Hi Lisa,

I don't know how much your organisation would be receptive to a quantitative analysis to support this evaluation, but it is a good example of how you can model outcomes using RROI (relative return on investment) to guide the decision-making process.

In this instance, an RROI analysis process would go something like this:

1. Establish the key contingent events relating to the policy document. For example: number of service calls logged, number of challenges lodged, number of FOI requests made.
   
   
2. Assign a cost (or benefit) per event that considers staff time, processing costs, legal fees etc.
   
   
3. For each change scenario, estimate the cost of making the change and the expected change in volume of each type of event as a result.
   
   
4. Use this to calculate the RROI of each scenario and rank outcomes.

Depending on the level of consensus for change numbers, you may also want to do a sensitivity analysis. This means modelling several scenarios for each change option using low and high estimates of numbers to see if and how much the ranking changes.

For bonus points, you can also use a Monte Carlo simulation to better reflect the uncertainty of real-world outcomes.

There is a bit more detail available in a presentation I did back in 2018. Happy to discuss here or offline if you'd be interested to learn more.

Cheers,
Stephen.

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Stephen Bounds
Executive, Information Management
Cordelta
E: stephen.bounds@...
M: 0401 829 096
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Hello everyone!

I am new to this group so I hope this post is appropriate.

I am working on a policy brief regarding whether the Land Title and Survey Authority of BC’s (LTSA) internal land title policy and practice material should be made available to external customers. This material is used by staff to make examination decision on the registrability of customer land title applications. A suggestion was made to publish the internal policy and practice materials externally. 

The LTSA is divided on the issue. Those in favour of publishing the materials argue it will create transparency, better customer service and reduce staff workload. Those against publishing the materials argue the materials are written for staff and not suitable or useful for customers and, the major issue, the materials have wording around the use of discretion in decision-making, which could lead to customer challenging staff decisions where discretion is permitted. 

I am having trouble finding an literature (studies, journal articles, books) that discuss this issue. I am wondering if anyone has had any experience on this issue, and/or publications that may be helpful.

Thanks in advance! Again, my apologies if this is not an appropriate post for this group
Lisa