Provided by: Gabriella Perry, Director of IT
The report highlights the exceptional work our team accomplished last year.
In 2024, Information Technology Services had a year marked by various opportunities and achievements.
It is important to emphasize that all our activities and achievements in 2024 were founded on a strong commitment by every individual in IT. I firmly believe that our greatest asset is our dedicated team, a group of highly committed, skilled professionals who consistently strive for excellence and produce outstanding results in a dynamic workspace.
We trust that this report will provide a comprehensive overview of our accomplishments.
The OSCIA portal serves as a central hub for all services offered by OSCIA. We have always aimed to simplify and enhance our web presence to facilitate easier access to services and information for our clients. The portal has historically been the primary point of access for registering for Educational Opportunities (workshops) and applying for Cost-Share Programs.
This past year, we have significantly enhanced our systems by incorporating our Membership Platform into the portal, thereby creating a true one-stop-shop for our clients. The integration of membership into the OSCIA Portal allows members to seamlessly access the membership platform directly through osciaportal.org, eliminating the need for separate login credentials across different OSCIA platforms.
In addition to this integration, substantial user interface enhancements have been made to the membership platform, making it more intuitive and user-friendly. These improvements, along with enhanced system performance, are expected to encourage new user engagement and foster membership growth across Local Associations. The new Membership platform offers rolling memberships, allowing members to enjoy a full year from their registration date.
Under the Cost-Share Programs umbrella, we have successfully managed numerous intakes, each with distinct development requirements. When a new program is scheduled to commence, we adhere to an IT development framework to ensure timely delivery and production of an error-free product. The past year IT has facilitated intakes for the following programs: Ontario On-Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF), Resilient Agricultural Landscape Program (RALP), The Nature Smart Climate Readiness Program (NSCRP), Honey Bee Health Initiative (HBH), Species at Risk Partnerships on Agricultural Lands (SARPAL), Species at Risk Farm Incentive Program (SARFIP), Agricultural Stewardship Initiative (ASI) and Special Provisions for Financial Difficulties; in some cases more than one intake per year.
System security is important. Securing systems involves protecting data, ensuring continuity, preventing disruptions, and complying with industry regulations. Effective system security helps maintain a reliable environment for both OSCIA and its clients. To enhance security and safeguard clients’ information, Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) has been implemented in the portal.
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) provides an additional layer of security beyond just a password, which reduces the likelihood of unauthorized access. In a digital environment, MFA is an essential tool to ensure that only authorized users can access critical data and services.
We have added the ability to schedule virtual Workshops in the Workshops interface. The workshops calendar on our OSICA website now has improved searchability, with added county and municipality information alongside workshop addresses and timings. A new Map view function has been added in the Calendar that shows pins for each workshop location. Clicking a pin reveals workshop details and directs users to the registration page.
Although this project is not yet completed, the integration of online claim submission is currently in progress. Implementing online claim submission will remove the necessity for generating PDF files for both claim forms and final questionnaire forms. This upgrade will offer clients a streamlined interface for submitting both applications and claims online, thereby improving the overall user experience.
Our websites serve as a central hub for sharing essential information with our clients. The OSCIA website is specifically designed to efficiently guide and assist clients in locating the information they require. The OSCIA Program Guide is created to present a comprehensive catalogue of programs offered by OSCIA. Farmers visit this site to identify appropriate cost-share opportunities for their farms. The guide includes detailed program information, such as application intake dates, project category descriptions, eligibility criteria, and application procedures.
Our systems are designed to function together with a consistent and uniform interface, allowing clients to recognize our brand and navigate efficiently towards their goal.
As we close out another amazing year, I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to the IT team for their commitment, passion, and continuous drive for excellence. This year has been filled with remarkable accomplishments, and it’s all due to their dedication, hard work, and teamwork. I look forward to all the great things we’ll achieve together in the year ahead!