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2015 Court Administrators’ Conference

June 22, 2015

Janet G. Cornell

Court Consultant

EvidenceBasedManagementforTomorrow’sSuccessfulLeader

Premise:► Leaders use data 

► Leaders must be comfortable with statistics

►Future use of evidence

► Purpose of courts

► Public trust & confidence

►What you count, counts2

ThisSession

•Data and information

•Leaders

•Examples

•Practice

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2

From cartoonist Larson 

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ATrueStory

5

6

Sadistics

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“All change in history, all advance, comes from 

nonconformity.  If there had been no troublemakers, no dissenters, we should still be 

living in caves.”

Historian A.J.P. Taylor7

WhenIsay“Data”

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Terms• Analytics

• Benchmarking

• Evidence Based Practice(EBP)

• Empirical

• Statistically Significant

• Quantitative

• Big Data

• Scorecard

• Business Process Reengineering (BPR)

• Dashboard

• Business Case

• Diagnostics

• Business Intelligence

• Results Oriented

• Results Based

• Metrics 9

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Evidence…

… Helps you make a conclusion

… Indicator or set of indicators

… Proves

… Visible sign

… Supports proposal, premise

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Evidence…

•Credibility

•Accountability

•Performance

•Reengineering

•Decision making

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WhendoYouUseEvidenceatWork?

1‐2‐3

• I use (or rely upon) data each day

• I discuss measures/metrics with the Presiding Judge

1‐2‐3

• Before beginning a new program I (we) look at data

• We have performance data from our justice partners

1‐2‐3

• Court data is included in budget discussions

• My court publishes an annual report with metrics

12Total: ____

Rating Scale1 – no/little2 – some/sometimes3 – a lot/always 

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Risks

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Risks…

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Risks

Benefits

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WhyNow?

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EvolutionofCourt Performance

CaseflowMgmtPrincipl

Time Standards

Trial Court 

PerformcStandards

Staff & Efficiency Assessmt

Statistical Reporting Standrds

CourTools

NACM Core Comp.  

HighPerformcCourts

Principles of Judicial

Administ.

NACM CORE  

1970s    1980s    1990    1996‐2001   2003‐2004     2005   2010    2011    2012+

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CompetingPressures

Rulesandpolicies

Publicperceptions

Fiscalchallenges

Increasing &tightercontrols

Customerexpectation&demand

Caseflowmanagement

TaskComplexity

Staffing,hiring,

retention,morale

Serviceelimination

orconsolidation

Reactivesystems

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7

TheFuture

• Control  

• Adaptability  

• Digital Natives  

• Risk and Failure 

• Partners  

• Daring  19

From Alec Ross, Sr.,  Fmr.  Advisor for Innovation, US Sec’y. of State

TheCourtsin2025

• Technology• Information/data

• Leader skills• Social media

• Public interest & perception• Evidence based practice

From Future of the Courts‐The Next Ten Years 

Survey,

P. Kiefer and P. Knox20

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HaveYouHadThisQuestion?

What DOESa

Court Administrator

do?

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CourtAdministratorRole

•YOUR responsibilities?

•Use of data?

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Caseflow Management Intergovernmental Liaison

Human Resource Management Community Relations and Public Information

Fiscal Administration Research and Advisory Services

Technology Management Emergency Preparedness and Business Continuity

Information Management Succession Planning

Jury Management Keeping the Record

Facility Management Performance Management and Holding the Court Accountable

Space Planning Green or Ecologically SensitivePractices

Security Management Project Leadership and Oversight

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TypicalDuties‐CourtAdministrator

Influences

• Accountability

• Immediacy

• Mandates

• Specialty court functions

• Pilot programs

• Workload distribution

• Doubt24

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Examples 

and 

Models

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A Scenario

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Scenario1.What are the issues/challenges in scenario?2.What are some assumptions you make?3.How can this court challenge/reverse these assumptions?

4.What options are available to this court?5.How can statistics/performance measures help?6.What ‘story’ should this court tell about itself?7.What options does court leadership have?8.What else do you recommend this court do?

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Pressures• Misunderstanding ‐ court purpose, role (external)

• Incomplete knowledge (internal & external)

• Expectations of leadership and judges (internal)

• Limited information published (internal & external)

• Budget and fiscal scrutiny (internal & external)

• Political environment (external)

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ChallengeswithData

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TypicalCaseflowManagementDataandInformation

Cases filed, closed, pending

Case age, time of dispo,  number of continuances, 

number of events

Rates, trends, patterns, points of 

delay/clogs30

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AnnualReport

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CourToolsinBudgetDocument

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HighPerformance

SelfEvaluationSurvey

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CountingSources

On site customers Telephone customers

Web site, IVR system Documents and faxes

Security screening count Documents scanned

Records requests Formal court hearings

Customer flow/volumes/times

Financial transaction receipts

Litigant residence/zip code

Case originationlocation

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TouchPoints/CustomerInteractionsTouch Points to Measure Court Interactions with Litigants

Security screening magnetometer ‐ volume of 

individuals on site within the court

Queuing system ‐ onsite customers/defendants 

served at customer counter

Telephone IVR system ‐ volume, hold times, time 

duration per call

Internet and web counts ‐ interactions conducted

Papers ‐ incoming documents, emails, faxes

CMS docket codes ‐ events and case actions

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WorkloadComparisons–Monthly

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TheBucketList

• Self inventory• ID tasks• ID time• ID reasons

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DataforResourceEvaluation

• Staff self inventory: for 40 hours, task‐activity, time, volumes

Inventory Staff Tasks

• Group data and findings 

• Trends or patterns from data

Tally Results

• Task duplication or inefficiency

• Too many tasks per person/desk

• Inappropriately assigned task per person/desk

• Identification of ‘slack’ time

Assess and Use: 

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Data for:‐ Staffing levels‐ Staff task assignments

‐ Resource needs or cuts

‐ Absorb‐ability

Who&How• Process announced 

• Presiding Judge supportive (aware)

• Management team‐lead process (buy‐in)

• Defined time period and data

• Data collection form/format

• Data collected (5 days’ work in 10 days) 

• Info compiled and analyzed

• Briefed to management39

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OrganizationofData

• Overview

• Key Team Assignments

• Desk Assignments

• Task Mandates (rule, statute)

• Team Member Assignments: staff, time, cycle (weekly, monthly, yearly) 

• Periodic, Ad Hoc, Cyclical (rare) Tasks40

DataCollection

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DataCollection(cont.)

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DataCollection/TaskLog

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DataOrganization

Court operational area

high level duty high level

dutyhigh level

duty

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DataOrganization

Team Member Assignments

Team Member Name

Current Primary Assignment

These duties are first priority of assigned team 

member

Secondary/Backup Assignment

Duties performed regularly for proficiency or

as needed during shortages

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• tasks within assignment

• tasks within assignment

• tasks within assignmentAssignment

• tasks within assignment

• tasks within assignment

• tasks within assignment

Assignment

• tasks within assignment

• tasks within assignment

• tasks within assignment

Assignment

• tasks within assignment

• tasks within assignment

• tasks within assignment

Assignment46

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ImmediateUse• Staff & leader knowledge of tasks• Process documentation• Process revamping• Immediate change / fixes / elimination• Streamlining and efficiency• Task movement• Slack / discretionary time identified• Staff reassignment or attrition• Visibility

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LongTermUse• Evaluate / manage perceptions• Analyze strengths or weaknesses• Target areas for improvement• Reengineer• Data for policy / management use• Document savings• Demonstrate resource use• Promote success to outsiders• Visibility

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LessonsLearned• Start somewhere

–Use existing statistics and measures–Consider sampling and manual audits–Create new counting mechanisms

• Starting small is okay

• Share and get feedback to enhance

• Set practices in motion to continue52

LessonsLearned

• Build upon what is in place

• Keep a larger vision

• Avoid getting stuck

• Be willing to take a risk

• Regularly use the data and metrics

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LeadershipTraits(adapted from Forbes)

Honesty  Communication Sense of humor Confidence Commitment Positivity Creativity Intuition Inspirational 54

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Risk‐TakingTraits(adapted from ‘Risk Taking Behaviors’

and The Treasurer)

Controls destiny Makes discoveries Goal driven Achievement oriented Big picture view Scans environment Conceptual thinker Recognizes patterns Applies experience

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ChangeAgentTraits(adapted from Content Management Institute 

and Bloomberg )

Challenges status quo Calm in adversity Reflects Open to learning Non‐defensive Has a vision Shows courage Takes bold action Uses teams

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12SmartQuestions1. What is our purpose – our mission and vision?

2. How are we doing? 

3. What do our users, customers, stakeholders have to say about how we are performing? 

4. Where do we need to revamp or refresh our operations?

5. What prevents us from making the changes necessary? 

6. What changes have we made in the last reporting period?  57

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12SmartQuestions(cont.)7. Are we continually assessing ourselves

8. Did we make progress in our operation today? 

9. Are we leveraging our limited resources and talents? 

10. How do we sustain changes and enhancements so we are continually improving?

11.What is the message we need to give about how our court performs?

12. Is there anything else that we should be asking?

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“CourtsThatSucceed”

Courts That Succeed:  Six Profiles of Successful Courts, Hewitt, Gallas, Mahoney, 1990

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GettingStarted• Use surveys‐ CourTools

–Court use of staff survey since 2002– Initial ‘formal’ CourTools use in 2009/2010

–Presentation to City officials–Expectation of data

• Use self evaluation tools–Customers 

–Staff

• “Bucket List” inventory of tasks• Inclusion of data in everything 60

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WheretoGetStats?

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WhyDoStatistics?

Documentation

Justification

Required reporting

Accountability

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WhyDoIt?• What you count, counts!

• Documentation of resource use

• Do it before it’s done to you!

• Your court likely already has data

• Manage perceptions

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WhyDoIt?

• Good management practice

• Control your future!

• Demonstrates performance 

• It is “Evidence Based Management”

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Evidence…

•Credibility

•Accountability

•Performance

•Reengineering

•Decision making

•Leadership65

PracticalAdvice

• Operational functions – “frontline” court use

• Use manual and automated methods

• Build upon data available

• Talk about and share data inside court

• Get/compare data with partners

• Publish information outside court

• Drive strategic planning process66

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AdditionalUsesofData

• Evaluate and manage perceptions

• Consider perceived strengths or weaknesses

• Target areas for improvement

• Use data for policy and management decisions

• Promote court success to Judicial leaders, funding authority, and

public

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OverallResults

• Metrics & statistics captured, published• Court role and work/workload shared• Tell the court’s story!• Leadership• Good business practice• Opportunity created

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HowtoGetStarted

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Preparation/ActionPlan• Choose ONE measure/metric (not currently used)

• List where you will get it

• Note who needs to assist

• State how you will use it

• Identify the risk

• Write action to minimize risk

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ResourceIdeas• Other courts, administrators, court websites

• National Center for State Courts www.ncsc.org

• CourTools Measures www.courtools.org

• “Court2Court” list serve via www.ncsc.org

• Articles• Evidence Based Management: http://ncsc.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/ctadmin/id/2082 (May 2014)

• “Court Performance Measures: What You Count, Counts!” NACM Court Manager, Vol 29, Issue 1

• “One Court Looks at Itself in the Mirror (the ‘Bucket List’ Project), NACM Court Manager, Vol 27, Issue 4

• “Twelve Smart Questions Every Court Leader Needs to Ask,” forthcoming NACM Court Manager

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Thank You!

Janet G. Cornell

Court Consultant

jcornellaz@cox.net 72