ROSnet — from expert methodology to shared practice.
Switzerland developed an approach to focus care and attention according to the risk of reoffending. Software built on ORIGAM supported its implementation. The people who would use the application continuously tested its design.
How do you allocate attention when risks differ?
We often see equal care for everyone as fair. But work with people serving sentences raised another question: how should different risks of reoffending after release be taken into account?
In Switzerland, several serious cases that attracted political and media attention triggered this debate. Questions arose about whether existing sentencing practice contributed enough to public safety. A more thorough, evidence-informed approach was needed.
A key aim was to prevent people from returning to crime. But risk differs between cases. The approach therefore focused attention and resources according to each case's risk.
A shared professional approach for different cases.
Research informed the ROS methodology, a risk-oriented approach to administering sentences. It standardised working practices and included software tools to help apply professional methods in practice.
Hundreds of data points had to be recorded for each case. Calculations based on the proposed rules then helped determine risk and highlight cases needing more attention and resources.
Excel helped get started. Further work needed more.
The ROS team first tested its ideas in Microsoft Excel. The prototype made it possible to start working with the approach, but the need for a more robust and secure solution gradually became clear. The team chose a bespoke application.
This was more than moving a spreadsheet into another program. The professional approach needed an environment in which people could use it reliably in their everyday work.
A first version in days. Further steps with users.
The chosen supplier used ORIGAM. The platform enables applications to be assembled from ready-made parts and their behaviour to be modelled. The team did not have to build every part from scratch.
The ROS team could try the first version within days. Development then continued in small steps. The people who would use the application continuously tested each change.
Ongoing testing helped align the application with users' needs and keep to the schedule. The methodology and initial case assessment tool went into use earlier than expected.
From Zurich to other cantons.
The ROS methodology and ORIGAM-based tools were first tested in the canton of Zurich. The approach then spread to other cantons. Zurich's experience served as a model for further implementation.
The aim was to focus resources more effectively on high-risk cases and prevent reoffending. Shared methods and tools helped transfer experience between institutions.
The methodology, application and platform have different roles.
The ROS professional approach defines how cases are handled. ROSnet provides a shared working environment. ORIGAM is the platform on which the application was built. Icontel presents the canton of Zurich project among its references.
ROSnet connects institutions through the stages of administering sentences. It supports case information sharing, questionnaires for reports and statements, document creation and rule-based classification. Different German-speaking cantons use the application through a shared system with secure access.
Feedback was part of development from the first version.
The initial prototype helped identify needs, the rapid first version made it possible to try the solution, and ongoing collaboration guided further changes.
This is how we understand adaptability today. New insights emerge during the work, and together we reflect them in the next step. Technology should allow a professional idea to be used and developed in everyday practice.