HAWAI�I SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER NETWORK: POLICIES ONLINE

Consulting

Case Management

Case management refers to a particular approach to consulting used by the Hawai`i SBDC Network.

 

Definition.  Under the case management approach to consulting, the consultant actively manages the process of consulting activity.  (See The Consulting Process.)  This means that the consultant is in control of the process.  A case is either open or closed.  It does not drift without activity.  The consultant follows up and does not rely upon the client to follow up.  Activity has direction and a focus provided by the consultant in response to the client.  If the client requires expertise the consultant lacks, the consultant assumes the responsibility for finding that expertise.

 

Case Portfolio.  By case-portfolio, what is meant is that a consultant has a defined number of open cases over which s/he has control.  There is a maximum number of cases that can be actively managed at any one time.  There is also a balance to those cases in terms of (a) the number that will have significant economic impact and the number that will provide sustenance to a particular family only, (b) those that will be continuous and those that will be one-time, and (c) of the continuous cases, those that will be short-term and those that will be long-term.  The consultant knows the number of cases in her/his portfolio and the balance of cases.

 

Case-Portfolio Example.  Following is an example of what a typical consultant�s portfolio of cases might look like during any given month, with obviously some variation month-to-month:

 

16 Total Cases Open

 

Should Produce about:

  5 One-Time Cases 30%

 

  8 One-Time Consulting Hours   8%

11 Continuous Cases 70%

 

86 Continuous Consulting Hours 92%

16 Total Cases Open

 

94 Total Consulting Hours/Month

 

 

 

Economic Impact Case Ratio:

 

Short-Term/Long-Term Ratio:

12 Sustenance Cases 75%

 

 9 Short-Term Cases (< 8 hrs.) 56%

  4 Economic Impact 25%

 

 7 Long-Term Cases  (> 8 hrs.) 44%

16 Total Cases Open

 

16 Total Continuous Cases

 

 

See related topics in this section:

Primacy of Consulting

Counting Consulting Hours

Definitions of Terms

Maximum Hours of Consulting

Case Management

Electronic Consulting

Consulting Defined

Geographical Coverage of Consulting

Information Transfer Actions

Group Consulting

Consulting Fees

Narrative Write-ups in CDIS

Consulting: Public vs. Private

Non-Profit Consulting

Eligibility of Clients

Quality of Consulting

Screening Clients

Contracted Consultant

The Consulting Process

Types of Consulting Offered at Centers