Introduction
The six service standards for central government departments and agencies (not the
wider public sector) came into effect on 1 April 1997. Following a review in
early 2000, the standards were revised for the financial year 1999/2000. The
revised standards were announced in the Modernising Government White Paper. They apply to
all central government services in England and to non-devolved services delivered in other
parts of the Union.
The six standards are as follows:
In serving you, every central government department and agency will aim to do the
following:
 | Answer your letters from the public quickly and clearly. Each department and agency will
set a target for
answering correspondence (including letters, faxes, and e-mails) letters and will publish
its performance against this target.
|
| See people within 10 minutes of any appointment you have made at its office; it will set
a target for seeing
callers without an appointment, and will publish performance against this target.
|
| Answer telephone calls quickly and helpfully. Each department and agency will set a target for answering calls
to telephone enquiry points, and will publish its performance against this target.
|
| Provide clear and straightforward information about its services and those of related
providers, along with one or more telephone
enquiry numbers and e-mail
addresses to help you or put you in touch with someone who can.
|
| Have a complaints procedure, or procedures, for the service it provides, publicise it,
including on the Internet, and send you information about it if you ask
|
| Do everything reasonably possible to make its services available to everyone, including
people with special needs. Consult users and potential users regularly about the service
it provides and report on the result. |
Targets
for Service Standards are now in place for for the main central government
departments and agencies covering the time taken to: see people visiting public offices
without an appointment; answer calls to national telephone enquiry points; and to have in
place at least one e-mail address for handling enquiries from the public.
Guidance for Implementing the Revised Service Standards for Central Government
What do your users expect ?
User's Expectations - Results of a People's Panel
survey, conducted by MORI on behalf of the Cabinet Office, looking at the
expectations that user's maintain surrounding some areas of the service
standards.
Previous performance against the standards
The Six Service Standards for
Central Government - Fourth report. Performance of the main departments and agencies
over the period 1 April 00 to 31 March 01. Copies of this report are
available from the Service First Publications line on 0845 722 32 42.
The Six Service Standards for
Central Government - Third report. Performance of the main departments and agencies
over the period 1 April 99 to 31 March 00. Copies of this report are
available from the Service First Publications line on 0845 722 32 42.
The Six Service Standards for Central
Government - Second report. Performance of the main departments and agencies
over the period 1 April 98 to 31 March 99. Copies of this report are
available from the Service First Publications line on 0845 722 32 42.
The Six Service Standards for Central
Government - First report. Performance of the main government
departments and agencies over the period 1 April 97 to 31 March 98.
Copies of this report are available from the Service First Publications line on 0845 722
32 42. |
