POPVOX Foundation Celebrates Launch of House Digital Services Unified Casework Data Schema
WASHINGTON – POPVOX Foundation commends the House of Representatives on its release of a unified data schema for Congressional casework tracking and analysis. This groundbreaking work, which originated with Modernization efforts in the previous select committee and the Committee on House Administration and was executed by the House Digital Services, will transform how Congress learns from constituent experiences and identifies systemic challenges in federal agency operations.
This achievement represents the culmination of years of bipartisan collaboration and technical innovation:
In 2022, the House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress heard testimony from Anne Meeker, POPVOX Foundation Managing Director, raising the concept of a unified, anonymized casework data aggregation system, from former Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson on how TAS utilizes similar data to inform its recommendations to Congress, and from Matt Lira on how strengthening constituent services could help rebuild trust in government.
POPVOX Foundation Managing Director Anne Meeker testifies before the House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress.
In its December 2022 final report, the Select Committee included Recommendation 172, which called for "an optional system to allow offices to share anonymized constituent casework data and aggregate that information to identify trends and systemic issues to better serve constituents.”
In July 2023, POPVOX Foundation released a white paper establishing a roadmap for how anonymized casework data could be collected and structured.
In December 2024, the Committee on House Administration Modernization and Innovation Subcommittee’s annual report highlighted that it had worked with House Digital Services to establish a pilot working group and project to develop this anonymized data system — now called Case Compass. House Digital Services staff have continued to work closely with caseworkers to understand what types of casework Congressional offices routinely handle, and establish best-practice approaches to categorizing and tracking data to understand casework trends.
In July of this year, the House Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Legislative Branch Operations included a recommendation that the Chief Administrative Officer and House Digital Services continue to prioritize the development of the Case Compass.
September 9, 2025: House Digital Services released the data schema on GitHub and asked for public input:
Source: Github
We applaud House Digital Services for their exceptional technical work in developing this comprehensive framework, which was built through unprecedented cooperation with caseworkers from across the political spectrum. For the first time, casework professionals from both parties have shared their operational expertise and best practices to create a unified system that serves all Congressional offices.
The Modernization and Innovation Subcommittee of the Committee on House Administration deserves special recognition for their leadership in prioritizing this initiative and securing the necessary resources to bring it to fruition. Their commitment to strengthening Congress's capacity to serve constituents has been instrumental in moving this project from concept to reality.
“This unified data schema creates a critical feedback loop that strengthens the foundation of responsive democratic government. When constituents reach out to Congress for help navigating federal agencies, they’re providing invaluable real-time intelligence about how government actually works — or doesn’t work — for the people it serves. By systematically capturing and analyzing this information, Congress can identify patterns, anticipate problems, and work with agencies to address systemic issues before they affect thousands more constituents. This isn’t just about better data management — it’s about building the state capacity we need for truly competent, responsive government that learns from citizen experience and continuously improves.”
This unified data schema represents more than a technical advancement — it creates new possibilities for Congress to fulfill its constitutional oversight responsibilities with unprecedented insight into how federal agencies actually serve the American people. By standardizing how casework data is captured and analyzed, Congress will be better equipped to identify emerging problems before they become widespread, understand the real-world impact of federal programs, and make data-driven decisions about where legislative intervention may be needed.
The collaborative development process, bringing together caseworkers, technical experts, and Congressional leadership, demonstrates what's possible when Congress invests in its own capacity and creates space for the expertise of frontline staff to inform institutional improvements.
POPVOX Foundation has been honored to support this effort through our research, advocacy, and ongoing work with the Congressional casework community through our Casework Navigator program. We look forward to continuing our support as this transformative tool is implemented and refined to serve constituents and strengthen democratic accountability.
Congressional casework represents one of the most direct and meaningful ways that government demonstrates responsiveness to the people it serves. Today's announcement ensures that this vital work will inform broader efforts to make government work better for everyone.
POPVOX Foundation is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization founded in 2021 with a mission to help democratic institutions keep pace with a rapidly changing world. Learn more at popvox.org.
