OIG to use county-built case management system; website intake already generating complaints

Inspector General Kelly Madigan told the board she chose to have Howard County's Department of Technology and Community Services (DTCS) build a custom case management system rather than purchasing an off‑the‑shelf product. She said a county-built system will be less expensive, integrate with existing county systems and allow in-house tweaks as needs change.

Madigan said DTCS finished the complaint intake phase and has set up the online intake form so that submitted complaints automatically upload into the case management system and documents are stored in a secure SharePoint. “Phase 1 is nearly complete, which means I'm gonna be able to start actually using it,” she said, and estimated that fuller phases could be available by the end of the fiscal year. Madigan also said the website’s current PDF intake form was intentionally temporary and that phase 2 will further automate intake.

Board members asked about the timeframe; Madigan said DTCS initially suggested May or June for fuller functionality but reiterated that she expected at least phase 1 or phase 2 capability by the end of the fiscal year.