6.1
Better Government will only come about if institutional
barriers between public services are broken down. People
often have to negotiate a number of different public
services to achieve their goal. All too often they are let
down because their path between different public service
providers has not been adequately considered and prepared.
After all, few, if any, public services can operate in
complete isolation.
6.2
In developing your charter, you should involve other
relevant service providers. And you should consider how you
might improve the interface with them. This can be done by,
for instance, telling users where to go for information on
related issues, providing information in one another's
offices, and using new technology to the full extent. Or it
may be more effective to produce a joint charter focusing on
the needs of a particular group. Examples include the
Victim's Charter and the new Long-Term Care
Charter.
Building a partnership with users
6.3
Your charter is a partnership of 'common cause' between your
service and the people who use it. For you to deliver a
first-class service will require your users to recognise
that they have responsibilities as well as rights. Suggest
to people how they can help you deliver a good service (for
example, by giving you the right information at the right
time). You should say whether people are legally obliged to
provide information, and explain the consequences if this is
not done. Make clear what you have assumed they will do in
the commitments you give to them. Tell people the cost of,
for example, missed appointments, and say how this affects
them. You could say what your target is for reducing missed
appointments, how much you will save, and what you will
spend this money on. Make clear to users that you value
their co-operation in helping you deliver a good service,
and think about how you might thank the most
helpful.
6.4
But remember that effective systems are required to support
users' responsible behaviour. People cannot give you the
information you need on time if the request is poorly
written, your forms badly designed, the instructions are too
complicated, or they are unable easily to contact you.
