3.6 Key outcomes of the work programme to deliver unified administration include:
■ effective implementation of streamlined procedures and administrative systems;
■ improved technology to support the business model and procedures and provide users with greater choice and access to services.
3.7 The decision to pursue the current IT strategy for magistrates' courts was taken in March 2002 before the "Justice for All" white paper was published. The Department considers nevertheless that Libra is essential to the implementation of unified administration. To operate effectively unified administration requires a national IT infrastructure, which allows magistrates' courts to communicate both internally and externally. It also needs in place a robust, standard, national IT system to support the business of the magistrates' courts, including process automation to promote efficient operations and comprehensive management information. One of the developments planned for an early stage is to ensure that software applications can handle much larger business units, with complex organisational structures, thereby facilitating any organisational changes that unified administration might introduce.
3.8 The Department recognises that a key risk to the delivery of unified administration is that IT systems development may not progress at the required speed. This could create barriers to implementation of streamlined procedures and administrative systems and reduce or delay the potential benefits of closer alignment.