Northern Ontario Community Legal Clinics Transformation Initiative
Monthly Report no. 5
November 1-30, 2014
Schedule:
- Northern Transformation Working Group, consultantrepresentatives and project managermet in person during our regional training conference November 3. The consultant provided updates on aspects of the project. The group discussed transitional issues (hiring of a new ED by the consultant), a date for the April Design Workshop meeting, and the possibility of requesting statistical information from LAO. The group reviewed the information package to be presented at meetings for clinic EDs and staff members later in the conference.
- Consultant representatives, Working Group,and project manager met with northern clinic EDs later on November 3, providing a project overview and update with an introduction to the project web portal. An information package with templates was provided for clinics to use to prepare for community visits and organize focus groups.
- On November 6, consultant representatives, Working Group and project manager met with other staff members from northern clinics in attendance at the conference, providing the same information.
- November 18-19, the first of the community visits to the 11 northern clinics took place, with consultant representatives visiting Clinique Juridique Grand Nord in Kapuskasing and making a trip to Hearst.
- Working Group, consultant and project manager met by teleconference November 19 to update on progress, discuss project status and prepare for December 4 teleconference with the full Northern Transformation Steering Committee.
- November 20-21, the second community visit took place, with consultant representatives attending at the Timmins-Temiskaming Community Legal Clinic.
- November 26, announcement of project web portal being up and running.
- Community visit to Keewaytinok CLC rescheduled to December 9-12.
Budget:
- Expenditures for conference calls continue.
- Project manager continuing (.25 of ED position). This allocation has been sufficient to date.
- Budgeting of $800 per clinic for focus group expenses has been sufficient to date (two visits).
- Funding/budget meeting held between Trudy McCormick and LAO representatives. Confirmed that project is operating within budget for year one. Further discussion to be held regarding funding process for years two and three.
Resources:
- Project manager in place.
- Consultant team members and time dedicated to project appear sufficient.
Issues:
- Time Pressures – timelines remain challenging for consultant and Working Group (e.g. only one community profile finalized to date, Keewaytinok was to be first clinic visited, but now rescheduleddue to clinic obligations).
- Some delays in receiving information from a few clinics, as Clinic EDs prioritized preparation of funding applications due Dec. 1.
- Transitional issues at consultant (new ED, team member maternity leave, injury has hindered mobility of another team member), although these appear to be manageable.
Risks Identified:
- Aggressive timelines.
- Potential for lack of engagement for some clinics and steering committee members.
- One clinic has had administrative director on sick leave.
Milestones And Activities Completed:
- Community profile template and one community profile completed
- Almost all raw data for other profiles gathered for analysis
- Key informant questions completed
- Interviews of clinic EDs/managers complete
- Majority of other key informant interviews done
- Community visit/focus group information package and questions finalized and distributed to clinics
- Two community visits completed, third visit scheduled
- Web project portal tested and operating
- Tentative date set for design workshop meeting
- Survey design in process