Case Management

Official Description from BEX (2007 FSOA Letter)

Description

The third part of the oral assessment is the 90-minute Case Management Exercise. The purpose of this segment is to evaluate the candidate's management skills, interpersonal skills and quantitative ability. Writing concise, correct, and persuasive English is also important in this exercise. This exercise is indicative of the candidate's ability to integrate and analyze information, to interpret quantitative data, and to display sound judgment. The candidate will be asked to incorporate data and other statistical information in the analysis and recommended solutions.

The candidate is given a memo describing the tasks to complete and a variety of information about the central issue, including a summary of the major issues (from the candidate's supervisor), an organizational chart, e-mail messages from a host of different perspectives at different levels in the Embassy and details about the past performance of the staff. A calculator is not needed in reviewing the quantitative data, but the analysis and recommendations must show a clear understanding of these data.
The candidate may want to spend 30 minutes reading and analyzing the material, 45 minutes writing the required memo, and 15 minutes reviewing and revising.

A Sample Exercise:

You are the newly arrived Supervisory General Services Officer at a medium-sized embassy in a country with few amenities. General Services Officers are responsible for the embassy's logistics operations: leasing, maintenance, transportation, procurement, management and inventory of property, and the like. Your supervisor, the Management Officer, Steve Hansen, is out of the office, and has left you a memorandum, indicating that a file on the top of your desk should be your number one priority. His memorandum indicates that a conflict has developed between your deputy, Sharon Smith, who has recently arrived on her first tour, and the Junior Officer in the consular section, Mitch Stevens. The maintenance chief, Peter, a local national who reports to Sharon, is also involved. There are no other American personnel in the section; Sharon is responsible for leasing, maintenance, and property inventories, while you are responsible for procurement, transportation, and overall management of the section. The Management Officer instructs you to draft for his consideration a two-page memo that presents the facts and offers recommendations on how to resolve the issue, including at least one alternative.
You review the file in front of you. It contains:

1. An exchange of e-mails between Sharon and Mitch: Mitch complains that the work orders for repairs at his residence are not being completed to his satisfaction; he has received no follow-up information. Sharon responds that many of his requests are not appropriate use of the embassy's limited maintenance staff. Mitch responds that this was never a problem under Sharon's predecessor, and furthermore, that he himself, as a General Services Officer on his previous tour, allowed such practices and certainly knows the regulations at least as well as Sharon. She in turn retorts that Mitch's personal friendship with her predecessor resulted in favoritism that should never have happened in the first place. Mitch in turn alleges that Sharon must bear a personal grudge against him, apparently because he was recently tenured (while she was not).
2. A memorandum from Mitch's supervisor to the Management Officer, complaining that the maintenance section's failure to handle Mitch's household repairs is having an unsatisfactory effect on his work in the Consular Section, and referring to an incident the previous Friday evening at the Marine House, in which Sharon and Mitch apparently resorted to name-calling after a few beers. The Consular Officer also suggests that, since Sharon's arrival, embassy morale has suffered considerably; she is known as "the lady who can only say 'no.'"
3. Mitch's work orders, as follows:
   • repair torn window-screen in kitchen: marked "Low Priority" by Sharon, with the notation that this is the third time in two years that this particular screen has been torn and is in need of replacement
   • repair motorcycle: marked "Not approved" by Sharon, with the notation that this is Mitch's personal property and should not be repaired using U.S. Government funds or personnel
   • build tool shed in back yard: marked "Not approved" by Sharon, with the notation that there is ample space for tools in the garage, but this space is being used by Mitch's two motorcycles instead
   • replace draperies throughout the house: marked "Defer" by Sharon, with the notation that the draperies were all changed upon Mitch's arrival eighteen months ago, and that they are changed only once per occupant, regardless of the circumstances
   • replace living room carpet: marked "Approved" by Sharon, with the notation that carpet cannot be purchased at the present time because the embassy has no funds for the procurement of furniture and furnishings
4. a memorandum from Peter, the local maintenance chief, to Sharon, cc: Steve, indicating his discomfort with Sharon's new policy of disapproving so many work orders. He says he has been with the embassy for 15 years, and has always provided quality and courteous service to the American staff, at both their homes and offices, and indicates he has a large, able staff of workmen ready to be of service. He is concerned about the effect that the new policy is having on embassy morale, and in particular on the relations between his section and the American staff.
5. a memorandum from the budget chief to Sharon, cc: Steve indicating that, barely halfway through the fiscal year, the General Services Section is considerably over-budget. A line-by-line tally is attached. Costs are all in U.S. dollars.

Activity	Annual Budget	Expended to Date	Remaining
Local Salaries	$450,000	$230,000	$220,000
Overtime	$10,000	$95,000	-$85,000
Benefits	$100,000	$52,000	$48,000
Awards	$8,000	$10,000	-$2,000
Supplies	$500,000	$355,000	$145,000
Utilities	$675,000	$455,000	$225,000
Furniture and Furnishings	$250,000	$200,000	$50,000
Equipment	$75,000	$95,000	-$20,000
Travel	$5,000	$5,000	$0
Transportation	$100,000	$85,000	$15,000
Fuel	$145,000	$100,000	$45,000

1. A statistical summary of work orders for past month, as follows:

DATE	REQUESTOR	WORK REQUESTED	STATUS
3/16	Stevens	Repair torn screen	Deferred
3/19	Johnson	Repair a/c	Completed
3/19	Berman	Paint kitchen	Scheduled
3/20	Jones	Replace stove	Deferred
3/21	Stevens	Repair motorcycle	Not approved
3/22	Cass	Repair refrigerator	Completed
3/23	Stevens	Build tool shed	Not approved
3/29	Haskell	Fix drain	Completed
3/30	Stevens	Fix loose tiles in kitchen	Deferred
4/1	Echeverria	Pest control (ants)	Scheduled
4/2	Hadley	Repair a/c	Completed
4/2	Haskell	Fix drain (again)	Completed
4/3	Stevens	Replace LR carpet	Approved
4/3	Sanchez	Repair a/c	Scheduled

Approved/Completed 5 36%
Approved/Scheduled 3 21%
Approved/Not Scheduled 1 7%
Approved/Deferred 3 21%
Not Approved 2 14%

Questions:

1. Summarize the situation
Suggested reply:
Sharon feels that Mitch's requests are frivolous. His friendship with her predecessor allowed his every wish to be granted (bankrupting the section's overtime and supply budgets), and — his previous tour as a General Services Officer aside — he now needs a reality check. Mitch, in turn, feels Sharon is being dismissive of requests that are legitimate in the local hardship environment, inconsistent with past precedent, and disrespectful of his own self-acknowledged expertise in her area. Mitch's requests constitute a third of all those made in the past month, and the only ones not approved.

Mitch's requests are not critical, even in a hardship environment; he has probably been getting by with more than he deserved because of his close friendship with Sharon's predecessor. At the same time, Sharon appears to be too rigid and, perhaps, has failed to communicate to Mitch the justifiable reasons for her actions. Her actions are having a serious effect on morale, not only according to Mitch but also other (perhaps more objective) observers. She needs to understand that following regulations and giving good service are not mutually exclusive.
An analysis of the budget reveals that, although the fiscal year is only half over, several categories have less than 50% of their annual allocation remaining: overtime, awards, supplies, furniture and furnishings, equipment, travel, transportation, and fuel.

2. How do you propose to resolve the situation?
Suggested response:
Meet separately with Mitch and Sharon and then meet with them together to determine what can and should be done to address Mitch's work orders. Perhaps the three of you could visit Mitch's house to find practical ways in which he can better help himself where the embassy can't help him. Work out with Sharon a system by which all employees submitting work orders receive prompt communication on the status of their requests, including reasons for their refusal. Suggest a pro-active notice to American employees on what maintenance actions the embassy is responsible for, and which it is not, and anticipated time delays in completing them. Also consider the division of duties between Sharon and yourself; perhaps you'd like to swap the maintenance and transportation functions, so you can get a better idea on how the maintenance section is being utilized. To deal with the budget problem, put an immediate moratorium on overtime, furniture, supply, and equipment purchases, awards, and travel; do not fill any vacant positions unless absolutely necessary; look at ways of conserving energy.
Be sure to follow the instructions, particularly for the writing sample. Do not make assumptions that are not clear from the instructions. Be as complete as possible in the time allotted. This essay is intended not only to test your management and quantitative skills, but also your written communication ability. Pay just as much attention to how you write as to what you say.

What is the Case Management Exercise?

Analysis of Exercise by Dimension

• Information Integration and Analysis
  • Dig down to the bottom of the issues presented.
  • Bring together all the pieces of the puzzle to create a solution.
• Judgment
  • Be creative with your solution
  • Be fair & objective
  • Be realistic
• Quantitative Analysis
  • Use the data and charts provided appropriately
  • Analyze and integrate the information into your memo

Case Management Tips & Strategies

Part 1: Analyzing the Documents

• Follow Directions As with all parts of the OA, many people fail the case management exercise because they do not follow all the instructions. The instructions document is usually at the beginning of the notebook and will spell out all the requirements for the exercise. Read it carefully and follow all the instructions to a tee. If you fail to follow one or two instructions like limiting your memo to X pages or incorporating quantitative data into your memo, then you didn’t follow instructions. Tip: Remove the instructions from your notebook so you have it readily accessible for the rest of the exercise.
• Work swiftly and do not get bogged down in any one detail You are only given a limited amount of time to complete the case management exercise. Spend no more than 30 to 40 minutes on reading and summarizing the many documents (and there are many). Although some documents are long, they usually contain one or two useful pieces of information. Tip: Find what’s useful and move on.
• Think “big picture” when reading the documents Ask yourself what’s the central issue here? Tip: Summarize each document in one sentence.
• Treat graphs and charts as if they were documents. Graphs and charts are no different than documents in this exercise. They too contain an important central theme. They are however presented in “quantitative form.” Look for the important theme. In the example below, it’s obvious what the central theme is.
• Remain objective when analyzing the documents Be careful not to allow your language to show bias. In the example below, you may be tempted to side with the FSOs since you aspire to be one, but watch your language. You can “take sides” after you’ve evaluated the usefulness and reliability of the information and discern what is appropriate, practical, and realistic in a given situation. Here’s an example where you may be tempted to be bias.
• Follow the “red herrings” Look at the outlandish claims made my various people – and checked the data to see what was actually true. Make sure to compare the right data. If you are looking at data across time, make sure you are comparing the same data from each time period. If you want the big picture, add up all the numbers (if needed) and compare totals.

Part 2: Organizing your Memo

• Write your first and last sentence. Begin with something nice – “Hope you enjoyed your trip to xxx” and end with “Looking forward to discussing this with you “ – or something along those lines. In case you run out of time, you'll still have a polished memo.
• Make headings Before you start writing, decide on your structure and put in heading to organize the information. For example:
  1. Summary of Situation
  2. Recommendation
  3. Alternate Recommendation

Part 3: Writing & Proofreading

• Start with Summary Use this time to incorporate your one sentence summaries.
• Come up with your best recommendation. Ideally you've been thinking about this while you've been reviewing the materials.
• Proofread Leave enough time to proofread the memo and revise your style.

Practice Tips

• Ensure you are comfortable formatting a memo. Review this guide from the University of Florida.
• Ensure that you have good practice with Microsoft Word. You'll want to ensure you can type efficiently and understand the grammar and spell check tools.
• If you've been out of school for a while, purchase a Style Guide such as The Elements of Style by Strunk & White.
• Practice reading and summarizing articles and memos in as short a time as possible.
• Complete a timed practice Case Management exercise and have it looked over by someone you respect. The consulting firms McKinsey and Boston Consulting Group use case study analysis as part of their recruiting process and have example cases on their websites. You can find them here: http://www.mckinsey.com/careers/how_do_i_apply/how_to_do_well_in_the_interview/case_interview/practice_cases/great%20burger.aspx,

http://www.mckinsey.com/careers/how_do_i_apply/how_to_do_well_in_the_interview/case_interview/practice_cases/magna%20health.aspx, http://www.bcg.com/careers/interactive_splash.html

• If you're having trouble writing concisely - count the words in your memo. Rewrite the memo using half the amount of words; practice doing this a few times.
• Most people are able to digest only 15 words or less in a sentence. Count your wording in the sentences - do they have a tendency to run on?

Attachments

CaseManagementExercise.zip