Site MenuReturning Officers Post-Mortem Sessions 41st General Election
2 – Administrative Services
2.1 – Office infrastructure
To discuss the themes included in the Administrative Services section of the post-mortems, the participants formed small groups.
Wireless Telephony
When asked specifically about the new wireless telephony and about IT equipment and software, most ROs said that they understood the telephone blueprint but had to make changes to suit the office; they would need more flexibility to change the assignment of phone types according to the office. A few ROs had to reassign the SBC and recruitment lines to a traditional line. ROs also add that the ARO and the reception positions should have a copper line, but that the RO should have both a land line as well as a cell phone. There is a need for better assignment for the AARO office, and they should also have a cell phone.
A lot of issues with Telular phones and their functionality were identified. Most ROs had Telular problems in regards to conference calls, dial timing, cutting out, static, the ringer being too loud, or the system not being compatible with headsets; it was also mentioned that they sometimes received interference from radio stations. Receptionists had some issues when transferring calls, and there were also some problems with 1-800 lines not working. Finally, there were problems with headset quality for all office phones.
Other
Although several ROs felt the training kit came a little too late and that they did not have enough time to familiarize themselves with it, an equal proportion of ROs said the training kit was effective. When asked who should take the responsibility of managing the telephone system in the RO office, most ROs said that it should go to the automation coordinator first, to the receptionist second, and to the ARO third. Among the functionalities ROs would require on their phone in anticipation of the 42nd General Election, the following items were mentioned: a Bluetooth for the RO and recruitment officer, voicemail both on regular lines and cell phones, call forwarding; a text messaging option; and finally, a Blackberry or IPhone for ROs, so that their e-mails can be directed to their phone until the office is set up.
Information technology
ROs mentioned that they need more software licences in their office, and also that they need to update their current software capabilities in order to be able to create PDF documents. Minor hardware problems were detected, such as having a French keyboard in an Anglophone electoral district, not enough cables, and some issues with IBM subcontractors. ROs require better Internet connection (high speed or wireless), and they need a scanner in the office. Finally, it was mentioned that the RO computer should be a laptop, that the fax in the AARO offices was decommissioned too early, and that there were some problems with passwords.
2.2 – Budgets and Expenditures
Staffing budget
During the post-mortem sessions, there were a lot of comments, discussions and recommendations around the budget. According to ROs, for the staffing budget, the following positions need an increase both in hours and in rate of pay: recruitment officer, community relations officer program (especially the CRO–Senior), central poll supervisor (if not, then a flat rate), revision supervisor (could be a salaried role similar to the automation coordinator). There is also a need for an increase of hours in the following positions: automation coordinator, training officer, SBC, and for the financial officer for follow up time after the election. When complexity is added to a role, then the hours should be increased. And finally, more hours are needed to visit acute care hospitals.
ROs all agree that the tariff of fees table needs to be adjusted. Some functions are paid lower than minimum wage, and it was deemed that election day workers’ pay is inadequate. The rate for trainees is very low, and the rate for training needs to be adjusted. Also, inventory clerks need better pay because it requires skilled people. ROs also suggest increasing pay scales for workers and staffing (with the help and support of HQ for recruitment). The pay rate for hiring people on reserves is inadequate; workers’ pay gets deducted from their social security benefits.
Budget for suppliers needs to be increased: it was mentioned that $500 to stick labels is insufficient. ROs also pointed out other insufficient budget allocations: $90 per poll to rent polling sites in rural areas; $90 for a registration desk; ballot printing allocation is too low (1.5 times). More money needs to be allocated for polling sites. Finally, the change in the costs for the printing of VICs was not reflected.
ROs also mentioned the need for more hours and budget for pre-event tasks, as well as hours for the appointment of staff; they note that there is a lack of flexibility in that sense. Other recommendations include an increase in the allowance to cover the cost of transportation and parking for the CRO program, and finally, that SBCs should be increased in number and cross-trained with other positions.
General comments
ROs would like to see what they actually spent after the election. ROs recommend using the budget from the previous election as a starting point; they also note that comments sent and requests for changes from the preliminary budget were not reflected in the actual budget. They should be considered more closely since there is little time during a General Election to process special requests, and they take too long. They would like to have more flexibility, for example let ROs manage their budget or give them a discretionary budget. Most ROs would prefer a more global approach in the production of the budget.
As for the training on budgets received by ECHQ, it is too short for new ROs, and it should be repeated during regional sessions. Very few ROs knew about the EXCEL budget tool, and those who did mentioned that it needed updating. ROs would like to see results of their expenditures against those of other ROs in their region. Some ROs feel that the financial officers have a lot on their plates; therefore they need more help and/or more hours. They also recommend retaining the financial officer (FO) to deal with payroll issues that arise after the event, and to keep ROPS functioning longer to help with this.
Tools or modifications to ROPS that would simplify the Financial Officer's job
- Application interface should link directly to ROPS for better data integration;
- Need more passwords to ROPS (RO, FO and recruitment officer);
- Hard to communicate with other systems, externally and internally (why should recruitment information be entered into other systems);
- Pre-event training (online).
Request for additional budgets
The policy to transfer from other sources before requesting additional hours is not helpful, as it unbalances the rest of the budget; it is also not user friendly to require all hours be used up before more can be requested. Equally, some ROs felt that the treatment and approval of additional budget requests were handled in a timely manner while other ROs felt they took too long.
2.3 – Support infrastructure
For this portion of the post-mortems, the participants discussed in small groups, various topics related to the support infrastructure provided by ECHQ during the election.
Field communications – Communications – Public Folders and ECDocs
Asked to comment on the changes made to the structure and flow of the information provided to them, ROs agreed that it was better than the 40th General Election. The public folders were clearer, for example it was easier to find all the information under one heading, "41st"; but they still need more sub-headers. The search function was not easily used, the categorization of the folders needs improvement, and it is still difficult to sort through the memos. Several ROs would like to see the documents attached to the e-mail for easy access. And they still feel that the information is placed in too many locations, it needs to be streamlined.
According to ROs, most memos were clear and concise, but some still need work on being more direct. Some memos were still too long – maybe highlighting the content in point form then adding supplemental information would be more effective. Also, it was noted that some information came too late, and that there were missed opportunities on reminders for not being sent out early enough. Several ROs still think that there are too many memos and found the information repetitive at times.
ROs want AROs to have a permanent e-mail address. They also wish that the following positions get an e-mail address: financial officer, revision supervisor, CRO and AARO. According to some ROs, all roles should have their own e-mail, and then memos that pertain to them could be sent to them directly instead of the RO having to print off a hard copy. It was pointed out that ROs do not like receiving e-mails both at the office and at home, they would like to only receive e-mails at the office address once it is opened.
Most ROs found ECDocs useful in helping them and their staff to complete their daily tasks. The search function in ECDocs is limited if you do not have the right word, and they would need more keyword search capabilities, particularly for forms. It was pointed out that there were some errors in the manual, the printed and the electronic versions were not the same.
Field communications – ECSN
Structure of the ECSN
Several ROs feel that they need a better tracking system for requests placed with the support network; some requests were lost. There should be a way to be able to check the history; and a better follow up with the e-mails is needed. Also, ROs need some say as to when the Helpvisiion ticket is removed or closed. As well, several ROs would like to have the ability to speak directly to the same person, as it would increase efficiency. Pods dedicated to support a certain group would be useful; as the same people would be taking calls for the same EDs. ROs would like to be given more opportunity to speak with a Tier 2 agent. A technical aspect that was suggested would be for ECSN to have the ability to see what is on the ROs screen. As for the Helpvisiion system itself, it was said that it is too slow and inconvenient.
Satisfaction with the support provided
It appears that ROs were not entirely satisfied with the support provided; they mentioned that Tier 1 and the SVR help lines often gave incorrect information. Some ROs felt that a sense of urgency was lacking in providing them with responses and/or approvals, and that the resolution rate at the Tier 1 level was too low.
Quality of service
In terms of quality of service, most ROs said that Tier 1 and Tier 2 have improved since the last event; Tier 1 support was kind and respectful, although they felt they lacked training, and Tier 2 was excellent. But it was noted that a lot of information was lost, such as faxes and copies of pages of the nomination papers.
Field Communications – Field Liaison Officer (FLO) program
Before the FLO program was in place, ROs had the opportunity to go to Ottawa and had more access to HQ, therefore they feel it is very important that the FLO continue to share and transfer information to ROs. They would ask of the FLO to continue with regional meetings between events. They said that their FLO should meet with them once or twice a year to exchange information and get to know each other better, that the FLOs should highlight new items from Ottawa and have Skype discussions about pre-event assignments.
ROs feel that the FLO should be their main contact instead of the helpdesk. ROs do see the mentoring role of the FLO as important, and specified that they should act as a motivator and make it a coaching relationship. The roles of the FLO and the RO need clarification and need to be better documented since ROs don’t always know when to go to the FLO and when to go to EC for support. With regards to assignments, it was mentioned that EC does not always respect the role of FLO vs. RO; they are led to believe that the FLOs have the lead role, when it is the RO who is supposed to be in charge. On the other hand, some ROs suggested that the role of the FLO be enlarged, and to give them a little more decision making capability, for example, the FLOs could be authorized to approve limited funding requests.
Some ROs feel there is an increasing disconnect between the FLO and RO; originally, they were a support and resource, now they are an intermediary telling them what ECHQ needs. So, there is a need to better define the relationship between the FLO and RO - support to RO vs. support to EC, where do they fit in the picture? Some ROs felt that their FLO's role was one of reporting to HQ, not supporting them and that the FLO overstepped their bounds.
There is an issue with duplication in monitoring (why tell Ottawa and FLO the same thing, when the item is done). Micro management monitoring is a burden at times for several ROs. That said, most ROs thought that the support from the FLO was excellent, they had good presence, gave good support, and they were a sounding board for frustrations. They played a crucial role in getting doors open at HQ for RO issues and were very beneficial to new ROs.
2.4 – Regional Media Advisors (RMA) and interaction with the media
Most ROs had good cooperation with the regional media advisors. The number of regions that had direct contact with their RMA was equal to the number of those that did not. Some ROs dealt with media requests during this event; in these cases, the requests were directed to the FLOs or the ROs to provide basic factual information to the media. Most ROs said the media guidelines were clear and useful, although the process for photographing the candidates as they vote remains unclear for some.
2.5 – Information programs
Outreach
When asked what improvements could be made, ROs identified that there is a need to give out more information to electors; for example, there are not enough outreach activities and communications about where the RO office is located and on the voting process. They suggest taking out ads explaining that advance polls will be busier. Even if it was the day after, this would help ease voter complaints about long wait times. They also recommend being more proactive in informing the public about specific voting issues, and more advertisement on the Special Ballot process (it should be made into a media announcement early on). ROs are missing some publicity resources, they would like to have kits made up for smaller local media groups. In general, be more proactive and less reactive.
Recruitment
When asked about their overall impression of the recruitment support provided by Elections Canada's RMAs, ROs said they felt that they could have done more on this front, and that there were some missed opportunities. They suggest putting together a national recruitment strategy; they also suggest that the RMAs could help with a recruitment blitz five days prior to polling day.