Review and Enhancement of Complaints Procedures and Using Feedback to Improve Services Across the Public Service; a Review of Citizen Complaints Procedures Will Be Undertaken. (IE0029)

This will assess: The thoroughness, speed and impartiality of bodies across the public service in responding to customer complaints; The availability of clear and timely information about how people can appeal and complain; and The effectiveness of remedies that are offered to complainants.

2.7: Review of Complaints Procedure and Improving Services Across the Public Service (2.7.1, 2.7.2)

Commitment Text:

Action 2.7.1-  A review of citizen complaints procedures will be undertaken.

This will assess: The thoroughness, speed and impartiality of bodies across the public service in responding to customer complaints; The availability of clear and timely information about how people can appeal and complain; The effectiveness of remedies that are offered to complainants.

Action 2.7.2 - Enhance customer engagement

Customer engagement will be promoted through provision of more customer service training, review of the customer charter process, through formal organisational surveys of customers and though a range of mechanisms including social media, mobile access devices, focus/user groups, meetings, seminars and consultation processes with a view to improving services and levels of engagement with citizens.

Responsible institution: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DEPR)

Supporting institution(s): All public bodies will be involved

Start date: Not specified                                                                       End date: July 2016

Commitment Aim

These actions seek to assess the process of customer (or user) complaints on the civil service and the effectiveness of the remedies provided (Action 2.7.1). It also seeks to outline how the civil service can respond to customer reaction by way of “Customer Charters” (Action 2.7.2), which are statements on the quality levels of service one can expect from a government Department or Office. These solutions are a means to increase public accountability and citizen participation in the civil service in terms of responding to users of government services.

Status

Midterm

2.7.1: Limited

2.7.2: Substantial

The action plan outlined a range of initiatives to enhance customer engagement, including a more general review of Customer Charters across Departments, and surveying customers to improve levels of service as seen with the Irish civil service customer satisfaction survey in 2015 (Action 2.7.2)^{[Note 37: As discussed in IRM mid-term report, the Irish civil service customer satisfaction survey in 2015, satisfaction was up when compared with a similar survey in 2009.]} and a review of citizen complaints procedures in particular (Action 2.7.1). The first year of the action plan saw Action 2.7.1 having limited completion, while 2.7.2 saw substantial advancement, as explained in detail in the IRM midterm report.

End of term

2.7.1: Complete

2.7.2: Substantial

In the second year of the action plan, the government took significant steps to ensure the completion of Action 2.7.1. As reflected in the government report, a review of departments and offices was completed in April 2016, complemented by a review of non-commercial state agencies that was completed in June 2016. The resulting recommendations from the review were sent to individual State Agencies and the Civil Service Quality Customer Service Network.^{[Note 38: See: http://www.per.gov.ie/en/quality-customer-service/  (last accessed September 18, 2016)]} With regard to Action 2.7.2, substantial initiatives have taken place in the last year of the action plan, including requiring all public bodies to publish customer charters and customer action plans covering a three year period, based on a four-step cycle of consultation, commitment, evaluation, and reporting, as discussed in the government’s end of term report. Addtionally, in 2016 a new survey of civil service business customers was started (where the contract to do so was awarded following an open tendering process in July 2016), whose goals are to analyze the experience Irish businesses have had when interacting with the government. There is also continued collaboration with the National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) to deliver ‘plain language’ training over five sessions in 2016 for the civil service.^{[Note 39: See: https://www.nala.ie/what-we-do/advance-policy (last accessed September 18, 2016) ]} Remaining tasks related to the Action are still being finished, including the finalization of surveying civil service business customers.

Did it open government?

Civic participation: Marginal

Public accountability: Marginal

The context of these initiatives is seen in the Public Services Reform Plan of 2014–16 (launched in January 2014, before the action plan), which prioritized public service reform and improvement of service delivery by bettering how civil service engaged with customers (users). The potential of both initiatives, as explained in the IRM midterm report, was either minor or moderate. In terms of whether these actions opened government, their effect is marginal. While the actions (2.7.1, on customer complaints; and 2.7.2, on Customer Charters) created opportunities for officials to be answerable for their actions (through Customer Charters, for example), it is unlikely this will change ‘business as usual’ for users.

 For example, as stated in the midterm report, 33 government departments established Customer Charters, however implementation of the charters in departments/offices needs to be monitored closely to determine if the charters are improving service for users. Similarly, citizens have been able to provide input on how the civil service works through surveys. These surveys have been an ongoing practice since 2014 and the results are published.^{[Note 40: http://www.per.gov.ie/en/civil-service-general-public-customers/ ]} However, publications do not track how the input from citizens or users is considered or incorporated in improvement plans or policy changes. From the two surveys conducted during the span of the action plan, the results have been consistent to point out that “satisfaction with almost all aspects of service delivery have increased marginally” and the disatisfactions remain constant from one survey to another.^{[Note 41: 2017 Customer Service Survey, published January 2017 file:///Users/denissemiranda/Downloads/Customer-Survey-2017-Full-Reprt-final-version-March-23-ilovepdf-compressed.pdf ]} 

Carried forward?

The government has carried forward action 2.7.2 into the new action plan, as part of commitment 5 on improving access to government services through technology. Actions in this regard include increased training in customer services, reporting progress in meeting standards in Customer Charters, as well as encouraging public bodies to engage with customers in the development and review of services.