LSE Public Policy Group
30th June 2010
Peter Coates
Programme Manager
Sunderland City Council
Local Government Contact Council
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Contact Council originated from Varney Recommendation
Split off from Central Government Contact Council
Formal link with LGDC
Membership from every English GO region with local distribution
network, SOCITM,IDEA,CC Benchmarking Group, One Stop
Shop Forum, CLG
Established work plan
CoP website on hosted by IDEA
Consulting/Supporting/influencing role
Oversight of LA Contact Activity
Proposition
• The focus on reducing costs across the public
services represents an important opportunity to
engineer out non-value-adding communication- which
was previously allowed to mushroom. Innovation is
needed to replace call centres with online
communication where possible and to address
‘hidden call centres’, where myriad employees handle
diverse calls that are no longer needed.
The National Context
• Service Transformation Programme
• Putting the frontline first:Smarter Government
Service Transformation
• Service Transformation Agreement (STA) – Reducing
avoidable contact by 50%. Rationalisation of contact centres,
face to face offices, and websites. Roll out of Tell us Once (TuO)
for deaths and births across all LA’s between April 2010 and
March 2011
• Public Value Programmes (PVP) – ‘Place’ based
rationalisation of face to face offices. Simplification of access via
reduction of Central and Local Gov number listings.
• Digital Britain – Interim switchover roadmap 2010. Pilot
outcomes 2011. Full switchover programme commences 2012
• Benefits Management – Creation of ‘Centre of Excellence’
Smarter Government
• Public Accounts Committee require all Government
Departments to produce a Channel Strategy by
March 2010
• Improve outcomes whilst achieving fiscal
consolidation
• Shift major public facing services online
• Acceleration of channel shift over and above previous
plans
• Near 100% take up by 2014, earlier where feasible
• Roadmap and delivery plan for 2010 Budget
Reality
• Increasing contact, particularly NVA is a symptom of
poorly designed (or not designed) services and
fragmented services.
• Recently scrapped NI14 AC was a bellwether for an
organisation and it’s services.
• No amount of rationalisation or channel shift will
resolve this, simply coping with increasing demand is
not an option.
Ideal Solutions
• Service Redesign-Lean Principles eg HMRC
• Start with the concept of no contact needed, push vs
pull –ToU, staff reporting, prevention
• If your process does need contact use most
inexpensive channel – web, already most used
(SOCITM) but if not done well can generate even
more AC and dissatisfaction.
• Technology artificial agents, www.artingence.com
Issues/findings
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
No mandatory requirements or targets on Local Gov
Availability of capital investment
Identity/Authentication
Legislation/data sharing
Differential pricing concept
100% online not cost effective
Digital Channels not always cheaper
It’s not about channels but service re-design
Local Gov Threats/Opportunities
• LA’s could be F2F delivery mechanism for greater
range of public services
• Or could miss out to OGD’s/Post Office
• LA’s could be central to service re-design and
delivery
• Or could be sidelined for expediency
Shared Services-Getting Serious
• Neighbourhood Helpline – Shared Front Office
advocacy and brokerage service.
• Blue Badges – Opportunity for a region wide
federated model
• Out of Hours Call Handling including Telecare –
significant opportunity
Join us!
http://www.communities.idea.gov.uk/c/11312/home.do