Trust in the Leader of Collaborative Process Design and Facilitation
SKILL SK-16 | Coordination & Case Management
Active Case Management
The disciplined practice of tracking, following up, and closing concerns through all stages - from intake to resolution to feedback - ensuring nothing is left in limbo and every person who raised a concern receives a response.
How to Develop It
1. Weekly case aging review
Establish a weekly 15-minute review of all open cases by time elapsed. For any case past its response timeline, identify what is blocking resolution and take action that day. Do not carry overdue cases across more than one review.
2. Proactive stakeholder callback
Practice making a proactive check-in call to a person who raised a concern - not because there is news, but to acknowledge the case is still open and update them on progress. Document the call in the register.
3. Closure confirmation
Practice the conversation that closes a case: confirming with the person that they have received the response, that it addresses their concern, and asking if anything remains unresolved. Document their response - including if they are unsatisfied.
Why This Skill Matters
The most common GRM failure is not absence of systems but absence of follow-through. Concerns are logged and assigned but not followed up, timelines pass without communication, and cases accumulate without closure. Active case management is what keeps the GRM functional.
Observable Behaviors
+ Maintains a current view of all open cases with status, responsible actor, and elapsed time
+ Contacts responsible actors proactively when deadlines are approaching or have passed
+ Communicates proactively to the person who raised the concern when there are delays
+ Does not consider a case closed until feedback has been confirmed with the person who raised it
+ Reviews case aging weekly and escalates cases past their response timeline
Self-Assessment
Read each Reflective Question below and honestly consider how consistently you demonstrate this in your actual fieldwork, not how you think you should behave, but how you do behave. Then assign a score from 1 (lowest) to 4 (highest):
(1) Not yet developed: Rarely demonstrated in practice
(2) Emerging: Demonstrated sometimes, but inconsistently or only under favorable conditions
(3) Established: Demonstrated reliably in most situations, including moderately challenging ones
(4) Adaptive: Demonstrated reliably even in high-pressure situations, and practitioner actively helps
Common Gaps & Pitfalls
! Treating case management as an administrative function rather than a relational one
! Marking cases resolved based on internal action rather than stakeholder confirmation
! Allowing cases to age without escalating - accepting slow resolution as normal
Reflective Questions Score from 1 (lowest) to 4 (highest):
I review all open cases weekly and can state the current status of each
I contact responsible actors proactively before deadlines pass, not after
I communicate with the person who raised a concern even when there is nothing new to report
I confirm closure with the person who raised the concern before marking a case as resolved
Th shared to the public for free courtesy of the
THE CONFLICT RESOLUTION GROUP FOUNDATION
www.coregroup.org.ph * info@coregroup.org.ph
in partnership with SustainABILITIES Lab
© Pixelhaze 2024. A Hostinger Website Builder Template by Pixelhaze Studio
This toolkit is provided for general guidance and informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal, technical, or professional advice. While efforts have been made to ensure accuracy and relevance, users are encouraged to exercise their own judgment and consult appropriate experts when necessary. The developers of this toolkit assume no liability for any decisions or actions taken based on its use.