Service Delivery

The delivery of the highest quality customer service across government bodies is at the heart of the mission of the modernization programme. Indeed, the recognition that the customer is the most important person to any government organization has driven a number of initiatives that are designed around the needs of the customer. The focus on service delivery is being developed around two main components;

• Creation of Executive Agencies and other Performance based Institutions
• Customer Service Improvement and Business facilitation

The Creation of Executive Agencies and other Performance Based Institutions

A number of Performance Based Institutions (PBI’s) have been established across the public sector. These PBIs are in the form of Executive Agencies, Policy-Focused Ministries and other entities. These entities have been transformed to:

• Offer more efficient and effective delivery of services to its customers
• Focus more on policy development and management of portfolio entities to ensure realization of priority outcomes.

Agencies that have already been modernized or converted to PBI’s are:

• NLA
• Registrar General’s Department
• Management Institute for National Development
• Child Development Agency
• Companies Office of Jamaica
• Jamaica Information Service
• National Environment and Planning Agency
• National Works Agency
• Administrator General’s Department

During the financial year 2007/8 implementation of Modernisation Plans continued in two (2) entities:

• Ministry of National Security
• Immigration, Citizenship and Passport Services Division, and commenced in an additional six (6) MDAs
• Forestry Department
• Fisheries Division
• Ministry of Education and Youth
• Ministry of Justice
• Cabinet Office
• Island Traffic Authority

Improving customer service and business facilitation

• Implementation of One Stop Service delivery systems

The concept of the One Stop Shop in which multiple services are offered to the client in one location in order to eliminate the need for multiple visits to various government agencies to transact business is ideally the way all government related transactions are to be carried out. This form of service will reduce service times; improve convenience, simplicity and ease of access to services for the citizen thereby improving customer satisfaction.

Services are being joined up to reduce the number of agencies and agents with which a customer has to interface for key government services:

• One stop process for the application for a tax compliance certificate
• Easier replacement of lost or stolen drivers’ licences -
• Streamline the inspection processes related to the export and import of food items through the introduction of a Health & Food safety One Stop Shop situated at APM Terminal (Berth 11)
• Jamaica Custom Computerised Systems
• The Development Approval process is being completely redesigned to attract investment and promote business development.
• Technology is being used to make access to services easier for customers, through online applications and payments, and other modes of cashless transactions:

• Decentralized service delivery

By decentralizing service delivery, the decision making process of government and the delivery of key government services will be further shared across local government in order to improve service efficiency and effectiveness and make services more responsive to people's needs by meeting their needs where they are, in their communities.

• Establish information infrastructure and international capacity to support alternative service delivery

To ensure that through ‘joined up’ services, service can be offered more efficiently, there must be a network of data shared between related government agencies in order to avoid the need for customers to provide duplicated information at each point of transaction. In other words, instead of having to re-enter /re-submit demographic information for each transaction, that information would be shared on a government wide system, therefore reducing service times and accelerating business processes.

A Data Sharing and Pricing Policy now being developed allows inter-agency communication and collaboration in order to reduce duplication of processes for the client.

Improvement in service delivery is not only about increasing access but also ensuring the service delivered is of highest quality;

Through the introduction of agreed service standards for quality service delivery through The Citizen’s Charter programme, introduced in 1994, customers are empowered to demand high quality service according to the published standards set.

Monitor quality, efficiency and cost effectiveness of service delivery

A Standards & Monitoring Unit established in the modernization division deals specifically with promoting and monitoring customer service improvement across government. Its primary role is to develop, monitor and improve mechanisms for tracking the extent to which customer service delivery targets are being met.

In addition to the Citizens Charter Programme, The Division has spearheaded various projects aimed at assessing and improving existing customer service inefficiencies.

Projects being undertaken include;

• The Customer service competition

The bi-annual Customer Service Competition aims to help embed a service culture in the public sector and gives citizens the opportunity to participate in the improvement of service delivery in government ministries, departments and Agencies

• The Customer Service Monitoring and Evaluation Framework

The framework marks a significant step for transforming services to be more customer-centred and involves the setting up of a formal structure that allows identification and management of customer service performance.

• Surveys

Citizens help to monitor customer service quality in public sector agencies through surveys (only?) that are conducted at the agency level, as well as by the Cabinet Office.

• Complaints Management System

The system monitors the time frames for the resolution of issues which face customers daily

Identification of Best Practices