Strategic Plan

Objective One

Provide principled effective and efficient management of practices and procedures across all jurisdictions.

Goal 1
Ensure the continued professional development of court staff and Magistrates

Strategies
Establish a Magistrates' Professional Development Committee, and a Staff Professional Development Committee covering issues such as new legislative initiatives, law reform, succession planning, multi-skilling, and flexible work practices

Ensure all Court Officers have access to relevant professional development courses

Develop management, supervisory and budgetary skills in court staff

Educate supervisors and managers in the conduct of performance management system and providing feedback to staff, and ensure that performance management criteria are relevant

Maintain appropriate content and timely publication of the Court Reporter

Performance Indicators

% and numbers of staff satisfied with:

training opportunities

the conduct of feedback - trends over time

the number of Court Officers undertaking a mediation course

% and number of staff receiving training or professional development categorised by level

Goal 2
Determine cases within acceptable time frames

Strategies
Monitor, evaluate and implement changes to listing practices and procedures to ensure that the Court remains responsive to community expectations and needs

Provide time certainty in case listing

Performance Indicators

The number of cases processed in the Magistrates' Court - trends over time

The extent to which the Court meets or betters benchmarks of other States as provided by the COAG Report - trends over time

% and number of cases pending that are longer than X months - trends over time

% and number of cases finalised within 6 months - trends over time

The backlog ratio (new registrations compared to the number of cases finalised within a defined period) - trends over time

% of users satisfied with time certainty

Goal 3
Ensure the court embraces best practice case management procedures

Strategies
Establish a Case Management Committee to develop appropriate case management systems

Continue research into other Australian jurisdictions' case management systems

Ensure legislation governing all the Court's jurisdictions reflect modern differential case management principles

Develop and implement an integrated system of key performance indicators (KPI's) for the judicial business conducted in all of the Court's jurisdictions

Develop listing protocols within a differential case management system

Ensure compliance of clients with case management policies

Enhance the functionality of the:

Criminal Registration Information Management & Enquiry System (CRIMES Stage 2),
Civil Information Management System (CIMS), and
Tasmanian Coronial Case Management System (TCCMS)

Ensure compliance of clients with case management policies

Performance Indicators

Judicial performance measured against agreed KPI's - trends over time

Goal 4
Ensure the court embraces best practice business management principles

Strategies
Clarify the interrelationship between the Magistracy, Court management and the Executive as to respective powers and duties, and how they will be exercised in practice.

Maintain the operations of the Court Management Group as the primary policy body of the Court

Develop initiatives that will encourage a participative and proactive management structure

Develop a "whole of Court" culture - a sense of collective responsibility for the operations of the Court

Ensure that all projects are managed within the Court's annual Business Planning & Budget processes

Develop and implement an integrated system of key performance indicators (KPI's) for the administrative business conducted in all of the Court's jurisdictions

Performance Indicators

% and number of Court Officers satisfied with the level of participation in the management and operations of the Court;
annual budget performance (surplus or deficit)
administrative performance measured against agreed KPI's
the number of improvement projects implemented

Goal 5
Review criminal, civil, and tribunals' procedures to ensure they are effective & efficient

Strategies
Develop the legislative framework for the proposed Magistrates Court (Criminal & General Division) Act and Rules

Complete the legislative and administrative merger of the Small Claims Division with the Civil Division

Develop the Mediation Unit for alternative dispute resolution services

Review the efficiency and effectiveness of the Restraint Order legislation

Review the efficiency and effectiveness of the various Tribunals located within the Court's organisational structure

Review the effectiveness of current listing practices and time specific hearings

Performance Indicators

% and number of matters referred to the Mediation Unit - trends over time
% and number of mediations settled by Court - annexed mediators and conciliators - trends over time
% and number of court users satisfied with the effectiveness and efficiency of listing practices in the criminal, civil, and tribunals' jurisdictions - trend over time

Goal 1	Ensure the continued professional development of court staff and Magistrates
Strategies	Establish a Magistrates' Professional Development Committee, and a Staff Professional Development Committee covering issues such as new legislative initiatives, law reform, succession planning, multi-skilling, and flexible work practices
	Ensure all Court Officers have access to relevant professional development courses
	Develop management, supervisory and budgetary skills in court staff
	Educate supervisors and managers in the conduct of performance management system and providing feedback to staff, and ensure that performance management criteria are relevant
	Maintain appropriate content and timely publication of the Court Reporter
Performance Indicators	% and numbers of staff satisfied with: training opportunities the conduct of feedback - trends over time the number of Court Officers undertaking a mediation course % and number of staff receiving training or professional development categorised by level

Goal 2	Determine cases within acceptable time frames
Strategies	Monitor, evaluate and implement changes to listing practices and procedures to ensure that the Court remains responsive to community expectations and needs
	Provide time certainty in case listing
Performance Indicators	The number of cases processed in the Magistrates' Court - trends over time The extent to which the Court meets or betters benchmarks of other States as provided by the COAG Report - trends over time % and number of cases pending that are longer than X months - trends over time % and number of cases finalised within 6 months - trends over time The backlog ratio (new registrations compared to the number of cases finalised within a defined period) - trends over time % of users satisfied with time certainty

Goal 3	Ensure the court embraces best practice case management procedures
Strategies	Establish a Case Management Committee to develop appropriate case management systems
	Continue research into other Australian jurisdictions' case management systems
	Ensure legislation governing all the Court's jurisdictions reflect modern differential case management principles
	Develop and implement an integrated system of key performance indicators (KPI's) for the judicial business conducted in all of the Court's jurisdictions
	Develop listing protocols within a differential case management system
	Ensure compliance of clients with case management policies
	Enhance the functionality of the:
	Criminal Registration Information Management & Enquiry System (CRIMES Stage 2), Civil Information Management System (CIMS), and Tasmanian Coronial Case Management System (TCCMS)
	Ensure compliance of clients with case management policies
Performance Indicators	Judicial performance measured against agreed KPI's - trends over time

Goal 4	Ensure the court embraces best practice business management principles
Strategies	Clarify the interrelationship between the Magistracy, Court management and the Executive as to respective powers and duties, and how they will be exercised in practice.
	Maintain the operations of the Court Management Group as the primary policy body of the Court
	Develop initiatives that will encourage a participative and proactive management structure
	Develop a "whole of Court" culture - a sense of collective responsibility for the operations of the Court
	Ensure that all projects are managed within the Court's annual Business Planning & Budget processes
	Develop and implement an integrated system of key performance indicators (KPI's) for the administrative business conducted in all of the Court's jurisdictions
Performance Indicators	% and number of Court Officers satisfied with the level of participation in the management and operations of the Court; annual budget performance (surplus or deficit) administrative performance measured against agreed KPI's the number of improvement projects implemented

Goal 5	Review criminal, civil, and tribunals' procedures to ensure they are effective & efficient
Strategies	Develop the legislative framework for the proposed Magistrates Court (Criminal & General Division) Act and Rules
	Complete the legislative and administrative merger of the Small Claims Division with the Civil Division
	Develop the Mediation Unit for alternative dispute resolution services
	Review the efficiency and effectiveness of the Restraint Order legislation
	Review the efficiency and effectiveness of the various Tribunals located within the Court's organisational structure
	Review the effectiveness of current listing practices and time specific hearings
Performance Indicators	% and number of matters referred to the Mediation Unit - trends over time % and number of mediations settled by Court - annexed mediators and conciliators - trends over time % and number of court users satisfied with the effectiveness and efficiency of listing practices in the criminal, civil, and tribunals' jurisdictions - trend over time