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This blog post was published under the 2015-2024 Conservative Administration

https://insidehmcts.blog.gov.uk/2016/07/07/how-is-the-common-platform-programme-working-with-defence/

How is the Common Platform Programme working with Defence

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Court and tribunal reform, Crime, Digital services


[English] - [Cymraeg]

Criminal Justice System (CJS) digital reform would not be complete without the commitment from defence practitioners, their representative bodies and service providers to change from paper based working to becoming fully digital. We have been engaging the independent bar as well as law firms both small and large to ask for their support, help and cooperation in making digital reform happen.

My colleague Mark Barrington has been leading the way over the last few years in establishing engagement with defence practitioners. He initially encouraged everyone to use CJSM Secure email across the CJS to protect their sensitive personal client data and to highlight the many benefits of digital working. His engagement with practitioners’ representative bodies (Law Society, Bar Council and Criminal Bar Association, to name just a few) have brought about the beginnings of the culture change needed to move defence practitioners from a world of paper to digital. He is often quoted as saying “digital is a journey not a destination”.

I am a Duty Solicitor, an LAA Digital Champion and the CJS Common Platform Programme’s Business Product Owner for the Defence. Taking forward Mark’s pioneering work, I’ve been encouraging defence practitioners to get involved and put forward their views and ideas. Our research with users includes user testing, research visits, focus groups and online activities. Thanks to enthusiastic response we now have a large database of defence practitioners willing to work with us to create software to improve the CJS.

Digital engagement tools

We have used an online tool to discover the issues practitioners have experienced in obtaining and using the Unique Reference Number (URN). We identified a number of system development needs and process changes and have secured commitment from police, CPS, HMCTS and LAA to work together on these issues.

To facilitate focus groups, meetings, user testing and ad-hoc demos of the Defence Portal, I’ve used screen sharing, video conferencing, recording of meetings and telephone conferencing, enabling users to participate from a location and device of their choice.

In order to give everyone an opportunity of being involved, I’ve also used another digital tool which allows me to create and manage events.

To date, approximately 200 defence organisations are actively engaging with the programme and I am still receiving expressions of interest. If you would like to get involved please email me.


[English] - [Cymraeg]

Sut mae Rhaglen y Platfform Cyffredin yn gweithio gydag Amddiffyn

Ni fyddai diwygiad digidol y System Cyfiawnder Troseddol (SCT) yn gyflawn heb ymrwymiad gan ymarferwyr amddiffyn, y cyrff sy’n eu cynrychioli a’r darparwyr gwasanaeth i newid o weithio ar bapur i fod yn gyfan gwbl ddigidol. Rydyn ni wedi cynnwys y bar annibynnol yn ogystal â chwmnïau cyfreithiol bach a mawr i ofyn am eu cefnogaeth, eu help a’u cydweithrediad i sicrhau bod diwygiad digidol yn digwydd.

Mae fy nghydweithiwr Mark Barrington wedi bod yn arwain y ffordd yn ystod y blynyddoedd diwethaf yn sefydlu ymgysylltu ag ymarferwyr amddiffyn. I ddechrau aeth ati i annog pawb i ddefnyddio’r E-bost Diogel ar gyfer Cyfiawnder Troseddol (CJSM) ar draws y SCT, er mwyn gwarchod data personol a sensitif eu cleientiaid ac i dynnu sylw at y manteision niferus sydd i’w cael o weithio’n ddigidol. Mae ei waith gyda chyrff sy’n cynrychioli ymarferwyr (Cymdeithas y Gyfraith, Cyngor y Bar a Chymdeithas Droseddol y Bar, i enwi dim ond rhai) wedi arwain at sefydlu’r newid diwylliant sydd ei angen er mwyn symud ymarferwyr amddiffyn o’r byd papur i fyd digidol. Mae’n cael ei ddyfynnu’n aml am ddweud “siwrnai ydi’r digidol, nid cyrchfan”.

Rydw i’n Gyfreithiwr Dyletswydd, yn Hyrwyddwr Digidol ar gyfer yr Asiantaeth Cymorth Cyfreithiol ac yn Berchennog Cynnyrch Busnes Rhaglen Platfform Cyffredin y SCT ar gyfer yr Amddiffyn. Gan ddatblygu gwaith arloesol Mark, rydw i wedi bod yn annog ymarferwyr amddiffyn i gymryd rhan a chyflwyno eu syniadau a’u safbwyntiau. Mae ein gwaith ymchwil gyda defnyddwyr yn cynnwys profi defnyddwyr, ymweliadau ymchwil, grwpiau ffocws a gweithgareddau ar-lein. Diolch i’r ymateb brwdfrydig, mae gennym ni nawr fas data mawr o ymarferwyr amddiffyn sy’n fodlon gweithio gyda ni er mwyn creu meddalwedd i wella'r SCT.

Adnoddau ymgysylltu digidol

Rydyn ni wedi defnyddio adnodd ar-lein i ddarganfod y problemau y mae ymarferwyr wedi’u cael o ran sicrhau a defnyddio’r Rhif Cyfeirnod Unigryw (URN). Cafodd nifer o anghenion datblygu system a newidiadau proses eu datgan gennym ac rydym wedi sicrhau ymrwymiad gan yr heddlu, Gwasanaeth Erlyn y Goron, GLlTEM a'r Asiantaeth Cymorth Cyfreithiol i gydweithio ar y materion hyn.

Er mwyn hwyluso grwpiau ffocws, cyfarfodydd, profi defnyddwyr ac arddangosfeydd ad-hoc o'r Porthol Amddiffyn, rydw i wedi defnyddio rhannu sgrin, cynadleddau fideo, recordio cyfarfodydd a chynadleddau dros y ffôn, gan alluogi defnyddwyr i gymryd rhan o leoliad a dyfais o’u dewis hwy.

Er mwyn rhoi cyfle i bawb gymryd rhan, rydw i hefyd wedi defnyddio adnodd digidol arall sy’n galluogi i mi greu a rheoli digwyddiadau.

Hyd yma, mae tua 200 o sefydliadau amddiffyn yn chwarae rhan weithredol yn y rhaglen ac rydw i’n dal i gael sefydliadau’n mynegi diddordeb. Os hoffech gymryd rhan, anfonwch e-bost ataf i.

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