Client: Connecticut Judicial Branch Hartford, Connecticut - www.jud.ct.gov
Industry: State and Local Government, Judicial Branch

Summary
The Mission of the Connecticut Judicial Branch “is to resolve matters brought before it in a fair, timely, efficient, and open manner.” The Branch consists of approximately 4,000 employees, including 196 judges – of whom 179 are Superior Court Judges. Administratively, the Branch is organized into four major divisions: Superior Court Operations – supporting the operations of the Connecticut Superior Court; Court Support Services – providing the Superior Court with various pre-trial services, family services, and supervision options for adults and juveniles as well as juvenile detention services; Information Technology Division; and a central Administrative Services Division providing human resources, budget and finance, and capital and facilities planning services to the Branch as a whole.

Business Goals & Objectives
In 1998, Connecticut Judicial Branch leaders, led at the time by Chief Court Administrator Judge Aaron Ment, were concerned about how best to streamline management of an organization that had experienced explosive growth in staff, mission, and facilities from 1985 – 1995. Senior management felt the number of direct reports to the Chief Court Administrator had become unwieldy and that the Branch’s IT organization was not effectively aligned to the mission of the Branch. Senior Entara staff assisted the Branch in four different ways:

• Entara’s James Hill led an organizational review of Superior Court support functions reporting to the Chief Court Administrator.
• Mr. Hill also developed the business case for a new Judicial Branch data center, and prepared the capital expenditure plans for the upgrade / construction of a multi-year plan for new and renovated courthouses and the relocation of certain court services functions to new facilities. Challenges faced during the capital planning processes included renovation of historic court houses for installation of new technology and location of court services facilities in areas convenient to served populations.
• A restructuring of the Branch’s various court services groups, into a single unified Court Support Services Division, organized along process lines, and reporting through a single Executive Director to the Chief Court Administrator.
• A long term study of the Branch’s IT function, including placement of Bob Womack as executive advisor to the Branch’s CIO and Deputy Chief Court Administrator, Judge Robert Leuba.

Entara Solution
RESTRUCTURE JUDICIAL BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT

• During 1998 and 1999, Entara managed multiple judicial reorganization projects. One project focused on alignment of the Court’s IT operations with those of its core business in the state’s trial court. Also managed the reorganization of approximately 2,000 staff in six different court services agencies into a single,functionally organized, agency reporting to the Chief Court Administrator.
• This restructuring streamlined how the organization was managed, improved the flow of information between middle and senior levels and knowledge-workers of the Branch, improved alignment of administrative and support functions, including Information Technology, with the mission of the various Superior Court organizations, and facilitated the development and implementation of new community-based programs.
• Shortly after the completion of the organizational design and IT assessment efforts described above, Entara’s Bob Womack managed the on-budget delivery of a web-based statewide protective order system built using a series of U.S. Department of Justice Grants. This cross-boundary project required management of stakeholders within the executive and judicial branches of government, and coordination of work done in multiple IT groups, including the state data center, state police, and the Judicial Branch.

Client Results
• Revised court facility capital expenditure plan.
• Reduction of direct reports to the Chief Court Administrator from 15 to five.
• Establishment of a centralized Court Support Services Division, organized along functional lines with staff specialties well defined for intake, supervisory, detention, and administrative support functions.
• Establishment of a reorganized Information Technology Division and appointment of the Judicial Branch’s first
Chief Information Officer.

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