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| Client: | Ontario Children's Aid Society |
| Projects: | Costing and Assessment for a single Child Welfare System |
| Result: | Enabling the 52 Children’s Aids Societies across Ontario to purchase the right system to greatly improve the way they access and share information, while reducing overall costs. |
The Need for a Common Information System
The responsibility for protecting children from abuse and neglect is delegated by the Ontario government, through statute, to the fifty-two Children’s Aid Societies (CAS) in the province. Each CAS is an independent not-for-profit corporation which has jurisdiction within the municipality(ies) in which it is situated.
In keeping with the independent status of each of the 52 societies, the development of information systems in the child welfare field has been somewhat individual. For many years it has been a major disadvantage that comprehensive, consistent information about services, finances, and other operations of the field as a whole has been extremely difficult to obtain.
Applying Proven Methods to Assess Their Needs and Find the Appropriate Solution
Chartwell proposed an approach that we have used in numerous assignments to evaluate business requirements and identify systems solutions that meet the business needs and complete the project on time and within budget.
The following activities are included in the work plan:
- Assist the CWIS/Frontline Working Group in the identification of existing child welfare solutions in use in other jurisdictions;
- Conduct a preliminary assessment of these solutions, in conjunction with the CWIS/Frontline Working Group to narrow the choices, focusing on those solutions with the greatest potential for adaptation by Ontario CAS’s;
- Co-ordinate “on-site” visits by the consultant and selected members of the CWIS/Frontline Working Group to further evaluate the merits of these solutions and their applicability to Ontario Children’s Aid Societies;
- Determine whether it would be more feasible for Ontario Children’s Aid Societies to customize an existing child welfare system or to develop a new solution; and
- Prepare a cost estimate and time schedule to develop and implement the information systems, based on the development and implementation costs of the non-optional functionality specified in Section 1.0 of the RFP.
Chartwell’s Recommendations to Children’s Aid Society
Based on the original objectives of this phase of the overall project, to:
- Determine whether Ontario Children’s Aid Societies should customize an existing child welfare system or develop a new solution; and
- Prepare a cost estimate and time schedule to develop and implement the information systems, based on the development and implementation costs of the non-optional functionality specified in Section 1.0 of the RFP.
Chartwell concludes that Children’s Aid Societies should collectively:
- Develop one new “single information system” solution to support the Child Welfare businesses of the CASs;
- Develop the new solution from a packaged solution, which is the most technologically advance, not one developed from scratch.
Results:
Based on these conclusions, the Ontario Children’s
Aid Societies proceeded to formally issue an RFP to the market
to purchase a packaged Child Welfare solution based on a detailed
set of functional criteria to be developed in the next phase of
the project.
Testimonial:
Peter Ringrose, Executive
Director, Waterloo Family and Children Services
View testimonial: “We
had an excellent working relationship
...”
Chartwell was engaged for phase 2 of this project, and ran a rigorous requirements and procurement process for the CAS. Please see success story authored by George Leck for results. Of note, we are currently engaged in implementation management, guiding our client from concept to outcome™
Testimonial:
George
Leck , Director
of Information Services ~
SIS Project Sponsor, Ontario
Association of Children's
Aid Societies
View testimonial: “Chartwell’s
Procurement Management Service provided
the OACAS with a rigorous,
defensible approach and
methodology ..."
