2. Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Complaint Form Renewal
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Table of Contents
1 Overview..................................................................................................................................................................................3
2 Current State Assessment....................................................................................................................................................4
2.1 User Experience Assessment and Scenarios..........................................................................................................4
2.2 Technical Assessment.................................................................................................................................................8
3 Future State User Experience............................................................................................................................................10
3.1 Information Architecture (SiteMap).........................................................................................................................14
3.2 User Interface (Wireframes)......................................................................................................................................16
3.3 User Experience (Process Diagrams).....................................................................................................................21
4 Technical Recommendations.............................................................................................................................................24
5 Next Steps.............................................................................................................................................................................29
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Web FormContacts by Subject
1 Overview
Of the thousandsof complaintssubmitted annuallytothe CanadianRadio-televisionandTelecommunications
Commission(CRTC)viaits onlinecomplaintform,a majorityare relatedto issues that fall outsidethe Commission’s
mandate.Thesemisdirectedcomplaintsexpend valuableresource timeandeffortby the Commission,while
frustrating Canadianswho potentiallycouldfindthe correctresolutionelsewherehadthey receivedthe appropriate
guidance.
Thecurrentmultiple-screenform has
beenidentified by CRTCmanagement
andthrough usabilitytesting as the
leadingcontributortomisdirected
complaints,thusnecessitatingan
overhaul of the form’scontentand
function.A total redesignof the online
experience forcomplainthandling
offers three advantages:
1. A redesignof the complaintform
wouldsupportthe Commission’s
2014/2015 ClientServices
Strategy’s goalof redirecting
users “automaticallyandas
seamlesslyas possibleto the
appropriateorganizationwhocan
dealwith the issueat hand.”
2. A rethink of the languageusedto
guidea user througha triageprocess,rather than meeta dead-endthatdoesn’t addressthe problem,
demonstratesthat the CRTCwantsto helpresolve their issueas efficientlyas possible.
3. Fewercomplaintswouldbemanaged,thusimprovingresponsetimesfor complaints thatare withinthe CRTC’s
mandate.
Thisreportoutlinesthe issuesthat needto be addressedinthe currentform and then proposesadesignsolutionthat
whenimplemented,would directuserstoother organizations whenthose organizationsare the rightfulfirst
responders.Thissolutionalsoincorporatesthecomplaintform intothe CRTC’snewwebinformationarchitecture,
further enhancingtheuserexperienceforthoseseekingto makea complaint.
Ouranalysis also exploresissueswith the currenttechnologysupportingthecomplaintform andconsidersthe
potentialhorizon for a Governmentof Canadacasemanagementtoolthat maytake its place.Theproposeddesign
solutionhowever is not dependentonanyone technology.Its implementationbythe CRTCinvolveschangesto the
webpresentationlayer, andthis is achievableassoon as resourcesarecommitted.
Of the top online complaints
received by the CRTC, only those
related to accessibility directly fall
within the CRTC's mandate (Jan
2012-March 2013)
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2 Current State Assessment
Definingthe currentexperienceofusingtheonlinecomplaintform helpsidentifythe weakareasthat needto be
addressedinthe proposeddesign.Toillustratethese issues, three scenarioshavebeendevelopedthat showtypical
types of complaintsandthecurrentuserexperience.
Thisuserexperienceassessmentisfollowedbya look at the technologyplatform currentlysupportingthe form.
2.1 User Experience Assessment and Scenarios
Past user testing has alreadyidentifiedissueswiththe complaintform’susability.Thefollowing observational
assessmentidentifiesspecific aspectsofthe form that maynegatively impactitsabilityto guideusers to the right
organizationfor specific issues.
LackofTriage
Thereisa smallform of triage inthe currentonlinecomplaintprocess,butunfortunatelyit occurs afterthe user has
beeninvited to start the form. Oncetheuser has signaledthat they aresubmittinga complaint,asopposedto asking
a question,they are presentedwith 11 categories.Any attemptto understandtheactualnatureof the complaintends
at this point in the form process.Furthermore,thecategoriesdonot alignwithterminologyemployedinthe newweb
informationarchitecture,norarethey completelydistinct(e.g.,Televisionvs. CableTelevision).
MultipleClicks andUnclear Sequencing
Onceinthe form, the usermust clickseventimesto submitthecomplaint.It’snot clearwhy thereis this numberof
steps, nor what the next step wouldentailor how longit wouldtake. A usermust agreewith a privacynotification and
enter their contactinformationbeforeactuallywritingtheircomplaint,andparticularcontactinformationisnot based
on the type of contactrequested(e.g., the phonenumberfieldsappearwhenthe userrequests to be emailed).
UsabilityresearchersincludingJakobNielsenhaveobserved that most people“never botherto read legal
documents”1
sotheaddedclickforthe privacy notificationisalsounnecessary.
No Communication ofResolution Process
Thelackoftriage associatedwiththeform extendsto whatthe CRTCdoeswiththe complaintsitreceivesbeyond
the statementon the first pageof the form that the Commission willrespondwithin10workingdays.Thisinformation
is availableelsewhereonthe website,but it is not referencedanywherewithintheform.
SameFormforQuestionsand Complaints
TheCRTCcurrentlyoffers oneform to handlebothquestionsand complaints.Giventhe slightlydifferent inputs
requiredby a personaskinga question,there’s justificationforhandlingquestionsandcomplaintsondifferentforms.
CurrentStateScenarios
Thefollowingthreescenariosillustratehowaperson witha particularissuemustnavigate the CRTCwebsite.It also
illustratesthe supportingprocessesandsystems that alignwith eachstepin the complaintprocess.
1
Regulatory Usability, Jakob Nielsen, http://www.nngroup.com/articles/regulatory-usability/, September 3, 2000.
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2.2 Technical Assessment
Thereviewof the CRTCsystem usedto manageitscallcentrewasconducted from March 3-24,2014througha
study of the CRTC’sownexistingwebsite.Systemscopealsoconducted consultationswiththeCRTCtechnical
liaisonto understandthecurrentenvironment,any constraintsandplansfor infrastructureor software changes.The
initialconsultationwiththeCRTCtechnical leadwasbeheldat the CRTCofficesinGatineauinMarch, 2014.
Subsequentconsultationswereconductedbyphoneandby email.
CurrentEnvironment
TheRAPIDS Case ManagementSystem (RAPIDS CM)is the backendapplicationthatmanagestheCRTC’scall
centreticketsand collectscomplaintsreceivedvia the onlinecomplaintform via the link:
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/RapidsCCM/Register.asp?lang=E.Itwas originallydevelopedby RapidSystems Inc.inthe late
1990sand implementedinaspart of the planthen to modernizeandstreamlineenquiries,complaintsorsuggestions
relatedto Broadcasting,TelecommunicationsandClientServicesenquiriesforthe CRTC.
Thissoftwareprovides supportorganizationswith a systematic tool to recordallclientinteractions.It monitorsthe
status and progressof customerinquiriesand complaints,andrecordsallcommunicationbetweencustomerservice
agentsand clients.It tracksthe completehistoryof allcases,and its keyword searchingcapabilitiesandlookupfields
allowusers to obtaininstant accesstoallrelated information,atany time.Thesystem's built-inrealtimereporting
functionsenableclientservicestaff to convert generalinformationintovaluableknowledgebydetailingsuchthings
as trends in clientcomplaints,oraverage timesfrom caseconceptiontocaseresolution.
Of particularrelevancetothis assessmentishow RAPIDS managesquestionsandcomplaintsreceivedfrom the
public via telephonecallsandcorrespondence(i.e.e-mailsandletters). ThesearerecordedinRAPIDS andtracked
to ensure they areaddressed.Thefollowingfunctionalityissupported:
Escalation:Highlightingofthe target datein red oncetheuser enters in the caseandprovidingemail
notificationfeatureswhenthe caseis updated.
IntuitiveCaseEntryForm: Auser friendlyinterfacethat simplifiestheprocessofentering, storingand
retrieving information.Datafieldscanbe addedor removedbasedon uniquerequirements.Users
confirmedthat“Is it simpletoenter, store and retrieve information.”
AutomaticCaseRouting:Uponregistrationintothesystem, casescaneitherbe automaticallyassignedto
a technicianorcustomerserviceagent,OR,the system cansuggestwho the caseshouldbeassignedto,
basedon pre-determinedbusinessruleswithinanorganization.Businessrules canbehard codedora user
canput defaultvalues and have these values appearwhencreatinganew case
Detailed Search Form:Allowsusersto easilysearchfor andretrieve informationbasedoncasedatafields.
Oneor moredata fieldscanbe selecteddependingonwhethertheuser desiresexpandedornarrow search
results.
KnowledgeBased Search: Fulltextsearchbasedon casedescriptionsandresolutions.
SummaryReportsForm:Allowsusers to take generalinformationandbreakit downinto specific statistics
andpercentages.Staff use both the Standardand Customizeddetailedona regularbasisfor their work.
ClientPortal:Clientshaveaccesstoa simplestep by step onlinecaseregistrationform.Thecasestatus
feature allowsclientstoview the status of his/heropencase,or to view the previous casehistory of his/her
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closedcase.An updateableknowledgebasefeaturecanalsoenablecaseproblemsandresolutionstobe
madeavailablefor public viewingTheHostManagerconfirmedtheyhave instructionsandproceduresin
place.
AdministrativeUtilities:Utilitiesthat allowanadministratortopopulatethe data fieldswithinRAPIDS CM.
Suchutilitiesincludepermissions,groups,sections,rules,emailtemplates,typeof services, casestatus,
andmanyothers. TheHost ManagerforRAPIDS confirmedthereareadministrativeutilitiesunderthe
administratortools,andthat allthe fields maybe modified
ReportResultsForm:Theremayexist functionalitywithRAPIDS to createcustom reportsthat takes
features of the standardsearchresults anduses reportingsoftware to createmorecomplex,custom reports.
Thefilterfunctionallowsyou to filter the searchresultsbasedon key data fields,and the save search
feature allowsyou to conductthesamesearchagainatanytime. TheCRTCcurrentlyisnot usingany non-
standardor custom reportsfor theirwork.
Constraints
Accordingtothe CRTCtechnicalstaff,there is a heavy dependenceon itslegacysystem (i.e. RAPIDS) that adds
constraintsto initiatingimprovements.
AccordingtoIMT,changestoRAPIDS wouldnot be desirableforthe followingreasons:
Thecurrentsystem was built before2000 and thereis no service contract.Thegroupofconsultantsthat
originallyimplementedthesystem at RAPIDS Inc. is no longerinbusiness.Thecurrentcomplaintprocess
uses a classic ASP (MicrosoftActive Server Page)interfaceto connectwithaMicrosoftSQLServer
RAPIDS database throughan ADO process.
TheCRTCtechnical staffdonot have accesstothe actualsource codeandindicatedtheyaremissing
somecriticalDLLs(dynamic linklibraryfiles).ThesemissingDLLfilescreateadependencyinthat it is not
knownpreciselywhat functionsrelyon them.Tamperingwiththesourcecodeprogram withoutknowing
whichfunctionsrelyon them maycausethe system to experienceproblems.
TheIT supportstaff have largelyoperated the currentsystem (i.e. RAPIDS) usinga “status quo” approach
for a considerablenumberofyears.
Thereareplansto sunset the RAPIDS system in favour of a standardized GCapproachtocase
managementsystem.
Planned InfrastructureChanges
NewWeb standards have replacedtheCommonLookandFeel2.0(CLF 2.0) Standardsfor the Internet. Thenew
revampedcomplaintsprocessmustcomplywithany TreasuryBoard Web Standardsfor the Governmentof Canada.
Thereforeitmustbe accessible,usable,interoperableandoptimizedformobiledevices.
Integration with DNCL Operatorsite (www.lnnte-dncl.gc.ca)
TheDNCLishosted by Bell.Thereisno currentlink. Bellis the host and sendsinformationbacktothe
CRTC.
Reportsare generatedoff-linevia businessobjectsprovidedby Bell.
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3 Future State User Experience
Theproposeddesignforthe CRTCcomplaintintakeprocessfollowstheseguidingprinciples:
Reducethenumberofcomplaintssubmittedbycheckingiffirst the personhadcontactedother
organizationswhoare first respondersonparticularissues;
Makethe processefficientandseamlessaspossible,usingclear,plainlanguagethatdoesn’tconfuse
Canadianswhomaybe unfamiliarwith CRTCjargonandlegalterms;
Flipthe process:triagethe person’scomplaintbeforeenteringtheform andaskingfor personalinformation;
and
Incorporatetoprequests into the triageprocess,informedbyresearchanddata
Theproposeddesignusesa“wizard” approachtoguideusers throughthe triageprocess.At this stage, the user is
lookingat web-basedformsindependentofthe RAPIDS system. If the triageprocesscausesthem to seekhelpfrom
anotherorganization,no casetickethas beencreatedandno further follow-upis required.
Onceinthe complaintform (andnowusingRAPIDS) users no longerhave to clickthroughaprivacy screento start
their complaint.Theprivacynoticeisat the end of the process. As demonstratedinthefuture state scenariosinthe
next section,unnecessaryor duplicativestepshave beenremoved, creatingaclean,tidy andmodernlookthat when
implementedintheWET template,willalsobe responsive acrossdevicesandplatforms.
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Thethreescenariosthatillustratedthe currentstate are nowremappedtoshow the future proposedstate for handlingcomplaintsonthewebsite:
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3.1 Information Architecture (Site Map)
Thefollowingdiagramsillustratethestructureof the separatequestionandcomplaintforms.
Complaints
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3.2 User Interface (Wireframes)
ThefollowingwireframesillustratetheuserexperienceacrossthePhone,Internet and TVand
Radioconsumerbucketsthatform the newCRTCinformationarchitecture. Thesescreens
wouldbe accessedfrom thelinkinthose three megamenusthatreads “Makea complaint.”
Phone
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Theuserwouldproceedtothe complaintform after clickingNext.
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ComplaintForm
Note: Thefinalscreenshownbelowshould alsocontainany
specific guidanceabouthowthe CRTChandlescomplaints
for the specific categorythe userselected.
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3.3 User Experience (Process Diagrams)
Thefollowingdiagramsalign all categoriesofquestionshandledbythe CRTCwithknownusertasks and the
appropriateactionsthatthe users shouldtake.
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4 Technical Recommendations
At the timeof this reports’ drafting, Systemscope wasmadeaware that the TBShadjust acquiredMicrosoft
DynamicsCaseManagementSystem (CRM) asan enterprisesolution for the federalgovernment. Thisfactwas
confirmedinvariousdocuments hostedon GCConnex.TheDynamicsproductenablesorganizationstohandleand
controlcase-basedworkflowprocesses.It is a system that provides commonbusinessprocessmanagement
components,aswellas a configurationenginethatallowsbusinessusersto configuretheapplicationtotheirunique
businessrulesand processes.
Theseapplicationsenablebusinessprocessmanagement,tracking,clienthistories,documentmanagement,
workflowautomation,reporting,schedulingandcontracts.A CMSalsooften includesdatabasemanagement,
electronic discoveryandautomatic documenttemplateeditingfeatures,enablingorganizationstomanage,distribute
andupdate key case-relateddata.
A PowerPointpresentationby Public Worksand GovernmentServicesdatedDecember,2013entitled TheShared
CaseManagementSystem: Overviewand Direction states “acrossthe GC, thereis a need for a standardized
approachtoCaseManagementSystems. Thisisfueledby the GC IT ModernizationStrategycallingfor
standardardization,consolidationandre-engineeringofcorporateadministrativesystemsthat supportorganizations.”
In late 2010, a TBS/Communityof FederalAgencies(CFA)funded study of highlevel CMSneedswas undertaken
basedon the concernsraisedbynumerous departmentswithrespecttotheir currentsystems. Thesesystemsare
key to the mandatedeliveryof a rangeto departments,particularlytribunals,regulatory departmentsandagencies
andAgents of Parliament.
TheSharedServicesIntegrationsectorof PWGSC is workingwith TBSandCFAto developa solution.Theproject
team is workingwith nine departmentsandagenciesthatarecurrentlyparticipatingintheprojectactivities.
Thegoalof this initiativeis to provide a commoncasemanagementsolutionto departmentsandagenciestomeet
the followingobjectives:
Allow departmentsandagenciestofocusontheir coremandate
Deliver a modern,value-addedsystem, for a reasonableprice
Standardize CMSconfigurationandleadtoconsolidation
ReducecostsandincreaseefficiencyofGC overall
Leverage existingsystems and procurementinvestments,whereverpossible.
Amongthe expectedoutcomesare:
A commonaffordablesystem for the GC;
A system that is easy to use and flexiblesothat it canadaptto changesinmandate, policiesandcentral
agencyand Parliamentrequirements;
A modernizedinfrastructurethat minimizesIT requirements; and
Sharingof expertiseand lessonslearnedwithinthe usercommunity.
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In collaborationwithTBS,PWGSChascompletedthediscoveryand procurementphasestoidentify solution
opportunitiesanddefineneeds,as wellas define projectactivitiesandpreliminaryprojectplansforthe development
of a Case ManagementSystem (CMS)that willbe offered to departmentsandagenciesasa sharedsolutionhosted
by oneor manyclusters.Thereisno firm timing yet indicated forcompletionoftheproject.
Departmentsandagenciesmustperform thefollowingtaskspriorto joiningtheSharedCase ManagementSolution
(SCMS)clusterto ensurea successfulimplementation.
Steps Sub-steps
Developa detailed projectplan(theProgram Centre
will have a templateavailable) andgetapproval from
management.
Determinethescopeof the projectintermsof
implementation
Considera stagedroll-outapproach
Planlicencerequirementsateachstage
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Developa documentmanagementstrategy(including
documentretentionguidelines)
Securefundingfor the project
Enlist the participationofseniormanagement
Identify requiredresourcestocarryout the
implementation(projectteam).
Rationalizeanddocumentcriticalbusinessprocesses
Identify screenelementsbasedon documented
businessprocesses
Screens
Fields
Workflows
Data rules
Templates
Audit trail
Security:
o Rolesand responsibility
o Field / Screen/ Reports access
Retentionanddispositionrules
Reports
Preparedocumentationforpersonalizedconfiguration
Developa risk managementandmitigationstrategy
Developa changemanagementstrategyand user
supportstrategy
Set-up a help desk, if necessary
Inform users about newsystem being
introduced
Preparechangemanagementprocessflow
Trainusersonprocess
Developan auditingstrategy
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Developa testingstrategy Preparetesting plan
Preparetraceabilitymatrix
Preparefunctional test scenarios,cases,
scripts
Developa communicationplan Inform internalusers aboutchangesto take
place
Inform external usersabout changestotake
placeifrequired
Developa datamigrationstrategy(taking into account
data mapping,open,closed andarchivedcases)if
required
Identify physicalconnectivityrequirements
Identify securityrequirements
Determinepointsof integration,if required
NameaSinglePoint of Contact(for decision)anda
BusinessUnit administrator
Identify a subjectmatterexpert for user acceptance
testing
Identify a train-the-trainerresource
Definethe roles andresponsibilitiesofthe users
(accessrights)
Preparea data clean-upplan
Preparea draft ThreatandRiskassessmentanda
Privacy ImpactAssessment
Determinetechnical readiness(e.g.browserversion,
operatingsystem version, processor,memory,security,
infrastructureaccess,etc.)
Determinethenumberofuser licencesrequiredforthe
organizationandtimingfor obtaininglicences
Determinereportingrequirements
Preparereport mock-ups
Review lessonslearnedduringtheinitialclienttest
phase
Identify criteriaandpersonresponsibleforsign-off
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It is alsoessentialto developa detailedprojectplan(theProgram Centrewill have a templateavailable)andget
approval from management.
In addition,to becomeamemberofthe cluster,a clientwillalsohave to:
1. Approval from the CMSProgram SteeringCommittee
2. A signeda Letter of Intent and/or anMOU
Proposed InterimSolution
Untilsuchtimeas there is a fully functioningCRM inplace,theproposedinterim solution shouldbebasedonthe
Web ExperienceToolkit(WET).TheWET templatesareacollaborative,opensourceprojectledbythe Government
of Canada.As a result, they are wellsupported,accessible,usableandinteroperable.Otherbenefitsinclude thefact
that they aremobile-friendlyandmultilingual.
TheWET templatesareflexibleandmakeuseof reusablecomponents.Theyarealso basedon:
Opensourcesoftware.Free to use for commercialandnon-commercialpurposes(MIT license -Termsand
conditions)
Developedopenlyby the communityonGitHub
TheWET templateswouldhelp improvethecurrentCRTC complaintsprocessformsinthat they:
Supportmultiplevalidationmethods
Allow for customizederrormessages
Conform to WCAG 2.0 AA standards
Offer various componentplug-instoenhancetheuserexperience.Findfurtherdetailsat the WET website
within Forms- OptimalContentExamples.
TheFeedbackform example ,which addsor changesfieldsdependentuponcertainselectionsisthe best
form to use as a startingpoint.
Softwarerequirements
CRTCIT staff willalsoneedto becomefamiliarwith UsingGitHubforWET
HTMLeditingsoftwarewillbeneededtoedit the WET templates. TBSsuggeststhe open source editingtools:
Notepad++
Sublime
Aptana
Eclipse+ plugins
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5 Next Steps
Becausetheproposeddesignsolutionfor the CRTConlinecomplaintprocessdoesnotrequirechangestothe
RAPIDS platform,the creationof newweb formscanbeginas soon as resourcesareidentifiedandthe following
steps are completed:
Develop the responsescreenswherethetriage processhasidentifiedthat the user mustsubmittheir
complainttoanotherorganization. An example ofonesuchscreen is shown as the last screenonpage16.
Coordinateaprojectplanwith IMT tobuildthe newweb triageform, complaintform andquestionform.
Defineroles andresponsibilitieswithrespecttoforms developmentandform a cross-disciplinaryteam of
businessanalysts and IT andWeb specialiststo redesignandtest forms withusers as part of aniterative
approach.
Refinethe proposedcomplaintform designbytesting the approachwithrepresentativeusers.