Client Story
Improved Accuracy and Agility
When Elections Ontario decided it was time to automate the complex process of election management, there was no blueprint to follow to turn their vision into a reality.
About Elections Ontario
Elections Ontario is a non-partisan Agency of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, working under the direction of the Chief Electoral Officer. Elections Ontario is charged with administering provincial elections, by-elections and referenda (electoral events) under the provisions of the Election Act and Representation Act.
Elections Ontario’s Challenges
Elections Ontario is unique in that it must function as both a large and small organization – it expands and contracts depending on whether or not it is currently managing or preparing for an election event. This variability in size and function caused a number of operational challenges: business processes and information for key areas of the organization were not interconnected; some of those processes were not optimized or even automated; and several Elections Ontario departments were still relying on paper-based workflows and spreadsheet-based reporting.
The Solution
The Election Management System is a highly complex solution that took two and a half years to design, develop and implement, involving over 100 key stakeholders representing several key functional areas. Delivering the solution under the fast-approaching deadline of the next provincial election contributed to the complexity. With a Collaborative Design, Disciplined Project Management, Two Complete Testing Cycles, Phased Implementation Plan and Global Project Team, deadlines were met and the client was able to improve the levels of service to the people of Ontario.
The Rewards
An election event can only be deemed successful when the process and results can be trusted by the public to accurately reflect their choices. The new Election Management System has provided Elections Ontario with the foundation on which to maintain that trust, by allowing Elections Ontario to continue to run election events with integrity, accuracy and agility.
