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Review of Customer Charters

and Customer Service Action Plans in the Civil Service

October, 2014

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1 Introduction

A Customer Charter is a short statement describing the level and quality of service a customer can expect from a Government Department or Office. It should be concise and easy to read. Importantly, plain language should be used. It should be easily accessible and displayed prominently in all public offices and websites. A Customer Action Plan describes in detail how the commitments and standards set out in the Customer Charter, and other customer service improvements, will be delivered and evaluated by the organisation.

1.1 Customer Charters and Action Plans The Customer Charter Initiative was launched in December, 2002. Under the initiative, all Government Departments, Offices and other public bodies are required to publish Charters, covering a three year period, based around a four-step cycle of Consultation, Commitment, Evaluation and Reporting, as follows:

consultation with customers and front line staff in preparation of the Charter;

commitment to clearly defined standards of service;

evaluation of performance against standards; and

reporting publicly on the outcome of the evaluation process in their Annual Report.

Government Departments, Offices and other public bodies are also required to prepare and publish Customer Action Plans (CAPs) which set out in detail the methods through which they will achieve the targets set out in their Charters and provide the highest level of service in their dealings with their customers. Guidelines for the Preparation of Customer Charters and Customer Action Plans were first published in 2003 to assist Public Service bodies in producing effective Customer Charters and supporting Action Plans, as well as other related aspects of the Quality Customer Service initiative. These guidelines were revised in 2008 and again in 2012 to reflect progress and new initiatives under the Public Service Reform programme. Departments and Offices have commented that the guidelines have proven very useful to them in their own Charter processes.

The Quality Customer Service (QCS) Officers’ Network was established in October 2000 to coordinate and improve customer service across the Civil and Public Service. Membership of the Network includes representatives from all Government Departments and major Offices. The Network is responsible for supporting and promoting the QCS initiative at local level in the Civil Service. It meets regularly (generally four times per year)

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to discuss items of interest and share best practice on all aspects of Customer Service, including relevant areas of the Public Service Reform Plan. The Network has also undertaken valuable work promoting specific elements of the customer service function, including equality and diversity, the use of plain language in dealing with customers, the Irish language, the use of technology, customer surveys (and other means of engagement) and service accessibility. An important and ongoing priority for the Network is the implementation of the Customer Charter Initiative in the Civil Service and its promotion in the wider Public Service.

1.2 Review of Customer Charters The Public Service Reform Plan 2014-2016 outlines an ambitious range of objectives and commitments to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Public Service administration, planning and delivery. One of these key objectives is to improve the quality of the interaction between the citizen / business customer and the Public Service to facilitate service improvements at organisational and sectoral levels. The Reform Plan sets out a number actions to ensure that Departments / Offices develop ambitious customer charters and accompanying customer service improvement action plans and to promote the further roll-out of the Customer Charter Initiative to bodies under their aegis. The specific action driving this review is “To assess quality of customer charters in the Civil Service”. As a first step, members of the QCS Officers’ Network were asked to send their current Customer Charters and Customer Action Plans to the Secretariat (the Reform and Delivery Office, Department of Public Expenditure and Reform) for initial assessment. Following a desk-based research exercise, the Secretariat arranged meetings with members to discuss their Charters and related customer service issues. The Secretariat met individually with all of the 33 organisations represented on the QCS Officers’ Network, between May and August, 2014. This document sets out the main results of that engagement. A list of the organisations that participated in the review can be seen at Appendix 1. The purpose of the review was to assess the current position of the Charter initiative within the Civil Service and to identify areas for additional attention by the QCS Officers’ Network. The review also aims to support the Charter process (and the issue of customer service improvement more generally) within the Civil Service and to strengthen links with the Reform and Delivery Office. This report highlights some best practice examples from various Departments and Offices. There are, of course, other good examples from other Departments and Offices and further information on those is available on organisational websites and through the Reform and Delivery Office on request.

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2 Findings The main findings emerging from the review are set out under the following headings, which are largely in line with the four stages of the Charter process.

2.1 Customer Charters

2.2 Customer Action Plans

2.3 Accessibility

2.4 Consulting with Customers

2.5 Customer Complaints

2.6 Setting Service Standards

2.7 QCS Principles

2.8 Evaluating Progress

2.9 Reporting on Progress

1. CONSULTING

2. STANDARDS

3. EVALUATING

4. REPORTING

2.1 Customer Charters Overall, the quality of Customer Charters is very good. 18 Departments / Offices have an up to date Charter. The Charters of 15 Departments / Offices are currently out of date. Of these, 14 Departments / Offices are currently updating their customer charters or have made a commitment to do so over the coming months. In a number of cases, this process is being linked to the development of new Departmental Strategy Statements, which is currently underway across the Civil Service.

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Customer Charters

Up-to-date Charter in place

New Charter being developed

Need to develop new Charter

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The Department of Communications, Energy & Natural Resources has a good example of a clear, concise and customer focused Charter (see extract below).

2.2 Customer Action Plans 15 Departments / Offices have current, up to date Customer Action Plans. 14 Departments / Offices have Customer Action Plans that are out of date but are working on updating them. Four Departments / Offices are without Customer Action Plans. Two of these plan to produce Action Plans and another two use other documents (such as strategy statements) which include issues that would be covered in the Customer Action Plan. It is best practice to include a separate Action Plan. The standard of the customer action plans (both current and draft) is very high and the documents are very informative.

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Customer Action Plans

Up-to-date Customer Action PlanNew Customer Action Plan being developedAgreed to develop Customer Action PlanUsing alternative means of setting service improvement plans

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Teagasc’s Customer Action Plan is a good example of an action plan to improve customer services in a strategic way (see index page below).

2.3 Accessibility Accessibility is the ease of access which customers have to the Customer Charter and Customer Action Plan, whether it be on the website or a physical copy of the published document. The Customer Charters of 22 Departments / Offices were easily found under headings such as ‘about us’, ‘corporate services’ or ‘customer service’. 11 of the Customer Charters were more difficult to find and this needs to be addressed. In this context, some of those Departments / Offices are currently working on updating their websites, and plan to make the customer service documents more accessible in this context.

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Accessibility of Charters

Easily accessible Not easily accessible

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A significant number of Departments and Offices also displayed their Charters in their public offices and / or in various languages, in line with their customer bases.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s Customer Charter is easily accessible on its website home page (see below).

Another aspect of accessibility is the need to ensure that documents (including Customer Charters and Action Plans) are easy for customers to read and to understand. A number of Departments and Offices have arranged communications and plain language training / assistance for their staff. The Reform and Delivery Office has also organised plain language training for members of the QCS Officers’ Network and are encouraging Departments and Offices to train their own frontline staff in the use of plain language.

The Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation has been working with the National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) with a view to obtaining the Plain English Mark for a number of its new Customer Service publications, which include its Customer Service Charter, Customer Action Plan, Complaint and Review Procedures

and its Accessible Information Policy. If successful, it will be the first Government Department to receive this award. Furthermore, the National Disability Authority (NDA) has endorsed the Department’s Accessible Information Policy document and cites it as an example of best practice.

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2.4 Consulting with Customers A consultation process should provide a structured approach to meaningful consultation with, and participation by, the customer in relation to the development delivery and review of services. The nature of the business of Departments and Offices can vary considerably and this will impact on how they consult with their customers. For example, the Houses of the Oireachtas and Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine have very distinct customer groups with which they engage in improving their services. 20 Departments / Offices use surveys (both internal and external processes) to consult their customer basis. A number do not undertake regular surveys, although they may consult with key stakeholders through other means. It should be noted that there is a commitment in the Public Service Reform Plan 2014-2016 that Departments will survey their customers at least every two years. Seven Departments / Offices use focus groups or customer liaison groups to consult with their customers. 13 either have comment cards at reception desks or an online comment forum. Four Departments use online questionnaires and one Department uses an email address to facilitate customer comments. After meetings with the Departments / Offices, three further organisations stated their intention to consult with their customers in the coming months as part of the renewal of their Customer Charter and Action Plan. A further four have consulted customers recently and one is currently carrying out a consultation process.

The Department of Defence have an internal Customer Service Network, which is used in consultations. They have regular customer surveys, with the results reported to senior management. The following extract from the Department’s Customer Action Plan 2013 provides some of the highlights of the 2012 customer survey:

2.5 Complaint Procedures Complaints are important in their own right but can also be used as a means of obtaining useful feedback from customers. Complaints procedures should be well publicised, accessible, transparent and simple to use. It should be noted that all Departments and Offices have a complaints process in place, although its inclusion in their customer service documents is varied. Out of the 33 Departments and Offices that are represented on the Quality Customer Service Network, 15 had their

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complaints procedure outlined briefly in the Customer Charter and in more detail in their Customer Action Plan. Eight Departments had the complaints procedure outlined in the Customer Action Plan but not in the Customer Charter. Three organisations have their complaints process outlined briefly in the Charter but not mentioned in the Action Plan. Four Departments / Offices have mentioned complaints but have not given details of the procedure or action one would take to make the complaint. Departments / Offices that do not have details of their complaints processes in their customer service documents have committed to making the procedure more prominent in the Customer Charters.

It should also be noted that in January 2014, the Reform and Delivery Office circulated a document to QCS Officers entitled “Key Principles for Complaints Systems for Customers and Staff”, available at: http://qcs.per.gov.ie/documents/

The Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner have a complaints procedure detailed within their Customer Action Plan and also a detailed Customer Complaints procedure document on their website that also encloses a complaints form. This is set out in different languages.

2.6 Setting Service Standards Most Departments / Offices have made a good effort to include standards / commitments in their customer charters that are SMART (Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound). However, this is an area where greater attention is required, particularly with regard to commitments being time-bound and measurable.

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Details of Complaints Process

Complaints process included in Charter and Action Plan

Complaints process included in Charter

Complaints process included in Action Plan

Reference to complaints process in Charter but no details

No reference to complaints process

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While acknowledging the challenges sometimes involved (particularly in an ever changing administrative landscape), Departments and Offices are encouraged to be as detailed as possible in setting out their standards and targets for service delivery and interaction with customers. This increased quantification will also facilitate the use of metrics in measuring and reporting on performance.

The following extract from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform’s Customer Charter provides some examples of SMART commitments / standards.

2.7 12 Quality Customer Service Guiding Principles The 12 Guiding Principles for QCS were agreed in 2000, expanding on the original 9 Principles from 1997. These 12 Principles, which form the basis for the QCS Initiative, are as follows:

The 12 QCS Principles are:

1. Quality Service Standards

2. Equality/Diversity

3. Physical Access

4. Information

5. Timeliness and Courtesy

6. Complaints

7. Appeals

8. Consultation and Evaluation

9. Choice

10. Official Languages Equality

11. Better Co-ordination

12. Internal Customer

21 Departments / Offices outlined the 12 QCS Principles in their Customer Charters and / or Action Plans. While nine Departments / Offices did not specifically list to the 12 QCS Principles, they were referenced, at least in part. It should be reinforced

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that the Principles set the basis for the level and quality of services that customers can expect in their interaction with the Civil Service and, as such, a specific reference to them (or better, listing them) is required.

The Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht’s Customer Action Plan sets out each of the 12 Guiding Principles with headings of Action, Performance Indicators, Primary Responsibility and Timeframe for Action (see extract below).

2.8 Evaluating Progress An important aspect of the Charter process is to ensure meaningful evaluation of the progress made in meeting the commitments / standards for service delivery in each Customer Charters, as well as progress made on other customer service improvements in Departments and Offices. The evaluation and reporting of the results of the QCS commitments took place in many different forms. There were four examples of Departments using formal measurement of quantifiable metrics. Nine Departments / Offices use business plans to evaluate the results, three use feedback through websites, four use results from comment cards, six organisations use the results from surveys, and one Department through an internal audit programme. In addition, almost all Departments / Offices used a variety of PMDS, previous results and customer complaints to assess progress made on their customer service improvement programmes.

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As well as for reporting purposes, the data gathered in the evaluation phase of the Charter process will also be of use in setting the service standards and new commitments (for inclusion in Charters and Action Plans – as dynamic and fluid documents - during the three-year cycle).

The Public Appointments Service (PAS) have a Client Relations Management Panel (drawn from managers across the office) and conduct annual surveys, issue comment cards, evaluate progress on a quarterly basis, use feedback from surveys, focus groups and issue quarterly reports to the Management Team and to the Board of PAS.

2.9 Reporting on Progress Most organisations indicated that they report on progress made on customer service issues in their Annual Reports. 22 Departments / Offices use the Annual Report to publish the results, six do not state a method of reporting on their customer charter or action plan and one uses their website to report on the quality customer service improvements. There is definite scope for improvement in how progress is reported in Annual Reports. Indeed, this is a requirement of the Customer Charter process.

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Measuring Progress

Use of metrics Progress on business plans

Feedback from websites Comment cards

Surveys Internal audit

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Departments and Offices also use their Integrated Reform Delivery Plans (put in place as part of the Public Service Reform Plan monitoring process by the Reform and Delivery Office) to report on progress made on their customer service improvement plans. It is also important that information (and metrics) on the progress being made in meeting standards and in achieving customer service improvement objectives is fed back into the design and improvement of services.

The Office of the Revenue Commissioners reports comprehensively and clearly on its customer service metrics in its annual report, as illustrated by the following table in its 2013 Annual Report.

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Reporting on Progress

Use Annual Report for reporting progress

Use website for reporting progress

Progress not publically reported

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3. Conclusions and Next Steps 3.1 Summary Findings Overall, the quality of Customer Charters and Customer Actions Plans in Departments and Offices is of a high standard and the process is generally well understood and followed. The Guidelines for the Preparation of Customer Charters and Action Plans (revised by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in 2012) have been followed to a significant extent. Where there are some examples of organisations adopting a slightly different approach, the customer service officers have been able to explain the rationale for this, with the focus being maintained on need for improved customer services in such cases. It is encouraging to see that Departments and Offices have been renewing their focus on customer service and implementation of the Customer Charter process in particular. It is expected that, where required, new Customer Charters and Actions Plans will be in place in Departments and Offices in the coming months.

3.2 Issues for Departments / Offices to Address The following table sets out the main issues that Departments and Offices should address in the ongoing implementation of the Customer Charter initiative. Customer Charters

There is a requirement for all Departments and Offices to have in place current Customer Charters that adhere to the requirements set out in the Guidelines for the preparation of Customer Charters and Action Plans.

Although intended to cover a specified three-year period, Charters are considered to be dynamic documents and should be constantly under review and updated where necessary.

Customer Action Plans

Customer Action Plans (covering a three-year period) should be up to date and should include details of the actions to be taken to meet the commitments set out in Customer Charters, as well as other customer-related initiatives.

Customer Action Plans should also be considered as dynamic documents and opportunities for other additional customer service improvements should be added as they arise.

Accessibility Customer Charters should be easily accessible to customers, either with a direct link on the home page of a website, or through the customer service page (which is, itself, clearly accessible on the home page).

Charters should be displayed in public offices and also communicated in other ways, as appropriate.

Customer Actions Plans should also be published.

All customer service documents (indeed, all documents) should be easy to read and understand (as required in the Reform Plan.

In line with equality legislation and requirements, steps should be taken to ensure that Charters (and other documents) are

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communicated to all customers, with regard to the 12 Principles of Quality Customer Service.

Consultation As part of the Charter process, Departments and Offices should consult with their customers. This applies both in devising the Charter initially and also in evaluating progress made on customer service issues.

There are a range of options available to organisations in engaging / consulting with their customers, as set out in the Charter guidelines.

Complaints All Charters should include details of complaint procedures.

Complaints processes should be accessible and easy to use.

Complaint procedures themselves should be subject to assessment periodically and should be designed with the needs of the customer in mind, as well as the need to ensuring that staff are protected (if they are the subject of the complaint). The January 2014 principles developed by the Reform and Delivery Office should be useful in this regard.

Standards It is important that Departments and Offices set realistic but ambitious standards and commitments for the service levels that customers can expect in their interaction with them.

These standards should be SMART – Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound.

It is particularly important that they are designed so that they can be measured as part of the evaluation phase.

QCS Principles

The 12 QCS Principles are a useful way of ensuring that Charters and Action Plans address the key customer service issues.

It is recommended that the principles are referenced in their Charters and Action Plans.

Evaluation It is important that Departments and Offices evaluate their performance on a regular basis (at least annually) to identify where progress is being made and where there may possibly be problems.

There are a range of options, both quantitative (metrics) and qualitative (surveys, user groups) for assessing progress.

There is also an action in the Public Service Reform Plan 2014-2016 requiring Departments and Office to “Undertake organisational level surveys of customers at least once every two years”.

The use of metrics is particularly useful in facilitating the production of information quickly and accurately.

Progress made on implementing other customer service improvements, as set out in Action plans, should also be assessed.

As well as producing performance information for reporting purposes, that information should also be fed back into the planning process for Charters and Action Plans.

Reporting Progress made, and other customer service developments, should be reported upon in the annual reports of Departments and Offices.

Where appropriate, progress should also be reported through the mechanisms for reporting on Integrated Reform Delivery Plans.

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3.3 Related Issues The table above (section 3.2) sets out the main issues that Departments and Offices might consider with regard to the Charter process. In addition to those learning points, there are a number of more general issues that need to be considered:

There is a need to ensure that communications with customers are clear and understandable. To this end, there is an action in the Public Service Reform Plan 2014-2016 that “all Public Bodies should commit, including in their Customer Charters, to making information more accessible to the citizen and particularly to maximising the use of plain language in letters, applications forms and information leaflets.”

Engagement with customers is a critical part of planning and delivering services. As much as we, as public servants, might think that we understand customer needs and preferences, it is only by engaging with them that the full picture emerges.

Customer service should not be viewed as the responsibility of one person or team within an organisation. While coordination of customer service functions does require a specific role, the improvement of services and service standards is the responsibility of all public servants. This ethos and customer service more generally should be driven and supported by senior management.

It is important to consider the “internal customer” as well as general public or business customers. This can include, for example, our own staff, other Departments, Offices and Bodies, and interaction with the political system. How internal customers are treated has an impact on how we treat external customers. Good internal relationships serve to develop trust and cooperation within and across organisations, allowing services to be better integrated and aligned to meet customer needs.

It should also be acknowledged that particular challenges have arisen where new organisations have been established (or are being established, for example as part of mergers). It is important that newly established organisations are fully aware of their customer service requirements and the supports that are available.

The QCS Officers’ Network exists to promote best practice in the Civil and Public Service. There is a wealth of experience and knowledge that exists within the Network and members are encouraged to utilise that in their own service improvement initiatives. Similarly, the Reform and Delivery Office is available to provide support to QCS Officers and to the Network.

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3.4 Next Steps The QCS Officers’ Network will continue to promote the Customer Charter process in the wider Public Service, through parent Departments and Offices. This review of the Charter process in the Civil Service may be of use to QCS Officers in doing this. It is also worth noting that a revised Code of Practice for the Governance of State Agencies will be published shortly. This will include references to the need for Bodies and Agencies to adhere to the customer charter process.

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Appendix 1 - List of Department that met with the Secretariat (May – August, 2014)

1. Central Statistics Office 2. Chief State Solicitor’s Office 3. Citizens Information Board 4. Courts Service 5. D/Agriculture, Food and the Marine 6. D/Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht 7. D/Children and Youth Affairs 8. D/Communications, Energy and Natural Resources 9. D/Defence 10. D/Education and Skills 11. D/Environment, Community and Local Government 12. D/Finance 13. D/Foreign Affairs and Trade 14. D/Health 15. D/Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation 16. D/Justice and Equality 17. D/Public Expenditure and Reform 18. D/Social Protection 19. D/Taoiseach 20. D/Transport, Tourism and Sport 21. Houses of the Oireachtas 22. Office of the Attorney General 23. Office of the DPP 24. Office of Public Works 25. Office of the Refugee Application Commissioner 26. Ordnance Survey Ireland 27. Property Registration Authority 28. Public Appointments Service 29. Revenue Commissioners 30. State Examinations Commission 31. State Laboratory 32. Teagasc 33. Valuation Office