the court places a child under protective supervision of a social service agency and orders a child into the home of a noncustodial parent. An OHPP is a required document for all children in placement to ensure their safety and well-being, and assist in permanency planning.

I worked on a 4-person team of UX researchers to evaluate the user experience of the OHPP document in the SSIS job tool. We specifically focused our research on the navigation and setup portions of the OHPP document. Through a Contextual Inquiries with a primary user, I was able to solidify areas of growth and opportunity that would enhance user experience while working with the OHPP in SSIS. I worked independently creating an interactive prototype that showcased my recommendations for the OHPP.

Overview

Understanding the Problem & the Users

Caseworker and case aids working with children and families on behalf of MN DHS are required to document and maintain detailed records relating their caseloads. Many regularly user SSIS for this purpose, specifically the OHPP. MN DHS wants the OHPP document to be a positive user experience. At present, the OHPP flow in SSIS has negative feedback from users with reports of it not being user friendly. The goal is to ensure that the system continues to provide value to caseworkers and case aides who use the system each day, while also being efficient and easy to use.

Problem

Users

There are two primary user groups who use OHPP in SSIS:

Child Welfare Caseworkers who ensure the safety, well-being, and permanency of children in placement. They often work in small or medium sized local agencies, directly with families. Caseworkers are responsible for all aspects of each case and documentation which includes the creation of OHPP’s in SSIS. Case Aids primarily enter plans in SSIS only and may not spend time working directly with families.

For the purpose of this evaluation, we focused exclusively on the navigation and set up portions of the OHPP in SSIS. OHPP is an extensive document, with a limited time frame of 5 days to complete the client work, it was important to hone in on a of the document. My research team was also only able interview 1 primary user for our contextual inquiry, due to last minute cancelations. Our team was able to observe other primary users interact with the OHPP, but they used portions of the OHPP that fell outside of our scope. We were not able to have access to the SSIS or OHPP, or the training system they use. We observed the tool via recordings and Zoom screen sharing.

Scope & Constraints

The Process

In the beginning stages of evaluation, the focus was on a cognitive walkthrough of the OHPP. We focused on 6 key tasks from the navigation and set up portions of the OHPP to inspect for usability for first time users. We answered 4 specific questions in the Cognitive Walkthrough that related to first time usability.

Then we created a research protocol for our team to follow that outlined our goals for the Contextual Inquiry with our primary users.

Goals:

  • Learn more about how a user would interact with the SSIS.

  • Understand how frequently the system is used.

  • Gain insights around user needs, challenges, and expectations to reveal opportunities for improvement. 

  • Uncover the degree to which users need training or prior information to use the program efficiently.

Evaluate

Prototype

Following hand sketches, I moved into Figma to begin my interactive prototype.

Propose

My research and prototyping culminated in a recording of the interactive prototype with the rationals shared with the MN DHS. Ultimately, I wanted to share recommendations that would be sustainable to implement while also having the highest positive user impact.

The research uncovered that SSIS’s OHPP is not working as effectively as it could for primary users who use the tool regularly. Within the Navigation & Setup sections of OHPP, there are 3 issues which hindered the caseworkers the most. The first was lack of user control in the system, making it impossible for caseworkers to fact check their entries prior to saving and exiting from an OHPP. The second impeded caseworkers' clarity, consistency and standards since the terms listed in the OHPP did not always have a common definition or rule for caseworkers to follow, while some had hyperlinks to a shared definition and understanding. The third impacted the caseworkers' flexibility and ease of use within the system to make edits in pre-filled areas of the OHPP, which had the potential outcome of caseworkers having to start the OHPP over from the beginning if old information was imported into the form as pre-filled.

As a result of the findings, I created 3 user stories to help explain the results. Based on the user stories, I hand sketched a Information Architecture Diagram and wireframed my ideas for solutions before moving to Figma.

User Stories:

“As a caseworker, I want easy access to all relevant client information files so that I am able to spend less time on accurately entering information into the OHPP and spend more time with families.

“As a caseworker, I want to understand all of the terms in our forms so that I can make the best selection for my client.

“As a caseworker, I want flexibility to edit pre-filled fields so that I can make updates to the client’s account as I work.

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