http://www.usdoj.gov/eoir/statspub/EOIR%20Strategic%20Plan%202008-2013%20Final.pdfExecutive Office for Immigration ReviewEOIRThrough teamwork and innovation, to be the world’s best administrative tribunals,guaranteeing fairness and due process for all.To provide for the fair, expeditious, and uniform interpretation and application ofimmigration law.Equal Justice Under the LawEOIR must administer and interpret immigration laws and regulations efficiently and consistently to ensure fairness and due process for all. Agency staff will treat those who appear before its tribunals with respect, dignity, and compassion.Commitment to ExcellenceEOIR is committed to excellence, and seeks to provide the highest level of service to those who appear before its tribunals.Honesty and IntegrityEOIR adjudicators and staff are committed to upholding high standards of integrity and ethical behavior.TeamworkEOIR staff will work as members of a team to further the goals andobjectives of the agency. While EOIR values differences among individuals, and respects differing views among the components, EOIR is one agency moving in a unified direction. EOIR’s leaders recognize that its employees are its most important resource and are committed to providing opportunities for individual growth and development.1Timely AdjudicationAdjudicate all cases in a timely manner while ensuring due process and fairtreatment for all parties.1.1Specified Time FramesAdjudicate cases within specified time frames.In the Department of Justice Strategic Plan for FY 2007-2012, four EOIR adjudication priorities are identified, with specific processing time frames for each. Goals have been established for each of EOIR’s adjudicative components. Additionally, EOIR has identified processing time frames for each type of case that it adjudicates. With the exception of statutorily-mandated deadlines, EOIR has determined that completing 90 percent of a particular type of case within the established time frame is an acceptable long-term result. Through the quarterly analysis of component workload, OCIJ will monitor each immigration court to identify any that have not met the established time frames and take action (e.g., refined case management techniques, resource realignment, and/or technology enhancements) as necessary and feasible to assist courts in meeting their case completion goals. BIA will sustain processes to ensure the Board’s success in meeting established time frames for adjudication of cases. OCAHO will monitor its caseload and take action as necessary to ensure that case completion goals are met. Agency managers will analyze the agency’s reported goals on a periodic basis to ensure that they are suitably ambitious. Any changes will be reflected in the Department’s key indicators. Measure: Number of case types in which the time frame goals were met and percent change from the last reporting period. Milestone: Annual reassessment of reported goals.1.2Caseload ManagementImplement improved caseload management practices.EOIR’s caseload has changed significantly over the past few years. For several years, the caseloads for OCIJ and BIA increased sharply, before beginning to stabilize. EOIR will consider these changes in workload, establish better methods to project future workload, and adjust resources accordingly. Additionally, EOIR will refine its current caseload management practices to ensure that cases move through the system as efficiently as possible. EOIR’s leadership will review current staffing and workload to determine if resources are distributed appropriately and, based on this workforce analysis, redistribute resources as necessary to maximize output of all components. EOIR staff will continue to work in conjunction with DHS to develop models to improve predictions of immigration court workload so that EOIR can make appropriate budget requests. The volume, nature, and geographic concentration of EOIR’s caseload is, to a great extent, tied directly to the initiatives undertaken by DHS. It is therefore critical that EOIR work closely with DHS to coordinate new budget initiatives and to ensure that resources are allocated to achieve optimal results. In addition, managers will continue to evaluate and implement various caseload management techniques. The courts will continue to systematically reduce the number of cases pending longer than one year; the Board will ensure that all cases that meet the criteria for single Board member decision are decided in that manner; the Board also will ensure that three Board member panels are provided the necessary resources to adjudicate the cases meeting the appropriate criteria. Measure: Clearance ratio for OCIJ (cases completed divided by cases received). Measure: Clearance ratio for BIA (appeals completed divided by appeals received).1.3Pro Bono RepresentationEncourage pro bono representation.An area of interest within EOIR is the large number of unrepresented aliens in immigration proceedings. Effective representation can enhance the adjudicative process. To ensure that unrepresented individuals understand the nature of the proceedings, as well as their rights and responsibilities, immigration judges will continue to provide information to aliens regarding court processes. EOIR’s Pro Bono Program, established in FY 2000, represents an important step forward in the agency’s efforts to expand and improve representation for aliens in proceedings. EOIR will continue to assess the areas of need for enhanced private sector pro bono representation throughout the country, with particular attention given to juveniles and detained aliens. EOIR staff will ensure that non-governmental organizations provide rights presentations to assist detained individuals who will appear in immigration court. In addition, EOIR will increase the use of video conference technology to allow counsel to appear by televideo, where practicable. The agency also will work with national, state, and local bar associations to better educate their members on the need and opportunity for pro bono service to aliens appearing before EOIR’s tribunals. Measure: Number of aliens served by LOP; percent change from last reporting period. Measure: Number of aliens served by BIA Pro Bono Project; percent change from last reporting period.EOIR’s primary mission is to provide for the fair, expeditious, and uniform interpretation and application of immigration law. Hence, the agency has made timely and fair case adjudication its first goal. EOIR’s Goal 1 mirrors the Department’s Strategic Objective 3.5 (adjudicate all immigration cases promptly and impartially in accordance with due process). Because EOIR’s workload depends on the number of matters filed by the parties, the agency has no control over the number of cases filed or their complexity. Nonetheless, EOIR must take every action to anticipate its future workload and to position itself to process all cases efficiently.2Professional ServicesDeliver services to the public in a professional, courteous, and timely manner.2.1Customer Service CultureCreate a culture of customer service as an integral, permanent component of EOIR programs.Customer service is a high priority for EOIR. EOIR will continue to move toward creating an organizational culture that supports customer service by providing employees with training and adequate resources to provide high quality service to its customers. The agency needs to recognize the diversity of the persons who appear before EOIR’s tribunals and take actions as necessary to ensure that appropriate special needs are met. EOIR also will attempt to make the courts more accessible by expanding the use of video and telephonic hearings in appropriate situations. Another important area of customer service concerns requests under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). EOIR will process all FOIA requests with an emphasis on customer service to the requesters and on teamwork with other agencies’ FOIA components. In addition, EOIR will strive to comply with statutory requirements and goals for timeliness and responsiveness, including a reduction in the percentage of cases processed beyond the statutorily required time periods. EOIR components will strive to provide outstanding customer service to internal customers by providing timely responses to statistical requests and information technology issues. Measure: Number of backlogged FOIA requests and average length of time pending.2.2Information and ServicesProvide information resources and services to appropriate individuals and entities.By providing timely, consistent, and accurate information to its customers, EOIR will reduce the frequency of redundant contact between EOIR and its customers. EOIR will continue to maintain the 1-800 number for individuals to check on the status of their next hearing, and the organization will enhance that capability by providing an electronic avenue as well. EOIR will increase the amount of useful information on its web site, including the Virtual Law Library. EOIR also will continue to provide user-friendly materials, such as the BIA Practice Manual and the OCIJ Practice Manual, to assist immigration law practitioners before EOIR’s tribunals. EOIR will add information to its web site, within federal privacy guidelines, when the agency determines that an issue has been raised a certain number of times through the FOIA process. EOIR also will enhance public awareness of and confidence in EOIR’s attorney discipline program. It will do so through its notices on the EOIR Internet site, as well as internally through the Fraud and Abuse Program within the Office of General Counsel. Measure: Ensure that EOIR’s web site is continually updated and contains current press releases, policy guidance, and precedent decisions.The public sector is increasingly emphasizing the need to serve the customer. EOIR must ensure that excellent customer service is provided throughout the entire process. Timely, consistent, professional, and courteous treatment are customer service priorities that are important to all who appear before EOIR’s tribunals. Many persons who appear before EOIR’s adjudicators have little familiarity with the process; this is further compounded in some cases by their difficulty with the English language. In dealing with these challenges, EOIR will treat all persons with respect, courtesy, and cultural sensitivity. EOIR is committed to providing high quality customer service regardless of whether the alien or practitioner contacts the agency by phone or Internet, seeks information in person at one of EOIR’s offices, or appears before one of EOIR’s tribunals.3Electronic FilingImplement electronic filing to achieve excellence in management,administration, and customer service.3.1Digital Audio RecordingImplement a Digital Audio Recording (DAR) system.EOIR is moving toward implementation of a digital recording system to replace the antiquated analog recording equipment that historically had been used to create the official transcripts of immigration hearings. By substantially improving audio quality, digital recording technology reduces inaccuracies and eliminates inaudible and indiscernible passages. It also solves the problem of missing or damaged tapes. This will save adjudication time, as it will eliminate the need for judges to repeat a hearing because too many portions of the tape are inaudible. When respondents file appeals with the Board, the recorded hearing will be electronically sent to transcribers in lieu of physically delivering analog tapes by courier, thereby drastically reducing the time required to receive and transfer recordings for transcription as well as reducing vulnerabilities for lost or damaged recordings. In addition, EOIR oversight and management staff will be able to access recordings of hearings within minutes of the proceeding’s completion, providing new avenues for EOIR management to oversee and review immigration judges’ conduct in the courtroom. Access to digital audio recordings directly by the DOJ Civil Division litigators, DHS, and alien attorneys/representatives will greatly enhance resolution of issues in cases in which tapes are not routinely transcribed, or in which issues regarding the sufficiency of the record have emerged. Measure: Status update on DAR implementation.3.2 Immigration Review and Information Exchange SystemImplement the Immigration Review and Information Exchange System (IRIES) to facilitate collaboration within DOJ and with other government entities.The President’s Management Agenda encourages the use of information technology to facilitate communications between agencies and with the public. IRIES will serve as the conduit through which EOIR will share data with its external business partners in the federal government. This project will enable EOIR to provide timely documents and information to law enforcement agencies. EOIR will work with DHS to exchange information more efficiently and effectively, striving to eliminate various manual processes and enhance the accuracy of information vital to both agencies. EOIR and the Civil Division also will allow interaction between their systems for purposes of federal immigration litigation. EOIR will eliminate, or at least greatly alleviate, issues of cross jurisdiction, court frustration, and timely and effective litigation strategies by allowing EOIR data to populate Civil databases through IRIES. Certified administrative records will be delivered electronically through IRIES, dramatically reducing shipping time frames and limiting occurrences of lost or damaged records, which will enhance the security of record delivery. By coordinating documentation and information exchanges between the various federal immigration litigation stakeholders, EOIR will be able to minimize the current frustrations, inconsistencies, and susceptibility to abuse, such as the recent examples of forged Board decisions and notices. Measure: Status update on IRIES implementation.In this era of rapid technological development, EOIR’s adjudicators and other staff increasingly rely on a wide range of technologies to do their work. Integrating constantly evolving technologies to enhance EOIR’s adjudicative and administrative functions will be an ongoing challenge. To meet this challenge, EOIR is engaged in a multi-year, multi-phased project, termed eWorld, to make the transition from paper to electronic documents for its official records. As eWorld implementation progresses, other government agencies, attorneys, parties to immigration cases, and interested persons will be able, as authorized, to submit materials electronically to EOIR’s adjudication components. Upon full implementation, most filings will be processed in electronic form. EOIR adjudicators and staff will use the electronic records in their work. Progress toward achievement of this goal will lead to success in EOIR’s primary mission-oriented goal of adjudicating cases in a timely and fair manner.4Skilled WorkforceProvide for a workforce that is skilled, diverse, committed to excellence, and exhibits the highest standards of integrity.4.1Integrity and AccountabilityFoster integrity and accountability to ensure public trust in EOIR’s case adjudications and managerial practices.In order to be effective and to engender public trust and confidence in EOIR’s decisions, employees need to be held accountable for their actions. The Attorney General’s review of EOIR in 2006 highlighted the importance of judicial temperament for agency adjudicators. EOIR managers will promote integrity, economy, efficiency, and effectiveness within the agency. It is important that those who appear before EOIR’s tribunals have trust in the agency and in the work that it does. EOIR will maintain a robust Ethics program, providing training to employees and answering questions promptly. EOIR’s Employee and Labor Relations program will provide outstanding service and accurate advice to EOIR’s management officials regarding employee conduct, grievances, and management/labor relations. In addition, EOIR will ensure an effective Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) consultation, resolution, and complaint process. Measure: Finalize and implement a process for the intake, tracking, and resolution of complaints against immigration judges and Board members.4.2Human CapitalImprove the strategic management of human capital.The most valuable asset that EOIR has is its employees. Workforce analysis and succession planning are extremely important to the agency to ensure that operations can continue despite turnover in the staff. EOIR will implement plans to strengthen employee skills and to replenish the workforce through strategic recruitment initiatives to recruit for the skill sets needed for the future. In order to recruit and retain highly qualified individuals, EOIR will continue the policies that make the agency a desirable place to work. To that end, EOIR will emphasize being a “family friendly” workplace by providing a wide range of work life options for its employees, where feasible, recognizing that different operational units within the agency have different staffing needs. The agency also will promote initiatives that support employees in balancing the demands of their professional and personal lives. EOIR will continue to support efforts to promote diversity, ensuring that its management and staff reflect the diverse ethnic and racial cultures that make this nation great. To that end, EOIR will strive to make opportunities available to the fullest extent for women, minorities, and persons with disabilities. Milestone: Creation of staffing plans for each office that take into account new skills needed to achieve EOIR’s mission in the future.The Department’s Strategic Plan states that DOJ’s “most important resource is its people.... The DOJ mission and our strategic goals could not be achieved without these loyal, skilled, and dedicated employees.” Similarly, the Government Accountability Office Comptroller General has noted that “the key competitive difference in the 21st century will be people. It will not be process. It will not be technology. It will be people.” EOIR’s largest expenditure each year is in the area of personnel services and benefits. EOIR must continue to view its employees as a resource to be managed carefully. EOIR’s managers need to view training as an investment in the agency’s future.