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Minutes of CNIB Programs & Services Committee (PSC) Teleconference held on Thursday, June 4, 2009, 1 pm ET

Present: Jane Beaumont, Chair; Cheryl Crocker,Al Jameson,Omer Melanson, Penny Leclair,Donna Cookson-Martin

Regrets:Terry Kelly, James Officer, Vic Pereira, Patricia Suvak, Marian Zaichkowski

Management:Keith Gordon, Margaret McGrory, Jane Parsard, John Rafferty, Sandra Millington (Recorder)

1. Opening Remarks

Following roll-call, Ms. Beaumont welcomed everyone to the meeting. She noted the important role the committee plays in setting service priorities and the value of the Committee’s pre-Board meeting budget deliberations at the February 26, 2009 teleconference. Ms. Beaumont was pleased to report that the National Board approved the 2009/10 budget with no major service cuts.

Ms. Beaumont introduced John Rafferty, newly-appointed President & CEO, and Keith Gordon, Vice-President, who has recently been assigned responsibility for Service Development, in addition to the research portfolio.

2. President’s Update

Mr. Rafferty updated participants on initiatives under consideration relating to CNIB’s services.

He noted the need for a high level review to create a map of services we believe CNIB should be delivering province by province and begin to determine which of these are core, which are added value, and which should be funded wholly or partially through government, or through public dollars. We would know then how much is required to fund a vision program and be clear on what we hope to achieve. Then packages could be formed under the various categories of service delivery, which would assistbranding/fundraising initiatives. While there appears to be a lot of activity in fund development, there is nothing that specifies that CNIB needs to raise this much money to achieve XYZ. Lead: Keith Gordonand Professional Practice Leaders (PPLs).

Comments

Ms. Crocker asked which programs should be government funded and who is integral to thinking this out. Mr. Rafferty believes it is a question of what from a taxpayer’s perspective is equal to that which is funded by government in similar areas. It will be necessary to determine current government practice in order to create a reasonable expectation.

Efforts must be directed to a product that resonates with and is understood by people on the street. While it is difficult to communicate about Independent Living Skills, people can relate to wellness, employment and literacy. We need to be clear about the amount of money we want to raise and where that money is going. This will assist in financial and volunteer contributions.

Mr. Jameson asked what principle would be considered most important if the mapping exercise indicated a level of service beyond CNIB’s ability to finance. Mr. Rafferty noted sometimes quantity and quality are in conflict and it is necessary to decide on standards of quality and then aim for the maximum amount of quantity throughout the organization. Decisions have to be made from a position of knowledge and data provided through EVRR will be available to guide these decisions.

While Mr. Rafferty sees CNIB’s role as ensuring the quality/quantity of service throughout the vision health process, CNIB does not have todeliver. For example, if government decides it wants to own the Library that is fine.

Immediate actions will focus on:

CNIB Stores

  • Three-phase approach to reopening a version of storefronts in various locations across the country. The stores will allow clients to receive a demonstration, buy the product and take it home. If the product is not available, it will be possible to buy and pick up later with no delivery charge. Ottawa is serving as the pilot site.
  • Phase 1, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto, Victoria,
  • Phase 2, London, Hamilton, Barrie, Sudbury, Kingston, Peterborough
  • Phase 3, Halifax, Fredericton, St. John’s.

There will be no change to the current stores in operation in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Developing More Client-centric Processes

  • To include a complete review of the in-take process. The goal is to ensure that it is more user friendly and that clients are contacted within an agreed standard time after referral. Lead: Keith Gordon

Eye Safety Program

  • In process of being rolled out. This program provides an excellent opportunity for revenue generation and public education.Lead:Bill McKeown, Government Relations & BusinessEnterprise.

Veteran’s Affairs

  • Developing best practices from across Canada. Lead: Bill McKeown.

Mr. Melanson and other members commended Mr. Rafferty on the initiatives outlined in his report.

3. Vice-President, Service Development’s Report

Dr. Gordon then outlined activities resulting from the addition of service development to the research portfolio.

  • Examination of In-take Process – divided into four groups of project activities:
  1. Examining possibility of interconnecting all categories of EVRR positions by phone. For example, if the registrar cannot handle the call, it would be passed along to someone else in the country using Voice-Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) so the client would not be kept waiting. Ontario Division will be a pilot site, with Paul Ting, Managing Director, as Lead.
  1. Working group is looking at everyone who comes in contact with CNIB, whether by fax, email, walk-in, phone, stores, etc. The initial feelingis that we should hire a welcome agent similar to a Walmart-type greeter to phone every contact within the first work day to advise them that someone from CNIB will be in contact within three to five days, if that is the target. Lead: Jane Parsard and Alex Westgate are mapping out all processes on how people come in contact with CNIB. Intend to have plan in place by the end of June and fully implemented by September.
  1. Looking at how referrals happen at the professional level with a goal of making it easier for practitioners to refer patients to CNIB. Currently it is necessary to complete a Request for Service (RFS) form when perhaps simply filling in a prescription form with advice to go to CNIB would suffice. Lead: Keith Gordon.
  1. Using the stores as an entry point to CNIB services. Dr. Gordon and Len Baker, Managing Director, Atlantic Region, are discussing this initiative. The Library is also a potential area for client intake.

Dr. Gordon considers the recent research/service development merger an ideal combination as it presents an opportunity to utilize research data to make services more relevant to clients, while maintaining quality and improving the services CNIB does provide. The Electronic Vision Rehabilitation Record (EVRR) provides a great resource to measure and improve all services. In addition to EVRR, the following metrics are available to maintain and improve quality standards:

  • Client Satisfaction Survey is set to deliver across the country by July 1.
  • Descriptive statistics out of EVRR, such as number of clients seen, number of client hours, etc, will be used to improve service.
  • Ways of measuring and ensuring that client complaints are dealt with need to be developed that will result in improvements to service outcomes.
  • Service Outcomes Reports will indicate the level of improvement in a client situation after services are delivered.

The following research tools are available to inform services:

  • Survey looking at barriers to service in multicultural societies. The first part is finished and a proposal has been prepared to secure funding for Phase 2 to action and evaluate findings from Phase 1.
  • Low Vision Clinics - As a result of an earlier collaboration between service and research, a Low Vision Clinic has been established at the CNIB Centre in Toronto, under the direction of optometrist Dr. Sam Markowitz. As well as providing a great opportunity in terms of service, there are also financial incentives as the practitioner can sub-contract Orientation & Mobility services to CNIB. Another benefit is that Dr. Markowitz is on the faculty of the University of Toronto and two of his fellows are considering a joint research project on vision services.

Ms. Beaumont thanked Dr. Gordon for his informative presentation.

4. Approval of Minutes

It was moved by Dr. Crocker, and seconded by Mr. Melanson,

THAT the Minutes of the Meeting held on February 26, 2009, be acceptedas presented.

Carried.

5. Status of Action Items from February 2009 Minutes

5.1 Sharepoint2007 -Ms. McGrory reported that implementation has been delayed due to other priorities. As well, Mr. Rafferty has asked for a complete review of Information Technology applications and infrastructure which may delay the implementation further.

5.2 Braille Literacy – Ms. Beaumont noted that the bicentenary of the birthdate of Louis Braille is a wonderful time to promote braille literacy. At the February meeting, Terry Kelly and she were given the task of producing a short, punchy message on the importance of braille that could be used in advocacy activities. Ms. Beaumont proposes to ask people to specify six reasons why braille matters and use these comments to promote braille literacy.

Members noted that there is an excellent braille exhibit at the CanadianScience & TechnologyMuseumin Ottawa that runs until January 2010.

5.3CNIB ID CardEligibility– Ms. Beaumont notified the BC Committee that there will be no further action at this time and that she has briefed Mr. Rafferty.

5.4 MarCom Report – Tim Alcock, Managing Director, Marketing and Communications, was not invited to this meeting as the report is still under review and there is no need for PSC involvement at this time.

6. Vision Rehabilitation Services

6.1 EVRR Progress Report (pre-circulated)

Ms. Parsard reviewed a report covering the period April 1, to May 31, 2009, noting the following:

  • A number of fixes to EVRR features and functionality have been identified in the first two months of operations that will be rectified by the end of June. Other fixes are scheduled between September and October, with a major push at the end of year one
  • Three hundred and twenty-nine staff were trained and more people want access to the system than originally planned. Currently there are over 400 users. Some of the staff, particularly JAWS users, are finding the system more challenging than anticipated and remedial plans are in place to support these individuals. At the beginning, it took a while for staff to build their caseloads which resulted in a backlog of clients. Back-up staff are being trained in a triage role. Staff training, evaluation and development are ongoing.
  • The reporting system for EVRR reports is under development and will be ready for access prior to Q1.

Wait times - Ms. Beaumont congratulated the CRMS team on the success of the EVRR “go-live” on April 1. With respect to the report of four to six week wait times, Ms. Parsard advised that for the first time ever, CNIB has a system that can indicate where and when there are backlogs. Wait times are uneven across Canada and are mostly in the large urban areas. Additional staff have been brought in to deal with the backlog in Toronto and Hamilton and cases have been reassigned in other areas. The situation is expected to be under control by the end of June.

Comments

Mr. Melanson asked if two to five days to contact clients is realistic. Ms. Parsard advised that staff are expected at a minimum to contact eight clients per day, which is up from the previous minimum of five. This figure will be monitored to determine if the size of the waitlist is being addressed.

Mr. Jameson noted that the bar has been set in terms of productivity and there is pressure to perform. He asked if staff are comfortable with this or feel endangered. Ms. Parsard advised that user groups are meeting on a regular basis to discuss issues and support one another.

Dr. Crocker noted that the user groups are cross-divisional and asked if client service managers are getting feedback. Ms. Parsard advised that notes on the user meetings are circulated to the Executive Directors. As well, Executive Directors meet every two weeks with the Executive Management Team, which includes Mr. Rafferty and Dr. Gordon who are kept informed.

6.2 EVRR Implementation Reports to PSC (pre-circulated)

Ms. Parsard highlighted the report that was based on the CRMS Business Case approved by the National Board of Directors. The report described accountabilities to PSC for the EVRR project development and operation and how these accountabilities will be measured (KPIs) and reported upon with identified timelines.

She noted that the Business Case identified a 30 percent increase in available staff time with the implementation of EVRR and this area needs to be monitored carefully over the first year to determine if the increase has been achieved. A full report on the CRMS implementation will be prepared for the Board upon completion of year one.

Mr. Jameson noted that once the 30% increase is confirmed, it is up to management to decide what to do with the savings.

Action

  • A statistical service report will be available at the September PSC meeting.

Dr. Gordon, speaking as an observer, noted that a phenomenal amount of work went into EVRR and it is a tremendous achievement.

Ms. Beaumont suggested that PSC members could benefit from booking a visit with their local CNIB offices to observe EVRR in action, which can be arranged by contacting the Divisional Executive Director or Regional Director of Services & Operations.

7. Consumer Programs & Assistive Devices (CPAT)

Geoff Fitzgibbon, Director, Business Enterprise, joined the meeting, and reported on the following:

Order Statistics

  • The CPAT call centre receives 2,200 calls per month for information or to place orders; approximately 30% of the orders are from the webstore.
  • Over the past 15 months, CPAT processed 2,350 orders, averaging $138,000 in sales per month. More than 30 percent of people who brought from CPAT since September 2009 have returned to buy again. CPAT is tracking 32 percent ahead of this time last year.
  • A buck-slip request for the catalogue enclosed with all donation receipts has resulted in 23,000 catalogues being distributed since October 2008.
  • A net increase of three percent is budgeted.

CPAT Survey

  • Following the summer 2008 survey, another took place in March. The raw results will be reviewed by the Research Department later in the month to identify gaps and satisfaction levels. It is planned to repeat the survey later this year.

Action

  • PSC will be kept informed of findings.

Assistive Technologies Resale Program

  • The National total is $660,000 for the past 12 months, earning CNIB $150,000 in additional funding.
  • Program was expanded from CCTVs to other hardware products in April and will be expanded to include softwarein October 2009.
  • The challenge is to get all parts of the country participating.

Comments

Mr. Jameson inquired if there was any thought to selling Daisy players. Mr. Fitzgibbon advised that CNIB used to sell the machines and dropped that role in favour of being a facilitator; however, negotiations are underway to resume the role of reseller of a whole range of Daisy players.

StoreOpenings

  • As reported earlier by Mr. Rafferty, CNIB will open retail storefronts in 14 locations in three phases starting later this month, featuring 70 of the most popular products for sale.

Comments

Mr. Jameson noted that a three percent increase did not seem like much growth and asked how CPAT is promoting awareness that the stores are back.

Mr. Fitzgibbon stated that it is difficult to know how many people will take advantage of this additional option and the effect impulse buying might have on increasing sales. The Marketing and Communications group have developed a promotional plan starting July 13, using the usual vehicles, such as the website and media releases; however, additional resources are not available to staff the stores and care must be taken that the stores do not get swamped. Mr. Jameson noted that CNIB does not have to be the only player and that these stores donot have to reside exclusively within CNIB facilities.

Action

  • Agreed to discuss the role of stores and services within CNIB, ie. should it be a profit centre or a public service, at the next meeting.

Dr. Gordon asked if communication is going to eye care professionals. Mr. Fitzgibbon noted that CNIB enjoys a good relationship with optometrists and deferred to Dr. Gordon’s opinion regarding involvement of ophthalmologists.

Braille Note Read (BNR)

  • CPAT manages the Brytech BNR program on behalf of the Bank of Canada, on a fee-for-service basis. The BNR was featured in this month’s issue of Good Times retirement magazine.

Fully Accessible Instructions

  • Progress has slowed while staff concentrated on the store opening project but the recording work and CD-based program will be completed in July. The date for implementing the web-based program will be contingent on the availability of resources from Information Services.

Action

  • An update will be provided at next PSC meeting.

Mrs. Beaumont thanked Mr. Fitzgibbon for his participation.

8. Library Services

8.1 Services Objectives 2009-10 (pre-circulated).

Ms.McGrory reported thatLibrary service objectivesthis year are aimed at:

  • Library service developmentwith national and international initiatives to improve access to alternative format materials for Library users.
  • Increasing the number of new Library users byimprovingthe intake process for Library services. For example,the Library willpursue the feasibility of:
  • An express check-in for library clients
  • Automaticallysigning upnew CNIB clients for Library services unless they choose to opt out.
  • Marketing to senior residences, service clubs, etc.This would giveeligible individuals who may not otherwiseconsider coming toCNIB a chance to sign upjustfor library service if that is all they want.

Mr.Rafferty noted that currently there are a lot of people who have vision loss that CNIB is not in touch with.The plan is to reach out and serve these individuals. The cost is incremental. Ms. Beaumont observed that this is a way to introduce CNIBservices in a non-threatening way.

  • Promotingcopyright legislation which supports national and cross-border accessto alternative formats

Comments

Mr. Jameson inquired if access forall print disabledusers would present any problems with copyright law in Canada. Ms. McGrory advised that under copyright law,CNIB can make its collections available to anyone in Canada with a perceptual disability, which includes, for example, peoplewith a learning disability or dyslexia.She further noted that the CNIBLibrary alreadyextends services to people with print disabilities other than through vision loss, through itsPartners Program, to which public libraries can subscribe for a fee. Cross-border access is being pursued through the Global Library initiative and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).