| Table
1: Summary of Measures |
Measure |
Primary Data
Collection Method |
Primary Evaluators |
Subject/Source of
Data |
|
|
|
|
1.1.1
Access to Open Hearings |
Observation/simulation |
Volunteer
observers |
Record of
access for selected court proceedings |
1.1.2
Tracking Court Proceedings |
Observation/simulation |
Volunteer
observers |
Selected
court proceedings |
1.1.3
Audibility of Participants During Open Court Proceedings |
Observation/simulation |
Volunteer
observers |
Selected
court proceedings |
1.2.1
Courthouse Security Audit |
Observation/simulation |
Security
consultant |
Security
checklist of courthouse facilities |
1.2.2 Law
Enforcement Officer Test of Courthouse Security |
Observation/simulation |
Law
enforcement officials |
Security
tests of courthouse facilities |
1.2.3
Perceptions of Courthouse Security |
Survey |
Skilled
survey methodologist |
Perceptions
of regular users of the court (including court employees, attorneys, probation officers,
and jurors) |
1.2.4 Court
Employees’ Knowledge of Emergency Procedures |
Interview |
Skilled
interviewers |
Court
employee interviews |
1.2.5
Access to Information by Telephone |
Observation/simulation |
Volunteer
observers |
Telephone
calls to court about specific cases |
1.2.6
Evaluation of Accessibility and Convenience by Court Users |
Survey |
Skilled
survey methodologist |
Perceptions
of regular users of the court (including court employees, attorneys, probation officers,
and jurors) |
1.2.7
Evaluation of Accessibility and Convenience by Observers |
Survey |
Skilled
survey methodologist |
Perceptions
of volunteer observers |
1.3.1
Effective Legal Representation of Children in Child Abuse and Neglect Proceedings |
Record
review survey |
Court staff |
Case file
documents; information from judges, guardians ad litem, and caseworkers |
1.3.2
Evaluation of Interpreted Events by Experts |
Observation/simulation |
Court
interpretation consultants |
Court
proceedings involving interpreters |
1.3.3 Test
of Basic Knowledge Required of Interpreters |
Written
test |
Court staff
knowledgeable about interpretation issues |
Skills of
court interpreters |
1.3.4
Assessing Non-English Language Proficiency Through Back Interpretation |
Oral test |
Court staff
or consultant with highly developed English language skills |
Skills of
court interpreters |
1.3.5
Participation by Persons With Disabilities |
Observation/simulation |
Volunteer
observers |
Court
facilities and services |
1.4.1 Court
Users’ Assessment of Court Personnel’s Courtesy and Responsiveness |
Survey |
Skilled
survey methodologist |
Perceptions
of regular users of the court (including court employees, attorneys, probation officers,
and jurors) |
1.4.2
Observers’ Assessment of Court Personnel’s Courtesy and Responsiveness |
Survey |
Skilled
survey methodologist |
Perceptions
of volunteer observers |
1.4.3
Treatment of Litigants in Court |
Observation/simulation |
Volunteer
observers |
Selected
court proceedings |
1.5.1
Inventory of Assistance Alternatives for the Financially Disadvantaged |
Record
reviews; observation/simulation; interviews |
Data
collection team consisting of a court official, practicing attorney, and a representative
of a local social services agency |
Administrative
documents; court facilities; interviews with court staff |
1.5.2
Access to Affordable Civil Legal Assistance |
Observation/simulation |
Volunteer
observers |
Court
operations and services |
1.5.3
Barriers to Accessing Needed Court Services |
Survey |
Survey
research organization |
Perceptions
of the general public |
2.1.1 Time
to Disposition |
Record
review |
Court staff
and statistical analyst |
Case file
documents |
2.1.2 Ratio
of Case Dispositions to Case Filings |
Record
review |
Court staff
and statistical analyst |
Case
management records |
2.1.3 Age
of Pending Caseload |
Record
review |
Court staff
and statistical analyst |
Case file
documents |
2.1.4
Certainty of Trial Dates |
Record
review |
Court staff
and statistical analyst |
Case file
documents |
2.2.1
Prompt Payment of Moneys |
Record
review |
Court staff |
Court
financial records |
2.2.2
Provision of Services |
Record
review |
Court staff |
Case file
documents |
2.2.3
Provision of Information |
Observation/simulation |
Volunteer
observers |
Court
operations and services |
2.2.4
Compliance with Reporting Schedules |
Record
review |
Court staff |
Administrative
reports |
2.3.1
Implementation of Changes in Substantive and Procedural Law |
Record
review |
Court staff |
Administrative
documents |
2.3.2
Implementation of Changes in Administrative Procedures |
Record
review |
Court staff |
Administrative
documents |
3.1.1
Performance in Selected Areas of Law |
Structured
group techniques; record review; observation/simulation; interviews |
Panels of
practitioners in basic areas of law; court staff |
Case file
documents; court proceedings; perceptions of judges, court employees, and attorneys |
3.1.2
Assessment of Court Performance in Applying the Law |
Survey |
Skilled
survey methodologist |
Perceptions
of court employees and attorneys |
3.2.1
Inclusiveness of Jury Source List |
Record
review |
Court staff |
Juror
source list |
3.2.2
Random Jury Selection Procedures |
Record
review |
Court staff |
Juror
source list |
3.2.3
Representativeness of Final Juror Pool |
Survey |
Expert in
demographic studies |
Demographics
of jurors |
3.3.1
Evaluations of Equality and Fairness by the Practicing Bar |
Survey |
Skilled
survey methodologist |
Perceptions
of attorneys |
3.3.2
Evaluations of Equality and Fairness by Court Users |
Survey |
Skilled
survey methodologist |
Perceptions
of regular court users (including litigants, jurors, witnesses, and victims) |
3.3.3
Equality and Fairness in Sentencing |
Record
review |
Expert
statistical consultant |
Case file
documents |
3.3.4
Equality and Fairness in Bail Decisions |
Record
review |
Expert
statistical consultant |
Case file
documents |
3.3.5 The
Integrity of Trial Court Outcomes |
Record
review |
Court staff |
Appellate
case files |
3.4.1
Clarity of Judgment and Sentence |
Record
review |
Court staff |
Criminal
case file documents |
3.4.2
Clarity of Civil Judgments |
Record
review |
Court staff |
Civil case
file documents |
3.4.3
Experience in Interpreting Orders and Judgments |
Survey |
Court staff |
Perceptions
of judges, attorneys, probation officers, and clerks |
3.5.1
Payment of Fines, Costs, Restitution, and Other Orders by Probationers |
Record
review |
Court staff |
Court
probationary orders; bookkeeping records |
3.5.2 Child
Support Enforcement |
Record
review |
Court staff |
Child
support orders; bookkeeping records |
3.5.3 Civil
Judgment Enforcement |
Record
review |
Court staff |
Civil
judgment docket |
3.5.4
Enforcement of Case Processing Rules and Orders |
Record
review |
Court staff |
Case file
documents |
3.6.1
Reliability of the File Control System |
Record
review |
Court staff |
Case files |
3.6.2
Adequate Storage and Preservation of Physical Records |
Record
review |
Court staff |
Case file
documents |
3.6.3
Accuracy, Consistency, and Utility of the Case Docket System |
Record
review |
Court staff |
Case docket
system |
3.6.4 Case
File Integrity |
Record
review |
Court staff |
Case file
documents |
3.6.5
Reliability of Document Processing |
Record
review |
Court staff |
Legal
documents |
3.6.6
Verbatim Records of Proceedings |
Survey |
Court staff |
Perceptions
of attorneys |
4.1.1
Perceptions of the Court’s Independence and Comity |
Survey |
Court
research staff steering committee |
Perceptions
of regular users of the court (court personnel, including judges, attorneys, law
enforcement, and other government agency representatives) |
4.2.1
Adequacy of Statistical Reporting Categories for Resource Allocation |
Structured
group techniques |
Judges,
clerks, other court operations personnel; steering committee |
Statistical
case types classification |
4.2.2
Evaluation of Personnel Resource Allocation |
Structured
group techniques |
Judges and
court operations staff; steering committee |
Case
filings and staffing patterns |
4.2.3
Evaluation of the Court’s Financial Auditing Practices |
Record
review interview |
Financial
consultant (optional); steering committee |
Administrative
audit reports |
4.3.1
Assessment of Fairness in Working Conditions |
Survey |
Noncourt
employees to administer survey; steering committee |
Perceptions
of court employees |
4.3.2
Personnel Practices and Employee Morale |
Survey |
Skilled
survey methodologist; steering committee |
Perceptions
of court employees |
4.3.3 Equal
Employment Opportunity |
Record
review |
Steering
committee; court staff |
Court
personnel records |
4.4.1 Court
and Media Relations |
Record
review |
Trial court
manager; steering committee |
Court
policies and practices |
4.4.2
Assessment of the Court’s Media Policies and Practices |
Interview |
Court
staff; skilled interviewers (noncourt employees); steering committee |
Perceptions
of court employees and media representatives |
4.4.3
Community Outreach Efforts |
Record
review interview |
Public
information specialist and court employee; steering committee |
Public
education documents; court employee's outreach efforts |
4.5.1
Responsiveness to Past Issues |
Structured
group techniques; interviews |
Group
facilitator; steering committee |
Opinions of
representatives of the justice system or other related organizations |
5.1.1 Court
Employees’ Perceptions of Court Performance |
Survey |
Skilled
survey methodologist |
Perceptions
of court employees |
5.1.2
Justice System Representatives’ Perceptions of Court Performance |
Structured
group techniques |
Group
facilitator |
Perceptions
of representatives of other components of the justice system and related agencies |
5.1.3
General Public’s Perceptions of Court Performance |
Survey |
Survey
research organization |
Perceptions
of the general public |
