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QUESTION

Why are transcription service savings being realized only now, and will OATH consider producing an updated annual report?

3:21:46

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111 sec

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Asim Rehman clarifies savings from transcription services are realized by renegotiating with the vendor to remove non-essential services, and considering the production of an updated annual report to educate New Yorkers about OATH's work.

Rehman explains that a vendor provides transcription services legally required for special education hearings, and savings are achieved by renegotiating the contract to exclude unnecessary "bells and whistles."
The renegotiation with the vendor leads to a cost reduction by focusing on essential transcription services.
Rehman indicates openness to producing an updated annual report, noting times have changed with much of the information now available online.
OATH's website has been revamped, including data and resources that were previously available in printed reports, with consideration for creating an annual report to further educate the public.

Lincoln Restler

3:21:46

The preliminary pegs the preliminary plan includes a peg of 10,000 in FY 24 and a baseline peg, though, of 1,100,000 starting in July relating to transcription services.

3:21:57

It was indicated that you have a transcription service in house that's covering these costs.

3:22:02

I realized that it's been a gradual process of sorry.

3:22:07

It relates to transcription services for the special head hearings.

3:22:10

I I understand that it's been a gradual process to be taking on these special head hearings, but why only now are you officially achieving the savings from this if you had the transcription service in house all along?

Asim Rehman

3:22:24

I think there's some confusion around the transcription service.

3:22:29

I've had a chance to read the council report regarding today's hearing, and I think there are some inaccurate statements in there regarding the transcription service.

3:22:37

So I can explain.

3:22:38

Please.

3:22:38

There's a vendor that is used for the purpose of the transcription, which is a a a a particular transcription is legally required part of his special education hearings.

3:22:51

And to kind of put it simply, the contract that was being used had certain bells and whistles attached.

3:23:00

So you have your baseline providing a transcript, and then you've got these additional services or additional charges that are levied by the vendor after living with this vendor for some time and determining that we need the baseline transcript, but we don't need some of these bells and whistles.

3:23:17

We've been negotiating with the vendor to reduce the overall cost.

3:23:21

So we're not eliminating the transcription.

3:23:23

We are reducing the cost of the the vendor's contract to get rid of some of the services that we don't think are baseline legally necessary, but we are still going ahead with transcription because we're opposed to and because it's important to the parties who appear before us?

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Is there a plan to reproduce an updated version of the annual report for OATH to educate New Yorkers about the agency's work?