Office of Court Administration
A Report on the Efficiency of the Office of Court Administration
APRIL 1996
Overall Conclusions
Operations of the Office of Court Administration are generally efficient. However, opportunities to improve the efficiency of specific operations exist. The use of strategic planning and the improvement of the current performance measurement process will provide assurances that the agency's resources are used in the most critical areas and are being used efficiently. In addition, management and oversight authorities will be able to assess whether the agency is accomplishing its statutory responsibilities as well as meeting the needs of its customers.
Key Facts And Findings
All 16 of the appellate courts use the free Office of Court Administration Case Management System software developed, maintained, and supported by the agency. A significant portion of the agency's resources are dedicated to this activity. However, only 28 percent of the courts in the Texas Judicial System have requested the software.
The agency has prioritized the processing of the monthly judicial reports to ensure that its reporting requirements are being met. The agency is unable to process in a timely manner many of the 3,000 judicial reports that are received monthly. Automating the collection and processing of monthly judicial reports may free up resources that can be used in other areas of the agency.
A Judges' Technology Committee has been established to address the automation concerns of the appellate courts.
The development of an employee appraisal system is a priority for fiscal year 1996.
Seventy-four percent of the agency's appropriations are allocated to the Title IV-D Court Masters and Administrative Assistants Program. This program is a part of the Child Support Program. Twenty percent of the $4.3 million appropriated to the agency for fiscal year 1996 is allocated to providing administrative support (its primary function) and assistance to the 3,010 justices and 2,550 courts that comprise the Texas Judicial System. The majority of the agency's 17 employees are responsible for providing these services to the appellate courts of Texas. The remaining six percent appropriated to the agency is allocated for other small programs.
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