January 2024
President’s Message
Rick Orr
President, RIBO
As RIBO’s new Council President, I am pleased to wish you a happy new year on behalf of the entire organization.
Over the past several years, RIBO has been on a path toward modernization. It was only a few years ago that paper forms, manual processing, and accepting cheque-only payments were the norm.
While major strides have been made to automate and digitize our processes, the innovation journey is by no means complete.
Many initiatives are underway to modernize and improve RIBO practices. Most of these flow from the Strategic Plan adopted by Council in 2023. Below are a few highlights that I am personally excited about.
1. The launch of IRIS, RIBO’s new Registry Management System. This system will include a new broker portal and capture data about all aspects of a licensee’s involvement with RIBO, including registrations, renewals, sponsorship changes, continuing education compliance, as well as spot-check information and complaints and disciplinary history. Thank you for your patience as IRIS is implemented, we recognize it has disrupted some of your traditional workflows.
IRIS will integrate information flows amongst internal departments allowing for greater efficiencies and improved service. The real value, however, lies in RIBO’s improved ability to collect and analyze data. Over time, the data can be mined and analyzed to identify areas of risk, which can inform the direction of resources to areas which present the highest risk to consumers.
2. As noted elsewhere in this bulletin, Sharon Seenath, Director, Compliance, Conduct & Investigations and her team have been improving and enhancing RIBO’s processes relating to the intake of consumer complaints and the resulting investigations and disciplinary steps. As these processes are implemented, they will allow for greater consistency and predictability in timelines allows for clearer expectations and standards for the benefit of complainants, licensees and other stakeholders.
3. RIBO’s risk-based audit program, which commenced in 2023 with the piloting of four (4) audit modules, will receive a major enhancement with the introduction of the remaining nine (9) modules in early 2024. Anonymized findings and trends will be published to maximize the educational value of such information. Similarly, the information will be used to enhance RIBO’s risk assessment capabilities.
4. A major refresh of RIBO’s website is currently in the works, with an expected launch in the Spring/Summer of 2024.
5. Council’s governance and by-law review is ongoing, in part necessitated to ensure compliance with the Ontario Not for Profit Corporations Act, 2010 by October 2024. The review is expected to
be completed in the coming weeks, after which a special meeting of members will be called to provide members an opportunity to seek approval of the proposed changes to the RIBO bylaws.
These are but a few of the exciting initiatives taking place at RIBO – the list goes on.
All the while, the important activities of reviewing applications and licensing new brokers, approving new continuing education courses, policy development, addressing complaints and conducting investigations continue – many with recently modernized processes. These standards are already in place for the review of licensing applications. All RIBO service standards will be monitored and, where necessary, re-evaluated on an ongoing basis.
Our job as Council members is to set the organization’s strategic directions, monitor progress and ensure RIBO is regulating the profession in the best interest of the public. I look forward to working with my fellow Council members and staff to continue the implementation of our ambitious but important agenda.