Several tribes recently launched new court case management systems. Some had no system in place at all, while others had cumbersome and only partially used systems in place. The tribes sought an electronic case management system to increase efficiency, clearly define processes, and improve reporting. During this webinar, the speakers will discuss their experiences of the system implementation, lessons learned, and benefits realized through the lens of a case study.

What steps did the several tribes take when undertaking the change? The first step in implementing new software is making the decision to do so and considering what the Tribe wanted to accomplish by implementing an updated system. The Washoe Tribe of NV and CA, the Winnemucca Indian Colony and the Cedarville Rancheria are three examples of tribes we will discuss today. Judge Patricia Lenzi, Chief Judge of Cedarville and Winnemucca Tribal courts, and the former Chief Judge of the Washoe Tribal Court, will discuss the goals and deliberations that led to the decision to implement an enterprise-level system for the Court and provide considerations for what other Courts may examine. Planning the implementation for a robust database system involved several aspects including identifying system goals, outlining module customization, and staff embracing the change. The Washoe Tribe’s Project Manager, Kolby Fenster, will describe the system rollout including collaborative application development, system design, development, testing, and go live phases. Lastly, we will examine how the new data system achieved the Judge’s goals for grant reporting and other benefits they experienced.