Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) – Key Terms Dictionary
(Alphabetical Order)
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR): Alternative dispute resolution includes any means of resolving a case other than adjudication. ADR mechanisms include mediation, case conferences, negotiation, or any other means of facilitating the resolution of issues in dispute. ADR can be voluntary or mandatory, depending on the tribunal.
Alternative Dispute Resolution KPI: Refers to the cases that were resolved (in whole or in part) by mediation, case conferences, negotiation, or any other means of facilitating the resolution of issues in dispute used by tribunals.
Appellant / Applicant: The terms refer to the party who initiates an appeal or application with a tribunal.
Application Completed / Eligible / Perfected Date: Refers to the specific point in time when all necessary documentation and requirements for an application have been fulfilled and finalized. It marks the date on which the application is considered complete and ready for further processing within the tribunal’s procedures.
Application / Appeal Receipt Date: Refers to the date the tribunal received an application or appeal.
Case: A term that refers to an application or appeal.
Case Age: Measures from the application / appeal receipt date to the current date.
Case Lifecycle: Refers to the time it takes a case to go from application / appeal receipt date to the date the case is fully closed (i.e., the disposition date).
Case Lifecycle KPI: The percentage of cases within the lifecycle KPI refers to the cases that are equal to or younger than the specific case age/lifecycle for each tribunal (i.e., percentage of cases within 12 months).
Decisions / Orders: The document issued that resolves or concludes a case.
Decision Issuance KPI: Measured from the conclusion of the last event/proceeding to the date the decision is issued to the parties. This KPI refers to any decision that is within the specific decision issuance KPI for each tribunal.
Disposition Date: The date the case was fully closed.
Eligible Accommodation Requests: Refers to requests pursuant to Tribunals Ontario’s accommodation policy and the practice direction on hearing formats.
Eligible Accommodation Requests KPI: Refers to the number of eligible accommodation requests granted (in whole or in-part) across all tribunals.
Evenly Weighted Average: A calculation method where each applicable data point being included in an average calculation is assigned an equal weight, so that the total of those weights equal 100%. For instance, if there are 10 data points being used to calculate an average, each data point would be assigned a weight of 10%.
“First” Hearing Event Date: The “first” hearing event scheduled before a tribunal, which includes any type of hearing event.
First Held Hearing Event: Refers to the initial occurrence of an event where an adjudicator has or can adjudicate a decision/order (such as a hearing, motion, review, case conference, but does not include mediation or any other form of alternative dispute resolution).
French Language Application / Appeal: Refers to applications/appeals that display French and bilingual features. It may involve an initial receipt of French applications, a potential language transition from English to French due to interpreter requests, subsequent responses or submissions, and the linguistic background of parties or witnesses involved in the process.
French Language Proceeding: Refers to legal proceedings or activities conducted in French language. Within Tribunals Ontario, it suggests hearings, motions, reviews, case conferences, mediations, or other legal processes where the communication and documentation are conducted in French or Bilingual.
French Language Services: Refers to the provision of services in the French language within Tribunals Ontario. This includes French language availability for phone services, forms, and publications. Furthermore, it involves the allocation of a bilingual adjudicator or mediator to a hearing or mediation when the application or appeal is submitted in French, a response is filed in French, or a party requests participation in French during the proceedings. In cases where certain tribunals are required by law to conduct a hearing or mediation within a certain time period and a bilingual adjudicator or mediator is unavailable, a French-English interpreter will be used to ensure effective communication.
Hearing Event: Refers to an event where an adjudicator has or can adjudicate a decision / order (such as a hearing, motion, reviews, case conference, but does not include mediation or any other form of alternative dispute resolution).
Hearing Event Date Scheduling KPI: Measures the time from application/appeal receipt date to the scheduling of the “first” hearing event date and reports on those hearings within the specific standard for each tribunal.
Iterative Process: A technique used to continuously assess and improve an initiative, product, or process over time.
Key Performance Indicator (KPI): A quantifiable measure of performance over time for a specific objective, which can indicate insights organizations can leverage to help make improvements.
Not Applicable (N/A): For this report, it refers to tribunals not receiving a case in the time period being reported on and tribunals that do not provide these services, thereby excluding them from the Tribunals Ontario KPI roll-up and the respective tribunal KPIs.
To Be Determined (TBD): For this report, it refers to technical limitations with providing the data due to issues with reporting in tribunal case management systems. This data is then excluded from the Tribunals Ontario KPI roll-up along with the respective tribunal KPIs.
Tribunals / Boards: Terms that refer to all 13 adjudicative bodies within Tribunals Ontario, and the terms can be used interchangeably.
Tribunals’ Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Refers to the individual tribunal KPI data that is being reported on.
Tribunals Ontario Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Refers to the overarching KPIs for Tribunals Ontario as an organization, which are calculated by taking an evenly weighted average across all tribunals that are reporting on the respective KPIs.