by Justin Lankes
4. March 2010 18:38
I recently posted a question on IRB Exchange and in some LinkedIn group dicussions asking if investigators use a "Work Plan" or some type of checklist when conducting investigations. The response was amazing. So many people are passionate about this subject and offered many opinions. I copied an example below. We get really excited by this type of response - not only are we implementing a "Work Plan" feature in our next release, but the scenario and tasks described in the 3rd paragraph are also all addressed in the next release of SCOUT. Notes, photos, hours, assignments, expenses, case type, reports, video, etc. will all be available online and in real-time to the manager. The last statement could be used on homepage!
"I don't now how a PI can ensure he or she has covered all the bases without having a checklist or standard game plan for each type of case. There are unique basic steps for each type of case. Doing this will help one resolve most cases quickly. If the basic steps have not produced results then it's time to go into advanced mode.
The facts discovered for each item on the checklist often produce other paths to investigate. To have this checklist written down is also helpful if the case is transferred to another investigator.
When working as Chief Investigator for a firm in Georgia I had 15 investigators across 2 states and only saw them maybe once a week. But I spoke to each one daily and by 9 AM I knew the status of each case, hours worked, hours remaining, expenses from the day before and where the PI was headed on the case. Each PI started their cases, regardless of type, with the basic checklist. All investigators had prepaid envelopes or a FedEx number to send in reports, video, and report tapes. Two office clerks typed reports, copied video, mailed reports to clients and billed for each case weekly if it was a corporate or insurance cases. This may sound like a lot of work to keep up with. But organization was the key. We did not run cases through just to get them done. And all cases were under constant review for quality and completeness.
Back to the basic checklist. This works whether it is a skip or death investigation. The investigators knew the checklist would be audited when they sent their first report in or when I spoke with them during the morning calls. And any time I had doubts I would verify the information myself that the investigator had presented.
Some people don't like thinking of an agency running like a well oiled machine. They think it is to restrictive or even obsessive. The opposite is true. Organized operations allowed my investigators to investigate because time saving methods were in place and time was not wasted on basic stuff."
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