Overall Objectives:

• Gain input from a wide variety of sources, with special focus on input from the general public, on how all aspects of our state court system can and should be improved.
  
  
• Review and assess work completed by other commissions and task forces. Review the findings and recommendations of these groups and analyze what recommendations have been implemented and what recommendations have not been unaddressed to date.
  
  
• Commission members will work on committees based on specific topic areas to review all input/information and develop recommendations.
  
  
• All Commission recommendations will be documented in a report to Chief Justice Broderick and his colleagues on the Supreme Court.

Specific Tasks, Timeframes and Responsibilities:

• Survey of 750 citizens of NH to be developed and conducted by Dr. Andrew Smith of the UNH Survey Center. Survey to be conducted in early August 2005. Survey results to be presented to Steering Committee and then to the full Commission in September 2005.
  
  
• Website to be developed no later than end of July 2005, enabling citizens to post comments/input. Website will alert citizens that any commentary or input posted on the site will be considered public information.
  
  
• Listening sessions to be scheduled in six locations around the state (Steering Committee to establish locations.) Two sessions (one in the late afternoon and one in the evening of the same day) will be scheduled in each location. A team of local leaders will be identified to work with (a) Commission Co-Chairs, (b) Commission Project Manager, and (c) selected Commissioners to plan, advertise and implement the listening sessions. Sessions will be held from September through November 2005.
  
  
• A specific number of committees ("Research Committees") will be established by the Steering Committee to do the following: (a) focus on a specific topic area (eg, use of technology, public education on the courts system, court interaction with the public, access to the court system, matters that should/should not go directly to the court system), (b) review the work, findings and recommendations of prior commissions and task forces for each topic area, (c) assess feedback and input attained through the several mechanisms set up by this Commission and (d) develop specific recommendations for the topic area addressed by each committee. The number of committees and topic areas may be modified by the Steering Committee, based on any significant issues that come out of the survey, the listening sessions, and input posted on the website. Research Committees will be established, and committee chairs identified, in July 2005. Committee work is expected to begin (review of the work of past committees and task forces) immediately.
  
  
• Research Committees will work through Fall 2005 to share information, feedback, input received.
  
  
• The "deliberative process" phase will begin in January 2006 and be completed by the end of March 2006. During this phase, committees will work to develop specific recommendations for improvement in each topic area. In late March or early April, Commissioners will review all recommendations and agree on the final set of recommendations to be included in the Commission's final report.
  
  
• Final Commission Report will be prepared in April/May 2006.