Q/ What Is Service Connections and Matching and Linking ?

Q / As for DSOs

General

1. Q/ What is “Service Connections” and “Matching and Linking”?

A/ The DSCIS v6 Service Connections project is the new official launch name to what MCSS has, during the planning stages, been referring to as “Matching and Linking”. The new official name more accurately captures what the new features will accomplish for people needing developmental services as well asreflecting the broad process changes, rather than just referring to two significant components of the change.

1. When will it happen?

A/ The first phase that includes all DSOs and a small group of Service Agencies (SAs) will begin March 27, 2017.

1. Q/ What are the new DSCIS v6 changes and how will it work?

A/ DSCIS 5.2 was implemented to support DS clientintake, eligibility and assessment processes.

DSCIS v6 changes are a technological upgrade to the system. It includes new features as well as process changes to create a moreprovincially consistent approach to “service connection”—the processes used to connect people who need to be connected to ministry-fundedservices.

For DSOs, the changes will include new features that will support the connecting process. This includes an Individual Consolidated Evidence (ICE) feature that will allow an individual’s information to be more easily updated, a prioritization process and two portals through which DSOs can connect with DS service agenciesas well as new navigational features.

For Service Agencies (SAs), this change will mean that they will declare available services through a web portal. This will feed into the electronic information system used by DSOs, the Developmental Services Consolidated Information System (DSCIS).

1. Q/ The timelines have shifted over the past year. Why?

We are committed to a partnership with DSOs to develop and implement a system that meets their needs.

As part of a demo that took place in the summer of 2016, the DSOs identified areas that would need refinements to support their day-to-day operations in the most effective manner. MCSS worked with DSOs and internal partners to address and refine the DSCIS v6 changes to meet DSOs’ operational needs.

In consultation with the DSOs, MCSS developed a new Go-Live timeframe whichis currently positioned to occur between March and June 2017. The confirmed date for Phase 1 Go-Live is March 27, 2017.

1. Q/ Why are these changes coming and what are the benefits?

A/ These changes stem from MCSS’ ongoing commitment to better serve people (and their families) with developmental disabilities and their families by modernizing the developmental services system.The Ministry is focused on transforming the developmental services sector ensuring, among other goals, a provinciallyconsistent way to offer developmental service supports across the province.

Specifically, the changes are addressing concerns raised by DSOs regarding DSCIS v5.2. These changes will:

• Centralize information to better support consistent, comprehensive and unduplicated information and facilitate a better basis for assessing current and future needs of client.
• Support “connecting” features to reduce the administrative burden placed on DSOs by maintaining a secondary database for the purposes of connecting individuals to services.
• Position the DS sector for future modernization.

• Provides an enhanced and consistent experience for the person applying, through a more efficient and automated application process;
• Promotes availability of better and more information on which to base decisions about needs and services.

• Provides a single platform which directly links them to DSO partners;
• Enables more effective communication and better coordination of resources and their availability;
• Provides a more secure way to share individuals’ information with DSOs
• Allows for consistent record-keeping of communications

• Supports provincial consistency in delivery of developmental services;
• Reduces inefficiencies and administrative burden in the service system (removing the need for manual and parallel systems to manage the connecting process;
• Provides better and more up-to-date, unduplicated information on individual service needs and service vacancies;
• Improves data quality, which will support system/capacity planning;
• Enables greater reporting and business intelligence capabilities.

• Addresses operational challenges raised by the DS Select Committee, the Auditor General’s report, the recent Ombudsman’s report and stakeholders;
• Supports better strategic and operational evidence-based planning;
• Provides ability to demonstrate improved efficiency and effectiveness of services delivered by the DSOs;
• Helps to create a more consistent service delivery model which will provide fair and equitable services across the province;
• Enables more prudent management of taxpayers’ dollars.

1. Q/What is Individual Consolidated Evidence (ICE)?

A / Individual Consolidated Evidence (ICE) is a profile summary in DSCIS v6 which identifies assessed service and support needs. It will allow applicant information to be more readily updated to ensure an appropriate match can be made to available services and supports.

1. Q/ Does this mean a new role and process in declaring available services and supports?

A/ The roles of DSOs related to the process of connecting individuals to available services and supports will not change. The improved process will continue to include SAswho will communicate with DSOs about available SIPDDA-funded services and supports, and the DSOs, in turn, helping to identify prioritized individuals as a potential match to these services and supports.

The process still allows SAs and individuals and their families to confirm the appropriateness and acceptance of the service offering for the individual. DSOs will remain responsible for updating client information in DSCIS.

The change related to the improvements to service connections for SAswill include the use of new web-based information portals for sharing information with the DSOs, and the use of provincially consistent information elements for declaring available SIPDDA-funded service and support resources.

1. Q/ Will the improvements support better information sharing between DSOs and Service Agencies?

A/ The new DSCIS version will support DSOs and service agenciesto securely share information on available services and supports in a more provinciallyconsistent and efficient manner. This will contribute to the overall improvement of the system.

Work is also underway to:

• Enhance the overall scope of an individual’s information captured in DSCIS;
• Validate and update the information that is contained in DSCIS (including information that will be migrated into the system from other database sources); and,
• Improve DSCIS reporting.

This work is part of an ongoing evolution of the DSCIS system, and will strengthen system planning capacity.

1. Q/ How will client information privacy be managed?

A/ The access to a person’s information will not change with DSCIS v6. SAs will not have access to peoples’ information except that which is shared by the DSO for the service connection process.

Roles and Responsibilities

1. Q/ What are the Roles and Responsibilities for me and my organization?

Roles and responsibilities of DSOs and Service Agenciesfor day-to-day operations are not meant to change from the new features and processes of DSCIS. DSCIS is the tool to support the change in business processes and support the work that you do. As part of implementation planning, the ministry has worked with DSOs to review their individual business processes in order to identify any gaps or adjustments.

Timelines and Rollout

1. Q/ How is the implementation of DSCIS v6 happening?

A/ DSCIS v6 is a phased rollout. This means that the first phase of rollout will happen on March 27. As with any large technology-based project we want to acknowledge that despite rigorous testing issues may emerge. MCSS intends to navigate any issues that may arise in collaboration with our partners to inform the ongoing evolution of the DSCIS system and support the DS sector’s delivery of vital services and supports.

1. Q/ What are the phases?

A/For Phase 1, all DSOs and a selection of 30-40SAshave gone through the training, testing and other operational activities for a March launch. This means that DSOs will begin using DSCIS v6 with its new features and that the select group of Agencies will be able to use the two portals to either declare services or facilitate communication on the linking process.

There will be a scheduled period immediately before the launchwhen the DSCIS system may not be fully operational. This will allow for the transfer of data from DSCIS 5.2 to DSCIS v6. DSOs will have workarounds in place to ensure there is continuity of service for DS clients.

Note that, given the phased approach, there will be a period following Go-Live wheremost agencies will not be declaring services through DSCIS v6 system. DSOs will need to ensure that services declared to their organization during that timeframe will not be overlooked and will be entered into the DSCIS v6 system.

The remaining Agencies will come onboard successively, the determination of which will be based on outcomes of Phase1.

Help Desk

1. Q/What kind of technical support can I expect?

A/ Once DSCIS v6 launches, there will be a dedicated help desk while users gain experience in using the new system. It will be staffed by the DSCIS v6 team. It will be the single point of contact for DSCIS users to report and resolve issues.

1. Q/ What level of support can I expect from the help desk?

A/ Your call will be answered by a DSCIS team member very familiar with the system. If this call cannot be resolved, the issue will be escalated to a higher level of technical support. In the unlikely event that, after extensive testing we discover this is a systemic issue, we will include it in our Release Management strategy to determine when, in the successive phases of DSCIS upgrades, it can be addressed. In the short term, we will attempt to find an interim solution.

Prioritization

1. Q/ What is the new prioritization tool and how will it affect how DS organizations make decisions?

A/ The prioritization tool is one of the central new features being added by the DSCIS v6 Service Connections project.This tool will calculate a prioritization score for all individuals with a completed Application Package, based on provincially-consistent, risk-based criteria. It was developed based on an existing tool already in use. The intention of this tool is to support and inform the prioritization process currently undertaken by the local service agencies.

MCSS is working with these agencies to develop process information on-the-ground local processes in combination with the prioritization tool. This includes opportunities for existing community-based prioritization processes to identify a different score where it is felt that the tool is not an accurate reflection of a person’s circumstances.

Change Management and Communication

1. Q/ What supports are in place to help DSOs / DS Service agencies?

A/ Ongoing engagement has occurred through “Matching and Linking Working Group” (M&L WG), Information Management Sub Committee (IMSC), Data Migration Working Group (DM WG).As well, site visits, site readiness planning tool and business process mapping was provided to assist DSOs to identify gaps in business processes

Post implementation supports include:

• Training
• Operational Guidelines outlinein-depth of the business process changes
• User Guides – detailed instructions including DSCIS screenshots on end-to-end processes both operationally and in DSCIS to support day-to-day operations
• Data Dictionary to provide a plain language glossary of technical terms
• Help Desk– Go Live
• DSCIS Digest

As DSOs are aware, there is an IM Lead for their organizations who will play a pivotal role in DSCIS v6 implementation. There is a similar role recently established for Service Agencies and otherservice agencies which should help support the engagement between organizations.

1. Q / What kinds of engagement have DSOs had?

A/ DSOs have been extensively engaged on DSCIS v6 and its workstreams through ongoing committee participation. As the DSCIS v6 initiative is now in the implementation phase, the communication with DSOs will extend beyond committee engagement.

DSO engagements have included:

• Biweekly phone calls as a “touch base”

• DSOs have received a monthly DSCIS Digest newsletter through IMSC to share with DS staff. This newsletter will contain a monthly calendar to keep DSOs aware of upcoming events to help preparation.

• Ongoing sessions throughout Fall 2016 with DSOs to review and validate user guides

• Furthermore, as part of the change management strategy, a DSCIS team member has beenundertaking site visits throughout summer 2016 to help prepare for the changes using a set of change management tools.

• A readiness checklist has been provided to ensure identification of issues during the implementation process.

• A Go-Live package delivered close to the March Go-Live date that will contain updated Q/As, user guides, Help Desk information and other supports that have been identified as critical for success.

Data Migration (DSOs) Note, needs to align with

1. Q/What is data migration?

A/ Data migration for this project involves moving existing data from DSOs’ secondary databases to the DSCIS database. Before data is migrated DSOs will participate in the data conversion process.

1. Q/What data is being migrated?

A/ For DSOs, relevant data that is currently housed within the DSOs’ individually-managed secondary database will be moved to the DSCIS v6 platform. The goal is to centrally house data on the DSCIS system so the DSOs can begin using the new features in DSCIS v6.The data to be moved has been jointly identified and agreed to by the DSOs and Ministry.

Specifically, the data being moved will be:

• Status changes corresponding to the services and support needs of a DS applicant that is currently tracked in the secondary system will be migrated into the new feature called “Individual Consolidated Evidence” (ICE).

1. Q/ What are the benefits to migrating data?

A/ Data migration is a critical step in consolidating information from each DSO’s secondary databases into DSCIS to support the enhanced connecting features in the DSCIS v6 platform. This will support DSOs operationally as it will consolidate the information into one database and will automate the process.

1. Q/What are the timelines?

The data conversion and migration will occur in the days leading up to, and post Go-Live. The delayed process is being shared with members of the Data Migration working group.

1. Q / What is the data freeze?

Around the launch date (aka Go-Live date) in March, there will be a “data freeze” period so that the ministry’s IT cluster can complete preparation for data migration.The purpose of the data freeze is to allow conversion of data from DSCIS 5.2 to DSCIS v6. Operations within DSCIS 5.2 will be suspended in order to facilitate the conversion of the existing DSCIS 5.2 data to the new DSCIS data format. This means DSOs will have to track information manually until such time as DSCIS v6 is available

1. Q/ How will the data freeze affect me and when can I start using DSCIS v6?

A/The data freeze process will occur over a weekend to minimize disruption to DSOs.

This will mean that DSCIS 5.2 platform is available until 6pm Thursday prior to Go-Live. The following Friday DSCIS will be unavailable until start of business Monday morning i.e., one business day. On Monday, DSOs will use DSCIS to validate data but will not be able to enter new data. Once the data is validated, DSCIS will be fully available for day-to-day use once DSOs sign-off with the Ministry.

1. Q/How will data migrationimpact DSOs and what are the expectations of DSO staff?

Data migration will take place immediately after Go-Live once the data conversion process.

DSOs, as the key partner in this initiative have been asked to assign key staff member(s) to undertake the following responsibilities:

• Ensure DSO secondary systems are up-to-date in advance of the actual data migration vent taking place in March
• Export the data from secondary systems to a data migration template
• Upload the data to the new DSCIS v6 platform
• Validate the exported data
• Resolve data error issues following data migration
• Validate the data converted from DSCIS 5.2 (the current system) to v6

The ministry will support DSO offices as they complete these tasks.

1. Q/ What will be the role of the DSO during this period?

A/ The DSOs will have a role in undertaking validation of the data converted for DSCIS v5.2 to v6 immediately at the end of the data freeze, upload the data to be migrated, fix any data errors that may be uncovered and conduct another validation of the converted data. Finally the DSOs will be required to confirm with the ministry that data migration is complete.

1. Q/What staff resources from DSOs will be required?

A/ Each DSO will identify a data migration technical lead. Other staff members may be asked to participate based on the individual approach undertaken by each DSOs needs. The technical support lead will be required to assist with the validation of the data after migration amongst other activities.