IT solutions Deliver strong results today while building bridges towards the future November 2014

Social Justice Tribunals Ontario  SJTO is a cluster of 7 adjudicative boards/ tribunals Human Rights Tribunal, Social Benefits Tribunal, Child and Family Services Review Board, Custody Review Board, Landlord and Tenant Board and Ontario Special Education Tribunals (English & Fr)  Resolve 100,000 applications/ appeals per year  300 FTEs and 100 OICs  Spread over multiple offices around the province  Mission: provide fair, effective, timely and accessible dispute resolution

IT Projects at a glance  E-Filing (LTB)  communication (HRTO)  Electronic decisions (SBT)  Hearing calendar (SJTO)

E-Filing The Need:  Boost SJTO e-Filing capacity  Landlord and Tenant Board receives >80,000 applications per year  Lots of staff time spent screening applications, entering application data and scheduling the applications for hearing

E-Filing The Product:  Plain language, accessible and intuitive  Access anytime, anywhere  A big step into the paperless world  Integrated with business rules

E-Filing: Snapshot

E-Filing: Status of the Application What steps have already been completed Where the applicant is in the application process What steps/ information still needs to be completed Can be used to navigate back to sections to correct or add information

E-Filing: Field level validation Complete information must be provided Mandatory, case specific information must be provided Warnings can be mandatory (must be fixed to continue) or informative (encourage applicants to provide additional information, like an address) Improves application quality

E-Filing: Integrated with forms  We still live in a paper-based world  Flexibility for the applicant  Option to save, print and file later in person, by fax or by mail

E-Filing The Obstacles/ Limitations:  Undefined goals  Scope creep!  Legislative requirements  Many hands don’t always make light work  Keeping up with the technology "An obstacle is often a stepping stone". - Prescott.

Communication The Need:  Increased demand from the public to communicate by  Internet is outpacing and replacing all other mediums of communication

Communication The Result: AND Repetitive or Inappropriate Communications: The HRTO strives to provide expeditious and accessible processes to help the parties resolve their dispute and that respect and reinforce the principles established in the Human Rights Code. Communications that are unduly lengthy, repetitive or disrespectful of any other participant or the Tribunal may be rejected

Communications The Benefits:  Increased responsiveness  More informal method of communication  Improved documentation/ paper trail  Fax machines are becoming obsolete  Green! No paper  Reduced delay – instant delivery

Communication The Challenge:  More informal communication  Volume, volume, volume  s must be screened and forwarded  Technical considerations

Electronic Decisions The Need:  Reduce the need to process over 8,000 paper-based decisions per year  Speed up decision issuance for our clients  Decrease costs  Streamline the process for members outside of Toronto  Strengthen public confidence in the justice system

Electronic Decisions The Result:  Decisions are now electronically signed by members  Sent to a central inbox  Proofread  Added to the physical file, case management system and mailed out

Electronic Decisions Added benefits:  Enhanced decision templates Reviewing the old process identified a gap in writing style and consistency of the format of SBT orders  Standardized writing style – anonymized party names

Common Hearing Calendar The Challenge:  7 tribunals  5 case management systems  Multiple hearing locations spread over 8 regional offices  No consistency

Common Hearing Calendar Goals:  Improve sharing of hearing rooms and office space  Decrease time spent liaising with different offices to find availability  A single entry point for scheduling for all tribunals and boards

Common Hearing Calendar Features:  View room availability  Book a room or update a booking  View room features like capacity, accessibility features etc.  Add/edit room features  Customizable user permissions

Common Hearing Calendar The Product:

Common Hearing Calendar

View from the back of the roomView from the front of the room

Common Hearing Calendar

It can be a bumpy road…  IT projects take time, plan accordingly Short-term IT projects: Allow Mid-term IT projects: Common Hearing Calendar Long-term IT projects: E-Filing  Empower your project managers and people  The goal should always be the end-state

…but it is worth the journey.  Take a small step in the right direction  Find creative solutions  Don’t be afraid of IT  Be patient “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second best time is now.” – Chinese Proverb