Explaining Caseflow tasks
Last updated 2019 Nov 22
Goals of this presentation
Note:
Intended audience: Caseflow team, external teams using Caseflow data
First, a high level reminder of the appeals process
High level appeals process overview (happy path)
Judge Queue
Attorney Queue
Judge Queue
VLJ Support Queue
BVA Dispatch
Queue
Active inventory
Transcription
Hearing
Translation
National VSO - Informal Hearing Presentation
Intake
Dispatch appeal
Establish appeal
Complete administrative appeals processing tasks
Distribute to judge for decision
Write and sign decisions
Store until docket order*
Quality Review Queue
Privacy Queue
Other holds or "backwards" to other teams
*San Juan and Manila ROs automatically routed here
*What is docket order?
The Board is required by law to review appeals in docket order unless unusual hardship or “other sufficient cause” has been shown to advance a case on the docket. 38 U.S.C. § 7107(a) and 38 C.F.R. § 20.900(c). Docket order is determined in legacy by the date the VA Form 9 is filed and in AMA by the date the 10182 NOD is filed.
Active inventory
Transcription
Hearing
Translation
National VSO - Informal Hearing Presentation
Intake
*San Juan and Manila ROs automatically routed here
Appeals process mapped to Caseflow
Judge Queue
Attorney Queue
Judge Queue
VLJ Support Queue
BVA Dispatch
Queue
Active inventory
Transcription Queue
Hearing Schedule/ Queue
Translation Queue
VSO Queue
Caseflow Intake
Quality Review Queue
Interactive Decision Template
Privacy Queue
Other holds or "backwards" to other teams
Veteran sends in form
*What is docket order?
The Board is required by law to review appeals in docket order unless unusual hardship or “other sufficient cause” has been shown to advance a case on the docket. 38 U.S.C. § 7107(a) and 38 C.F.R. § 20.900(c). Docket order is determined in legacy by the date the VA Form 9 is filed and in AMA by the date the 10182 NOD is filed.
Dispatch appeal
Establish appeal
Complete administrative appeals processing tasks
Distribute to judge for decision
Write and sign decisions
Store until docket order*
Additional appeals processing steps
Post-
decisional motions
VLJ Support Staff
Case Review (Mail/Intake)
Hearing Branch
Mail/Intake team creates mail task
Veteran sends in mail
Mail task routed to appropriate team
AOD
Privacy Queue
Litigation Support
Defining "queue"
Our vision is to have just two types of queues that work for all use cases:
In reality, right now we have multiple individual queues
Individual queues
Organization/team queues
More about organizations
Caseflow tasks
Caseflow uses tasks to track responsibility of an appeal through the process. Tasks essentially replace VACOLS locations. And, tasks reflect steps in the appeals process.
Caseflow tasks / What's a task tree?
More about tasks in Caseflow's Wiki, here.
Parent task
Child task
Child task
Owner A
Owner B
Caseflow tasks / What's a task tree?
Parent task
Child task
Child task
Owner A
Owner B
Child task
Owner C
Caseflow tasks / What's a task tree?
⌛
DistributionTask
Informal Hearing Presentation
VSO
Process FOIA request
Privacy team
Caseflow tasks / Why a task tree?
⌛
Distribute case to judge
👋
Submit IHP
👋
Process mail
VSO
BVA
RootTask
👋
Non-blocking Mail Task
Why don't we use location codes?
The task tree solves two main pain points we confront when working with location codes:
Task data elements
Source: https://github.com/department-of-veterans-affairs/caseflow/blob/master/app/models/task.rb#L24
Caseflow tasks / Task statuses
Task statuses (& key for this deck)
Note: These icons are not used in the Caseflow app.
Caseflow tasks / Task actions
Task actions
Task actions are the options that are presented in a dropdown menu on the case details page of an individual appeal. Each task has a set of actions available to be taken on it given the state of the appeal, type of task, and relationship of the current user to the appeal. Task actions do only one thing: redirect the current user to a different URL when clicked. The resulting page may be a modal or workflow where additional information is gathered to be sent in a subsequent request to the server.
Caseflow tasks / Task actions
Caseflow tasks / Task actions
Actions vary depending on the task
Caseflow tasks / Some basics
Root task
Task
Task
Privacy team
Judge
Task
Attorney
Task
Privacy individual
Assume this org → individual pattern throughout the deck, unless otherwise marked.
Caseflow tasks and the appeals process
*AMA appeals
It all starts with a form
Notice of Disagreement form ( = an appeal)
Establish appeal
Caseflow Intake establishes the appeal. Once the appeal is established, Caseflow Queue automatically creates a Root Task for other tasks to attach to, depending on the Veteran's situation.
Root task
After the appeal is established, if the Veteran has a representative, a Track Veteran Task is automatically created and assigned to that representative so they can see their appeals. This could be an: IHP-writing VSO, field VSO, private attorney, or agent.
Root task
Track Veteran
(See VSO/private attorney/agent section)
If the Veteran has an IHP-writing VSO as their representative, two tasks are automatically created and assigned
Root task
Track Veteran
Informal Hearing Presentation
(See VSO/private attorney/agent section)
If the Veteran chose the Evidence Submission docket, an Evidence Window task with a task timer is attached. Task timers just mean that the task is marked complete after X days. Since Evidence Windows are 90 days (established by AMA), the task timer is set to 90 days.
Root task
Evidence Window
If the Veteran chose the Hearing docket, a Hearing task with at least one child task is created.
See: Hearings section
Root task
⌛
Hearing Task
Schedule Hearing
Task statuses (& key for this deck)
If the Veteran's address is Manila or San Juan, we automatically create a Translation Task, because VA assumes there are Veteran documents needing translation
Root task
Translation
Example: an IHP-writing VSO-represented Veteran from San Juan who chose the Evidence Submission docket
Caseflow's task tree can reflect the Veteran's situation. An appeal can be established with many tasks to start.
Root task
Translation
Track Veteran
Informal Hearing Presentation
Evidence Window
VSOs/Private attorneys/agents
If the Veteran has a representative, a Track Veteran Task is assigned to their organization so they can see their appeals.
Root task
Track Veteran
This could be assigned to an:
depending on who the Veteran elects as their representative.
Private attorneys, agents, and field VSOs cannot create, assign, or be assigned any tasks (other than the TrackVeteranTask, which does not require action)
If the Veteran has an IHP-writing VSO as their representative, two tasks are added.
Root task
Track Veteran
Informal Hearing Presentation
If the Veteran has an IHP-writing VSO as their representative, an Informal Hearing Presentation Task is added and assigned to that particular VSO's organization
Root task
Track Veteran
Informal Hearing Presentation
VSOs can then assign tasks to individuals that are part of their organization
Root task
Track Veteran
⌛
Informal Hearing Presentation
Informal Hearing Presentation
VSOs can then assign tasks to individuals that are part of their organization
Root task
Track Veteran
⌛
Informal Hearing Presentation
Informal Hearing Presentation
Hearings
If the Veteran chose the Hearing docket, a Hearing Task is automatically created by Caseflow Queue after the appeal is established through Caseflow Intake. This Hearing Task serves as the base for all other hearing-related tasks. The first of which is a Schedule Hearing task
Root task
⌛
Hearing Task
👋
Schedule Hearing
There are a few scenarios - like missing data or Veteran situations - that automatically create Hearing Admin Tasks, which are assigned to the Hearing Admin organization. These tasks block the hearing from being scheduled until they are complete, so they are added as children to the Schedule Hearing task.
Root task
⌛
Hearing Task
⌛
Schedule Hearing
👋
Hearing Admin Task
Task statuses (& key for this deck)
If a Veteran does not have an address, or the address is "incomplete or ambiguous" in Corporate Database, a Hearing Admin - Verify Address Task is created and assigned to the Hearing Admin organization. This task blocks the hearing from being scheduled until they are complete, so they are added as children to the Schedule Hearing task.
Root task
⌛
Hearing Task
⌛
Schedule Hearing
👋
Hearing Admin Task - Verify Address
Task statuses (& key for this deck)
Source: https://github.com/department-of-veterans-affairs/caseflow/blob/master/app/services/va_dot_gov_address_validator/error_handler.rb#L16
Hearing Admin Action Tasks
As of 10/31/2019
Documentation can get out of date. The source of truth for this is here.
When a hearing is scheduled, the Schedule Hearing Task is complete and a Assign Hearing Disposition Task is created, as a child to the Hearing Task.
After the hearing is addressed in some way, users assign a disposition to the hearing (held, cancelled, no show, postponed), which completes the Assign Hearing Disposition Task. Different task structures result based on the hearing's disposition, that are discussed in the Hearing Disposition flows section.
Root task
⌛
Hearing Task
✅
Schedule Hearing
Task statuses (& key for this deck)
👋
Assign Hearing Disposition Task
Scenario: The hearing request is withdrawn (before the hearing was scheduled)
Schedule Hearing Task is cancelled and the Hearing Task is automatically closed
Root task
⛔
Hearing Task
⛔
Schedule Hearing
Task statuses (& key for this deck)
Hearing dispositions flows
Disposition: The hearing is postponed and the Veteran is immediately re-scheduled
Assign Hearing Disposition Task is completed and the Hearing Task is automatically closed. A new Hearing Task and Assign Hearing Disposition Task are created
Root task
✅
Hearing Task
✅
Assign Hearing Disposition Task
Task statuses (& key for this deck)
⌛
Hearing Task
👋
Assign Hearing Disposition Task
Disposition: The hearing is postponed and the Veteran is NOT immediately re-scheduled
Assign Hearing Disposition Task is completed and the Hearing Task is automatically closed. A new Hearing Task and Schedule Hearing Task are created
Root task
✅
Hearing Task
✅
Assign Hearing Disposition Task
Task statuses (& key for this deck)
⌛
Hearing Task
👋
Schedule Hearing Task
Disposition: The hearing was held.
Assign Hearing Disposition Task is completed and the Hearing Task is automatically closed as complete. Since all hearings are required to be transcribed, a Transcription Task is created and assigned to the Hearing Branch. Also, AMA allows the Veteran 90 days to submit evidence after a hearing, so an Evidence window task is created. The Evidence Window tasks expires in 90 days
Root task
✅
Hearing Task
✅
Assign Hearing Disposition Task
Task statuses (& key for this deck)
👋
Transcription Task
👋
90 day Evidence Window
Disposition: The hearing was held and the Veteran waives their Evidence Window.
Assign Hearing Disposition Task is completed and the Hearing Task is automatically closed as complete. Since all hearings are required to be transcribed, a Transcription Task is created and assigned to the Hearing Branch. The Evidence Submission task is never created.
Root task
✅
Hearing Task
✅
Assign Hearing Disposition Task
Task statuses (& key for this deck)
👋
Transcription Task
Scenario: The hearing request is withdrawn/cancelled (after the hearing was scheduled)
Assign Hearing Disposition Task is completed and the Hearing Task is automatically closed. The Veteran remains in the hearing docket, and still has the chance to submit evidence and waits 90 days before being distributed to a judge. If the Veteran has an IHP-writing VSO, an IHP task is also created.
Root task
✅
Hearing Task
✅
Assign Hearing Disposition Task
Task statuses (& key for this deck)
👋
90 day Evidence Window
Disposition: The Veteran was a no show for their hearing.
Assign Hearing Disposition Task is completed and a No Show Hearing Task is created as a child to it, assigned to the Hearing Branch.
Task statuses (& key for this deck)
Root task
⌛
Hearing Task
⌛
Disposition Task
👋
No Show Hearing Task
Disposition: The Veteran was a no show for their hearing.
Disposition: The Veteran was a no show for their hearing.
The No Show Hearing Task has 3 options:
See next slides for visuals.
Task statuses (& key for this deck)
Disposition: The Veteran was a no show for their hearing.
No show option 1: The Veteran was a no show for their hearing and the Hearing Branch postpones the hearing.
Root task
✅
Hearing Task
✅
Assign Hearing Disposition Task
Task statuses (& key for this deck)
✅
No Show Hearing Task
⌛
Hearing Task
👋
Schedule Hearing
No show option 2: The Veteran was a no show for their hearing and the Hearing Branch chooses to Send for hearing disposition change
Task statuses (& key for this deck)
Root task
✅
Hearing Task
✅
Assign Hearing Disposition Task
✅
No Show Hearing Task
👋
Change Disposition Task
No show option 3: The Veteran was a no show for their hearing and the Hearing Branch releases the case for decision. No Show Hearing Task is marked complete, the 90 day evidence window task is assigned. When it expires, the case can be distributed to a judge for decision.
Root task
✅
Hearing Task
✅
Assign Hearing Disposition Task
Task statuses (& key for this deck)
✅
No Show Hearing Task
👋
90 day Evidence Window
Automatic case distribution
Distributing cases in docket order, across all 4 dockets, to judges for decision drafting and signing
A variety of parameters need to be true before a case is automatically distributed to a judge.
For example, all blocking tasks need to be complete/cancelled (e.g. Evidence Submission docket or Hearing docket evidence windows, no blocking mail tasks, etc.) and the Distribution Task needs to be in the status of assigned.
Root task
👋
Distribution Task
✅
Evidence Window
✅
Informal Hearing Presentation
Track Veteran Task
Task statuses (& key for this deck)
Tasks that block distribution
Hearing docket and Evidence Window docket related tasks that block distribution:
Other blocking tasks:
Mail tasks that block distribution:
You can check whether any given Mail Task is blocked via their function `blocking?` returning true - see code here
When the distribution task is assigned, Automatic Case Distribution can distribute the case to a judge. This completes the Distribution Task and creates a Judge Assign Task, assigned to the judge.
Root task
👋
Distribution Task
Track Veteran Task
Before ACD
After ACD
Root task
👋
Judge Assign Task
Task statuses (& key for this deck)
Track Veteran Task
✅
Distribution Task
More reading:
Decision drafting and signing
When the judge assigns a task to the attorney, it creates an Attorney Task, assigned to the attorney, and a Judge Decision Review task on hold, assigned to the judge
Root task
👋
Judge Assign task
Before assigning to attorney
When the judge assigns a task to the attorney, it creates an Attorney Task, assigned to the attorney, and a Judge Decision Review task on hold, assigned to the judge. At this time, Judge —> Attorney tasks do not follow the Org —> user structure explained earlier. They are both forms of individual queues.
Root task
👋
Judge Assign task
Root task
⌛
Judge Decision Review Task
👋
Attorney Task
Before assigning to attorney
After assigning to attorney
✅
Judge Assign task
Judge tasks
Task type | Task definition |
Judge Assign Task | Cases that have been distributed to a judge for assignment to an attorney to draft a decision |
Judge Decision Review Task | Tasks assigned to judges to sign decisions, after an attorney has drafted one |
Judge Quality Review Task | Quality Review sent the case back to judge for a revision |
Judge Dispatch Return Task | Decision Management Branch sends the case back to judge due to an error or revision needed |
Attorney tasks
Task type | Task definition |
AttorneyTask | Tasks assigned to attorneys to draft decisions |
AttorneyRewriteTask | Tasks assigned to attorneys when the judge wants them to revise/rewrite the decision |
AttorneyQualityReviewTask | Tasks assigned to attorneys by a judge, when QR wanted that judge to revise/rewrite the decision |
AttorneyDispatchReturnTask | Tasks assigned to attorneys by a judge, when Dispatch wanted that judge to revise/rewrite the decision |
When the attorney finishes drafting the decision, they complete their Attorney Task via their check out flow. Now, the JudgeDecisionReview task is no longer on hold. Judges sign decisions in the Interactive Decision Template (IDT) and go through a check out flow to complete their task.
Root task
👋
Judge Decision Review Task
✅
Attorney Task
Sometimes, the judge might ask the attorney to revise/rewrite their decision. When judges select this action, Caseflow creates an Attorney Rewrite Task for that attorney, as a child of the Judge Decision Review Task.
Root task
⌛
Judge Decision Review Task
👋
Attorney Rewrite Task
✅
Attorney Task
VLJ Support
Note: Our code uses `ColocatedTasks` to describe these tasks. This VLJ Support Branch previously was referred to as "co-located" because they physically sit on the same floor as attorneys/judges at the Board. VLJ Support is more accurate, however.
At any time, judges or attorneys might find documents in the Veteran's file that indicate a decision can't be drafted (e.g. the Veteran submitted an extension request). They assign an "admin action" (create a Colocated task) to VLJ Support Staff (VLJSS). These tasks are first assigned to the VLJSS organization, then automatically assigned round robin to an individual on the VLJ Support Staff team. Parent tasks are put on hold.
Root task
⌛
Judge Assign Task
👋
Colocated Task
If from judge before assigning to attorney
If from attorney before finishing draft decision
Root task
⌛
Judge Decision Review Task
⌛
Attorney Task
👋
Colocated Task
Root task
⌛
Judge Decision Review Task
👋
Colocated Task
If from judge after attorney drafted decision
Board recently changed its policy to allow admin actions to be automatically routed to the Branch that completes the admin action task, rather than requiring them all to stop at VLJ Support Staff.
As of 10/31/2019, we are not automatically creating other branches' tasks. Instead we're using "PreroutingColocatedTasks" to facilitate this automatic transfer. Refactoring could simplify this in the future.
For example:
Root task
⌛
Judge Assign Task
⌛
PreRoutingColocatedTask
👋
TranslationTask
Tasks assigned to VLJSS
Tasks with pre-routing tasks, assigned elsewhere
Mail tasks are created by the mail team, and automatically routed/assigned based on the task type
Post-
decisional motions
VLJ Support Staff
Case Review (Mail/Intake)
Hearing Branch
Mail/Intake team creates mail task
Veteran sends in mail
Mail task routed to appropriate team
AOD
Privacy Queue
Litigation Support
Mail tasks routing logic (Note: code will always be best source of truth)
Mail task type | If appeal is active | If appeal is inactive |
Change of Address | VLJ Support | No task created. If at RO, send mail to appropriate RO |
Evidence or Argument | VLJ Support | Lit Support |
Hearing Related | - Hearing branch if open hearing branch tasks - all else, VLJ Support | No task created. If at RO, send mail to appropriate RO |
Power of Attorney Related | VLJ Support | No task is created. If at RO, send to appropriate RO. |
Extension Request | VLJ Support | No task created |
Death Certificate | VLJ Support | VLJ Support |
Mail tasks routing logic (Note: code will always be best source of truth)
Mail task type | If appeal is active | If appeal is inactive |
Motion to Advance on Docket | AOD | AOD |
FOIA Request | Privacy | Privacy |
Privacy Act Request | Privacy | Privacy |
Privacy Complaints | Privacy | Privacy |
Withdrawal of Appeal | Case Review | Case Review |
Returned or Undeliverable Mail | This will go to the existing task owner. If there are multiple tasks, we choose the most recently created task's owner exception: automatically route to hearing branch if open hearing branch tasks | Manual routing - likely Dispatch team because it's an undeliverable decision document |
Mail tasks routing logic (Note: code will always be best source of truth)
Mail task type | If appeal is active | If appeal is inactive |
Congressional Interest | Lit Support | Lit Support |
Controlled Correspondence | Lit Support | Lit Support |
CUE Related | Lit Support | Lit Support |
Motion for Reconsideration | Lit Support | Lit Support |
Status Inquiry | Lit Support | Lit Support |
Other Motion | Lit Support | Lit Support |
Motion to Vacate | Lit Support | Lit Support |
Quality Review
When judges complete their Decision Review tasks, one of two things can happen.
Root task
✅
Judge Decision Review Task
Root task
👋
Quality Review Task
Root task
👋
BVA Dispatch Task
OR
Quality Review tasks are assigned to the Quality Review organization. Then, the admin of the QR organization assigns them manually to individuals on the QR team. (No round robin assignment, like exists for VLJ Support Staff)
Root task
👋
Quality Review Task
Root task
⌛
Quality Review Task
👋
Quality Review Task
Assigned to organization
Assigned to organization
Assigned to individual
When the QR individual finds something in the decision that requires a judge to rewrite or revise their decision, they assign a task to the judge. When the judge completes that task, the QR task assigned to the individual will no longer be on hold, so can be worked again
Root task
⌛
Quality Review Task
⌛
Quality Review Task
Assigned to organization
Assigned to individual
👋
Judge Quality Review Task
Assigned to judge
The judge could assign a task back to the attorney to make the required fix
Root task
⌛
Quality Review Task
⌛
Quality Review Task
Assigned to organization
Assigned to individual
⌛
Judge Quality Review Task
Assigned to judge
👋
Attorney Quality Review Task
Assigned to attorney
Dispatch
If the QR team doesn't find any issues, they can complete their task, and the BVA Dispatch task will be created.
👋
BVA Dispatch Task
Assigned to organization
Root task
✅
Quality Review Task
✅
Quality Review Task
Assigned to organization
Assigned to individual
BVA Dispatch tasks are automatically round robin assigned to members of the `board-dispatch` organization.
Root task
⌛
BVA Dispatch Task
👋
BVA Dispatch Task
Assigned to organization
Assigned to individual
If BVA Dispatchers find any issues in the decision, they can send a task to the judge to fix. When the judge completes that task, the BVA Dispatch task assigned to the individual will no longer be on hold, so can be worked again
Root task
⌛
BVA Dispatch Task
⌛
BVA Dispatch Task
Assigned to organization
Assigned to individual
👋
Judge Dispatch Return Task
Assigned to judge
The judge could assign a task back to the attorney to make the required fix
👋
Attorney Dispatch Return Task
Assigned to attorney
Root task
⌛
BVA Dispatch Task
⌛
BVA Dispatch Task
Assigned to organization
Assigned to individual
⌛
Judge Dispatch Return Task
Assigned to judge
Litigation Support
IN DEVELOPMENT
Caseflow Intake tasks
Caseflow Intake has queues & tasks
Graveyard
Organizations - BVA
As of 10/31/2019
Organizations - External
As of 9/5/2019
Organizations - other VA entities
As of 9/5/2019