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Project
Improving intake processes
Legal Aid Service of Northeastern Minnesota (LASNEM), Legal Aid of Western Missouri (LAWMO), and Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services (SMRLS) are collaborating to design and test a framework to improve the intake processes of legal aid organizations. This framework will be available to other legal aid organizations interested in replicating the process.
LASNEM, LAWMO, and SMRLS are working with professionals to identify and address areas of opportunity to improve their intake workflow, staffing, and technology. The purpose of the project is to show how an improved intake process can have a measurable impact as it would enable clients to connect more quickly and easily to the information and resources they need and, potentially eliminate waitlists, reduce wait times, extend intake hours, and utilize staff more efficiently.
Project History
Recognizing its importance
Nationally, the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) formally recognized the importance of business process analysis in 2013 by including it in “The LSC Report of The Summit on the Use of Technology to Expand Access to Justice” as one of five main strategy components in an integrated delivery system. In the report, LSC cited: “The expectation is that the pilot projects will clearly demonstrate the benefits of business process analysis, both with increased access and a positive return on investment so that other states join in these efforts.”
LSC formally expressed its commitment to fund business process improvement projects under its Technology Initiative Grant (TIG) guidelines.
LASNEM, LAWMO, and SMRLS submitted a TIG application, requesting LSC funding to conduct a process improvement project to improve their particular intake processes. That same year, LSC awarded the Technology Initiative Grants (TIGs) to 30 legal services organizations totaling $4,230,718. LSC’s grant awards included the business process improvement projects for LASNEM, LAWMO, and SMRLS.
As a part of the grant, LASNEM received the necessary funding to develop an extensive business improvement process project for its regional client intake system. Furthermore, under the grant, this had to be a collaborative project with the other two LSC-funded technology improvement projects at SMRLS and LAWMO.
Project Components
Business process improvement cycle
DMAIC (an acronym for Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control) is an improvement cycle used for improving, optimizing, and stabilizing business processes and designs.
Define and scope the problem and why it has to be solved. Ask yourself: what does the client want? Use this as a reference point for assessing changes and impact before and after the process improvement. Process mapping, project charters, and other tools could be helpful to start a project.
Measure the current performance of the process. Ask yourself: How is our process currently working? What are the results?. To achieve this, you will need to have a data-gathering plan that will enable your organization to review all data collected.
Analyze the results of your data and assess the areas for improvement. During this phase of the project, you should be able to identify the causes that are creating undesirable effects on your process.
Improve the process by generating solutions and alternatives. Identify, implement, and validate process changes. Ask yourself: how can we improve? For this step, you will need to brainstorm and prioritize your ideas. Furthermore, you will need to involve subject matter experts who can give additional insights to improve your process.
Control the process and ensure that improvements are sustainable and benefits are delivered. Ask yourself: Are you following the new process? This step will need measuring the new process and the benefits that are resulting from it. During this phase, you’ll need to conduct pilot tests and review the results.
the team
It's all about the people
william lee
Laura William
John doe
the team
It's all about the people
Dori Streit
Dori Streit has dedicated her legal career to building effective and sustainable legal services programs to ensure access to justice for all. In 2007, Dori began as a staff attorney practicing primarily family law at the Indian Legal Assistance Program, a small but busy nonprofit in Duluth, Minnesota, that provides civil and criminal law services to the indigent. In 2011, Dori was hired as the Executive Director of the Volunteer Attorney Program (VAP), a stand-alone pro bono program that serves 11 counties in Northeastern Minnesota. After nearly six years at VAP, Dori was hired in February of 2017 as the new Executive Director of Legal Aid Service of Northeastern Minnesota. Dori has received recognition for her leadership and commitment to public service: the Bernard P.Becker Award from the Minnesota State Bar Association, (2016); a 20 Under 40 Honoree from the Duluth News Tribune (2014), and the Arthur T. Pfefer Memorial Award from the Twin Cities Cardozo Society (2008). Dori lives in Duluth with her two children and her dog.
william lee
Dori Streit has dedicated her legal career to building effective and sustainable legal services programs to ensure access to justice for all. In 2007, Dori began as a staff attorney practicing primarily family law at the Indian Legal Assistance Program, a small but busy nonprofit in Duluth, Minnesota, that provides civil and criminal law services to the indigent. In 2011, Dori was hired as the Executive Director of the Volunteer Attorney Program (VAP), a stand-alone pro bono program that serves 11 counties in Northeastern Minnesota. After nearly six years at VAP, Dori was hired in February of 2017 as the new Executive Director of Legal Aid Service of Northeastern Minnesota. Dori has received recognition for her leadership and commitment to public service: the Bernard P.Becker Award from the Minnesota State Bar Association, (2016); a 20 Under 40 Honoree from the Duluth News Tribune (2014), and the Arthur T. Pfefer Memorial Award from the Twin Cities Cardozo Society (2008). Dori lives in Duluth with her two children and her dog.
william lee
Dori Streit has dedicated her legal career to building effective and sustainable legal services programs to ensure access to justice for all. In 2007, Dori began as a staff attorney practicing primarily family law at the Indian Legal Assistance Program, a small but busy nonprofit in Duluth, Minnesota, that provides civil and criminal law services to the indigent. In 2011, Dori was hired as the Executive Director of the Volunteer Attorney Program (VAP), a stand-alone pro bono program that serves 11 counties in Northeastern Minnesota. After nearly six years at VAP, Dori was hired in February of 2017 as the new Executive Director of Legal Aid Service of Northeastern Minnesota. Dori has received recognition for her leadership and commitment to public service: the Bernard P.Becker Award from the Minnesota State Bar Association, (2016); a 20 Under 40 Honoree from the Duluth News Tribune (2014), and the Arthur T. Pfefer Memorial Award from the Twin Cities Cardozo Society (2008). Dori lives in Duluth with her two children and her dog.
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