Have your say on the delivery of Government services

THE Isle of Man Government is embarking on an initiative aimed at improving the way it delivers a range of its public services.

A research study is currently being undertaken which will help to shape the introduction of a new approach to providing Government services. The objective is to establish a series of easily accessible locations where people can obtain Government information, seek advice, or pay bills - thereby reducing the number of journeys that Government customers have to make to access services.

This concept will not just apply to face to face contact, but will be applied to services delivered through the internet and telephone. The project is an integral part of the drive towards making Government services more streamlined, accessible and customer friendly, whilst at the same time achieving maximum value for the taxpayer.

The research will centre on gathering information from a wide range of sources to better understand the current provision and usage patterns of Government services. An important part of this exercise will be to canvass the opinions of the general public and business community to determine how they would like Government to deliver its services. A six-week public consultation is being launched today (Friday) and members of the public are encouraged to take part by completing the online questionnaire available here

Face to face surveys are also being conducted in selected Government Departments. A number of charities are also being consulted to better understand the experiences of people in the community who may need regular access to Government services including older people, people with disabilities, parents and carers.

Chief Minister Tony Brown MHK said:

‘In the current financial climate we must look to eliminate the duplication of services across different locations. By providing several Government functions in one location, we believe we can deliver our services more effectively and save money and enhance our services to the public.’

Business Change Manager Dan Davies added:

‘The idea behind this initiative is to improve the way Government meets the needs of its customers. People are sometimes confused about which part of Government they need to speak to and often get frustrated by being passed between Departments and having to repeat the same information to different people. By providing a central point of contact which can offer information and advice and some basic services, we hope to reduce the frustration people sometimes feel when trying to get things done. Our first priority is to determine the most frequent types of transactions and enquiries we deal with, so we know which services will be best suited to this concept. With that in mind, I would encourage people to participate in our customer surveys or write in with their views, as public feedback is crucial to the success of this initiative.’

The contact centre concept is one of many proposals being progressed as part of the Council of Ministers’ strategy for making Government more efficient and effective. The change programme is intended to make sure Government services are delivered around the needs of people that use them, whilst ensuring maximum value for money for the taxpayer.

Links

http://www.gov.im/treasury/isd/change.xml

http://www.gov.im/ConsultationDetail.gov?id=138

Written submissions should be sent to Daniel Davies, Business Change Manager, Chief Secretary’s Office, Government Office, Bucks Road, Douglas, IM1 3PN. Email: change@gov.im Hard copies of the consultation questionnaire are available on request.