Friday 04 Jan 2008 @ 09:37
SOCITM (Society of Information Technology Management)
SOCITM (Society of Information Technology Management)
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NI 14 indicator fails to follow Varney advice on role of web as means of reducing ‘avoidable contact’ says Socitm response to CLG consultation
• Proposed method of measuring other forms of ‘avoidable contact’ also flawed
• Further consultation essential if NI 14 to play useful role in councils’ channel strategies
• NI 14 to be discussed at Socitm’s major transformation event on 17 January
The NI 14 indicator, even in its revised version published towards the end of the consultation period, fails to follow advice set out in the Varney report on the role of the web in reducing ‘avoidable contact’ with citizens and businesses.
This one of three key points made in the response by Socitm (the Society of IT Management) to the CLG consultation on NI 14, one of 198 new national indicators for local authorities and local area partnerships, announced as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review. NI 14 will also become one of two key progress measures set out in the Service Transformation Agreement, also published as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review.
Although Socitm welcomes the inclusion of web ‘self service’ transactions in the latest version of the indicator (the web was effectively ignored in the first version) it believes that NI 14 still does not dwell sufficiently on the opportunity for councils to ‘avoid contact’ by making determined efforts to get citizens to switch their enquiries from phone and face to face channels to the web.
This is particularly important following the raised efficiency targets local authorities must meet following CSR 07, and new figures published by NWeGG that show that a ‘self-serviced’ web transaction is 24 times less costly than a telephone transaction and 46 times less costly than a face - to - face transaction.
Citing Sir David Varney’s recommendations that public service organisations should reduce the number of information requests handled by telephone by 50%, and make the web the primary access point for all simple information and advice requests, Socitm says that all enquiries coming into a council through non-web channels for information and transactions that are available on the web should be regarded as ‘avoidable contacts’.
Where citizens are failing to use information and services available on the web, it could be that the service is poorly presented, difficult to use or find, or has not been sufficiently promoted to citizens. Socitm knows from its Better connected reports that there is a significant variation in performance across local government on these fronts, and that all councils ‘could do better’.
The revised definition of NI 14 makes no reference as to how this important aspect of reducing ‘avoidable contact’ might be measured. Socitm suggests that one possible method would be to identify all information and service requests that could be ‘self-serviced’ and count the number of such requests still coming in through traditional channels. Over time, the reduction through traditional channels could be measured, alongside the rise in usage of these services through the web.
Socitm says that councils are already capturing web transactions automatically for some services, but for others, sampling would need to be used. Socitm has experience of using such techniques through its Website Take-up Service. Among other things the WTS provides information to participating local authorities about the number of visitors to their websites seeking specified information and services like planning, leisure services, council tax etc.
In terms of service requests coming in through contact centres, Socitm believes that the assumption behind NI 14 that the majority of organisations will have the means to make the required measurements using technology is incorrect. Even in those local authorities where CRM/call centre and back office technologies have been successfully integrated there will still be considerable sampling required for significant areas of the work.
Whilst this does not negate the measure, Socitm believes it introduces serious constraints and increases the level of interpretation and assumption required to make sense of the results. Because of the resulting degree of ambiguities and subjective elements, the value of the measure and opportunities for benchmarking are significantly reduced. Many local authorities will therefore opt not to submit this indicator because of the effort required and the limited usefulness of the data created.
Finally, Socitm believes that the aims of this indicator are too important for its design to be left to a hastily run consultation and welcomes indications from CLG that there will be further discussion following the consultation period. Socitm would support a longer period of genuine collaboration with stakeholders (including LGA, Socitm, IDeA and local authority representatives) in order to produce workable and meaningful measures.
NI 14 is likely to be a key topic for discussion at Socitm’s forthcoming transformation event at Wembley Stadium on 17 January, when a number of key players in local government transformation are set to speak. They include Government transformation chief Alexis Cleveland, CLG transformation lead Chris Wormald, and Donna Hall, Chief Executive of Chorley BC and member of the Local Government Delivery Council.
Further information:
Adrian Hancock, Policy Officer, Socitm Tel: 07887 781612 adrian.hancock@socitm.gov.uk
Vicky Sargent or Peter Coates, Socitm Press Office Tel: 0121 214 1531 vicky.sargent@socitm.gov.uk or peter.coates@socitm.gov.uk
• Further consultation essential if NI 14 to play useful role in councils’ channel strategies
• NI 14 to be discussed at Socitm’s major transformation event on 17 January
The NI 14 indicator, even in its revised version published towards the end of the consultation period, fails to follow advice set out in the Varney report on the role of the web in reducing ‘avoidable contact’ with citizens and businesses.
This one of three key points made in the response by Socitm (the Society of IT Management) to the CLG consultation on NI 14, one of 198 new national indicators for local authorities and local area partnerships, announced as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review. NI 14 will also become one of two key progress measures set out in the Service Transformation Agreement, also published as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review.
Although Socitm welcomes the inclusion of web ‘self service’ transactions in the latest version of the indicator (the web was effectively ignored in the first version) it believes that NI 14 still does not dwell sufficiently on the opportunity for councils to ‘avoid contact’ by making determined efforts to get citizens to switch their enquiries from phone and face to face channels to the web.
This is particularly important following the raised efficiency targets local authorities must meet following CSR 07, and new figures published by NWeGG that show that a ‘self-serviced’ web transaction is 24 times less costly than a telephone transaction and 46 times less costly than a face - to - face transaction.
Citing Sir David Varney’s recommendations that public service organisations should reduce the number of information requests handled by telephone by 50%, and make the web the primary access point for all simple information and advice requests, Socitm says that all enquiries coming into a council through non-web channels for information and transactions that are available on the web should be regarded as ‘avoidable contacts’.
Where citizens are failing to use information and services available on the web, it could be that the service is poorly presented, difficult to use or find, or has not been sufficiently promoted to citizens. Socitm knows from its Better connected reports that there is a significant variation in performance across local government on these fronts, and that all councils ‘could do better’.
The revised definition of NI 14 makes no reference as to how this important aspect of reducing ‘avoidable contact’ might be measured. Socitm suggests that one possible method would be to identify all information and service requests that could be ‘self-serviced’ and count the number of such requests still coming in through traditional channels. Over time, the reduction through traditional channels could be measured, alongside the rise in usage of these services through the web.
Socitm says that councils are already capturing web transactions automatically for some services, but for others, sampling would need to be used. Socitm has experience of using such techniques through its Website Take-up Service. Among other things the WTS provides information to participating local authorities about the number of visitors to their websites seeking specified information and services like planning, leisure services, council tax etc.
In terms of service requests coming in through contact centres, Socitm believes that the assumption behind NI 14 that the majority of organisations will have the means to make the required measurements using technology is incorrect. Even in those local authorities where CRM/call centre and back office technologies have been successfully integrated there will still be considerable sampling required for significant areas of the work.
Whilst this does not negate the measure, Socitm believes it introduces serious constraints and increases the level of interpretation and assumption required to make sense of the results. Because of the resulting degree of ambiguities and subjective elements, the value of the measure and opportunities for benchmarking are significantly reduced. Many local authorities will therefore opt not to submit this indicator because of the effort required and the limited usefulness of the data created.
Finally, Socitm believes that the aims of this indicator are too important for its design to be left to a hastily run consultation and welcomes indications from CLG that there will be further discussion following the consultation period. Socitm would support a longer period of genuine collaboration with stakeholders (including LGA, Socitm, IDeA and local authority representatives) in order to produce workable and meaningful measures.
NI 14 is likely to be a key topic for discussion at Socitm’s forthcoming transformation event at Wembley Stadium on 17 January, when a number of key players in local government transformation are set to speak. They include Government transformation chief Alexis Cleveland, CLG transformation lead Chris Wormald, and Donna Hall, Chief Executive of Chorley BC and member of the Local Government Delivery Council.
Further information:
Adrian Hancock, Policy Officer, Socitm Tel: 07887 781612 adrian.hancock@socitm.gov.uk
Vicky Sargent or Peter Coates, Socitm Press Office Tel: 0121 214 1531 vicky.sargent@socitm.gov.uk or peter.coates@socitm.gov.uk
