Unrepresented Persons Program Analyst (PA2) - 2 Positions

at  Office of Public Defense Services

Initial Posting Date:
09/23/2024
Application Deadline:
10/14/2024
Agency:
Office of Public Defense Services
Salary Range:
$5396 - $7590
Position Type:
Employee
Position Title:
Unrepresented Persons Program Analyst (PA2) - 2 Positions
Job Description:
We invite you to join our team at the Oregon Public Defense Commission and become an integral part of our success story! We are seeking two (2) Limited Duration, Unrepresented Persons Program Analysts (Program Analyst 2) professionals for our Trial Support and Development Section. The duration of these positions is expected to end on June 30,2025. The ideal candidates will be self-starters with excellent communication skills and the ability to multi-task effectively in a fast-paced environment. If this career opportunity aligns with your passion and goals, we encourage you to take the first step and apply today!
Who we are:
The Oregon Public Defense Commission (OPDC) is a 13-member commission appointed by the Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court based on input from all three branches of Government. The Commission serves as the governing body for Oregon’s public defense system. The Commission provides policy direction and oversight for the administration of the system. The legal services provided by OPDC represent an essential component of Oregon’s public safety system.
The mission of OPDC is to ensure constitutionally competent and effective legal representation for persons eligible for a public defender.
The office includes the Executive Division, the Appellate Division, the Trial Division, the Trial Development & Resources Division, and the Administrative Services Division. The agency negotiates contracts with trial level public defense providers and administers and distributes funds for representation and related services for cases during the biennium for criminal, juvenile, and civil commitment cases. The agency provides compliance and oversight to the trial community providers through quality assurance practices, training, and education. Financial Services processes all expenses related to representation in public defense cases. The Appellate Division provides direct legal representation in the state appellate courts in criminal cases, juvenile dependency and termination of parental rights cases, and parole cases. Other services in the agency include, Data Collection and Analysis, General Counsel, Human Resources, Information Technology Services, Internal Audit, and Policy Development.
Primary Purpose of this Position:
The Unrepresented Persons Program Analyst will develop processes for and facilitate the assignment of qualified counsel for unrepresented persons, that is, individuals who are eligible for a public defender but are currently without an attorney, in as timely a manner as possible. They will work alongside the Unrepresented Persons Analysts in reviewing the list of unrepresented persons; prioritizing persons for assignment of counsel based on custody status, seriousness of charges, and other relevant, defined factors; communicating with contract attorneys, hourly attorneys, judges, and court staff regarding case assignments; accurately documenting case assignments in agency systems of record; and communicating with accounts payable and other agency staff to resolve questions regarding case assignments. This position will be responsible for ongoing evaluation of program process efficiency and effectiveness. The person in this position will make recommendations to agency management for program and process improvements.
Duties:

Program Administration

• Review the list of unrepresented persons at least once each day for new individuals in need of counsel and coordinate distribution of case lists to attorneys for potential case assignments.
• Prioritize individuals and cases for assignment of counsel based on custody status, seriousness of charges, and other relevant, defined factors.
• Communicate with hourly, contract attorneys, and Trial Division regarding cases appearing on the Unrepresented Persons Dashboard needing assignment of an attorney.
• Determine whether each case assignment should be applied toward an attorney’s contracted caseload limit, if a contract attorney, or should be paid at an hourly rate, and, if paid at an hourly rate, the appropriate rate for the case
• Approving and processing case assignments, including entering data into agency systems of record
• Coordinate with new hourly attorneys to complete necessary requirements for accepting hourly case assignments.
• Create and maintain operational guidelines and procedures.
• Collaborate with the Trial Support & Development Manager, other Unrepresented Persons Analysts, and other agency staff to develop improvements to existing processes and procedures related to unrepresented persons.

Program Monitoring

• Evaluate whether attorneys accepting cases at an hourly rate have a signed hourly attorney agreement on file and have completed any other necessary paperwork and that all necessary data associated with hourly case assignments is entered into the applicable system of record.
• Collaborate with Data & Research team to produce data analysis of program and statistics and demographics of clients served and attorneys accepting case assignments from the Unrepresented Persons Dashboard.
• Create and analyze performance metrics to share effectiveness of program.
• Audit and analysis of data entry to ensure accurate records regarding case assignments.
• Create controls to ensure data is not compromised.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Communicate with judges and court staff regarding status of locating counsel and prioritization of cases. Communicate with contract administrators, contract attorneys, hourly attorneys, and Trial Division to locate qualified counsel who can accept assignment of cases. Notify assigned counsel and the court of each case assignment.
• Engage with external stakeholders, including attorneys, judges, and court staff to provide training and implement process and procedure improvements.
• Present information regarding unpresented persons program functionality and/or performance to internal staff, external business partners, or others as requested.

Minimum Qualifications:
A bachelor’s degree in business or public administration, Behavioral or Social Sciences, or a degree related to the agency program that demonstrates the capacity for the knowledge and skills; and two (2) years’ experience coordinating or administering a program.
OR
Any combination of experience or education equivalent to five (5) years of experience that typically supports the knowledge and skill requirements listed for the classification.
Salary range: $5396 - $7590

The top five attributes OPDC is looking for in the UNREPRESENTED PERSONS PROGRAM ANALYST (PA2) role:

• Experience and skill in managing multiple tasks efficiently in a fast-paced environment.
• Proven ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with diverse stakeholders.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Experience utilizing data in the development and refinement of policies and processes.
• Passion for continuous improvement of policies and processes that guide and inform day-to-day work.

• Experience and skill in managing multiple tasks efficiently in a fast-paced environment.
• Proven ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with diverse stakeholders.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Experience utilizing data in the development and refinement of policies and processes.
• Passion for continuous improvement of policies and processes that guide and inform day-to-day work