Best Practices Self-Assessment

There are eight high-impact best practices for public legal information. Each best practice has one question in this self-assessment, worth two points. By scoring at least 12 out of 16 points, you can qualify to use the Quality Mark™ on your information.

Instructions. Have the information you want to assess in hand. If it’s a website, pick a page or two that are representative of the website. Completing this (optional) worksheet will help you complete the self-assessment smoothly.

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This resource is free legal information, primarily intended for use by the public in BC (required)

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Name of your organization (required)

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Thanks for completing the best practices self-assessment. You have not reached the 75% needed to quality to use the Quality Mark™ on your information. You may wish to review your responses below to see where your information can be adjusted. You’re welcome to retake the self-assessment anytime.
Congratulations, you qualify to use the Quality Mark™ on your information! Here is a link to downloadable files of the Quality Mark, in two orientations and various sizes to fit your needs.

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Question 1 of 8

1. Question
2 point(s)
Best practice #1. Say who made the information
Indicators
Your information follows this best practice if it:

says the name of your organization

explains enough about your organization to gain people’s confidence — for example, it explains your organization’s purpose or legal expertise

includes contact information

Why this is important
Research shows that source information is crucial to credibility. When people know a piece of information is from a reliable source, they’re more likely to trust it.

Examples
Examples of this best practice:

“The Tenant Survival Guide is produced by the Tenant Resource & Advisory Centre, a non-profit organization that promotes the legal protection of tenants across British Columbia. Our TRAC Tenant Information Line is 1-800-655-1185.”

“This website is from People’s Law School, a non-profit society in British Columbia. We provide free education and information to help people effectively deal with the legal problems of daily life. Contact us at info@peopleslawschool.ca.”

Learn more
See the full text of best practice #1, say who made the information.
Does your information say who made it? Help with answering / Quality Mark info
Yes (2 points)
Correct Incorrect Correct answer

No (0 points)
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Incorrect / 2 Points
Question 2 of 8

2. Question
2 point(s)
Best practice #2. Say where the information applies
Indicators
Your information follows this best practice if it:

says the location where information applies (the “jurisdiction”)

makes the jurisdiction easy to see

Why this is important
Saying which location (or “jurisdiction”) the information applies to helps people decide if the information is relevant to them.

Example
Example of this best practice:

“This information applies to British Columbia, Canada.”

Learn more
See the full text of best practice #2: say where the information applies.
Does your information say the jurisdiction? Help with answering / Quality Mark info
Yes(2 points)
Correct Incorrect Correct answer

No(0 points)
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Correct / 2 Points

Incorrect / 2 Points
Question 3 of 8

3. Question
2 point(s)
Best practice #3. Review the information for legal accuracy — and say you’ve done so
Indicators
Your information follows this best practice if it:

(for the legal content) has been reviewed for legal accuracy

says you’ve done a legal review

provides information about the reviewer’s expertise, such as their affiliation or a short bio

Why this is important
Knowing that information has been reviewed by a qualified expert makes people more confident it’s accurate and reliable.

Examples
Examples of this best practice:

“Reviewed for legal accuracy by [name of reviewer], [affiliation of reviewer].”

“Reviewed for legal accuracy by [name of reviewer].”

“Reviewed for legal accuracy.”

Learn more
See the full text of best practice #3: review the information for legal accuracy.
Did you review the information for legal accuracy, and did you say you’ve done so? Help with answering / Quality Mark info
Yes (2 points)
Correct Incorrect Correct answer

No (0 points)
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Correct / 2 Points

Incorrect / 2 Points
Question 4 of 8

4. Question
2 point(s)
Best practice #4. Include the date of the last legal review
Indicators
Your information follows this best practice if it:

includes the date of the last legal review

makes the review date easy to see

explains the importance of the review date

Why this is important
Knowing when information was last reviewed by a qualified expert helps people assess if it’s up-to-date and reliable.

Example
Example of this best practice:

“Reviewed for legal accuracy: [month, year].”

Learn more
See the full text of best practice #4: include the date of the last legal review.
Does your information say the date of the last legal review? Help with answering / Quality Mark info
Yes (2 points)
Correct Incorrect Correct answer

No (0 points)
Correct Incorrect Correct answer
Correct / 2 Points

Incorrect / 2 Points
Question 5 of 8

5. Question
2 point(s)
Best practice #5. Say who or what the information is for
Indicators
Your information follows this best practice if it:

identifies the audience

identifies the purpose of the information

states your audience or purpose front-and-centre

Why this is important
People are more likely to engage with information — and trust it — if they see it is meant for them.

Examples
Examples of this best practice:

“Welcome to A Teen Guide to Parental Separation and Divorce. If your parents have recently separated or divorced (or you think they may be about to), or you have a friend in that situation, this site is for you.”
– “Families Change“, from Justice Education Society

“Information for people in relationships who need protection from violence or the threat of violence.”
– For Your Protection, from Legal Aid BC

“Disability Alliance BC has prepared this Help Sheet to help you complete the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction’s designation application form for the Persons with Disabilities (PWD) benefit.”
– “The Persons with Disabilities (PWD) Application Help Sheet“, from Disability Alliance BC

Learn more
See the full text of best practice #5: say who or what the information is for.
Does the information say who or what it is for? Help with answering
Yes (2 points)
Correct Incorrect Correct answer

Getting there (1 point)
Correct Incorrect Correct answer

No (0 points)
Correct Incorrect Correct answer
Correct / 2 Points

Incorrect / 2 Points
Question 6 of 8

6. Question
2 point(s)
Best practice #6. Make the information understandable for the intended audience
Indicators
Your information follows this best practice if it:

takes a user perspective

uses plain language techniques, such as an active voice, a conversational tone, and short sentences

was developed with your intended audience front of mind

was developed with a target reading level in mind

was measured for readability, such as measuring the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level

was developed with an eye to the many factors that affect comprehension, such as how the information is organized, tone and voice used, and the use of visuals and white space

was tested with your audience

Why this is important
Information that’s understandable is more likely to be used by your audience and have the impact you seek.

Examples
Examples of this best practice:

Using an active voice, a conversational tone, short sentences, and other plain language techniques. See tips and examples here.

Measuring the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level of your information with ReadablePro or WriteClearly.

Learn more
See the full text of best practice #6: making information understandable.
Did you take steps to make the information understandable for the intended audience? Help with answering
Yes (2 points)
Correct Incorrect Correct answer

Getting there (1 point)
Correct Incorrect Correct answer

No (0 points)
Correct Incorrect Correct answer
Correct / 2 Points

Incorrect / 2 Points
Question 7 of 8

7. Question
2 point(s)
Best practice #7. Make the design clean, engaging, and easy to use
Indicators
Your information follows this best practice if you:

uses white space (that is, blank space)

puts important information first

uses lots of headings

uses techniques that make scanning easier, such as bolding key terms and using bulleted lists

uses images or other visuals

was designed with your intended audience front of mind

was tested with your audience

Why this is important
Good design makes information more likely to be used and easier to understand. It also increases people’s confidence the information is reliable.

Examples
Here are examples of the design best practices in action in a booklet, Your Welfare Rights: How to Apply for Welfare from Legal Aid BC, and on a website, Dial-A-Law operated by People’s Law School.

Learn more
See the full text of best practice #7: clean design.
Did you take steps to make the design clean, engaging, and easy to use? Help with answering
Yes (2 points)
Correct Incorrect Correct answer

Getting there (1 point)
Correct Incorrect Correct answer

No (0 points)
Correct Incorrect Correct answer
Correct / 2 Points

Incorrect / 2 Points
Question 8 of 8

8. Question
2 point(s)
Best practice #8. Refer to free or low-cost legal help
Indicators
Your information follows this best practice if it:

includes places where people can access justice

includes verified contact information for each service

Why this is important
Many people may want one-on-one help with their problem. But they may not be able to afford private lawyers. Providing options for free assistance helps increase access to legal help.

Examples
Examples of this best practice:

“If you have limited means, contact Access Pro Bono for free legal advice at … “

“In the Lower Mainland and Victoria, you can get help from law students. Contact their clinics at … “

“For help making a complaint against a government body, contact the Ombudsperson office at … “

Learn more
See the full text of best practice #8: refer to free or low-cost legal help.
Does the information refer to free or low-cost legal help? Help with answering
Yes (2 points)
Correct Incorrect Correct answer

Getting there (1 point)
Correct Incorrect Correct answer

No (0 points)
Correct Incorrect Correct answer
Correct

Incorrect

Best Practices Self-Assessment

Questions

Self-Assessment Summary

Information

Results

Results

Categories

1. Question

Best practice #1. Say who made the information

2. Question

Best practice #2. Say where the information applies

3. Question

Best practice #3. Review the information for legal accuracy — and say you’ve done so

4. Question

Best practice #4. Include the date of the last legal review

5. Question

Best practice #5. Say who or what the information is for

6. Question

Best practice #6. Make the information understandable for the intended audience

7. Question

Best practice #7. Make the design clean, engaging, and easy to use

8. Question

Best practice #8. Refer to free or low-cost legal help