One of the key functions of a Ministry of Labor, the administrative branch of a nation that enforces labor rights, is attending to claims that arise in the sector. As part of a USAID institutional strengthening progam in Guatemala, this key function was automated employing a case tracking system, a workflow application similar to those used in the Guatemalan judicial system. This web-based application registers a labor claim made by any party and follows the case flow transparently and efficiently through the entire process, including on-site labor inspections, related documentation, and the closing resolutions of the case. Because the application is web-based, it is simple to decentralize this function so that the Inspector General is able to know the status of each case around the country in real-time.
The project was undertaken by Alexius and included the entire life-cycle of the development process, from the intial concept and requirements definition through the integration, creating the institutional cultural change that makes the system critical to their operations. Particularly important was the integration of Ministry staff as members of the project team throughout the entire process. In addition to the success of the system as a deployed and operational project, the Ministry has since deployed an upgrade to the system to a completed version 2.0 out of its own budget, integrating new workflow requirements and reporting.
