New e-file portal simplifies complex process

The new e-file portal makes initiating an appeal[1] to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) easier. After 13 months of planning, design, and testing, the portal went live on March 27, 2024.

The portal provides a platform that serves the needs of three distinct user groups:

• Appellants or their legal representatives who need a simple, accessible way to file appeals.
• More than 400 municipalities and other approval authorities who need to receive, review and group appeals to forward to the OLT.
• The OLT which needs to manage and process received appeals efficiently.

Design for User Experience: Simplifying Complexity

User-friendliness is at the core of the e-file portal’s design. The goal was to ensure that even those infrequent users, like smaller municipalities that may only receive one appeal or less per year, could use it without extensive training.

To ensure the system is intuitive, we held focus groups with legal representatives, municipalities, and ministry partners to identify user needs. Their feedback helped shape 104 specific software features, including:

• The ability for the appellant to pay fees directly to OLT (online payment or by cheque)
• Simplified A1 and M1 form completion and saving
• ​Ability to have multiple approval authority users on an account
• Ability to export digital copies of documents for record keeping
• Checklists for required documents for different types of appeals
• Tools to reduce miscommunications (e.g., incorrect municipal contact information)

We worked closely with our partners at the Ontario Digital Services, Privacy Impact Assessment Services, and Threat Risk Assessment Services to comply and align with privacy, security and accessibility web technology standards. Key features of the portal include:

• Anti-virus protection and enhanced security
• Auto-triggered email notifications and PDFs
• Integration with Canada Post’s address database
• Connection to Ontario’s public secure log-in platforms and online payment services

Onboarding and Awareness: Bringing Municipalities on Board

The success of the portal depends on the participation of more than 400 municipalities and other approval authorities, as many appeals need to first be filed with a municipality or other approval authority before they come to the OLT.

The OLT has rolled out a comprehensive onboarding strategy including:

• Information packages
• Information sessions and demos
• Educational videos to supplement learning
• One-on-one support upon request

In May 2024, the first two municipalities began accepting appeals through the portal and 24 others have joined since. However, many are still in the process of updating their internal systems and communications to fully integrate with e-file. The OLT is grateful to the municipalities who have become early adopters of the new system, and we look forward to our continued partnership.

Looking Ahead: The Future of Digital Appeals

The adoption of the OLT’s e-file portal is a significant step forward in modernizing the appeals process and reducing the overall end-to-end processing time of appeals. The OLT will continue to gather user feedback and release regular updates to the portal. We introduced updates in July 2024 and October 2024, with the next update scheduled for early 2025.

Through collaboration and innovation, we aim to continue transforming our systems to provide a simpler and more efficient user experience.

[1] Depending on the circumstance, public users may use e-file to submit an appeal, application, objection, or referral. For simplicity, we refer to all these actions as an “appeal” in e-file. The person or entity filing the request is the “appellant.”