College releases results from independent review of Membership Services
December 15 2021
As part of its commitment to efficiency, effectiveness and improvement, the Ontario College of Teachers commissioned an independent review of its Membership Services department, operations, services and policies.
After an in-depth study and consultation, Optimus SBR provided a comprehensive report with a staged approach to improve and bolster the College’s services to clients, applicants and members.
We acknowledge and apologize for the service delays difficulties experienced by our clients and are committed to making immediate and long-term improvements.
The College is committed to improving its service levels and response times. The recommendations will be implemented in three phases:
- Phase 1: Alleviate current backlog by taking immediate action on solutions that can be quickly and easily implemented.
- Phase 2: Improve service levels and shorten timelines by implementing solutions that require more lead time.
- Phase 3: Bolster our team by addressing other issues identified by Optimus, including those that may not have a direct impact on service levels, but affect staff.
2021 has been a record-breaking year for client inquiries and applications and was compounded by different factors, including: an evolving work landscape due to the COVID-19 global pandemic an increasing number of applications, critical and urgent changes in government regulations, and the implementation of a new Customer Relationship Management system.
The report observed the following processes and recommended the College maintain its work by continuing and building on its:
- Fair and objective processes in alignment with government regulations and policies.
- Diligent application and evaluation processes and being sensitive to applicants’ needs.
- Commitment to positive change, including the growth and expansion of existing tools and practices.
The report also provided a series of observations and recommendations, including:
- Increased staffing. the College has a staff to member ratio of 1:1,290 – the lowest amongst Ontario’s regulators.
- Adding online self-serve options for members and applicants that would make updates in real-time.
- Leveraging technology that would speed up many the College’s processes.
- Increased collaboration, including regular cross-team check-ins.
The full report is available upon request.
