PROJECT PROPOSAL:

PROJECT NAME: Court Case Management Information System

CLIENT NAME: Muthoga Gaturu & Company Advocates

SUBMITTED BY: Muema Kavulanya .J. ADMISSION NO.: SC01-0279/2008 UNIT DESCRIPTION: Programming Project UNIT CODE: BIT 2206 NAME OF SUPERVISOR: Peter Kiarie (Mr.) DEGREE COURSE NAME: Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (BSc.IT) INSTITUTION: KCA University TRIMESTER: September December 2011

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................ 2 Declaration ...................................................................................................................................... 3 Background Information ................................................................................................................. 4 Current Situation ............................................................................................................................. 4 Problem Statement .......................................................................................................................... 5 Proposed Solution ........................................................................................................................... 5 Objectives of the Project ................................................................................................................. 6 Literature Review............................................................................................................................ 6 Research Methodology ................................................................................................................... 7 Methodology ................................................................................................................................... 8 Budget and Resources ................................................................................................................... 10 Project Schedule............................................................................................................................ 11 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 11 References ..................................................................................................................................... 12

DECLARATION Court Case Management Information System [Court Case MIS] is the original work of Joshua Muema Kavulanya. It has not been submitted in any other form to KCA University or any other university, public or private. This is in partial fulfillment of the regulation governing the award of the degree of Bachelor of Science in Information Technology at the KCA University.

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BACKGROUND INFORMATION Muthoga Gaturu & Co. Advocates [MG&Co.] was established on 30th June 1975 by the two founding partners, Judge Lee G. Muthoga, S.C., and Mr. Evans T. Gaturu. Currently, the Firm has a staff compliment of 45 persons comprising of Seven (7) Partners, Five (5) Associates, Support Staff and management staff. The Firms operations are based at its head office in Nairobi and its branch office in Nyeri Town.

The firm has over the years established itself as a premier indigenous Law Firm with key competencies in the various areas of legal practice. The Firm endeavours to provide solutions relevant and specific to the needs of the commercial environment subsisting in the economy. To achieve this goal, the Firm has striven to build in-house capacity in its resource persons, and when necessary has adopted a policy of partnering with like-minded entities, natural and legal. In particular, the Firm has maintained very close associations with law Firms within the COMESA which enables it to handle a client matter whenever it arises within the region. The practice areas the firm engages in include, but not limited to, Banking and Finance Practice, Intellectual and Real Property Practice, Conveyancing Practice, Commercial Conveyancing Practice, as well as Civil Litigation Practice.

CURRENT SITUATION MG&Co. has an existing Management Information System [MIS] which aids in automating its operations. The MIS is meant to address broad areas
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including Accounting, Payroll, Human Resource Administration, Debtors, Fixed Assets, and Stocks. However, MG&Co. is not able to properly monitor and manage Court Cases and Client Files for various clients as this is missing.

PROBLEM STATEMENT With regard to Court Case and File system, MG&Co. uses a manual file register for each of their clients. This poses great challenge, especially, when it comes to tracking down or following up on what has happened to a particular file and/or case. Problems identified include the inability to quickly respond to client enquiries online; tracking down of the case progress and status becomes difficult and strenuous for one has to manually peruse the file(s); duplication of files due to lack of an automated control mechanism, among others.

PROPOSED SOLUTION This proposal is aimed at developing an automated Court Case Management Information System [Court Case MIS], with a view to later integrating it with the other modules of the existing MIS. It is expected that the proposed system will transform the manual system to electronic/digital system for ease of retrieval and reference of files and cases. It is further expected that the proposed system will make it easy to manage cases and substantially improve feedback/communication to/with clients thus increasing efficiency in client relationship and response.

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OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT

The main aim of this project is to automate the manual system and enable the new system be able to achieve the following: Ensure faster access to a records concerning a given client file and file status Ensure quick retrieval of client data Ensure secure storage of the firms records. Ensure integrity and security of information resource in that data stored is accurate Ensure provision of a user friendly environment for the users Cut costs of storage since manual system of storage is inherently and strenuous Facilitate prompt file status reports Facilitate easy production of client statements

LITERATURE REVIEW MG&Co. being one of the leading indigenous Kenya law firms offer legal services to diverse clients. It has not been easy undertaking this due to lengthy process of identifying and referring to clients files, the reason they commissioned this projects.

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MG&Co. is not the only firm implementing this Court Case Management Information Systems. There are other systems of this type and function that do exist in the field and industry of our reference.

For instance the Supreme Court of Singapore has implemented an Electronic Filing System that serves almost the same purpose but only handles matters of Civil nature. The proposed Court Case MIS will be able to serve clients who manage/handle matters of Civil, Criminal and even Arbitration in nature

Electric Legal Filing System (E-Filing), is a California based online system which came into operation in September of 1999. Filing cases electronically reduces the cost of filing, eliminating much of the paper handling involved, and allows the courts to function more efficiently. In addition, Electronic filing process makes it possible for documents to be submitted to the courts twenty-four hours a day from any location with Internet access. However the system does not, from research, integrate with individual law firms, private and public. The proposed Court Case MIS comes in, upon full implementation, to bridge this obvious gap.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Data Collection I intend to gather data using traditional contact/verbal interviews, observation and written questionnaires. My methods of choice is informed by the fact that
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its interactive and the proposed system integrates users requirements/needs and fits into the way business is done rather than changing business processes and procedures internal

Data Analysis After data collection using the above methods, I intend to analyse the same on an aspect to aspect basis where each component of data input so collected is evaluated on the basis of the user requirement in order to determine the requirements of the system to be developed. The process will employ the use of fact finding techniques as outlined above.

METHODOLOGY To achieve the above objectives, I will be adopting a Prototype Design methodology. This is because the model usually, unlike other models, allows for troubleshooting potential problems in the design process. Prototype model also allow system/product designers to quickly test the parts of their designs that are most likely to have problems, solve those problems, and then build the complete design. This model begins with requirements gathering where the designer and the client meet and define the overall objectives of the software, identify whatever requirements are known and identify the areas which require further definition. The designer then develops a general view (prototype model) of what is expected from the software product including the input to the system, the processing needs and the output requirements. This model avails increased flexibility of the development process by allowing the client
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to interact and experiment with a working representation of the product. It also allows for future development of a system.

Below is a Model of the Prototyping Process

Identify Initial Requirements

Develop Initial Prototype

Initial Prototype

Use Prototype to Refine Requirements

Yes

User Satisfied?

Enhance Working Prototype Operational Prototype

No

Revise & Enhance Prototype 9|Page

BUDGET AND RESOURCES The following is the itemised budget of what resources will be required in terms of time, financials and other indirect costs to the project
Event Project Idea and Proposal Project Planning Feasibility Study Feasibility Study Report Systems Analysis Systems Design Systems Development Systems Testing and Modification Systems Implementation & Change-Over Project Report Project Presentation, Handing Over & Closure Total Cost No. Staff 1 1 1 1 1 2 4 3 2 1 1 of Unit (Kshs.) 10,000 5,000 50,000 20,000 10,000 10,000 10,000 10,000 5,000 Cost Total Cost (Kshs.) 10,000 5,000 50,000 40,000 40,000 30,000 20,000 10,000 5,000 210,000

In addition to the above, it is expected that the client will provide an office space, at least three PIV desktop computers for use by system programmers. The above costs is net of Travelling & Subsistence, Telephone and Postage, and Printing and Stationary. The costs of these items are covered by a flat rate of 20% of the above costs which translates to Kshs.42,000.

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PROJECT SCHEDULE The project is expected to commence from the third week of September 2011 and end on the first week of December 2011

CONCLUSION This project is aimed at availing me an opportunity to contribute to your organization by coming up with a system that will improve your quality service delivery and increase efficiency of your service to clients. I hope you find my proposal reasonable and I look forward to establishing cordial business relationship with you.

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REFERENCES i) Information Systems Concepts for Management - Grolier Business Library by Henry C. Lucas, JR ii) Management Information Systems - A Contemporary Perspective by Kenneth C. Laudon and Jane Price Laudon iii) iv) http://app.supremecourt.gov.sg/default.aspx?pgID=56 https://www.e-filing.com/

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