Corporate Business Plan
2008/09—2010/11
ACCOUNTABILITY STATEMENT
The business plan for the three years commencing April 1, 2008 was
prepared under our direction in accordance to government and
industry best practice reporting requirements and accounting
polices. All of the organization’s goals and initiatives in which
operational and financial implications are expected, have been
considered in preparing the business plan.
On behalf of Legal Aid Alberta and its Board of Directors, we are
committed to achieving the planned results laid out in this business
plan.
Jacqueline Schaffter, CEO Glenda Graham, Chair
ACCOUNTABILITY STATEMENT………..2
SUMMARY………...4
LAA VISION...…...5
LAA MISSION………...5
HISTORY………...6
LINK TO ALBERTA JUSTICE STRATEGIC BUSINESS PLAN……… 7
SIGNIFICANT OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES……...8-9 STRATEGIC PRIORITIES…...10-11 CORE BUSINESS………...12 GOALS………...12-13
Legal Aid Alberta identifies its core business as providing legal services to Albertans. It strives to manage the scope of its legal services to meet the changing legal needs of Albertans who cannot afford to access the private bar and who are placing high demands on the services we provide. Several successful innovative programs have been introduced over the past fifteen years; however, pressures resulting from the expanded and sustained economy in Alberta have highlighted difficulties in meeting these legal needs of Albertans.
Over the next three years Legal Aid is committed to relieving these pressures by: >> attracting and retaining In-House and Private Bar lawyers to ensure we
provide quality legal services in a cost effective manner
>> ensuring that our guidelines for eligibility provide the right access to justice, not act as a barrier, are relevant, and that their application is fair, consistent and transparent
>> capitalizing on technology to improve the efficiency, effectiveness and consistency of our client service processes
>> improving the culture of collaboration/coordination/communication across Legal Aid Alberta
>> ensuring effective succession planning, knowledge transfer and staff training/ development opportunities
LEGAL AID ALBERTA
As a registered society incorporated under the provincial Societies Act, Legal Aid Alberta, (LAA) is an organization independent from government, mandated to operate and fund services addressing the legal needs of Albertans. Legal Aid Alberta plays an essential role in the justice system and must work with its two partners, the Minister of Justice and the Law Society of Alberta as well as other stakeholders to provide services within the funding provided on an annual basis. Legal Aid Alberta’s Executive Management and Board of Directors develop strategic planning to ensure an organizational strategy is focused on excellence in providing innovative client services to meet the complicated legal needs of ordinary Albertans.
LAA VISION
To be a leader amongst legal aid organizations in providing quality legal services to ensure access to justice for people in need
LAA MISSION
To provide a continuum of innovative and cost effective legal services for people in need throughout Alberta
Legal Aid in Alberta was officially established on July 1, 1970 by an agreement between the Law Society of Alberta and the provincial Attorney General to provide legal services to Albertans in need in both criminal and civil matters. It was replaced by an agreement signed in 1974, and a further agreement between the Law Society and the Legal Aid Society was also signed in that same year.
Governance agreements signed in 2001 and 2006 recognize Legal Aid and it programs as an important and necessary element in the justice system.
Legal Aid Alberta’s services range from legal information and advice in many areas of law to legal representation in court for a first appearance right through to full representation resulting in a final outcome. In addition to offering a range of services, Legal Aid Alberta has designed a number of programs to assist clients in a holistic way by addressing some of their special needs as well as the strictly legal issues. Legal Aid Alberta is also committed to anticipating and identifying unmet legal needs of low income Albertans – especially family law and related civil law matters – and developing programs and services to ensure those in need obtain equal access to the justice system.
Legal Aid Alberta’s programs and services further key goals of Alberta Justice and the Government of Alberta
>> promoting a fair and accessible civil and criminal justice system >> providing access to justice services for Albertans in need
Legal Aid Alberta is referenced in the Alberta Justice Business Plan under its core business: Justice Services to Albertans and has a strategy of:
>> increase funding for legal aid, to maintain and improve access to justice for Albertans in need
Legal Aid Alberta also participated in the Safe Communities Task Force meetings initiated by the Justice Minister, and the conclusions and recommendations of the Task force were considered when creating the Business Plan for this year. Legal Aid Alberta has and will continue to review Justice Initiatives arising from the conclusions and recommendations from the Task Force, and where appropriate will be enhancing its programs to provide service to Albertans in conjunction with these initiatives.
In providing Albertans with legal services, Legal Aid Alberta must be attuned to its challenges and opportunities, and must adapt to meet changing client needs, priorities and circumstances within its capacity of funding and resources. These opportunities and challenges would include:
Innovative in service delivery
Providing legal services that extend beyond appointing lawyers allows Legal Aid Alberta to be innovative and to meet the varied needs of clients. Effectiveness must be demonstrated in our service delivery, where progress can be measured and reported, and outcomes and achievements are recognized and valued.
Planned communication
Legal Aid Alberta’s Communications department has a primary focus to improve both internal and external communications efforts. Our external efforts in the future will be focused on improving government and stakeholder relationships, where a comprehensive and coordinated approach will reinforce Legal Aid Alberta’s essential role in the justice system. Internally the organization will focus on cross business unit communication and improving strategic awareness.
SIGNIFICANT OPPORTUNITIES
AND CHALLENGES
A culture of excellence
Fostering an organizational culture of excellence will enable Legal Aid Alberta to provide the best possible service to its clients and stakeholders. Supporting a strong workforce development/health and wellness program, and developing priorities and strategies to address lawyer retention issues will allow us to manage an increasingly diverse and competitive labour market.
Resource/Funding distribution
Balancing our resources and funding while sustaining the capacity to meet varied service demands is an ongoing challenge in the context of changing demographics, a growing Aboriginal and immigrant population, urbanization, and the growing complexity of the legal needs of Albertans. Our strategy will focus on capitalizing on technology and the strengths of a trained and fairly compensated workforce to adapt to the main legal service requirements Albertans desire.
Recruiting and Retaining Legal Counsel and Staff
The robust economic environment in the province has resulted in increased need for legal services in Alberta. It is becoming more advantageous for lawyers to take cases exclusively from privately paying clients, as legal aid cases lack competitive compensation. Given that LAA is not in a position to compete with private bar rates it must position itself as a mechanism for the private bar to provide access to justice to those in need by improving roster relations and becoming easier to do business with. To retain highly-qualified and reliant staff counsel, LAA recognizes the need to develop an optimum working environment.
Legal Aid Alberta contributes to the social well being of Albertans by delivering responsive and cost effective legal service programs on behalf of Alberta Justice. Through a strategic planning process that included environmental scanning, completion of a comprehensive needs assessment with input from our stakeholders, and inclusive participation in a strategic planning process by Legal Aid Alberta Executive and Senior Management and staff, we have identified critical strategic priorities that we intend to address and implement in the next three years.
The LAA Needs Assessment was completed in the Fall of 2007 and as a result the Legal Aid Alberta Board has recommended that we focus on the following initiatives:
Recruit, Retain Staff/Roster Lawyers
It is Legal Aid Alberta’s priority to attract and retain Staff and Private Bar lawyers to ensure quality legal services are available. We are committed to implementing a comprehensive marketing plan focused on recruitment and image; putting in place a complete lawyer recognition program to build appreciation for quality contributions in legal service; making Legal Aid Alberta easy to do business with; and compensating lawyers fairly.
Client Eligibility
Legal Aid Alberta is committed to ensuring the right clients get the right services and there is confidence in the decisions made related to client service. We are determined to build clarity for stakeholders/third parties as to our processes and improving client satisfaction. We are aware of the importance of maintaining the relevancy of our respective financial and substantive eligibility guidelines. We intend to review both guidelines and where appropriate revise them subject to Alberta Justice approval. We will also complete a current state analysis of the eligibility guideline structure with the goal of building a streamlined client-focused guideline process. Finally, we will endeavor to ensure that eligibility decisions are more consistent, reliable, relevant, and
transparent.
Client Service Process Streamlining
A business process review has been initiated within Legal Aid Alberta focusing on making our client service program more effective. With the goals of increased quality in service, higher capacity, and timeliness, we will ensure that our service delivery will remain aligned with the needs of our clients, and that we are efficient, effective and consistent in assisting our clients. We will support these process changes with technology, resources, and training and skills development to ensure successful implementation of change and evolution towards a culture of continuous improvement.
Legal Aid Culture
Legal Aid Alberta is determined to ensure that we have clear focus, shared understanding and alignment through our core business programs. A key priority in the next three years is to continue our efforts to enhance our organizational culture of collaboration, coordination, and communication. We will work to ensure that there is clear transparent decision making; clarity in our processes and priorities; a comprehensive understanding of the Legal Aid Alberta’s programs by all staff and management; and a more effective relationship between Board and Executive Management .
Succession Planning, Training and Development
The Human Resources Advisory Council within Legal Aid has identified a need to review our succession planning and staff training and development programs. With the intention of improving the delivery of client services by trained, engaged staff we will continue to develop the skill sets of all staff to support continuous improvement of client services.
>> TO PROVIDE AFFORDABLE, COST EFFECTIVE LEGAL SERVICES TO ALBERTANS IN NEED
Key Programs:
>> Lawyer Appointing (certificate) Program >> Staff Law Offices:
·Central Alberta Law Office (CALO)
·Family Law Office (FLO), Youth
·Youth Criminal Defence Office (YCDO)
·Siksika Nation Office
·Immigration Office
·Alberta Law Line
>> Duty Counsel Program/Brydges Duty Counsel Service
GOAL 1: Recruit and Retain Lawyers
What it means: An action plan will be implemented to recruit and retain Private
Bar Lawyers and Staff Counsel focusing on fair compensation, ease of doing business, recognition, and image enhancement. Strategies: Roster/Staff Lawyer survey, Lawyer billing and payment process review, compensation and benefits review, comprehensive marketing plan
Measures: Legal Aid Roster expansion Reduced Staff Lawyer turnover
GOAL 2: Review and Revise Eligibility Guidelines
What it means: The right clients get the right services and there is confidence
in the eligibility decisions made
Strategies: Based on the findings of the Needs Assessment review the respec-tive eligibility guidelines and where appropriate and subject to Alberta Justice approval revise the same, build processes for ongoing review, and establish a more transparent decision making process.
Measures: Client/stakeholder feedback indicates the eligibility guidelines are relevant. Client survey points to increased
satisfaction with decision making process.
GOAL 3: Business Process Streamlining
What it means: Processes are effective, efficient and client focused Processes ensure accountability:
·to Clients
·within the organization
·to stakeholders especially roster lawyers and government Strategies: Implement a business process and technology review, execute
modifications, build an organization-wide continuous improvement practice
Measures: Client feedback/survey indicates ease of doing business
Staff survey indicates positive feedback on improvements
GOAL 4: Focus and Prioritization
What it means: Resources are effectively utilized, collaborative focus and positive culture within the organization
Strategies: Build stronger relationships between Board, management, and staff
to enhance a shared understanding of Legal Aid’s priorities, processes, decisions, and governance. Engage all staff in operational planning, program development, and cross-team collaboration.
Measures: Staff feedback is positive regarding clarity of process.
Cross-team collaboration initiatives and project participation opportunities are popular and understood by staff.
GOAL 5: Succession Planning – Promoting Training and Development
What it means: Seamless delivery of quality services by trained engaged staff
Strategies: Establish principles & plans for career advancement, training and development, and succession.
Measures: Staff is satisfied, engaged. Staff turnover is reduced
