Enhance Customer Engagement (IE0030)
Overview
At-a-Glance
Action Plan: Ireland, First Action Plan, 2014-16
Action Plan Cycle: 2014
Status: Inactive
Institutions
Lead Institution: Department of Public Expenditure & Reform
Support Institution(s): All public bodies will be involved over time in the delivery of this action
Policy Areas
Public Participation, Public Service DeliveryIRM Review
IRM Report: Ireland End-of-Term Report 2014-2016
Starred: No
Early Results: Marginal
Design i
Verifiable: Yes
Relevant to OGP Values: Civic Participation Public Accountability
Implementation i
Description
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.
IRM End of Term Status Summary
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.
Commitments
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Promote Transparent Climate Policy Development
IE0031, 2016, Environment and Climate
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Support Public Participation Networks
IE0032, 2016, Capacity Building
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Improve Access to Justice: Reducing Costs
IE0033, 2016, Judiciary
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Improve Access to Justice: Framework to Assist Vulnerable Persons
IE0034, 2016, Judiciary
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Improve Access to Justice: Oversight of Legal Practitioners
IE0035, 2016, Justice
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Enhance Citizen Engagement in Policy Making: General
IE0036, 2016, Capacity Building
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Enhance Citizen Engagement in Policy Making: Youth
IE0037, 2016, Marginalized Communities
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Enhance Customer Engagement
IE0038, 2016, Capacity Building
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Improve Access to Government Services Through Technology
IE0039, 2016, Capacity Building
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Participatory Budgeting
IE0040, 2016, Participation in Budget Processes
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Improve Transparency of Government Service Providers
IE0041, 2016, Fiscal Transparency
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Enhance Fiscal Transparency
IE0042, 2016, Fiscal Transparency
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Introduce Modern Document Management Procedures
IE0043, 2016, Legislation & Regulation
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Develop an Open Data Strategy 2017-2020
IE0044, 2016, E-Government
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Invest in Data Infrastructure That Will Result in Better Open Data
IE0045, 2016, Legislation & Regulation
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Develop a Code of Practice for the Governance of Charities
IE0046, 2016,
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Public Sector Standards Bill
IE0047, 2016, Anti-Corruption Institutions
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Establish a Register of Beneficial Ownership
IE0048, 2016, Asset Disclosure
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Establishment of Best Practice Standards for Open Data
IE0001, 2014, Capacity Building
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Establishment of Ireland’S Open Data Platform
IE0002, 2014, E-Government
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Undertake an Audit of Key Datasets for Publication
IE0003, 2014, Open Data
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Establish a Roadmap for the Open Data and an Evaluation Framework to Provide Assessment of the Ongoing Open Data
IE0004, 2014, Open Data
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Establishment of an Open Data Ireland Governance Board (ODIGB) and Steering and Implementation Group (SIG) for Open Data Ireland
IE0005, 2014, Open Data
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Signing up to the G8 Open Data Charter
IE0006, 2014, Open Data
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Implementing Open Data
IE0007, 2014, Open Data
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Improve Computer Literacy Through Implementation of Proposed New Digital Strategy for Schools
IE0008, 2014, Capacity Building
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Review National and International Practice to Develop Revised Principles / Code for Public Engagement/Consultation with Citizens, Civil Society and Others by Public Bodies.
IE0009, 2014, Public Participation
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Hold Referenda Arising from the Recommendations of the Constitutional Convention
IE0010, 2014, Gender
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Ethics Reform
IE0011, 2014, Conflicts of Interest
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Strengthening Freedom of Information - Implement the Code of Practice for Freedom of Information (FOI).
IE0012, 2014, Legislation & Regulation
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Reform of FOI
IE0013, 2014, Capacity Building
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Regulation of Lobbying
IE0014, 2014, Legislation & Regulation
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Encourage, Protect and Raise Awareness of Whistleblower Duties and Protections
IE0015, 2014, Whistleblower Protections
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Measures to Increase Citizen Participation in Decision Making on Policy and Legislative Proposals. Systemic Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of Draft Bills
IE0016, 2014, Legislation & Regulation
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Develop and Deliver Access to Environmental Information (AIE) Training Module for Public Officials
IE0017, 2014, Capacity Building
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Increase Citizen Participation at Local Level. Pilot Approach to Implementation of Public Participation Networks
IE0018, 2014, Private Sector
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Provide Legal Base for Public Participation Framework in Local Government
IE0019, 2014, Capacity Building
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Undertake a Feasibility Study on Possible Means of Enabling Further Citizen Engagement in Local Authority Budgetary Processes
IE0020, 2014, Participation in Budget Processes
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Support Children and Young People as Citizens. Develop, Finalise and Publish the First Government Strategy on Children and Young People's Participation in Decision-Making.
IE0021, 2014, Capacity Building
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Maximise Participation and Understanding of Young People in Civic Life
IE0022, 2014, Capacity Building
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Development of an ICT Strategy
IE0023, 2014, Public Service Delivery
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Data Sharing and Governance Bill
IE0024, 2014, E-Government
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Public Services Card
IE0025, 2014, E-Government
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Single Customer View
IE0026, 2014, E-Government
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Local Government Portal
IE0027, 2014, E-Government
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New Local Enterprise Offices
IE0028, 2014, Public Service Delivery
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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, 2014, Public Participation
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Enhance Customer Engagement
IE0030, 2014, Public Participation