In line with the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) efforts to enhance its service delivery through automation and digitalization, the agency will start the pilot implementation of the Integrated Electronic Case Management System (IECMS) this April.

The IIECMS features a centralized client data registry system and case management system that will make it easier for collaborative case management between case managers and social workers from various DSWD Programs and Institutions, while capturing significant and critical information for planning and administrative processes.

“The IECMS will streamline and strategically interconnect the case management processes of the DSWD with local government units (LGUs) and other government agencies,” DSWD Assistant Secretary Irene B. Dumlao said.

According to the DSWD co-spokesperson, consultations about the IECMS started way back in 2019 and made a traction in 2020 with the engagement of the Heads of Bureaus and Services of the DSWD, in partnership with United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

“During the Department’s discussion with them, one of the challenges discovered was the delay in data exchange processes which hampered efficiency in service delivery. This was also found in the studies made by Maestral International led by De La Salle University,” explained Asst. Sec. Dumlao.

“Hence, it was deemed necessary to create a unified and integrated system to guarantee the seamless access of beneficiary information that will hasten case progress and the provision of services to our beneficiaries,” added the DSWD official.

The IT infrastructure of the IECMS features a securely stored central data warehouse, or cloud-based storage system, that will protect the personal and sensitive personal information of DSWD beneficiaries.

To protect the information and cases of the beneficiaries from unlawful disclosure and access, the DSWD and the UNICEF signed a Data Privacy and Information Sharing Protocol (DPISP) that adheres to existing data protection laws and guidelines. The data of the beneficiaries will be fully managed by the DSWD.

The IECMS pilot implementation includes all the Center and Residential Care Facilities (CRCFs) and the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in the National Capital Region (NCR).

During the pilot implementation phase, the DSWD, in coordination with UNICEF, will determine areas for fine tuning the case management software before its full-scale implementation across the Department.

“Through this digitalization initiative, the DSWD is positive that the provision of assistance to beneficiaries from their enrollment to assessment, to intervention and/or referral, and case closure will be done in a more efficient and timely manner,” Asec. Dumlao said. #