|
Departmental and Agency Consumer Focus Targets
At the centre of the Government’s programme of
modernisation and reform for Britain’s public
services are the Public Service Agreements (PSAs),
setting out the aim and objectives of every main
government department, with measurable targets.
Now government departments, both those with PSAs but
also smaller departments, have published Service
Delivery Agreements (SDAs) explaining how they
will deliver the high level targets and how
government will modernise and reform itself to
get better value for money in achieving them.
The SDAs can be found on the Treasury web site at www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/sr2000/sda/index.html
The SDAs contain the following Consumer Focus targets
(these can also be downloaded in [Word
(132kb)] [Rich
Text Format (188kb)]
or [PDF
(133kb)] format:
|
Department: |
Target: |
|
Cabinet
Office |
Consumer
tests
As
part of the Consumer
Focus initiative, we
have designated a Senior
Director as our Consumer
Champion.
The
Cabinet Office seeks ‘customer’
feedback from those
departments, agencies,
committees and
individuals for whom
information or support
services are provided. A
systematic way of
measuring customer
feedback will be
introduced for April
2001. This will be
followed by a programme
of work designed to
achieve a year on year
increase in the numbers
of our ‘customers’
who are "very
satisfied" with the
information or support
service provided. We are
committed to publicising
the results of customer
feedback.
Prompt
handling of
correspondence
For
1999-00 we replied to
85% of Ministerial
correspondence within 15
days. The target for
2001-02 is 90%, in
2002-03 91% and in
2003-04 92% |
|
Crown
Prosecution Service |
D.1
Consumer tests
A
survey of witness
satisfaction within the
CJS is being developed
with CPS involvement.
The survey will
report
in Autumn 2000 and
provide the baseline for
future years. The
Service will use the
resulting data to
improve
its performance. Victim
satisfaction is being
measured as part of the
British Crime Survey.
These
surveys
will also capture the
views of women disabled
people, and ethnic
minority groups.
The
CPS monitors performance
against those standards
set out in the Victim’s
Charter which impact
upon it.
Performance
against those standards
is published in the
Director’s Annual
Report to the Attorney
General.
A
study of the feasibility
of a CPS customer
(court) satisfaction
survey to help measure
and improve
performance
will be carried out in
2000-2001. Subject to
the results, and funding
being available, the aim
is
to
launch the first of a
programme of annual
surveys during
2001-2002.
D.2
Consumer Access
A
public enquiry point is
advertised in the
Director’s Annual
Report and on our
website. There is also a
facility
for complaints to be
sent over the internet.
D.3
Prompt handling of
correspondence
The
CPS aims to acknowledge
correspondence from
members of the public
within 3 working days
and to
reply
within 10 working days.
A target of 15 working
days from the date of
receipt is applied to
correspondence
from Members of
Parliament. |
|
Department
for Education and Skills |
D.1
Consumer Tests
The
department in line with
Government policy has a
commitment to report
annually, from 2002, on
how customer feedback
has helped to shape
policy. The Higher
Education Quality
Assurance Agency (QAA)
was established in 1997
to provide an integrated
quality assurance
service for UK higher
education institutions.
QAA is an independent
body funded by
subscriptions from
universities and
colleges of higher
education, and through
contracts with the main
funding bodies. Its
business is to review
the quality and
standards of HE in
universities and
colleges. It does this
by auditing
institutional
arrangements for
managing quality and
standards, and by
assessing the quality
and standards of
teaching and learning.
These activities result
in reports available to
the public as both
printed publications and
on QAA’s web site.
QAA
regards meetings with
students as a important
part of its review
process. The meetings
are held without the
presence of staff from
the institution
concerned, and enable
students to raise any
issues they wish.
Students are asked in
particular about the
quality of the
curriculum, teaching and
learning, assessment,
facilities, support and
their own involvement in
the quality and
standards structures of
their faculty, and the
institution in general.
The
White Paper Learning
to Succeed charged Learning
Partnerships with an
important new task in
developing and
establishing mechanisms
through which feedback
from learners can help
improve the quality of
future provision.
For
2000-01Learning
Partnerships have been
asked to ensure that
they have consultative
mechanisms in place
capable of capturing the
views and opinions of
young people and adults,
learners and
non-learners and that
they have arrangements
to ensure that the
feedback influences the
quality of provision
within their
communities. In respect
of young people the
Careers Services (and in
due course the
Connexions Service) are
taking this forward
within the Learning
Partnerships.
There
are established
mechanisms for customer
feedback in post 16. For
example, there is a six
monthly follow up survey
of all trainees who have
left training schemes.
The feedback is analysed
and reports of
unsatisfactory
experience are followed
up. In addition there
are established student/
trainee complaints
procedures which
allocate
accountabilities to
provider organisations.
However in some cases
the delivery chains have
been too long thus
obscuring
responsibilities for the
customer. These chains
will be shortened with
the introduction of the
Learning and Skills
Council. The Council
will build new
arrangements. These will
include feedback from
inspections and area
inspections, statements
of expectations and
responsibilities, and
complaints procedures,
The Council will be
required to develop the
detail of its
arrangements in its
Quality Improvement
Strategy for which it
must seek the approval
of the Secretary of
State.
The
ES Director of Jobcentre
Service is the customer
champion for ES/DfEE and
a network is in place to
discuss and promote
customer value for all
direct services. DfEE,
itself, provides very
few services direct to
members of the public
but has established
programmes to ensure
that customer needs are
met. For example: -
 | the
Overseas Labour
Service has an
objective to
improve the
level of
customer
satisfaction to
90% by the end
of March 2001
and has
established a
User Panel to
facilitate
regular and
structured
customer
feedback with a
view to a better
understanding of
on-going
customer needs
and requirements
|
| the
Training Loans
Unit seeks
feedback from
applicants by
questionnaire.
Their Customer
Service Report
produced monthly
includes this
feedback as well
as telephone
enquiries,
written
correspondence
and complaints.
Trends and
issues are
identified in
the report
together with
action taken.
The Unit has
also run a
Customer Service
Improvement
Project with
external
partners to look
at ways of
simplifying the
application
process. |
The
Department will convene
an event for NDPBs to
discuss how best to set
appropriate measures to
ensure that the services
in their sectors are of
the required quality and
respond to the needs of
customers and
stakeholders.
In
recent years ES has
initiated as series of
developments at
improving customer
service as part of its
continuous improvement
programme:
| the
Mystery Shopping
programme
measures
performance
against the
Jobseekers
Charter 2000,
and Cabinet
Office Charter
Marks standards.
The customer
service delivery
rate in 1999-00
was 88.6%
against a target
of 87%. The
target for
2000-01 is 90%.
The programme
will be reviewed
in the
forthcoming year
to reflect the
introduction of
the new working
age agency and
the development
of its customer
charter
|
| for
2000-01 ES has
developed a new
performance
indicator to
focus on the
services
provided to
employers. The
indicator
measures
performance
against ‘Employer
Service
Commitment’,
but also
provides, for
benchmarking
purposes, an
overall customer
satisfaction
level.
Performance in
1999-00 peaked
at 77%; the
target for
2000-01(from
July 2000) is
80%. |
Customer
satisfaction surveys
To
provide more detailed
information on customer
satisfaction, ES will
carry out a Jobseeker
Satisfaction survey in
2000-01. The survey will
provide, at a national
level, information about
overall satisfaction for
the services delivered
in Jobcentres. It will
also provide
satisfaction ratings by
specific groups of
customers, for example
by gender, age group,
people of ethnic origin
and disability. Further
surveys will be
undertaken by the new
working age agency and
the information gained
will be used to help
develop the delivery and
quality of its services.
D.2
Consumer Access
ES
offers a single national
telephone number,
charged at local rate,
to give jobseekers
access to job vacancy
details nationwide.
Lines are open 9am to
6pm Monday to Friday and
9am to 1pm on Saturdays.
ES is looking at the
feasibility and demand
for extending these
hours. From 2001
employers will be able
to notify job vacancies
through a single number
8am to 8pm on weekdays
10am to 4pm on
Saturdays. From autumn
2000 ES will also
provide a Job Bank, that
will provide job
vacancies and jobseeker’s
CVs on the Internet,
alongside the Learning
and Work Bank (primarily
providing details of
learning and training
opportunities).
D.3
Prompt handling of
correspondence
DfEE
and ES will reply within
15 working days to
Ministerial
correspondence, letters
to ministers from
members of the public
and letters sent
directly to officials or
to DfEE in general,
whether received by post
(including postcards),
fax or E-mail. |
|
Department
for International
Development |
D.1
Consumer tests
13.
DFID’s main ‘business’
is the British
development assistance
programme. This does not
deliver services in the
usual sense to people in
the UK. However, we
provide information on
our work to the public
and are working to be
responsive to their
needs.
| DFID
Public Enquiry
Point is one
point of contact
for people
interested in
DFID and its
work. The
service, which
handles around
900 enquiries a
month, can be
accessed by
telephone, mail
or e-mail. We
will have a
complaints
procedure on our
Internet website
by early-2001.
|
| A
'second
generation'
website is
required that is
more responsive
to the needs of
users and is
easier and
faster to
navigate. The
results of a
questionnaire
will help us
redesign the
website by
early-2001.
|
| DFID
undertook in
1998, and again
in 2000, a
series of
Development
Policy Forums
across the UK.
These events,
with individuals
and
representatives
of groups from
society, are
intended to
share thinking
and ideas on
development
issues, and also
raise awareness
and
understanding. |
| DFID
publishes a wide
range of
material about
development
issues and the
Department’s
work, including
all our Strategy
Papers. These
are widely
available, and
we actively
promote a
catalogue of all
DFID’s
publications, as
well as
producing ‘Developments’
magazine, which
has readership
well in excess
of 100,000. |
14.
DFID calculates and pays
pensions to former
colonial civil servants
and dependants. Minimum
standards of service are
contained in ‘Overseas
Pensions Department: A
guide to your pension’,
which is a commitment to
every new pensioner.
This sets out standards
of accuracy, promptness,
responsiveness and
satisfaction (gauged by
customer surveys).
Results will be
published in an annual
report.
D.2
Prompt handling of
correspondence
15.
We aim to:
| reply
to 100% of all
ministerial
correspondence
relating to the
full range of
DFID activity
within 15 days
of receipt; |
| provide
an initial
response, as a
minimum, to all
queries received
on overseas
pensions within
2 weeks; |
| reply
to 95% of all
written enquires
(letter and
email) to the
Public Enquiry
Point within 15
working days; |
| give
full (or, if
necessary,
interim) replies
to telephone
enquiries within
2 days.
|
|
|
Department
for Trade and Industry |
D.1
Consumer tests
The
Department will publish
an annual report
(available on our
website) starting in
2002 demonstrating the
impact of consumer
feedback on shaping the
way in which services
have been developed, and
analysing the main areas
of praise and complaint,
giving the Department's
response. This report
will include breakdown
by gender, ethnicity and
disability.
DTI
service providers have
very well developed
systems for seeking
users' views on their
services and for
monitoring performance
against Service First
standards, which are
published in hard copy
or on websites. They
will seek to keep these
at the leading edge. An
example of best practice
is Companies House which
runs quarterly surveys
which invite customers
to rate the importance
of aspects of service
and to benchmark the
Agency against their
best supplier. The
results are published.
It also has itself
tested against other
customer -orientated
organisations by means
of external Mystery
Shopping exercises.
Other Agencies also use
regular surveys and user
group consultations on
business improvements.
The Employment Tribunals
Service is now targeting
85% user satisfaction
with its service based
on surveys. NWML and SBS
have also introduced
customer satisfaction
targets (80%). Several
of our key service
providers hold the
Charter Mark (see D.3
below). These will need
to demonstrate their
continuing improvement
and commitment to
excellence in service
delivery as they
re-apply for the award.
D.2
Consumer Access
DTI
agencies are continually
reviewing the
availability of their
services including the
scope for electronic and
on-line service
delivery. They will look
to maximise access
consistent with the
requirements of their
customers and the
technological and other
resources available. Key
examples from DTI
service areas include
the introduction and
further development of
electronic filing of
documents (including
piloting of Internet
filing) by Companies
House and their ongoing
development of the CH
Direct service for
making company data
available
electronically. All of
the Insolvency Service's
leaflets can be
downloaded from its
website. The Service
plans to put the
Individual Insolvency
Register on their
Website in 2000-01.
Searches will be able to
be carried out free of
charge at any OR office
or by post to the
Insolvency Service HQ in
Birmingham.
Radiocommunications
Agency will continue to
use its website to allow
radio spectrum auctions
to be watched as they
happen. This attracted
huge interest during the
Third Generation Mobile
Spectrum auction.
The
Small Business Service
Information and Advisory
Service (the Gateway:
see delivery
under PSA target 2
in section B above) will
be a major step forward
in access to key
services and
information. Based on a
knowledge network of
business support
organisations,
initiatives and
information from the
public, private and
voluntary sectors, this
will evolve into an
electronic network of
databases accessible by
phone, the Internet,
through the local
Business Link franchisee
or other Gateway sources
of expertise. The
Gateway will be
established by April
2001.
D.3
Awards for excellence in
service delivery
The
Insolvency Service, the
Patent Office and
Companies House have
already received Charter
Mark Awards. Companies
House and The Patent
Office were among the
first agencies to win
the award for three
consecutive terms. The
Employment Tribunals
Service aims to re-apply
for Charter Mark status
in the year 2000 having
received a commendation
for their first
application in 1999.
Companies House won two
prizes in 2000 for their
CH Direct Service in
open competition with
the private sector - the
PriceWaterhouseCoopers
Award for Innovation and
Risk Management and the
Digital Britain Award
for Best Content &
Document Management
/Workflow Solution
sponsored by Microsoft.
The best practice and
experience of these
bodies will be available
to other organisations
inside and outside the
DTI, which may be
considering
participation in the
Quality Award Schemes
and will be shared
through the internal and
external quality
networks they are part
of.
D.4
prompt handling of
correspondence
DTI
Ministers and Agency
Chief Executives will
respond to letters from
MPs within 10 working
days of receipt or
provide an explanation
as to why a full reply
cannot be given and a
deadline for the full
response (target
currently under review).
The handling of
Ministerial
correspondence is the
subject of an
administrative
re-engineering study
with a view to driving
performance against this
target up from its
1999/2000 level. The
Department has a Service
First target to respond
to all correspondence
from business and the
public within 15 days of
receipt (i.e. a 100%
target but with a
holding reply where
necessary). |
|
Department
of Culture, Media and
Sport |
C.1
Consumer tests
As
part of the Consumer
Focus initiative, the
Department has
designated a member of
the Department's
Management Board, as its
consumer champion and
established a network of
consumer champions in
sponsored bodies to help
pursue the initiative.
In addition, DCMS
| will
seek to ensure
that the new
three-year
funding
agreements with
all its
sponsored bodies
include a
commitment to
conduct consumer
tests;
|
| has
developed a
checklist for
sponsored bodies
with advice on
ways in which
they might ask
for and listen
to what
consumers want;
how to act on
what they hear;
and how to
communicate
findings;
|
| is
getting
independent
advice on the
issues that
matter to the
consumer - e.g.
a Viewers Panel
has been
established to
give the
Government a
consumer view on
progress towards
the switch-over
to digital
television, and
will report by
November 2001.
|
| is
collecting data
from the
People's Panel
about DCMS
sectors. |
C.2
Consumer access
Culture
Online has the potential
to open up arts and
culture to a much wider
cross-section of
consumers, via the
internet and other
digital media.
The
open time of the 17
non-local-authority
museums and galleries
sponsored by DCMS is
targeted to increase,
mainly through more
late-night opening, in
2001-02. The scope for
further increases in
2002-03 and 2003-04 will
be considered in
discussions on the next
set of funding
agreements.
C.3
Awards for excellence in
service delivery
Several
DCMS sponsored bodies
have received awards for
excellence in service
delivery and putting the
customer first. These
include the Science
Museum, The Museum of
Science and Industry in
Manchester, S4C and the
Royal Parks Agency. DCMS
will continue to
encourage sponsored
bodies to gain Charter
Mark status.
C.4
Prompt handling of
correspondence
The
current baseline is 83%
of all correspondence
answered within 18 days.
The target during the
SDA period is 90%.
|
|
Department
of Health |
The
Department will reply to
90% of all
correspondence within 20
working days by the end
of 2002. Consideration
is being given to
reducing the target to
15 working days by 2004.
Parts
I and II of this
document reflect the
many ways in which the
concerns of patients and
carers are shaping
action which is being
taken as part of the NHS
Plan. These include
Targets 3 to 5; the
patient/carer domain of
the NHS PAF. |
|
Department
of the Environment,
Transport and the
Regions |
D1
- Consumer tests
DETR
has appointed a Consumer
Champion at Board level,
Willy Rickett, who will
prepare a strategy for
developing DETR's
consumer focus. The
strategy is likely to
build on existing
surveys of consumer
satisfaction and at what
DETR can do to improve
these (i.e. better
modelling and target
setting), and at ways of
improving feedback and
raising awareness to
influence both policy
development and improved
services. The strategy
will also encompass the
existing six DETR
service first standards.
The strategy will
provide the information
required to monitor
progress on improvements
to service delivery and
enable DETR to report to
the centre as required.
Target:
SDA 17 - By March 2001,
to have established a
database on user
satisfaction of all key
services delivered by
DETR(C) and its Agencies
and to have set and
published targets aimed
at achieving
improvements in these
services by 2004.
DETR
Agencies are being
encouraged to adopt a
strategic commitment to
customer service
delivery in their
corporate and business
plans. They all
undertake regular
customer satisfaction
surveys to determine
both their success in
meeting customer needs,
and to test whether the
right delivery channels
are available. The
Driving Standards
Agency, the Driver and
Vehicle Licensing Agency
and the highways Agency
will continue to work
towards the achievement
of the recommendations
of Andrew Foster's
report of January 1999
to the Public Services
Productivity Panel about
their approach to
customer service.
Under
the best value
performance framework,
best value authorities
will in Autumn 2000
conduct user
satisfaction surveys of
local communities,
covering overall
satisfaction with the
authority's performance,
and specific measurement
of satisfaction in key
service areas such as
local transport,
housing, benefits,
planning, cultural
services and waste
facilities.
D2
- Consumer access
Some
Agencies also have
specific satisfaction
and service quality
measures set as key
targets. All Agencies
are continually
reviewing the
availability of their
services. The Driver and
Vehicle Licensing
Agency, and the Maritime
and Coastguards Agency
operate 24 hour enquiry
lines.
The
Health & Safety
Executive (HSE) (like
DETR(C)) maintains a
duty officer system to
allow contact with HSE
at any time. The
Executive plans to
undertake an
organisation wide
satisfaction survey
which will be replicable
in future years. It
tests consumer
satisfaction with its
Infoline and aims to
maintain current
satisfaction levels.
D3
- Awards for access in
service delivery
The
Environment Agency
publishes a Customer
Charter of service
standards that it seeks
to adhere to. It will be
reviewing its service
performance in 2000 with
the aim of achieving a
Service First Award in
2001/02.
Consumer
focus is also an
integral part of the
Best Value regime which
will have a significant
impact on services
delivered through local
authorities. Best Value
Indicators include
measures of customer
satisfaction and the
regime includes a
requirement for general
surveys of local
residents every three
years.
The
following DETR Agencies
are Chartermark
holders:-
| Driving
Standards
Agency; |
| Driver
and Vehicle
Licensing
Agency; |
| Vehicle
Inspectorate
(Training
Services and
some Testing
Services). |
British
Waterways has received
the Chartermark for
excellence in the
provision of public
services.
The
Department is seeking a
Charter Mark for its
Licensing and Bird
Registration service
under CITES (Convention
on International Trade
in Endangered Species of
Wild Fauna and Flora).
D4
- Prompt handling of
correspondence
The
following target applies
to the Department,
including its agencies:
Target:
SDA 18 - To improve the
response time for
dealing with MPs letters
on behalf of
constituents from 58%
within 15 working days
in 1997 to 76% (and 90%
within 20 working days)
by March 2003
The
handling of
correspondence and
personal enquiries by
the Department has been
the subject of a Better
Quality Service review.
We are currently
considering the findings
of the review with the
aim of developing
proposals. In the
meantime, DETR(C) will
continue to work to the
Service First target of
answering correspondence
within 15 days of
receipt.
The
Health and Safety
Executive is committed
to replying to all
enquiries or complaints,
or let enquirers know
what they are doing
about them, within ten
working days. |
|
Department
of Social Security |
D.1
Consumer tests
The
Department provides a
critically important
service to an enormous
number of people.
TheBenefits Agency alone
deals with over 91,000
personal callers a day
and issues over 15
million order book
foils, 1 million
girocheques and makes
2.5 million payments by
automated credit
transfer
each week. In May 1999,
the Department was
paying social security
benefits to 15.3 million
people.
We
are conscious of our
obligations to provide
services to our
customers that respond
to their legitimate
needs. To help us do
this better, we have
identified the three
main client groups who
use our services. For
each of these we are
developing focussed
customer service
strategies.
Already,
much is underway. The
aim is to take customers’
views into account when
planning and delivering
services and use their
ideas and experience to
make practical
improvements. We have
recently undertaken a
major programme of
prototyping and piloting
to test new ways of
service delivery,
(examples of this are
ONE pilots, the Lewisham
Integrated Service
Prototype
and
the Lone Parent
prototype, Pensions
Direct service for
London pensioners to
recent Minimum Income
Guarantee take-up
campaign and the Better
Government for Older
People prototypes) and
this will inform our
work over the Spending
Review period. To
continue to support this
programme, we are
developing
"baseline"
measures for customer
service for each of our
client groups.
We
will:
| establish
a baseline
measure of Child
Support Agency
customer service
(in terms of
accessibility,
comprehensibility
and
responsiveness)
by May 2001, and
by October 2001
use that
baseline to set
targets for
improvement
through to April
2004;
|
| establish
a baseline of
key customer
service measures
for the Appeals
Service, and set
|
| targets
by April 2001
for improvement
in areas of
customer concern
by April 2004;
|
| establish
a baseline of
key customer
service measures
for the new
Working Age
Agency by 2004
against which to
set targets for
improvement in
future years;
|
| as
part of the
initial work to
set up a new
pensions
organisation,
establish a
preliminary view
of customer
needs and
perceptions by
June 2001,
developing by
2003 a baseline
of key customer
service measures
against which
future
performance can
be measured; and
continue to use
research to
identify the
services War
Pensions Agency
customers
require and act
on the findings.
The War Pensions
Agency plans to
conduct an
initial customer
research round
before the end
of November 2000
with a view to
developing and
implementing a
comprehensive
customer
research
strategy. From
January 2001 the
re-constituted
War Pensions
Committees will
be used to
extend and focus
their role as
consultative
bodies with
local input. |
As
part of the Consumer
Focus initiative, Paul
Gray, one of our Group
Directors, has been
designated as the
Department’s consumer
champion. He will
provide a customer focus
at the
strategic
level of our activities
by:
| chairing
the new
sub-group of the
Departmental
Board set up to
oversee and
spearhead |
| the
implementation
of the
Modernising
Government
agenda within
DSS; |
| identifying
and driving
forward the key
areas where we
need to make
progress to
deliver |
| the
Modernising
Government
agenda; and |
| ensuring
and where
necessary
setting
arrangements in
place for
embedding the
principles of
Modernising
Government in
the way we do
our business. |
D.2
Consumer access
The
Department will, where
appropriate, provide a
responsive service that
is easier for our
customers to access,
using face-to-face
services, over the
telephone, via the
internet or by post.
Where
we need to extend our
opening hours to respond
to the particular needs
of our customers we will
do so. We will focus
improvements on the
specific needs of our
customer groups. For
example:
| the
new Working Age
agency will
integrate the
services
currently
provided
separately in
separate offices
by the Benefits
Agency and
Employment
Service. Each
customer will
have a personal
adviser, who
will offer them
help and advice
tailored to
their individual
needs. This
holistic service
will be more
accessible and
will be vastly
superior to what
is currently
available;
|
| the
new telephone
service for
pensioners will
allow them to
claim benefit
and access
advice from the
privacy of their
own home so they
do not have to
visit benefit
offices. We will
offer this
service, where
appropriate,
outside normal
working hours;
and
|
| to
make our
services more
accessible to
working parents,
all six Child
Support Agency
centres and the
National Enquiry
telephone Line
will be open
from 08.00 to at
least 20.00
during the week,
and from at
least 09.00 –
17.00 on
Saturdays.
Furthermore,
Child Support
Agency staff
will arrange
face to face
visits at the
customer’s
convenience,
even when this
falls outside
normal working
hours. |
D.3
Awards for excellence in
service delivery
The
Department will steadily
improve its performance
across the range of
standards of service set
out in the Service First
Charters. There is much
good work to build on:
| The
Benefits Agency
currently holds
32 Charter Mark
awards;
|
| The
Child Support
Agency holds 7
Charter Marks,
including six
Charter Marks
awarded in
1999/2000;
|
| The
War Pensions
Agency is a
Charter Mark
organisation;
and
|
| The
Appeals Service
has published
its Service
First Charter
and will be
baselining
performance
against those
standards, with
a view to
ensuring
continuous and
acknowledged
improvement. |
We
aim to improve further
and will report on
progress in agencies’
annual reports.
D.4
Prompt handling of
correspondence
The
Department aims to
steadily improve
response times to
Ministerial
correspondence and
letters and messages
from the public
(including faxes and
e-mails). We will
develop further our
management and
administrative
structures to improve
performance. Detailed
targets for different
parts of the Department
and progress against
these targets are set
out in the annual
Cabinet Office report on
the Six Service
Standards for Central
Government.
|
|
Foreign
and Commonwealth Office |
CONSUMER
FOCUS
D.1
Consumer tests
The
FCO has designated a
senior official to act
as 'Consumer Champion'.
Peter Collecott can be
contacted c/o The
Foreign and Commonwealth
Office, King Charles
Street, London SW1A 2AH.
He has overall responsibility
for the implementation of
customer focused programmes.
Major
customer service areas
have had a complaints
procedure in place for
several years. An FCO-wide
procedure was introduced
in 2000-01. Consular
Department has in place
systems to measure user
satisfaction on a
regular basis. During
2000-01 a programme will
be put in place to
examine all areas which
deal regularly with the
public to expand the
consultation of
customers. This will
enable the FCO to
establish targets and
check user satisfaction.
In due course, after
examining the main areas
of praise and complaint,
we shall re-examine our
procedures.
D.
2 Consumer access
Travel
and other advice is
available on a 24-hour
basis in the UK through
TELETEXT and our
internet sites. We are
expanding our internet
provision and
introducing an
integrated voice
recognition system to
make information
available efficiently by
telephone. British Trade
International is
developing an
internet-based system
(called Gateway) to help
business people with
requests for
information. We shall
further expand our
service provision
through innovative use
of information
technology. Staff at
posts are available 24
hours a day to deal with
emergencies.
D.3
Awards for excellence in
service delivery
The
following areas of the
FCO have certification
in IS09000: Internal
Audit Department;
Management Consultancy
Services, Inwards Visits
Section and Media
Services. The newly
established Conference
and Visits Group intend
to go for accreditation
by the end of 2000-01.
The Visa Section in
Colombo achieved Charter
Mark status in 1998.
D.4
Prompt handling of
correspondence
The
FCO is committed to
responding promptly to
letters from Members of
Parliament and inquiries
from the public. We aim
to respond to non-visa
related MPs' letters
within 5 working days
(15 for visa-related
inquiries) and within 20
working days for letters
from members of the
public. Performance is
monitored against these
standards.
Improve
response rate to MPs and Member
of the Public Letters. (Non-visa
related MP's letters: Number
answered within five day target
times: 89% by Mar 2002; 90% by
Mar 2003; 90% by Mar 2004.
Member of the Public letters:
Number responded to within
twenty day target time: 90% by
Mar 2002; 91 % by Mar 2003; 91 %
by Mar 2004). Responsible:
Quality & Efficiency Unit |
| Forestry
Commission |
D.1
Consumer Test
The Forestry
Commission seeks
consumers' views widely
and regularly from those
with an interest in its
activities. This
includes national and
local surveys, complaint
procedures and customer
satisfaction surveys,
community participation
and consultation with
industry members,
environmental and other
pressure groups. For
example, visitors to
Forestry Commission
forests and
holidaymakers at Forest
Holiday cabins and
campsites are regularly
surveyed. These views
shape not only the
policies pursued but
also the manner in which
services are delivered.
D.2
Consumer Access
Informal
recreation activities
are available at all
times but some
facilities, eg forest
drives and toilets, may
be locked for reasons of
public safety and/or
security. At Forest
Holiday sites, managers
are available around the
clock to handle
emergencies. Timber is
despatched from FC
forests at times which
suit buyers. The FC
web-site operates around
the clock to provide a
variety of information -
consultation on proposed
afforestation and
felling, technical
publications,
publication sales etc.
Bookings for Forest
Holidays are offered via
the Internet. No other
demand for further
out-of-hours service has
so far been identified.
D.3 Awards
in Excellence in Service
Delivery
Although
Charter Mark status has
not been sought, the FC
continues to monitor its
performance against, and
has met the targets set
in, its customer
charters for:
| plant
health
inspections; |
| felling
licensing; |
| Woodland
Grant Scheme
applications; |
| sale
of standing
trees and felled
roundwood for
timber; |
| sale
of Christmas
trees; |
| recreation
facilities for
day visitors to
forests; |
| Forest
Holidays -
facilities for
self catering
accommodation |
|
|
Home
Office |
D:
Consumer Focus
D.1
Consumer tests
The
Director of Corporate
Development and Services
Group, has been
appointed as Home Office
Consumer Champion
responsible for the
programme to improve
service delivery which
includes:
| Home
Office
consultation
standards to be
published by
December 2000, |
| Bringing
the website into
line with the
Central
Consultation
Register being
developed by
Cabinet Office
by October 2000. |
| Setting
up a Home Office
/ Local
Authority Group
to provide
partners for
service delivery
projects,
sharing best
practice and
supporting
service
delivery. |
From
2001 the Home Office
will conduct the British
Crime Survey annually
with 40,000 people aged
16 and over being
interviewed about their
experience of crime and
their views on crime and
criminal justice.
Wherever
practicable consumer
focus work, including
survey work, will take
account of the views of
those from minority
ethnic groups on a
representative basis,
and with an ethnicity
boost if that is
appropriate.
D.2
Consumer access
A
Service Map has been
produced as a single
repository of
information about all
services provided by the
Home Office. It will be
used to identify
priorities and
opportunities for
improvements to
accessibility and
delivery mechanisms and
to monitor progress.
Initiatives being
undertaken/ planned
include:
| Redesign
of UK Passport
Agency &
Immigration and
Nationality
Directorate
websites to
facilitate full
electronic
applications by
2005, subject to
the
identification
of a solution to
the current
requirement to
submit original
documentation
with all
applications and
for fingerprints
of asylum
seekers. |
| When
the Criminal
Records Bureau
begins service
in 2001, members
of the public
will be able to
access the
Bureau’s
services via a
call centre,
open 7 days a
week, with
extended opening
hours on
weekdays. An
Interactive
Voice
Recognition
telephone system
will be
available 24
hours a day. In
addition, it
will be possible
to submit
applications for
criminal records
certificates and
to receive
certificates
electronically. |
D.3
Awards for excellence in
service delivery
The
Department encourages
those agencies or parts
of the office which
deliver services direct
to the public to apply
for appropriate quality
awards. For example:
| 18
prisons have
achieved Charter
Mark awards. |
| last
year the Home
Office
instigated a
£1m
"Beacon"
award scheme for
police forces
and authorities,
aimed at driving
up efficiency
and service in
specific areas
or under
particular
initiatives. To
date seven
police schemes
have gained a
Beacon award and
have received
additional
funding to
promulgate their
examples of good
practice. |
| The
Home Office
achieved
Corporate
Investors in
People
Accreditation in
October 2000
against the
latest IiP
accreditation
standards. The
Home Office is
to be IiP's year
2000 example of
good practice
and improvement.
We are
determined to
maintain this
standard.
Amongst the
agencies: |
 | the
Passport
Agency
is
already
accredited
and will
be
reassessed
in
November
2000. |
| 129
out of
135
prisons
already
have IiP
accreditation,
as does
Prison
Service
Headquarters.
The
Service
aims to
have
corporate
accreditation
by March
2001 |
| the
Forensic
Science
Service
is
aiming
for
corporate
accreditation
by
December
2000. |
| The
Fire
Service
College
was
re-awarded
accreditation
in
October
2000 and
will be
reassessed
in June
2002. |
Once
gained the Department
and its agencies will
set targets of
maintaining the
necessary standard
thereafter to retain IiP
accreditation.
D.4
Prompt handling of
correspondence
| Reply
to 95% of Ministerial
correspondence within 15
working days by the end
of 2001/02; thereafter
maintained. |
| Reply
to 95% of public
correspondence
(including treat
officially
correspondence, letters
sent directly to
officials or to the
Department in general,
faxes and emails) within
20 working days by
2001/02; thereafter
maintained. |
|
|
HM
Customs and Excise |
Consumer
focus
The
Department is aiming to
deliver a step change in
its service to
customers, particularly
through IT. In addition
to our PSA target to
improve customer
satisfaction we will:
| Develop
measures to
track the
Department’s
progress in
providing timely
and appropriate
guidance to
consumers by
31/03/01 and
report progress
thereafter. |
| Provide
a service, which
meets the needs
and reflects the
diversity of all
our customer
groups. |
| Achieve
a 6% improvement
in the
perception of
the Department
by ethnic
minority
businesses and
travellers. |
| Implement
improvements in
key service
delivery areas. |
Prompt
Handling of
Correspondence
| To
reply to 80% of
ministerial
correspondence within 13
working days by the end
of 2001; and 90% by the
end of 2002 and beyond. |
To
reply to 92% of public
correspondence
(including letters sent
to the Department in
general, faxes and
e-mails) within 10
working days by 2001/02
and 94% by 2003/04. |
|
HM
Treasury |
SECTION
D: CONSUMER FOCUS
Prompt
handling of correspondence –
targets
D1
to reply to
Parliamentary Questions
promptly. For each
Session, the targets
are: Named Day PQs 50%
by the due date;
Ordinary PQs 70% by the
due date; and Lords PQs
80% by the due date
D2
to reply to 60% of
ministerial replies to
correspondence within 15
working days by April
2001 and 90% by April
2002.
D3
to reply to 60 % of
public and treat
official correspondence
within 15 working days
by April 2001 and 90% by
April 2002.
|
|
Inland
Revenue |
CONSUMER
FOCUS
Consumer
tests
A
Deputy Chairman
responsible for
strategic service
delivery is the
Department’s consumer
champion. We will
develop new customer
service satisfaction
measures for our key
customer groups. We will
pilot a "mystery
shopping" approach
and use other techniques
to measure standards of
service and drive
improvements. We will
measure our customer’s
level of understanding
of their obligations and
entitlements and target
year on year
improvement.
Consumer
access
Customers
can contact us:
| By
telephone to
local offices
that aim to be
open 8.30 to 5
Monday to Friday
and to various
helplines like
the SA helpline
some of which
are open outside
the hours of 9-
5. |
| In
writing to any
office. |
| In
person at Inland
Revenue Enquiry
Centres that aim
to open from
8.30 – 5
Monday to Friday |
| Through
the internet by
being able to
file self
assessment tax
returns
electronically. |
We
will, subject to
business cases roll out
call/contact centres by
2004 and customers will
be able to contact us by
e mail by 2002.
Individuals will also be
able to pay their tax
liability, by debit
card, over the Internet
by the middle of 2001,
and this facility will
be extended to other
customer groups by the
end of 2003 if there is
sufficient demand.
Prompt
handling of
correspondence
To
reply to 90% of
Ministerial
correspondence within 18
working days by the end
of March 2002; 91% by
the end of March 2003
and 92% by end March
2004.
To
reply to 80% of public
correspondence within 15
working days. In line
with customers’
wishes, we aim to
develop and pilot
quality targets for
public correspondence
during 2001/02 and
target year on year
improvement from
2002/03.
Better
Quality Services
The
Revenue will
systematically review
all services and
activities over a five
year period in line with
government policy on
"Better Quality
Services". A
program to review at
least 60% of all our
services by value by
March 2002 has
been agreed with
the remainder to be
completed by 2004. We
have begun joint reviews
with Customs and Excise
into training and debt
management (including
insolvent businesses).
Further reviews will be
carried out jointly with
Customs and Excise.
We
use the EFQM Excellence
Model to help improve
performance.
Awards
for excellence in
service delivery
Inland
Revenue offices have
Charter Mark status and
the department aims to
increase its involvement
in externally validated
awards (e.g. EFQM
Excellence Awards) on a
continuing basis.
|
|
Lord
Chancellor’s
Department |
Consumer
Tests
LCD
targets for SR2000
represent a clear
commitment to consumer
satisfaction with legal,
judicial and court
services; LCD1 embodies
this. Further consumer
testing will be required
to support LCD5 and
LCD6; various public and
consumer service surveys
will form the heart of
our ongoing commitment
to match services to
needs in terms of
accessibility and
quality.
| LCD
will continue to
develop
web-sites, which
meet the Cabinet
Office web-site
guidelines. We
will recruit a
full-time
technical web
manager whose
priority will be
to conduct an
audit of present
department
web-sites
against the
guidelines.
|
| The
LCD Consumer
Champion is
Bernadette
Kenny, Director
of Operational
Policy, Court
Service. |
Consumer
Access
LCD
has a broad programme of
enhancing consumer
access across all its
delivery mechanisms.
Some of our key
strategies and
commitments include:
| Ensuring
that by March
2004 90% of
people in police
stations
requesting the
service of a
duty solicitor
receive the
service within
45 minutes.
|
| Increasing
access to advice
by securing a
year on year
increase in the
number of CLS
Information
Points.
|
| Through
the Modernising
the Civil Courts
Programme and
Crown Court
Programme, and
in partnership
with other
agencies,
piloting on-line
access to court
services (e.g.
issue of claims
in civil
proceedings,
information
provision in all
jurisdictions)
and development
of customer
service centres.
|
| West
Yorkshire
Magistrates'
Courts Committee
is conducting a
local user
survey to
establish
potential demand
for an extended
hours
information
service in
Magistrates'
Courts with a
view to setting
up a local
pilot. |
Awards
for Excellence in
Service Delivery
The
Court Service is the
major delivery arm of
the Lord Chancellor's
Department, and a number
of courts have achieved
and are applying for
Chartermarks in line
with the Agency's
Quality Strategy.
Chartermarks have been
gained by Southwark and
Luton Crown Courts, and
by the County Courts at
Lambeth, Edmonton,
Clerkenwell, Barnsley,
Newport, Nuneaton,
Woolwich, and West
London. Additionally 21
Magistrates' Courts
Committees (MCCs) have
achieved IIP
accreditation, with 10
others working towards
it. Bedfordshire MCC has
been awarded the
Chartermark, as had
Calderdale. Hampshire
and Calderdale have
ISO9000, and Norfolk is
accredited with the EFQM.
Oldham and Barnsley MCCs
have received the
'Positive about the
Disabled' National
Training Award. The
current departmental
target is:
| To
have doubled by
March 2004 the
number of Crown
and County
Courts which
have achieved
Chartermark
accreditation;
and by March
2002 to have
100% of
Magistrates'
Courts with a
charter in place
that meets
specified
standards. |
Prompt
Handling of
Correspondence
We
undertake:
| to
reply to 85% of
Ministerial
Correspondence
within 20
working days by
2001/2002 and
85% within 17
working days by
2003/2004.
|
| to
reply to 80% of
public
correspondence
within 15
working days by
2001/2002 and
85% by
2003/2004. |
Separate
targets have been set
for the Court Service
and the Public Trust
Office.
|
|
Ministry
of Agriculture,
Fisheries and Food |
C.1
Consumer tests
We are committed to improving
feedback from consumers of our
services and other stakeholders
including through greater use of
the EFQM model and increased use
of electronic government and
e-business (see
section E). We will also:
a) maintain customer
satisfaction during the
transition period to the
formation of the new paying
agency (CAPPA) with the ease of
submitting CAP scheme claims, as
measured in Customer
Satisfaction Surveys;
b) review all MAFF charter
documents, in consultation with
customers, by July 2001;
c) implement by March 2002 new
channels of communication with
consumers
Progress will
be monitored by our
Consumer Champion
We will,
following an
inter-departmental
review, develop methods
of assessing
satisfaction with MAFF's
sponsorship work.
Wherever
practicable and relevant
consumer focus work,
including survey work,
will take account of
gender equality issues
and the views of those
from minority ethnic
groups on a
representative basis.
C.2
Consumer access
We already provide a
number of manned
services outside working
hours and, increasingly,
access to information
for the public via the
internet. The strategy
being developed by our
Information Age
Government Steering
Group will through
greater and better use
of e-business increase
the availability of out
of hours services across
MAFF. By March 2004, for
example, all CAP scheme
claims will be
electronically enabled.
Section F on electronic
government gives further
detail.
C.3 Awards
for excellence in
service delivery
We will identify
opportunities for
competing for awards
such as for the EFQM
model and encourage
those MAFF Agencies,
NDPBs or core-department
units which are
eligible, to apply.
C.4
Handling of
correspondence within
Citizens Charter targets
We will ensure that 92%
of correspondence is
answered within 15
working days by end
2001, and 93% by end
2003. |
|
Ministry
of Defence |
D.
CONSUMER FOCUS
A
senior civil servant has
been nominated to act as
Consumer Champion,
responsible for co-ordinating
and promoting consumer
issues within the
Department.
D.1
Consumer Access
We
will utilise best
practice and the
opportunities of
information age
technology to provide
better services in those
areas where we do deal
directly with the
public, such as military
recruitment, the
provision of
meteorological and
hydrographic information
and the delivery of
services to the wider
Service community.
We
will maintain a register
of MOD public
consultations on the
Departmental website to
widen public access to
decision-making.
D.2
Prompt handling of
correspondence
We
will aim to meet the
Government’s Service
First standards and
continuously improve our
performance against
them. Included in this
are:
| 90%
of Parliamentary
Enquiries
replied to
within 15
working days,
from 2001/02
onwards. |
| 90%
of letters to
the Department
and its Agencies
from members of
the public
answered within
20 working days
in 2001/02. |
| 90%
of letters to
the Department
and its Agencies
from members of
the public
answered within
15 working days
from 2002/03;
and 100%
thereafter. |
|
|
Northern
Ireland Office |
The
thrust of the
Department's policies on
policing and criminal
justice is to provide
modern, effective,
efficient and inclusive
services which have the
confidence of the whole
population and which
lead to reductions in
crime and the fear of
crime. The Department
will commission an
annual survey of public
confidence in policing
and the criminal justice
system in Northern
Ireland and public
surveys on victimisation
and fear of crime.
The
Department illustrates
its commitment to
providing a high level
of service, including
accessibility and
openness to all its
customers by the
development of
information availability
via its internet
website. The following
performance standards
are presently applied
and are subject to
scrutiny.
| Answer
correspondence
(including
letters, faxes
and e-mails)
within 15
working days of
receipt; 10
working days in
the case of the Compensation
Agency. |
| Attend
to callers
within 10
minutes of any
appointment; |
| Answer
telephone calls
quickly and
helpfully; |
| Provide
clear and
straightforward
information
about it's
services,
including the
provision of one
or more
telephone
enquiry points; |
| Provide
a complaints
procedure; |
| Make
every effort to
make services
available to
everyone,
including those
with special
needs. |
All
the Department's three
agencies periodically
survey their customers
to assess the quality of
the services they
provide. The results of
these surveys are
reflected in the annual
reports of the Compensation
Agency,
Northern
Ireland Prison Service
and Forensic
Science Northern
Ireland.
Awards
for excellence in
service delivery The
core department and its
agencies have achieved
IIP accreditation; the Compensation
Agency
the Charter Mark and the
Prison Service
Maintenance Service ISO
9002.
|
|
Sure
Start |
D
CONSUMER FOCUS
Sure
Start’s targets have been set
to ensure that programmes
involve parents at all stages.
Parents are consulted as the
programme is designed, and must
be involved in the choice of
services. Parents must be
involved in the management of
the programme - at least one
parent sits on every programme
board. To be representative,
many use wider reference groups.
Programmes must also measure
whether parents think services
have improved.
Each
programme must ensure
that it reaches all the
parents of children aged
under 4 living in the
catchment area, and that
services are appropriate
for them. During the
planning process for
local programmes, each
local Sure Start
partnership receives
guidance on involving
minority ethnic children
and families. Each
partnership is also
required to include a
section on Equal
Opportunities in their
programme’s delivery
plan, showing how they
plan to involve families
with either children or
carers with special
needs or disabilities,
as well as families from
minority ethnic groups.
Part of the Sure Start
grant to programmes is
specifically allocated
to provide support for
families with special
needs. Local programmes
are also encouraged to
make sure fathers and
male carers are involved
in the activities they
offer.
Prompt
handling of
correspondence
The
Sure Start Unit will follow DfEE’s
standards for handling
correspondence. Consequently,
the Sure Start Unit will reply
within 15 working days to
Ministerial correspondence,
letters to ministers from
members of the public and letters
sent directly to officials or to
the Sure Start Unit in general,
whether received by post
(including postcards), fax or
E-mail. |
Smaller Departmental SDAs
|
Department: |
Target: |
|
British
Trade International |
Consumer
Tests
British
Trade International is
constantly striving to
understand its customers
better and to focus on
performance and quality.
The organisation has in
place systems of
customer satisfaction
measurement to ensure
that it properly
monitors the views of
its customers about its
key services. The system
will be reviewed as part
of the development of
new, wider-ranging
performance monitoring
procedures for Trade
Partners UK. The new
system will start to
operate from the
beginning of the
financial year
2001-2002. We will also
check compliance with
service standards, and
provide training and
support to ensure that
all staff meet our
standards.
A
national exporting audit
conducted in 2000-01
will provide a
foundation for the
development of new
customer-focused
services in the SR2000
period, and Trade
Partners UK is building
on its existing
relationships with
private sector experts
to ensure that industry
interests are adequately
understood and taken
into account. A co-ordinated
customer database will
be developed during the
SR2000 period, as part
of our e-business
strategy.
A
system for customers to
register complaints
on-line, and by postal
means, have been in
place since May 2000.
Details of this
procedure are also
contained in all of our
publications relating to
the provision of our
services.
Consumer
Access
Electronic
delivery of information
and services is a key
priority for British
Trade International and
represents a clear step
change in improving
access for consumers.
Through the Trade
Partners UK
"gateway"
website customers can
already obtain
information and
knowledge held within
Trade Partners UK, with
the site incorporating
all basic market and
sector information by
the end of 2000. We are
also building on our
existing internet sales
lead service (used
currently by nearly
15,000 customers) to
improve access to
business opportunities
identified by British
Trade International
staff world-wide. In
addition the increasing
use of e-mail enables
customers to contact the
organisation outside the
constraints of
traditional office hours
and to overcome problems
of contact across time
zones. In addition the
Trade Partners UK
Information Centre
already offers extended
opening hours (9 am
until 8 pm Monday to
Thursday). The
Information Centre
incorporates
"gateway"
functions including
handling all general
telephone calls and
e-mails received by the
organisation.
Through
its invest.uk.com
website Invest UK's
customers can obtain a
wide range of
information and advice
on the UK as a location
for foreign direct
investment. Invest UK's
extranet will ensure
instant access to the
full range of marketing
materials for all Invest
UK staff world-wide, and
inward investment staff
in development agencies.
Presentations to clients
will increasingly be
delivered on line.
Prompt
Handling of
Correspondence
British
Trade International
follows the policy and
targets set by DTI with
regard to handling of
correspondence by post
by headquarters staff.
These are: a response to
letters from MPs from
Ministers within 10
working days of receipt
or an explanation why a
full reply cannot be
given with a deadline
for the full response;
and a response to all
correspondence from
business and the public
within 15 days of
receipt (ie a 100%
target but with a
holding reply where
necessary). The Trade
Partners UK website
provides a clear channel
for asking questions by
e-mail, with a target to
provide a response to an
e-mail query within one
working day Monday to
Friday. |
|
Central
Office of Information |
A1
Key Performance Targets
The
bulk of COI activity is
carried out through the
COI Trading Fund which
produces and publishes
an annual report and
accounts. Services
provided on a
vote-funded basis are
carried out on behalf of
the department by the
Trading Fund and are
subsequently charged to
the department by the
Fund on a payment basis.
The performance measures
set out below are those
which are applied to the
Trading Fund and which,
by virtue of the above
arrangements, also apply
to the department's
activities:
(i)
to achieve break even on
an accruals basis;
(ii)
to achieve a unit cost
reduction of 2%;
(iii)
to obtain the following
results from customer
satisfaction feedback:
an
overall customer
satisfaction
score of 8.25
(out of 10);
at
least 96% of
returns to score
6 or more;
a
5 per cent
increase in the
response rate
(from 54 per
cent to 56.7 per
cent)
A2
Delivering Objectives
Objective
Target Cost recovery
This target is cascaded
to operational managers
throughout COI at both
the profit centre and
job level. It is mainly
deliverable through
COI's efforts but could
be affected by sudden
changes in volumes of
work commissioned by
customer departments or
the calling of a general
election. Unit cost
reduction This target is
cascaded through COI to
the profit centre level.
Its achievement is
principally within
control of COI subject
to the external
influences mentioned
under the previous
heading. Customer
Satisfaction This target
is also cascaded to
profit centre level
within COI. Its
achievement requires the
co-operation of staff in
customer departments who
provide satisfaction
assessments in respect
of work delivered on a
job by job basis.
As
an executive agency, COI
does not have a policy
making function and
contributes to
Government's objectives
and overarching themes
by providing services to
lead departments in
order to improve the
efficiency of the
communication effort in
support of their policy
objectives |
|
Charity
Commission |
Consumer
tests
The
Commission will become
easier to do business
with and will maintain a
strong customer focus.
By April 2002 the
department will deliver:
| efficiencies
in how we serve
customers – as
a consequence of
the department’s
Better Quality
Services
programme by
which it expects
to pass on
efficiency gains
to customers; |
| increased
customer
satisfaction as
measured through
independent
surveys the
results of which
will be fully
reviewed by the
department’s
Consumer
Champion and the
department’s
Board; |
| a
new Service
First statement
introduced on
the Commission’s
website to
extend its
commitment to
dealings with
customers, in
particular, by
telephone fax
and e-mail; |
| a
programme to
communicate
better local
information
about the impact
of charities and
their role in
maintaining
healthy
communities; |
| the
implementation
of a formal
complaint and
review process; |
| a
review of the
needs of ethnic
minority
customers. |
D2
Consumer access
The
department’s website
www.charity-commission.gov.uk
is available 24 hours a
day and receives around
½ million hits per
month. The site is being
reviewed to extend its
role as an information
provider, and to ensure
that all the department’s
information products are
available electronically
by 2002.
The
department provides
dedicated help-lines
that deal with an
average of over 14,000
calls per month on
charity issues ranging
from general enquiries
to complex accounting
questions.
D3
Awards for excellence in
service delivery
The
department was awarded
Investors in People
accreditation in
November 1999.
D4
Prompt handling of
correspondence
During
the period of this
agreement the department
will reply to all
correspondence within an
average of 15 working
days, underpinning this
with a commitment to
replying to 90% within
working 15 days. |
|
Department
for National Savings |
Consumer
Tests
National
Savings is organised
around its customers. We
demonstrate our
commitment to customers
by consulting them
through surveys and
acting on findings. We
have a programme of
regular customer surveys
for all our products and
services. Results are
also used to monitor
customer satisfaction
performance indicators
in our contract with SBS.
We use customer research
to inform our product
and channel development
programmes.
Consumer
Access
National
Savings is bringing
about a major
transformation in
customer access to its
products and services.
By the end of the first
year of the SDA period,
we aim to have state of
the art access
availability for
customers and potential
customers.
Awards
for Excellence in
Service Delivery
National
Savings has Investors in
People accreditation and
the Charter Mark award.
National Savings won the
PFI Award 2000 in the
category of specialist
services. Our partners,
SBS, have IiP, use the
EFQM scheme and have an
ambitious programme for
further excellence
accreditation. The aim
is to have comprehensive
implementation of ISO
9000 standards
throughout the
operations business by
end March 2002.
Prompt
Handling of
Correspondence
Over
the SDA period National
Savings will reply to
95% of all Ministerial
and public
correspondence within 10
working days of receipt
within National Savings,
and the remainder within
15 working days, unless
another deadline has
been agreed |
|
Export
Credits Guarantee
Department |
D.1
Consumer tests
ECGD's customer base comprises
UK exporters. Its Customer
Charter, which was revised and
re-issued on 1 September 1999,
sets out its aim to provide a
service that meets specific
standards which are:
giving indications of the cost
of cover within four working
days;
on contract/loan negotiation to
ascertain the customer's
requirements for a timely
response during the process of
negotiation and to meet any
deadlines which are agreed with
the customer;
to reply to general
correspondence within ten
working days or to meet any
deadline to suit the customer's
business needs;
to pay suppliers' invoices on
the contractual due date or,
where there is no contractual
provision, within thirty days of
receipt;
acknowledging claim forms within
two working days;
paying claims on time, according
to the type;
meeting visitors on time.
In addition ECGD provides
customers with the latest news
on its products and services
through the quarterly published
ECGD news as well as accurate
product brochures which are kept
up to date. ECGD's website is
always up to date and user
friendly. An Annual Report and
Trading Accounts are published.
We regularly consult our
customers about our performance
in relation to a random
selection of cases in
negotiation both where business
has been won and lost. Our
consultation process also covers
areas for likely business
opportunities over the coming
years as well as surveys of
opinion on cover availability,
product range and service.
Customer seminars are held each
year which give the opportunity
for customers to meet ECGD
staff, make enquiries of them
and give feedback.
We offer assistance for
customers with disabilities to
visit our offices. Alternatively
we are prepared to visit
disabled customers at their
premises.
We have a complaints procedure
for handling any grievance about
the support we are offering or
the service we are providing.
Back to top |
|
Food
Standards Agency |
Consumer
Tests
We
will become easier to do
business with and will
maintain a strong
consumer focus. We will
carry out quantitative
consumer research in
2000/01 to establish a
baseline, and then set
targets over the 3 years
of the Spending Review
period which will show
an overall improvement
in consumer confidence.
Consumer
Access
The
need to engage the
consumer by using a
variety of
communications tools is
fundamental to the work
of the FSA. Our plans to
achieve this are set out
in the earlier target
table. We will publish
our "Service
First" targets and
report our performance
against these on a
quarterly basis on our
website.
Our
website http://www.foodstandards.gov.uk
will be continuously
updated. We intend to
improve the site so that
it is truly interactive
from 2002. |
|
Forestry
Commission |
D.1
Consumer Test
32.
The Forestry Commission
seeks consumers’ views
widely and regularly
from those with an
interest in its
activities. This
includes national and
local surveys, complaint
procedures and customer
satisfaction surveys,
community participation
and consultation with
industry members,
environmental and other
pressure groups. For
example, visitors to
Forestry Commission
forests and
holidaymakers at Forest
Holiday cabins and
campsites are regularly
surveyed. These views
shape not only the
policies pursued but
also the manner in which
services are delivered.
D.2
Consumer Access
33.
Informal recreation
activities are available
at all times but some
facilities, eg forest
drives and toilets, may
be locked for reasons of
public safety and/or
security. At Forest
Holiday sites, managers
are available around the
clock to handle
emergencies. Timber is
despatched from FC
forests at times which
suit buyers. The FC
web-site operates around
the clock to provide a
variety of information
– consultation on
proposed afforestation
and felling, technical
publications,
publication sales etc.
Bookings for Forest
Holidays are offered via
the Internet. No other
demand for further
out-of-hours service has
so far been identified.
D.3
Awards in Excellence in
Service Delivery
34.
Although Charter Mark
status has not been
sought, the FC continues
to monitor its
performance against, and
has met the targets set
in, its customer
charters for:
plant
health inspections;
felling
licensing;
Woodland
Grant Scheme
applications;
sale
of standing trees and
felled roundwood for
timber;
sale
of Christmas trees;
recreation
facilities for day
visitors to forests;
Forest
Holidays – facilities
for self catering
accommodation |
|
Government
Actuary’s Department |
D1.
Consumer Tests
GAD
is a provider of
actuarial consultancy
services to other
Government Departments
and other clients. To
ensure that the services
provided meet the needs
of the consumers, the
department has:
instigated qualitative
procedures to formally
monitor the quality of
advice produced by the
department
which are carried out by
the Government Actuary;
introduced a client
questionnaire to enable
annual assessments of
client satisfaction |
|
HM
Land Registry |
D.1
Consumer tests
The
Land Registry has, for
some time, paid
particular attention to
seeking customer views
on its services. The
annual Customer Survey,
carried out regularly
since 1992, asks
detailed questions on
the whole range of
registration services
and every year an action
plan is formulated to
take forward customer
suggestions for
improving services.
One
of the Registry's key
performance indicators
(KPIs) measures customer
perception of the
accuracy of
registrations and from
2000-01, further
customer perception KPIs
will be added, initially
on a 'shadow' basis to
test the measurement
methodology. Regional
user panels have been
set up to allow greater
customer involvement at
the strategic policy
making stage, rather
than simply seeking
views on current levels
of service.
The
Land Registry's
Quinquennial Review, to
be completed by April
2001, will involve
extensive consultation
of stakeholders, staff
and customers at all key
stages and provide an
opportunity to influence
future direction.
The
Land Registry will
address the needs of
particular groups, and
will take steps to
identify their views
when formulating policy,
setting standards and
determining key service
elements. It will:
| Set
up an action
group for
customers with
special needs; |
| Review
the development
of existing
relationships
with HMLR
stakeholders; |
| Develop
Regional User
Panels; |
| Continue
to develop the
annual customer
survey. |
The
Land Registry will
report in 2002 on the
impact of consumer
feedback in shaping the
way in which services
have been developed and
analyse the main areas
of praise and complaint.
D.2
Consumer Access
The
Land Registry consults
its customers, through
customer surveys and
focus groups, on opening
hours and access
channels. It will
progressively develop
the capability to extend
the means of
availability of its
electronic access
service in line with the
level of demand
reflected.
Land
information services
requested, delivered and
paid for electronically
over the Internet will
be made available in
2001-02.
Land
Registry application
forms and information
leaflets are available
for downloading, free of
charge, from our website
(http://www.landreg.gov.uk/publications/default.asp).
D.3
Awards for excellence in
service delivery
The
Land Registry was
awarded the Charter Mark
in 1998 for the third
consecutive time, one of
only 18 organisations to
achieve this accolade,
further reflecting the
strength of the
commitment to customer
service.. Further
successes include the
British Computer Society
IT Award in 1998 for the
National Land
Information Service
Conveyancing Pilot and
the Direct Access
Service was awarded the
Society for Computers
and Law award for 1999
for the most outstanding
application of
information technology
to the law in the United
Kingdom and the Republic
of Ireland. Also in
1999, the Land Registry
won the tenth and final
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Best Government Agency
Annual Report &
Accounts Award. This
year, it was runner up
in the UK Business
Continuity Award for the
organisation best
meeting the challenge
posed by the Year 2000
issue.
Investors
in People (IiP)
accreditation was
achieved for all
individual business
units in September 1999
and whole Agency
accreditation was
achieved in April 2000.
The Land Registry will
maintain IiP
accreditation during the
life of this agreement. |
|
Intervention
Board |
D.1
Consumer Tests
IB
has a consumer champion
in Mrs Alison Couch
(Tel: 0118 953 1798,
Fax: 0118 953 1467).
Web
Site: www.ib-uk.gov.uk
IB
has an independent
adjudicator in Sir Peter
Kemp (PO Box 557,
Reading RG1 3TT) who
deals with claims about
our administration. The
adjudicator undertakes
to issue a report within
two months, though, if
the investigation is
likely to take longer an
interim report will be
provided.
Regular
contact with consumers
(trade and producer
associations) is
maintained through
six-monthly
‘Trade
Consultation Group’
(TCG) meetings chaired
at Director level. These
groups are
supported
by more frequently held
trade liaison committees
(TLC) concerned with
particular areas of the
Agency’s business.
TCGs and TLCs are
specifically designed to
provide a forum for
customer feedback and to
inform service
improvement. The
arrangements are
currently under review
following transfer of a
substantial block of the
Agency’s work from its
Reading to its
Newcastle
office and to address
recommendations made in
a recent report by an
independent working
group set up by the
Minister of Agriculture
to consider ways of
cutting red tape.
Business
and process improvements
are pursued through
consultation with staff
and consumers.
The
latest annual Customer
Satisfaction survey was
completed in April 2000
and will be the baseline
year against which
future surveys will be
measured. The overall
response rate from
customers was 30% (2007
questionnaires returned
out of 6623) with 67% of
respondents saying they
were satisfied or very
satisfied with the
overall level of service
provided. Consideration
of
appropriate
measures of year-on-year
improvement in customer
satisfaction will follow
analysis of the survey
results. The aim would
be to implement any
changes by 31 March
2001.
D.2
Consumer Access
IB
is making strides in its
work on providing
literature in Welsh in
accordance with the
Welsh Language Act.
Leaflets, and relevant
forms, covering a number
of IB schemes either are
already available or
will shortly be
available. In addition,
work is being finalised
on the Welsh version of
the IB Customer’s
Guide.
Out
of normal hours working
IB operates a 24 hour
answerphone service
providing a press line
and a range of scheme
based help lines in
connection with Milk
Quotas and the Over
Thirty Months Scheme
(OTMS). A further help
line is contracted out
to Animal Handling
Facilities Ltd. It
provides advice on OTMS
casualty animals and is
available from 08.45 to
14.00 on Saturdays,
Sundays and Bank
Holidays (except for
Christmas Day). Customer
access has also been
provided
at
weekends for the new Pig
Welfare (Disposal)
Scheme.
IB
has a number of
customers facing
services which already
make good use of
electronic
communications. This
includes Electronic Data
Interchange used for
payments by BACS; E-mail
providing direct access
to all staff via the
Government Secure
Intranet, scheme claim
enquiries and
milk
quota scheme purchasing
reports; and Internet
access via IB’s
website providing milk
production figures,
scheme literature/guides
and forms, press notices
and job vacancies and
application forms.
D.3
Awards for Excellence
IB
is recognised by
consumers and clients as
promoting business
excellence within the
public sector. In
support of this
achievement IB have
received the following
awards:
BS
EN ISO 9001
Tick
It (IBM)
Data
Sciences Client Award
Membership
to the British Quality
Foundation
IiP
accreditation
Plain
English Award
D.4
Prompt Handling of
Correspondence
IB’s
consumer focus reflects
the standards of service
set out in "Service
First" e.g. by
providing a complaints
procedure, helplines,
clear literature and
meeting targets for
responding to
correspondence (10
working days, 21 days
for customer cases) and
are categorised as
follows:
Ministers
Chief
Executive
Customer
cases
Public
Enquiries
IB’s
performance in 1999/2000
for Ministers’
correspondence was 100%.
This level of
performance
will be maintained
throughout the SR2000
period. Performance for
the other categories was
95.58%. The aim of IB is
to achieve 100% by 2004. |
|
Northern
Ireland Court Service |
D.1:
Consumer Tests
The
department is committed
to improving its level
of customer
consultation. It has
developed a programme to
establish benchmarks of
community attitudes to
the services it provides
and to implement action
plans for improvement.
The core activities of
this programme are;
·
undertake NI wide survey
of public attitudes by
March 2000 to be
repeated on a regular
basis until 2004,
·
develop action plan to
address priority areas
for improvement by
December 2000,
·
implement action
programme by 2002 and in
following years,
·
develop Court User
forums at all main court
centres by March 2001,
·
implement relevant
recommendations from
Criminal Justice Review,
·
develop and implement an
equality scheme as
detailed in Section 75
of the Northern Ireland
Act (1998).
D.2:
Consumer Access
As
part of the change
management process the
department will seek to
identify where there is
demand for services
outside of normal
working hours. Currently
the department offers a
range of services
outside normal 9am to
5pm, Monday to Friday
hours. These include
·
scheduled Saturday
sittings at Belfast
magistrates' court,
·
the facilitation of
'special courts' as
required at weekends,
evenings or public
holidays,
·
staff 'on call' at
weekends, evenings and
public holidays to give
advice or arrange
special court sittings
in relation to Children
Order business,
·
the availability of
coroners’ office
services on Saturdays
and public holidays.
The
department’s Internet
site will be available
by March 2001, allowing
the provision of a range
of services 24 hours per
day by 2004. It will
also explore public
access to services
during any 24-hour daily
period in line with the
strategic
partner/business
improvement programme.
D.3:
Awards for Excellence in
Service Delivery
The
department achieved
Investors in People
accreditation in
December 1999 and will
work to maintain this
accreditation during the
period of this
agreement. A minimum of
six units within the
department will achieve
Chartermark status by
2004.
D.4:
Prompt Handling of
Correspondence
The
department will reply to
all letters from MPs and
the public within 20
working days, unless
another deadline has
been agreed.
|
|
Office
for National Statistics |
C.1.
Consumer consultation
and tests
Users
were consulted as part
of a review to create a
modern registration
service. ONS also uses
mystery shoppers to test
the registration
services offered to the
public and is
considering extending
their use to statistical
public enquiries. There
are surveys of visitors
to the Family Record
Centre (FRC). One
outcome has been the
extended opening hours
at the FRC; a direct
response to an expressed
customer need.
ONS
will:
| provide
UK-wide
statistics where
component series
are produced by
devolved
administrations |
| develop
a programme to
improve data
supplier
relations,
including
ensuring that,
by March 2004
80% of
information
required of
businesses will
be capable of
being received
electronically |
| continue
to minimise the
costs to
businesses of
complying with
statistical
inquiries,
commensurate
with the
delivery of
statistical
objectives, and
so that by
2001-2002
compliance costs
are back at the
1999-2000 level
of £22m. |
| ensure
all major
outputs are
reviewed within
a 5 year time
frame, with a
strong user
focus, and user
consultation, to
ensure they are
continuing to
meet user needs;
and, |
| pay
all bills
promptly. |
C.2.
Consumer access
ONS
will implement a
dissemination strategy
which maximises
electronic rather than
paper channels. The
strategy will cover all
channels, including the
web, internet security,
pricing and charging
policy and will allow
ONS and customers to
take advantage of new
technology.
The
National Statistics
web-site is at
http://www.statistics.gov.uk
and should, among other
things be the prime
means of delivering
official statistics,
managing statistical
enquiries and meeting
obligations to provide
access to information
about statistical
practice in the UK. The
site currently has an
average of over 50,000
"hits" a day.
The
National Statistics
web-site will be a
wholly integrated part
of internal ONS
statistical and business
systems. The web-site
will consist of five
quite distinct elements,
which will be linked
where relevant: pictures
of the UK; information
gathering; access to
sources; documentation;
and, special services.
Future
planned developments by
March 2004 include:
| optimising
access to
statistics by
creating links
from a wide
range of
commercial and
public sector
sites |
| developing
the capability
to cross analyse
data sets and to
create graphs
and charts |
| a
seamless on-line
ordering and
distribution
system that
includes
customer data
capture and
analysis |
| sophisticated
customer
feedback
mechanisms and a
regular cycle of
qualitative and
quantitative
research |
C.3.
Awards for Excellence in
Service Delivery
ONS
has Investors in People
accreditation and the
production of the Retail
Price Index (RPI) has
ISO (International
Standards Organisation)
9002 accreditation
We
have developed plans for
achieving BS (British
Standard) 7799
(Information security
management) compliance.
C.4.
Prompt handling of
correspondence and
requests for certified
copies of births,
marriage and death
entries
ONS'
s targets are to:
| answer
99% public
enquiries about
statistical
activities
within 10 days |
| process
urgent
registration
casework within
5 days;
non-urgent
within 20 days |
| post
or have
available for
personal
collection (at
the Family
Records Centre
only)
applications for
certified copies
of birth,
marriage and
death entries
received by
personal
application,
post,
electronically
or by telephone
within the
specified
delivery target
for the service
(details of all
the services are
on the NS
website).
|
|
|
Office
for Standards in
Education |
OFSTED
was created in 1992 in
the spirit of the
Citizen’s and Parents
Charter and continues to
strive to improve the
responsiveness of its
services to its
consumers.
OFSTED
will develop targets on
clearance times for the
registration and
inspection of
childcare
providers by December
2001.
OFSTED’s
website
is one of the most popular
government websites, receiving
around 400,000 hits weekly. It
contains inspection reports of
schools, funded nurseries,
teacher training institutions
and LEAs; frameworks for the
inspections of schools,
nurseries and LEAs and
associated handbooks and
guidance for inspectors; HMCI’s
Annual Report; research reports
on educational issues of
interest; ‘good practice’
guides; commonly asked questions
and
complaints procedures.
This information is, of
course, available to all
those with Internet
access 24 hours a day, 7
days a week.
OFSTED
has, during 2000,
revamped its Internet
website to make it
clearer and easier to
navigate and will be
reviewing how it can
reflect even better the
wide range of OFSTED’s
work. OFSTED will
continue to assess the
potential for doing
e-business with key
stakeholders by means of
the OFSTED Internet
website.
OFSTED’s
helplines
During
2000-1, OFSTED will
undertake a review of
all its helplines to
gauge:
i)
their responsiveness and
helpfulness to
enquirers;
ii)
whether they are
suitably accessible to
all types of enquirers
and how accessibility
(including
hours of availability)
might be improved.
This
will continue a process
of assessing the service
needs of all of OFSTED’s
helpline users in the
spirit of the Treasury’s
guidance on ‘consumer
tests’.
Seeking
feedback from users
OFSTED
is looking at other ways
in which it can obtain
feedback from users of
all of its
services
(see also ‘External
consultation’ below).
For example, OFSTED will
use such means to
measure whether its
performance of its new
childcare regulation
functions meets with the
reasonable expectations
of its customers.
Customer
satisfaction
OFSTED
has complaints
procedures in operation
which allow people with
any dealings with OFSTED
to raise concerns about
the conduct or actions
of inspectors or members
of staff. These will be
extended to cover new
inspectors and staff who
will operate the new
functions which OFSTED
will take over.
OFSTED
will develop targets for
dealing with complaints
from childcare providers
by
December
2001.
OFSTED
will develop by December
2001 a target for
customer satisfaction
for childcare
providers.
Prompt
handling of
correspondence
OFSTED
has a twenty working day
target for responding to
correspondence from the
public and measures
performance against
this. |
|
Office
of Fair Trading |
The
OFT as an organisation
is closely focussed on
the wider consumer
generally. Nevertheless,
the Director responsible
for trader control,
including regulation of
consumer credit, has
been nominated as the
OFT’s formal consumer
champion,
responsible for working
with colleagues to
improve the Office’s
services to its
customers/consumers. (It
is important to note
that in this initiative,
"consumer"
means "user of
services" whether
or not that user is a
consumer in the sense of
a natural person not
acting for the purposes
of a business or
profession.)
The
Office is aware of its
responsibilities towards
the users of its
services (its
customers). Accordingly,
the OFT has worked to a
series of published
targets that set out
what level of service
its customers can
expect. This Code
and Charter Standard
is set out in the OFT
publication Helping
You: a Charter Standard
Statement and Code for
Enforcement, which
can be ordered
from their website. The
OFT’s performance
against the Code is
published in the OFT’s
Annual
Report. In addition,
both the Consumer
Affairs Division and
Competition Policy
Division have adopted
the Enforcement
Concordat.
The
OFT provides information
to the consumer
generally in the form of
booklets, pamphlets, and
advice, some of which appears
on their website.
The OFT will therefore
be conducting periodic
surveys of its
information output to
see how the information
and its delivery can be
improved and whether it
is still relevant. A
survey of web site users
has recently been
completed as part of
continuous work to
improve the
effectiveness and ease
of use of the site. OFT
will continue to target
information campaigns
(such as the rights
leaflet produced in
association with Mencap)
where appropriate.
The
business community is
also a user of OFT’s
services. Accordingly,
the OFT has set itself a
key performance target
of reducing the cost to
undertakings of
compliance with
competition law and
increasing the level of
awareness among SMEs of
the new law. Among other
things, these are being
achieved through the
provision of information
services, comprehensive
guidance material and an
education programme
directed at SMEs. (See
Section B1 'Key
performance targets'
for the full target.)
The
OFT is also aiming to
achieve a reduction of 3
per cent in real terms
in the price of a
consumer credit licence
by the end of 2003-04.
This assumes that the
present licensing regime
continues. |
|
Office
of Gas and Electricity
Markets |
D1
: Consumer Tests
All
of Ofgem’s work is
designed to benefit
customers. For example,
its intervention in
terms
of price controls and
the promotion of
competition is the
largest single
contribution
to reducing the fuel
poor.
Ofgem
provides some services
directly to the public
(pricing information,
dealing with
complaints
about suppliers). Some
of these
responsibilities will
transfer to the new Gas
and
Electricity Consumers’
Council (GECC) in autumn
2000. To ensure that
services
remain
responsive to consumers,
Ofgem will advise the
GECC about their
provision and
work
with it to ensure that
consumers are clear
about the
responsibilities of each
organisation.
D2
: Consumer Access
Ofgem’s
website
(www.ofgem.gov.uk) is
available 24 hours per
day. All publications
are
available on this. A new
user-friendly website
design will be
introduced in autumn
2000
and continuous
improvements will be
made after this.
D3
: Awards for Excellence
in Service Delivery
None.
D4
: Prompt Handling of
Correspondence
Ofgem
aims to respond to
customer complaints
letters within ten
working days. |
|
Office
of Telecommunications |
Consumer
complaints
The
following output targets
have been set:
| Response
for written
cases (letters,
faxes and
e-mails) within
5 working days. |
| From
October 2000
response time to
E mails to be
reduced to 24
hours wherever
possible. |
| Phone
calls – same
day resolution
|
|
|
Office
of the Rail Regulator |
D1
Consumer tests
- ORR
will continue to
maintain a
strong customer
focus (which
includes not
only the general
travelling
public, but the
railway
companies,
notably
Railtrack, the
passenger train
operating
companies and
the freight
operating
companies). For
example, the
Regulator holds
regular seminars
with the
passenger
operating
companies to
hear what they
consider the
Regulator should
be doing and to
make
representations
to him for
consideration
within his
remit.
- ORR
has in place
certain quality
standards when
dealing with
correspondence
from the public
and MPs. ORR
will seek
consistently to
improve on this
standard in
responding to
correspondence (see
D4).
- Through
the established
consultation
process and
subsequent
publication of
ORR’s annual
operational plan
(a
"corporate
business
plan"), the
Office will
continue to be
responsive, fair
and accountable.
Furthermore, it
will seek to be
more transparent
to railway
stakeholders and
those who have a
specific
interest in the
work of ORR.
- Once
the Transport
Bill, which is
currently going
through
Parliament, is
enacted, the
Regulator’s
consumer
protection
functions and
responsibility
for the Rail
Passenger
Council (which
represents rail
passengers) will
be transferred
to the Strategic
Rail Authority
(SRA). ORR will
continue to
consult fully
both the Rail
Passengers
Council and the
SRA on major
policy issues.
D2
Consumer Access
- ORR’s
website at www.rail-reg.gov.uk
can be accessed
twenty-four
hours a day. The
intention is for
all ORR
publications to
be available on
this website and
the aim is to
ensure that all
press releases
and publications
are available
through the
website on the
day of
publication. The
ORR will conduct
periodic surveys
of its
information
output to see
how the
information and
its delivery can
be improved and
whether it is
still relevant.
- The
Regulator also
has a duty under
the Railways Act
1993 to maintain
a public
register. This
can be viewed by
making an
arrangement with
the ORR
librarian.
D3
Awards for excellence in Service
Delivery
- None.
D4
Prompt handling of
correspondence
24.ORR
aims to
respond
to
public
and
Ministerial
correspondence
within
20
working
days (this
is the
Citizens
Charter
target).
|
|
Office
of Water Services |
D.1
Customer protection
The
Guaranteed Standards
Scheme (GSS) provides
for statutory levels of
compensation
where
a water company fails to
deliver a minimum
service standard to its
customers. The GSS
scheme is now revised
(except for companies
wholly or mainly in
Wales) to include the
following:
payment increase from
£10 to £20 for
domestic customers;
payment increase from
£10 to £50 for
business customers;
automatic payments for
customers who have had
sewer flooding or
interrupted water
supply;
and
tightening of some
standards.
Ofwat
has consulted with the
industry on the best way
to routinely monitor
customer
satisfaction
with the services
provided by water
companies. Ofwat has
stated that water
companies should report
results of their
customer satisfaction
surveys annually to
Ofwat.
Ofwat
and the ten regional
CSCs have continually
monitored the policies
and practices of
companies with regard to
customers with special
needs. The Water
Industry Act 1999 made
special provision for
protection of customers
within vulnerable
groups. Powers are now
in place to ensure that
metering does not result
in hardship for these
customers.
Ofwat
commissioned market
research to ask
customers opinions on
using tariffs for
vulnerable
customers. The results
will be looked at in
conjunction with
agreeing charges schemes
with water companies.
D.2
Customer Access
The
ten regional CSCs and
Ofwat Head Office are
open to the public
during normal office
hours. The library can
be visited between
9.30am and 4.30pm Monday
to Friday. The ten
regional CSCs have
opening times that vary
slightly, but are
between no earlier than
8.30am and no later than
5.00pm, Mondays to
Fridays. An answering
machine is available
outside of these times.
Ofwat
is committed to keeping
the public informed
about its work. Ofwat
has a wide range of
publications available,
usually free of charge
by contacting the Public
Enquiry Unit.
Most
are also available on
the Ofwat website. Ofwat
also publishes details
of its work
through
press notices and media
interviews.
Ofwat
takes part in
conferences and
seminars, including
those involving customer
representatives.
The Ofwat library keeps
the Director’s
Register, a public
register of
companies’
licences, legal
agreements and other
documents. The library
also contains a
wide
range of material
concerning the
regulation of the water
industry.
The
ten regional CSCs hold a
total of over 50 full
meetings a year.
Meetings are
advertised
and are open to members
of the public. Copies of
agendas and papers are
available
before the meeting.
Meeting minutes are also
available. The CSCs run
roadshows
taking the messages from
Ofwat to the public at
large.
Ofwat
has a Welsh language
scheme approved by the
Welsh Language Board and
also publishes some
leaflets in large print.
D.3
Awards for Excellence in
Service Delivery
Ofwat
has a Crystal Mark for
two of its customer
leaflets Protecting
the interests of
customers
and
How we can help if you have a
complaint . It also has a
Crystal Mark for its
customer
charter.
D.4
Prompt handling of
correspondence
Ofwat
aims to reply to 95% of
letters to Head Office
within ten days of
receipt unless the
matter
is particularly
complicated. Ofwat aims
for 95% of telephone
queries that cannot
be
dealt with immediately
to receive a telephone
reply within two days.
The
ten regional CSCs
generally handle
complaints about water
companies. The aim is
for 97% of complaints
received to be actioned
within five days of
receipt. Further, the
CSCs aim for 70% of
complaints to be settled
within 20 days and 85%
within 40 days.
Customers
are asked to complete a
questionnaire on the
handling of the
complaint.
Any
appointment made should
be kept within ten
minutes of the appointed
time. If the
person
concerned is not in the
office, another member
of staff should take the
appointment. Any
messages left on
answering machines
should be returned
within an hour of the
office reopening.
The
Director General decides
upon some disputes. He
also deals with
complaints from
customers
about a breach of duty
by a CSC. Ofwat has an
independent internal
review
procedure. |
|
Ordnance
Survey |
Customer
Relationship Management
Ordnance
Survey will become
easier to do business
with and will achieve
recognition as leading
the way in Modernising
Government actions for
customer focused
initiatives.
We
place strong emphasis on
good relationships with
our customers and will
strive to improve these
still further. In
particular by April 2002
OS will have an
operational CRM
infrastructure which
will deliver:
| Improved
understanding of
customer needs
and sharing of
this knowledge
across the
organisation; |
| Efficiencies
in how we serve
our customers; |
| increased
customer
satisfaction and
loyalty; |
| enhanced
service level
targets for the
2002 Charter
Mark
re-application. |
Improvements
in customer satisfaction
will be measured against
a benchmark established
during 2000.
Ordnance
Survey's current
Customer Charter sets
out how Ordnance Survey
will serve its
customers; it can be
found on their website
at: http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/serving/index.htm.
The Charter includes
details of our published
service levels and
includes, for example,
Ordnance Survey's
targets for responding
to customer
correspondence.
Service
availability
Their
website at http://www.ordnancesurvey.gov.uk
is available 24 hours a
day. The web site, and
in particular the Get-a-map
service, is heavily
used. We intend to
continuously improve the
site and significantly
extend our product
services available by
Internet channels. OS
will have systems in
place during 2001 to
serve OS geographic data
directly via the
Internet to professional
customers.
Consultation
processes
Market
research and pilot
projects are a key
element of our service
development plans.
Ordnance Survey's
Consultative Committees
have, for over 20 years,
provided a biannual
forum for discussion of
products, services and
initiatives.
Consultation Papers are
issued to members from
whom valuable feedback
is obtained and acted
upon whenever possible.
Close co-operations
exists with all levels
of the education
community. In addition,
we consult proactively
with other user groups
and many individual
customers who act as
'sounding boards' for
wider opinion. The
results of consultation
are published widely as
well as being made
available via our
website. |
|
Postal
Services Commission |
Postal
services have an
economic and social
value out of proportion
to their cost. They are
also accessed by almost
all citizens, often
almost every day. They
are therefore of the
highest political and
social importance.
Against this background,
Postcomm believes that
it must make every
effort to involve its
stakeholders as it seeks
to meet its key
performance targets. It
has established three
mechanisms for this
purpose.
| As
noted above,
Postcomm has
appointed a
number of account
managers to
liaise with key
stakeholder
groups with a
view to ensuring
that these
groups are
content with the
information flow
to/from Postcomm
and with other
aspects of our
service. |
| Postcomm
is also
establishing
first class consultation
procedures
and is in
particular
taking care to
consult about
the way in which
it intends to
approach its key
tasks, as well
as about the
detailed issues
themselves. |
| Postcomm
has also
established a
professional,
informative and
easily
accessible web
site,
including
sections of
general interest
as well as
sections dealing
with more
technical
matters.
|
|
|
Privy
Council Office |
D.1
Consumer Tests
The
PCO plans to initiate a
consultation exercise
with our main customers,
statutory and voluntary
bodies during 2001. The
feedback and the
responses obtained will
be used to improve the
efficiency of services
provided during 2002, to
be reviewed 2003/2004.
D.2
Consumer Access
The
Clerk of the Privy
Council, the Registrar
of the Judicial
Committee and all
Private Secretaries are
on call 24 hours, 7 days
a week.
Whilst
the House of Commons is
sitting, the Ministers'
Private Offices are
normally staffed from
8.30 a.m. until the
House of Common rises,
which is seldom before
10 p.m.
D.3
Awards for Excellence in
Service Delivery
Although
the PCO is not yet in
receipt of any awards,
staff constantly strive
to maintain the highest
standards in service
delivery to its
customers. The PCO is
one of the few
Government Departments
to pay 100% of bills on
time and is committed to
maintaining this level
during 2000 - 2004.
D.4
Prompt handling of
Correspondence
The
PCO works towards
meeting the Government’s
targets for answering
correspondence from MPs
and the general public.
A target of 100%
response within 15 days
has been set in line
with the standards for
Central Government.
Parliamentary Questions
are responded to within
specified deadlines. |
|
Public
Record Office |
D1.
Consumer Tests
The
PRO will continue to
maintain its achievement
of reader satisfaction
of 90% "good"
or "excellent"
every year. This will be
tested by at least four
consumer surveys each
year, the coverage of
which is being extended
to include on-line as
well as on-site users.
An Independent
Complaints Reviewer will
monitor the PRO systems
for assessing user
satisfaction and be
directly approachable by
complainants.
D2.
Consumer Access
Consumer
access will be improved
by making the PRO's
catalogues available
online by March 2001. In
addition, the most
popular public records
will be progressively
digitised and made
available online. This
should commence with the
1901 census on the first
working day of 2002.
The
Public Services
Development Programme,
with the introduction of
more self-service
facilities in 2001-02,
will improve public
onsite services.
In
1997 the PRO extends its
opening hours at Kew on
two evenings a week
(until 7pm) and
introduced Saturday
opening. From January
2001 it will be possible
for users at Kew to
order documents on
Saturday afternoons.
D3.
Awards for Excellence
The
PRO currently has, and
will strive to maintain,
Investors in People
accreditation and the
Charter Mark award. The
PRO has an IiP
co-ordinator who reports
to the Staff Development
Project Board, and a
similar structure is in
place to ensure that we
adhere to Charter
Standards.
D4.
Prompt handling of
Correspondence
Over
the period of this
agreement the PRO will
maintains its existing
standard of replying to
98.5% of all
correspondence with
Members of Parliament
and the general public
within 10 working days
of receipt. Complainants
will be sent an
acknowledgment within 3
working days of receipt
and a full response
within 10 working days |
|
Scotland
Office |
The
Scotland Office has no
significant executive
functions. Our service
delivery targets
therefore relate to
public and media
contacts on policy
issues relating to the
work of the department
or the devolution
settlement; and to
dealings with other
Government departments
and the departments of
the Scottish Executive.
D.1
Media and public access
| Departmental
offices are
staffed during
normal working
hours, with
24-hour
telephone access
for urgent
enquiries. A
system of duty
officers is in
place for media
contacts. |
| The
department has a
Website (www.scottishsecretary.gov.uk)
which explains
the role of the
Secretary of
State and the
other Scotland
Office Ministers
and includes an
archive of press
releases and
ministerial
speeches, with
links to related
Websites. The
Websites
received an
average of over
100,000 hits per
month during
2000. |
D.2
Public correspondence
In
keeping with the
modernising government
initiative, the
department has a target
of replying to
ministerial
correspondence within 15
working days. Figures
from the beginning of
January to the end of
September 2000 show that
636 items were received
from MPs and the public,
with the target for
response met in 64% of
cases. We plan to
improve this figure to
85% by 1 April 2001 and
to 95% by 2003-04
D.3
Other Departments
The
Department aims to
respond promptly and
effectively to
consultations by other
Departments, explaining
clearly any distinctive
Scottish interests.
Performance in this
regard will be assessed
by surveying regular
contacts in other
Departments. |
|
Serious
Fraud Office |
The
SFO does not provide a
service to consumers in
a normal sense. It does
however have to meet the
evidential and
procedural requirements
laid down in legislation
and codes of practice
and by the courts. These
apply throughout the way
it conducts its work –
for example in taking
possession of evidential
material, conducting
interviews, deciding to
prosecute, transferring
a case, disclosure to
the defence, and meeting
timescales and other
requirements laid down
by the courts. All these
requirements must be met
scrupulously –
otherwise we are at best
open to criticism by the
parties concerned, and
at worst lose the case.
The
SFO takes very seriously
indeed the rare
instances where it is
criticised publicly by a
judge. It also
investigates swiftly all
complaints made against
individual members of
staff. |
|
Treasury
Solicitors |
D.1
Consumer Tests
Close
contact with clients on
the likely future
demands for TSD’s
services is essential to
the achievement of TSD’s
prime objective. Also,
as outlined in C.4
above, meaningful client
satisfaction measures
continue to be
developed. Regular
consultation with
clients is also a
feature of all Service
Level Agreements.
D.2
Consumer Access
Access
to the TSD web-site (at
www.open.gov.uk) will be
available 24 hours a
day. The site will be
regularly reviewed to
ensure it remains
current. Staff at TSD
work normal office
hours, although urgent
work may require
individuals to work
beyond these. The Agency
has a number of duty
officers to deal with
requests for urgent
legal advice when the
office is otherwise
closed.
D.3
Prompt handling of
correspondence
Each
Business Area of the
Agency has been set
targets for responding
to correspondence
covering both initial
acknowledgement and
substantive reply.
Essentially these
require acknowledgement
of first letters within
5 days with a
substantive reply within
20 days for 85% . |
|
Wales
Office |
The
Wales Office does not
have any executive
functions. Our service
delivery targets are
therefore limited to
services provided by the
Department’s Press
Office, prompt handling
of correspondence and
answering of public
queries.
Consumer
access
| The
Department is manned 24
hours per day, 7 days
per week. Urgent
telephone calls will be
answered at any time. A
system of duty officers
is in place for media
contacts. |
| The
public enquiry line is
open from 8.30am to 6pm
on weekdays and there is
a bilingual answer-phone
service at all other
times. All calls
relating to a particular
policy area are put
directly through to the
relevant policy official
where possible. |
| The
Wales Office has a
website at
www.walesoffice.gov.uk
that explains the role
of the Wales Office
Ministers and includes
an archive of press
releases. |
Welsh
Language
Four
members of staff,
including one press
officer, are able to
take queries in Welsh.
Calls in Welsh are
transferred to a Welsh
speaker where available.
If no Welsh speaker is
available the caller is
offered two options: we
can take their number
and a Welsh speaker will
call them back; or they
can continue the
conversation in English.
The Department has been
working in the spirit of
the Welsh Language
Scheme adopted by the
former Welsh Office and
is currently drafting
its own scheme for
submission to the Welsh
Language Board.
Correspondence
In
line with the
Modernising Government
initiative, the
Department has a target
of replying to
Ministerial
correspondence of 15
working days. Outturn
figures from the start
of October to the end of
December 1999 show that
1,117 items were
received for Ministers,
with the target for
response met in 77% of
cases. We aim to raise
the number of cases
where the response
target is met to 85%.
Other
departments
The
Wales Office aims to
respond promptly and
effectively to
consultations by other
Departments, explaining
clearly any distinctive
Welsh interests. |
|
