COBA – 2010 Doing More With Less: Managing Relationships and Harnessing Technology David Draper Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario

2 The world has changed  We work at institutions that expect a certain level of competence in the electronic world  Stakeholders expect to be able to find information and interact with us electronically  Access to justice now requires electronic options Clients without a permanent address Electronic options my be more accessible Electronic options may be cheaper

3 Look at the uses of technology: Internally – to meet the needs of the tribunal Externally – to meet the needs of users

4 Internal Tribunal staff and adjudicators are expected to use technology to work efficiently and independently:  Word processing   WIN  IFIS

5 Some people may have trouble adjusting

6 Train on the basics!!  Expertise in Word, Outlook, Excel Provide necessary support  Voice recognition software  Ergonomic consultation Share ideas and develop consistent practices  Collaboration tools  Careful use of shared directories / intranet  Clear responsibility for record keeping  File naming conventions y:\draper\annual report

7 Need to be accountable  Increasing emphasis on service standards, performance measures and reporting requirements  Value for money  Adjudicative Tribunals Accountability, Governance and Appointments Act (ATAGA or Tribunals Act)  Expectations to respond to inquiries about services from public and ministry/Minister → need to measure

8 Budgetary / Staffing considerations Internal IT resources / working with IT clusters Hiring the right IT staff Desktop support Maintaining website Dealing with servers and back-up tapes Programming / configuration needs for case management system Restrictions on use of consultants

9 Budgetary / Staffing considerations Pressure on travel budgets – pressure to use teleconference and videoconference

10 Creating efficiencies Is paperless are reasonable goal? → most of us will be living in a mixed paper and electronic environment Reducing data entry / photocopying Requiring parties to file documents / briefs electronically Opening up for communications and filing documents

11 External User expectations increasing quickly Forms -fillable as the bare minimum with e-filing becoming the norm Expectation that forms will be available in various formats Ability to communicate by and get quick response Acceptance of website as primary communication tool – most up-to-date, “official” information

12 Case management systems So many options and approaches Off the shelf products Third party vendors who offer configurable products Custom built systems What are you trying to achieve? What do you really need? How much time and resources can you devote to development? No one does everything!

13 Focus on your core needs:  E-filing  Scanning and storing documents  Generating notices and forms  File management - next steps / tracking / reminders  Scheduling  Reports / statistics

14 Lessons learned  Be wary of developing a sophisticated system until tribunal processes are well established  If the path of your files is unpredictable, be wary of trying to build a system that automatically moves cases to the next step  Be realistic about time frames for developing and implementing a case management system  Manage the discussion between business needs and IT requirements / development

15 Lessons learned  IT should not determine the process, but wise to develop processes and forms with an eye on the technology  Do not be shy about borrowing from others – do you really need to be out in the lead?  Ensure access to ongoing resources – internal or external – to maintain and adjust the system

16 Looking ahead More recognition of adjudicative tribunals as a unique group of organizations Clustering Inevitable pressure toward shared practices and standardization in some areas