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OATH · Agency plan

Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings

Preliminary REP pages 336-341

Plan area: Good Governance & Inclusive Decision-Making

2 Short-Term 4 Medium-Term 2 Long-Term

Mission & Commitment

OATH is the central administrative law court for the City of New York. OATH ensures information is accessible by providing it in plain language and translating it into the top 10 languages spoken in NYC. OATH's Center for Creative Conflict Resolution (CCCR) has been addressing workplace conflicts that include implicit bias through early-intervention interest-based processes like mediation, coaching, training, and consultations.

Spotlight wins

OATH ensures information is accessible by providing it in plain language and translating it into the top 10 languages spoken in NYC. Everyone has access to free translation services for help sessions, trials, hearings, community service and mediations. OATH also makes all forms and applications available in the top ten languages.OATH has redesigned a majority of the summonses that agencies use to have clearer plain language instructions, fewer words, and a helpful QR code which redirects the reader to more information.OATH has a Help Center which ensures that unrepresented respondents receive non-legal answers to their questions, are aware of their rights, and understand the hearing process. A resident is afforded the opportunity to have a Help Session — a one-on-one meeting with a Procedural Justice Coordinator in their language of preference.A text-message reminder system is available to all OATH respondents to help ensure that people never miss a hearing. Since inception in September 2020, approximately 13,128 respondents have registered for these reminders. The text message system can also be utilized to initiate contact with the Help Center.Since 2016, OATH's Center for Creative Conflict Resolution (CCCR) has been addressing workplace conflicts that include implicit bias, in-group/out-group biases, through early-intervention interest-based processes. In 2023, CCCR provided over 500 processes across city agencies and mayoral offices.OATH has offices in every borough where people can come in person to ask questions and take care of OATH business.

Short-Term Goals

Short-Term Education & Early Childhood

Ensure all agency public-facing material is anti-marginalizing so that New Yorkers of different language preferences and literacy levels can access our agency’s information and services

Population focus: General

Goal ID: OATH-G02

Medium-Term Goals

Medium-Term Procurement & M/WBE Contracting

OATH has had a 30% goal for M/WBE utilization and will continue to implement and evaluate goals going forward to ensure they are consistent with federal, state and local law

Population focus: M/WBE owners

Goal ID: OATH-G03

Medium-Term Workforce Diversity & Staff Training

Build diverse recruitment pipelines to ensure equitable access to information about agency vacancies

Population focus: General

Goal ID: OATH-G04

Medium-Term Public Safety & Policing

Upon request, in situations where City Hall policymakers need summons and penalty data to assess and make recommendations regarding equity and enforcement, provide City Hall with such data to the degree the data exists at OATH (as the tribunal, OATH itself does not assess or make recommendations on enforcement policy)

Population focus: General

Goal ID: OATH-G05

Long-Term Goals

Long-Term Pay Equity & Internal Workforce Equity

Build an inclusive workplace where employees are supported and advance their careers, especially those of underrepresented groups based on agency disparity analysis

Population focus: Agency staff / employees

Goal ID: OATH-G07

Long-Term Public Safety & Policing

Proactively communicate established policies agencywide to foster a culture of transparency and inclusion

Population focus: General

Goal ID: OATH-G08

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