The Challenge

A registry serving survivors of coerced and uninformed sterilization is not a routine database project. It carries weight that an off-the-shelf platform cannot meet: every design decision touches on dignity, trust, consent, and the survivors’ control over their own information.

The main challenges Bronson tackled:

• Consent change over time. Survivors must be able to change or revoke consent at any time. The database had to log consent changes over time and support workflows for survivors who revoke consent and request data removal.
• Indigenous identity data. The registry captures Indigenous identity (Inuit, Métis, First Nation Status, First Nation Non-Status) with optional supporting documentation. These fields had to be handled with appropriate care and aligned with Indigenous data dignity principles.
• Role-based access control. Three distinct user types were required: an upload-and-edit role for data entry, a read-only role for reviewers and quality assurance, and a reporting role for administrators. The interim system needed the first user type; the others would follow in the completed version.
• Structured file assessment workflow. Each file moves through states: in progress, eligible, incomplete, ineligible, or removed. Reviewers complete assessment, mark a quality assurance checkbox, and only after QA can a Survivor ID be issued. The workflow had to be enforced by the database, not left to user discipline.
• Third-party claims administrator integration. Eligible survivors who consent must have their data shared with Epiq, the healing support fund claims administrator. For all eligible survivors, only Survivor IDs are shared so Epiq can confirm eligibility. For survivors who consent to information sharing, additional details (name, date of birth, contact details) are shared to support claim processing and ongoing data reconciliation.
• Tight launch timeline with phased delivery. SCRJ needed to begin receiving registrations in Fall 2024 without waiting for the full registry to be ready. Bronson had to deliver an interim solution that could hold information from day one, then complete the full registry on a follow-on schedule.

SCRJ needed a registry that protected survivor dignity, enforced consent at every interaction, supported assessment and quality assurance, and integrated cleanly with the healing support fund administrator, while launching quickly enough to begin its work in late 2024.

Our Solution

Bronson designed and delivered the engagement as a structured, two-phase Azure database development program. The work was organized into the following streams:

1. Azure Platform Architecture

Bronson architected the registry on Microsoft Azure, using interconnected tables to hold personal details, sterilization details, medical provider information, witness information, consent information, and file assessment outcomes. The platform choice supported the security, role-based access, and reporting requirements SCRJ and Know History had specified.

2. Personal, Contact, and Demographic Data Schema

Bronson built the personal, contact, and demographic data schema covering names, alternate names, legally appointed personal representatives, addresses, emergency contacts, education, Indigenous identity and supporting documentation, gender, preferred communication language, and client intake tracking fields.

3. Event, Medical Provider, and Witness Data Schema

Bronson built the event-specific schema covering date of birth, date and age at sterilization, health care provider name and title, location and location type, sterilization type, type of medical consent, reason given, surrounding circumstances (during labour or delivery, during another medical procedure, pre-knowledge), residence at the time of sterilization, witness information, and document uploads.

4. Consent Management Engine

Bronson built the consent management engine supporting multiple consent types, with database-enforced rules ensuring that data shared or used downstream reflects only the specific consents each survivor has provided. The engine logs consent changes over time and supports workflows for survivors who revoke consent and request data removal.

5. File Assessment and Quality Assurance Workflow

Bronson built the file assessment and quality assurance workflow, tracking person type (inquiry, applicant, survivor), file status (in progress, eligible, incomplete, ineligible, removed), assessment completion, QA review completion, and automated Survivor ID issuance once all three conditions (status eligible, person type updated to survivor, QA check complete) are met.

6. Role-Based Access Control

Bronson implemented role-based access control supporting the three user types required by SCRJ: an upload-and-edit role for data entry, a read-only role for reviewers and quality assurance, and a reporting role for administrators. The interim system delivered the first user type, with additional roles included in the completed version.

8. Epiq Healing Support Fund Integration

Bronson built the integration with Epiq, the third-party claims administrator. The integration shares only what each survivor has consented to share: for all eligible survivors, Survivor IDs alone confirm eligibility for the application process; for survivors who consent to information sharing, additional data (name, date of birth, contact details) supports claim validation and ongoing data reconciliation. Bronson scoped CSV-based sharing for the interim launch with SRSS automation under investigation for the completed system.

9. Phased Launch and Coordination

Bronson delivered the engagement in two phases coordinated with Know History and SCRJ: the interim solution launched November 1, 2024 to begin receiving registrations, with the completed registry database launched January 31, 2025. Bronson supported Know History on training, testing, and timing coordination for features not yet ready in the interim system.

Key Deliverables

• Personal, Contact, and Demographic Data Schema – Complete data schema covering name, contact, address, emergency contact, education, Indigenous identity with supporting documentation, gender, language, and client intake tracking.
• Event, Medical Provider, and Witness Data Schema – Complete data schema covering date and age at sterilization, health care provider and location details, sterilization type and reason, surrounding circumstances, residence, witness information, and document uploads.
• Consent Management Engine – Database-enforced consent rules supporting multiple consent types, with consent change logging over time and workflows for survivors who revoke consent and request data removal.
• File Assessment and Quality Assurance Workflow – Structured workflow tracking person type, file status, assessment completion, and QA review completion, with automated Survivor ID issuance once all conditions are met.

The Impact

Bronson’s work gave the Survivors Circle for Reproductive Justice a custom registry database that supports its membership work with the dignity, privacy, and consent control that survivors deserve. Specifically, the engagement delivered:

• A custom Azure registry purpose-built for SCRJ’s membership and file assessment work, rather than a generic CRM or off-the-shelf database imposed onto a sensitive use case.
• Database-enforced consent management ensuring that information shared with the healing support fund administrator, used for SCRJ research, or shared with collaborative research partners reflects exactly what each survivor has agreed to share.
• Consent change logging over time, with workflows supporting survivors who revoke consent and request data removal.
• A structured file assessment and quality assurance workflow that supports reviewers and protects the integrity of eligibility determinations.
• Role-based access control limiting who can upload, read, or report on survivor data, in line with SCRJ’s privacy and protection requirements.
• A clean integration with Epiq, the healing support fund claims administrator, supporting eligibility confirmation and ongoing data reconciliation while respecting consent boundaries.
• A two-phase delivery that allowed SCRJ to begin receiving registrations in November 2024 with the completed registry following at the end of January 2025.

The result is a registry that supports SCRJ in carrying out its work, integrates with the healing support fund process, and treats survivors’ information with the care that the nature of the work demands. As SCRJ continues registering and assessing membership files, the registry Bronson developed provides the technical foundation that protects survivor dignity, enforces consent, and coordinates cleanly with the partners involved in delivering the healing support fund.