Location via proxy:   [ UP ]  
[Report a bug]   [Manage cookies]                

A How-To Guide For Service Improvement Initiatives

Download as pdf or txt
Download as pdf or txt
You are on page 1of 84
At a glance
Powered by AI
The key takeaways are that this guidebook provides a detailed and holistic method for planning and implementing service improvement initiatives with a focus on the client's perspective. It outlines 9 main steps and provides various tools in the appendices to help organizations develop citizen-centered service strategies.

The purpose of this guidebook is to serve as a tool for implementing service improvement initiatives. It is designed for program managers responsible for service delivery and quality initiatives to help plan and carry out actions to continuously and measurably improve client satisfaction.

The main steps outlined in the guidebook are: 1) Internal Assessment, 2) Assess Current State, 3) Desired Future State, 4) Set Priorities, 5) Set Standards, 6) Design Plan, 7) Implement, 8) Monitor, 9) Recognize Success.

Toward Citizen-Centred Service Delivery

A How-to Guide
for Service
Improvement
Initiatives

TOGETHER
improving citizen
satisfaction,
MARCH 2004

a new focus
and measure of success

Toward Citizen-Centred Service Delivery

A How-to Guide
for Service
Improvement
Initiatives
Half Title Page Cover

TOGETHER
improving citizen
satisfaction,
MARCH 2004

a new focus
and measure of success

Toward Citizen-Centred Service Delivery:


A HOW-TO GUIDE FOR SERVICE IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVES
INSTITUTE FOR CITIZEN-CENTRED SERVICE
Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, represented by the President of the Treasury Board, 2001
Toward Citizen-Centred Service Delivery:
A How-to Guide For Service Improvement Initiatives
was published with permission by the Government of Canada based on a document called
Toward Citizen-Centred Service Delivery: A How-To Guide for the Service Improvement Initiaitive.
All rights reserved.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
PREFACE .................................................................................... 2
GETTING STARTED ....................................................................... 7
STEP 1: INTERNAL ASSESSMENT ................................................. 13
STEP 2: ASSESS THE CURRENT STATE ........................................ 16
STEP 3: DESIRED FUTURE STATE ................................................ 20
STEP 4: SETTING PRIORITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT .......................... 22
STEP 5: SETTING CLIENT-CENTRED SERVICE STANDARDS
AND CLIENT SATISFACTION TARGETS ........................................ 27
STEP 6: DESIGNING THE IMPROVEMENT PLAN ............................... 30
STEP 7: IMPLEMENTING .............................................................. 38
STEP 8: MONITORING ................................................................ 44
STEP 9: RECOGNITION: CELEBRATING SUCCESS .............................49
SUMMARY ..................................................................................52
GLOSSARY ................................................................................ 56
APPENDIX A: SERVICE IMPROVEMENT ASSESSMENT GRID .............. 58
APPENDIX B: CLIENT FEEDBACK STRATEGY ................................. 59
APPENDIX C: CLIENT FEEDBACK TOOLS ....................................... 60
APPENDIX D: EMPLOYEE SURVEYS .............................................. 66
APPENDIX E: SETTING PRIORITIES .............................................. 69
APPENDIX F: SETTING SERVICE STANDARDS
AND PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES ............................................. 71
APPENDIX G: SERVICE IMPROVEMENT PLAN TEMPLATE ................. 75
APPENDIX H: REFERENCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................ 80

PREFACE
Purpose of this Guide
This guidebook is designed as a tool for the implementation of service improvement initiatives, and is written for
use by program managers responsible for service delivery and service quality initiatives.
Here you will find a detailed and holistic method for planning and implementing service improvement, based on the
clients perspective. It includes step-by-step descriptions of suggested activities, with associated tools in the appendices
to help develop citizen-centred service strategies that respond to citizen needs and priorities for service improvement.
The essence of this guidebook is that the continuous and measurable improvement of client satisfaction is the
most reliable indicator of improvement in service quality and service performance: it is what quality and
continuous improvement should now mean, and how they should be primarily, though not exclusively, measured.
Leading-edge service organizations in the public sector, like their private sector counterparts, now use a resultsbased approach to the continuous improvement of client satisfaction, integrated with the annual business
planning cycle.

Backgrounder
The How-to Guide for Service Improvement Initiatives is ideal for any government office attempting to incorporate
a client survey as part of a more comprehensive service improvement strategy. A client survey should be
developed based on the objectives of that strategy and the service improvement goals the organization is trying to
achieve. Originally published by the Government of Canada, this updated how-to guide takes a step-by-step
approach to planning, implementing, and assessing a service improvement initiative, and includes specific
reference to the Common Measurements Tool.

The ICCS has made several complementary publications available through its website, www.iccs-isac.org:
The Common Measurements Tool (CMT) User Manual is written for project managers who are responsible
for undertaking a client survey using the Common Measurements Tool. It assumes a basic familiarity with service
improvement and with survey research, focusing on specific issues related to using the CMT.
How to Conduct Customer Surveys. The survey questionnaire is only one small part of the survey research
process. Based on a document called How to Conduct Customer Surveys prepared by the Ontario Public
Service Restructuring Secretariat, this how-to guide details the survey research process from defining objectives to
determining sample sizes to interpreting data.. It also includes specific reference to the Common
Measurements Tool.

About the Institute


In 1998-99, the award-winning, intergovernmental Citizen-Centred Service Network (CCSN) released a series of
reports, tools, and recommendations aimed at improving citizen satisfaction with public-sector service delivery in
Canada. These included:

Citizens First: a national survey of citizen expectations, satisfaction levels, and priorities for service
improvement;

The Common Measurements Tool (CMT): a survey tool for assessing client satisfaction; and

A database highlighting good practice in service delivery.

The CCSN also recommended the establishment of an institute to sustain and further develop these efforts. The
ICCS is the product of this vision. In 2000, federal, provincial, and territorial representatives of the Public Sector
Service Delivery Council agreed to establish the ICCS as an ongoing centre of expertise in citizen-centred service.
Supported by the Public Sector Chief Information Officers Council and incubated by the Institute of Public
Administration of Canada, the ICCS is working with governments across Canada (and around the world) to
improve citizen satisfaction with public-sector service delivery.
For additional information about the ICCS, and access to other free publications, please visit us at www.iccsisac.org.

Citizens First
In 1998, the Canadian Centre for Management Developments Citizen-Centred Service Network, composed of
220 senior service delivery officials from the three orders of government in Canada, produced the Citizens First
national survey which documented Canadians expectations, satisfaction and priorities for service improvement.
The research contained in the Citizens First study has been followed by two other reports (the Citizens First 2000
and Citizens First 3).
Citizens First revealed several important truths. First, citizens rated a range of private sector services at 6.2 out of
10slightly ahead of a range of federal services (6.1 out of 10) but slightly behind a range of provincial (6.3 out
of 10) and municipal services (6.4 out of 10). These results suggest that while there is lots of room for
improvement, the quality of public sector services is in many cases equal to or better than what is available within
the private sector.
Second, the report also notes that citizens expect stellar performance from their public service. Indeed, an
astounding 95% expect the quality of public service to be as high or higher than that provided by the private
sector. That comes despite the publics recognition that public servants have a tougher job to do than the private
sector, balancing the public interest with the needs of individual citizens.
To serve citizens better, governments need to understand the service needs of others better. That is the crux of
service improvement better understanding leading to better service leading to greater satisfaction, while
making services easier to find and access.

Findings of the Citizens First research helps in that understanding:

Five factors explain over 70% of satisfaction or dissatisfaction in using a government service: timeliness; fairness;
courtesy/going the extra mile; competence and outcome. These can be considered the five main drivers of citizen
satisfaction for most services.
When all five factors are done well, ratings of 80% or better are achieved. But when just one driver is inadequate, ratings
drop by 20 percentage points. Do poorly on two or more drivers, and the ratings drop into the basement.
The most important driver is timeliness: 60% of the time, when citizens are not satisfied, it is because we take too long.
One in four times when citizens try to find a service, they have trouble locating the right access point.
When citizens access the right organization, 60% are then disappointed by being shunted to voice mail, passed off to
several different people who dont know the answer (and dont promise to find it and call back), or other impediments.
Sixteen per cent of requests need more than one organization to solve their request (for example, a federal passport
requires a provincial birth certificate).
Citizens priorities for service improvements include improved telephone service, one-stop service, reduced red tape, and
more mail and electronic service delivery.

The Five Key Drivers of Service QualityCitizens First 3 Survey, 20031


Driver
Timeliness

I was satisfied with the amount of time it took to get the service

Knowledge, competence

Staff were knowledgeable and competent

Courtesy

Staff were courteous and made me feel comfortable

Extra mile

Staff went the extra mile to make sure I got what I needed

Fair treatment

I was treated fairly

Outcome

I got what I needed

Survey Measure

Information from Citizen First 3 report, 2003. Prepared by Erin Research Inc. for The Institute
for Citizen Centred Service and The Institute of Public Administration of Canada p. 24

The Outside-In Approach


Over the past decade, governments have been gradually moving from an inside-out approachbasing service
on what the organization saw as importantto an outside-in approach. This guidebook continues and
accelerates this transition to an outside-in approach. It bases service delivery on citizens needs and expectations.

Citizens and Clients: A Note on Terminology


The primary focus of this guide is the improvement of client satisfaction with the delivery of government services.
Yet this objective takes its place within a broader commitment to citizen-centred service delivery. It may be helpful
to say something briefly here about the relationship between these two terms, citizen and client.2 By clients, we
mean the direct users or recipients of government services. But the clients of government services are not just
clients, as they would be in the private sector. They are usually also taxpayers and citizens, bearers of rights and
duties in a framework of democratic community. While clients of a government are usually citizens of that
country, they may also be potential citizens of Canada, or citizens of another country, with a business, professional
or personal interest in your jurisdiction.
Government service delivery should be citizen-centred for at least three reasons. First, it should be conceived and
executed from the outside-innot inside-outwith the needs, perspectives and satisfaction of citizens foremost
in mind. Second, many of the clients of government are involuntary clients, whose service relationship with
government derives from their obligations as citizens, or from the rights of other citizens. Third, those who deliver
government services should always bear in mind that the quality of government service delivery can and should
contribute to strengthen democratic citizenship, and the bonds of confidence and trust between citizens, and
between citizens and their democratic governments.

A longer discussion of this important question may be found in A Strong Foundation: Report of
the Task Force on Public Service Values and Ethics, 1996. This document can be obtained
from the Canada School of Public Service.

Those who deliver government services may have to balance the distinct interests and needs of different groups or
categories of clients and citizens, within the broader framework of the public interest. They may also have to
balance the interests of immediate clients with those of citizens as a whole. For this reason, this guide will
sometimes refer to client satisfaction, and sometimes to client and citizen satisfaction. This may help to
remind the reader both that the satisfaction of immediate clients needs to go hand in hand with the confidence of
all citizens in the institutions of government, and that clients are also citizens themselves, whose pride and belief
in citizenship can be strengthened or weakened by the service experience.

GETTING STARTED
Overview of the Service Improvement Planning
and Implementation Methodology
Four Questions and Nine Steps to Success
The Service Improvement Planning and Implementation (SIPI) methodology is a series of nine interconnected
steps that can be followed when implementing a citizen centred agenda. The SIPI is a comprehensive blueprint
that heightens an organization's awareness, and helps employees become more attuned to the needs and
demands of their clients. The methodology does this by answering four crucial questions (see below) that provide
managers with invaluable information about their areas current performance. Decision-makers are also given
strategies (with step-by-step instructions) that can be used to accomplish their customer-oriented objectives.
The remainder of the guide covers the methodology's steps in chronological order, with detailed directions and a
variety of real-life examples. The following list presents an overview of the four key questions talked about earlier,
and describes the corresponding SIPI steps required to bring out their answers. Figure 1 on the following page
presents a graphical overview of the methodology (clustering the nine steps underneath their applicable
question).
1. Where are we now? It all begins with understanding where the organization is now in terms of who are its
clients and their current level of satisfaction. This involves two separate elements. First, an assessment to
identify the key public services delivered by the organization and who the actual clients are (step 1). Second,
the organization will determine the current levels of client satisfaction and expectationsas well as the client
priorities for improvement for each of these key public services (step 2).
2. Where do our clients want us to be? In this stage, the organization establishes where its clients want the
organization to be in the future. This starts with ensuring the mission statement of the organization includes
a service vision (step 3). The organization must then decide how to improve Canadians satisfaction with the
delivery of key public services. Priorities must be developed (step 4) and standards and targets set (step 5).
3. How will we get there? In step 6, the organization determines how it will achieve this future statein
short, how it will get there. This involves the creation of a service improvement plan.

Adapted from D.M. Blythe and D.B. Marson, 1999. Measuring Customer Satisfaction at the
Vancouver International Airport Authority in Good Practices in Citizen-Centred Service.
Ottawa: Canadian Centre for Management Development, pp. 17-22.

Figure 1: Overview of the SIPI Methodology

4. How do we make it happen? In the final stage, the organization looks at how it will make the improvements
happen. The plan must be implemented (step 7) and monitored (step 8). Feedback must be sought from
both clients and employees, with those findings assessed and used to reshape and improve the
implementation plan. Finally, the organization should establish a staff recognition program that ensures the
hard work that goes into improved service delivery is rewarded (step 9).
Together, these nine steps provide a path to higher client satisfaction. Well look at each step, in turn, in the next
nine sections, showcasing how public service organizations can improve client service and satisfaction.

Targeting ExerciseIdentifying which Programs


and Services to Include in the Service Improvement Initiative
An initial task to begin a service improvement initiative will be to identify the key services for inclusion. An
organization or agency embarking on service improvement will need to establish its priorities for applying the
Service Improvement Planning and Implementation (SIPI) methodology. The following criteria are among those
for use to identify programs and services included in the Initiative:

they reach a significant number or group of citizens;


they are related to the top priorities identified by the Citizens First survey; and/or
involve direct interaction with citizens at large, with business, or with significant groups or communities in
your jurisdiction.

Each organization should develop its own service improvement plan that is consistent with its government-wide
initiatives and goes beyond it to meet the organizations particular needs. In addition, service improvement
should be progressively integrated into the planning and reporting activities of your organization.

Leadership
Much has been written on leadership. Two notions are critical to the success of all change efforts. First, leaders
must play a central role in setting the direction for the organization to ensure effective service improvement.
Second, they must maintain sustained leadership throughout the initiative. Leadership is a cornerstone on which
the service improvement process is based.
Leaders are responsible for overseeing implementation of the initiative. Specific steps leaders will take along the
road to more satisfied citizens and clients may include:
1. Tailoring the government-wide, citizen-centred service delivery to the local level. That not only involves
adapting it to the specific needs of individual work units, but also making the programs implementation
seamless throughout the organization.
2. Establishing a Service Improvement Team to begin planning.
3. Helping to identify key client groups and spearheading the feedback process by consulting with clients,
citizens and staff.
4. Establishing base-line measures of satisfaction with the delivery of service.

5. Overseeing the establishment of a service improvement plan, including targets for improvement and systems
to measure achievement using tools such as the Common Measurements Tool, so that satisfaction levels can
be systematically improved.
6. Establishing service standards based upon client priorities and systems for measurement.
7. Establishing accountability systems.
8. Leading implementation of the Service Improvement Plan, the follow-up and the celebration of success.
Throughout, communication will be essential. In the 1999 best seller, Powerful Conversations, Phil Harkins notes
that leaders achieve goals through daily conversation, not memos. They must seek out, inspire and develop the
allegiance of the organizations passionate championspeople whom others respect, and who can act as role
models and catalysts for change.
They bring these champions on side through conversations that have three stages: expression of the leaders need
for assistance and an honest declaration of his or her agenda; probing for the colleagues needs and how those
can be accommodated; and finally, the development of, and agreement on, a common course.
It isnt enough to have a great strategy. People have to want to follow it. To achieve that, you have to make
connectionsboth intellectual and personalthat bring the beliefs of staff in line with the outside-in approach
the organization has settled upon. They must see an advantage in coming on boardrecognize how it allows
them to achieve their own goals.
That requires inspiration. That requires communication. That requires leadership.

Assessment GridUnderstanding Current Service Improvement Activities and


Building a Service Improvement Work Plan
Before undertaking the Service Improvement Planning and Implementation (SIPI) methodology in this Guide, it
is recommended that you assess the current mechanisms (feedback strategy, service standards, improvement
plans etc.) you already have in place for service improvement. This will help you develop your work plan for
implementing the service improvement initiative by assessing which service improvement activities you currently
have and can build upon. The Assessment Grid (Appendix A) can be used to review the service improvement
activities and mechanisms at the organizational/program level against each step of the SIPI methodology.
By using this Assessment Grid, you will find where your current activities and/or mechanisms are strong and
which ones require adjustment. This will allow you to build on former initiatives and focus on where progress
must be made in order to make your service improvement activities really citizen-centred.
There are many ways to use this Assessment Grid. But however it is used, the first thing to do is to review the grid
components and ensure that everyone in your Service Improvement Team understands it and has the same
definition for each step of the SIPI methodology.
One option is that your Service Improvement Team passes through the grid within a work session with
representatives of different areas of the organization, such as Strategic Planning, Evaluation and Measurement,
Human Resources, Client Services and, most importantly, program deliverers. Another option is to conduct some
interviews with key representatives of the organization and conduct a closing meeting in order to consolidate the

10

information collected for each step and complete the grid. This exercise is an opportunity to identify good
practices and past experiences to build upon, and internal resources and expertise that can contribute to the
success of SIPI.
For each step of the SIPI methodology, the grid identifies three levels of performance: low, in transition, and high. A
short definition of what constitutes each level of performance is provided below. Users of this grid should also refer
to the appropriate section of this guide to obtain more details about what the expected outputs are for each of these
steps. A quotation system will allow you to give a rating to the organization/program service improvement activity or
mechanism and to use it as a starting point to assess the progress in the SIPI methodology.

The Assessment Review Grid at a Glance

By reviewing the current service improvement activities, you could, for example, learn that your current client
feedback strategy doesnt allow identification of client priorities for improvement and that all that is required is a
simple revision of the questionnaire you use. You could also learn that in one region or unit of your department, a
considerable amount of work has been undertaken in order to set citizen-centred service standards. As a result, it
may be possible to build upon this work for other parts of your organization.
In summary, using this Assessment Grid is a good way to:
diagnose the current situation;
identify the level of effort required to implement the service improvement initiative;
obtain the information required to brief your management team about the impact of implementing the SIPI
methodology;
create a realistic implementation plan; and,
follow implementation progress.
11

Checklist for Getting Started


At the end of each chapter, a checklist of actions and responsibilities is included. After reading this section,
you should:
Understand how service improvement fits into broader organization strategies and policy directions
Read the latest Citizens First research reports, and consider the implications for your work.
Links to the research reports are available through the Institute for Citizen-Centred Service Web site at
http://www.iccs-isac.org.
Put in place a Service Improvement Team to begin the initiative. Members of this team will vary
by department but you should look to include: managers of the programs that will be included in
the service improvement initiative; the service quality unit of the department or agency (if applicable),
members of your corporate services team, including members of your evaluation unit (as they
bring experience and understanding of social science research methods), and the unit responsible
for reporting (as these documents will be the main vehicle to report the results of your work).
Discuss the findings with your employees and Service Improvement Team members.
Develop a personal leadership strategy to help initiate and sustain the initiative.

12

Where Are We Now?

STEP 1

Internal Assessment
It is surprising how little we know about our clients and how much we assume. Fifty years ago, many people lived
in small enough communities that many public servants knew their clients by name and were familiar with their
family, habits and preferences. We have lost that intimacy.
The public service is not alone in that. A book on private sector client satisfaction describes the case of a bank that
put stiff penalty fees on an inactive account which happened to belong to a 10-year-old girl. The girl became upset
and closed her account, as did her father and aunt, two of the banks largest depositors. The bank didnt know (or
didnt care) that young children dont want service fees on their accounts. The bank didnt know about the family
connection, and didnt knowbut did eventually carethat by offending one customer they offended the whole
family.
In the public sector a bad service experience can diminish pride in citizenship or a citizens confidence and trust
in the capacity of government. For this reason government service delivery should be citizen-centred. In the
private sector, client needs, priorities, and expectations are identified by a variety of factors, from purchase trends
to customer surveys and feedback to new product and service line development. Obviously, government can apply
some of the same tools to understand citizen needs, priorities and service perceptions.

Clients and Client Groups


The first step in improving client satisfaction is to identify the clients of the organization, and the key public
services to which the SIPI methodology should be applied.
This will answer the following questions:
What is our business?
What products and services do we provide?
Who are our internal clients?
Who are our external clients?
Who are our partners?
Clients are not homogeneous. It is important to understand the patterns and diversity
so that you can supply each client with the service they require. That will allow you to
avoid being captured by the needs of one vocal or visible group and the notion that
by answering their demands you are satisfying all clients.
In identifying clients and client groups, one eye-opening method that is used in both the
private and public sector by innovative managers and employees is to staple yourself to
a purchase order or similar request for various services and to follow it through your
system. That will allow youfor each product and serviceto see who is involved in the
process: external and internal clients, partners and various stakeholders.

13

Identifying Clients
Here are some other suggestions for identifying clients:
1. Determine what information your organization already has about your clients.
2. Confirm this information is thorough, using multiple sources. Have the Service Improvement Team go
through all of your processes, products and services to see who is touched by what you do. Contact other
sections of your organization (communications, planning and public consultation people) or similar sections
in other government organizations. Talk to stakeholders and search out other information sources.
3. Take the list to front-line staff. Ask them who has been missed.
4. If you have any multiple-contact services that involve other departments, such as between passport and
citizenship offices, discuss joint clients together.
5. List the information you still need and identify sources for this information.
6. Set a timetable for the regular re-evaluation of your client identification information.

Identifying Products and Services


It sounds, at first, odd to ask managers to review and list their products and services. But services can be less
tangible than clients. An initial list may identify services that are not provided and, in some locations, services
provided are not listed.
Here are some questions to consider:
1. What is the role of your work unit? If necessary, define what you do and do not do.
2. Do the products and services correspond to your mandate?
3. Does the current range of services fully cover your mandate?

Identifying Partners and Stakeholders


In a similar way, review and list your stakeholders and partners. Both of these groups are good sources of
information on your clients and services, and can contribute to the quality of the service provided. This is
especially true of partners who are involved in actual service delivery.

14

Analysis
This assessment step is essential as a basis for your citizen-centred service improvement initiative. But it is also
important not to get bogged down in endless research. The above steps should allow the improvement team to
identify the products and services and the clients that use them in a simple matrix.3 On the side, the products
and services the organization provides are listed. Across the top, the clients, partners and stakeholders are
identified, which include both internal and external clients of government. For each product or service, the clients
can be identified with a check, or for a more in-depth analysis, with a P for a primary client (direct users of the
product or service) or S for a secondary client (end users of the output or even indirect stakeholders).

Checklist for Step 1


At the end of this step, you will likely have:
Identified the key public services to be included in the service improvement initiative and to which
the service improvement planning methodology will apply.
A description of key internal and external clients of these products and services.
A description of your partners and stakeholders, and how they are involved.
Made sure these descriptions fit with the legislation and mandate, if applicable, and the prescribed
objectives of the program or service.
Analysis and documentation of client and stakeholders that includes an understanding of any conflicting
roles between citizens interests and expectations, and clients desired levels of service.

See Appendix A
Service Improvement Assessment Grid

This example is taken from Listening to Customers: an Introduction by S.A. Woodhouse,


G.J. Connor, and D.B. Marson, 1993. Published by the Service Quality B.C. Secretariat,
Province of British Columbia.

15

Where Are We Now?

STEP 2

Assess the Current State


Having built a better understanding of your clients and services to which the service improvement approach will
apply, the next logical step is to begin to learn more about the clients so you can determine the current state of
client satisfaction with your organizations services and establish a baseline from which to measure future
improvement in citizen/client satisfaction.
To do that, the organization has to design and implement a continuous assessment strategy that includes:
mechanisms to diagnose the main drivers of satisfaction (outlined in the Preface) for each key service, client
group, partner and stakeholder; tools and methodology to measure and monitor client and staff satisfaction,
expectations and priorities for improvement.

Establishing a Continuous Feedback Strategy


How are we doing, what needs improvement, asking questions, and listening to the answers is an ongoing
process. The first time provides baseline data. Repeated at regular intervals, survey data is part of feedback
strategy for the organization and linked with the organizations performance framework.
You will need to develop a process and time lines for initial surveys to gauge current client satisfaction, as well as
follow up to assess the progress that has been made. Most departments and agencies will likely already have some
methods to obtain feedback. They may include:

postal, telephone, or electronic surveys;


focus groups
comment cards;
complaints procedures;
open houses and town hall meetings with client groups;
citizen advisory councils;
regular meetings with staff for input;
evaluations, reviews, and audits.

While valuable, some of these methods are episodic and can be biased because the
people willing to take the time to fill out comment cards or attend meetings may not
be representative of the clientele. It may capture the comments of people vocal
enough to complain, but not capture the comments of others equally (or even more)
dissatisfied, but less vocal. Therefore, the feedback strategy should be balanced with
methods that accurately reflect (from a statistical perspective) client satisfaction,
such as postal, telephone or electronic surveys.

16

To Begin
Managers have an array of methods available to understand how well they are doing. The best method is simply to
ask clients. Focus groups are an excellent method to do this. They involve gathering a small number of informed
clients and asking them open-ended questions about service, quality, expectations and priorities for the future.
Themes emerge which can then be used to create a survey designed to get more detailed responses from a larger
sample.
Focus groups should be used at the start of the consultation process, but can also be used in the middle to help
identify solutions, and at the end for feedback on implementation. The groups provide qualitative data, which is
then refined by quantitative data, most notably with the Common Measurements Tool (CMT).

See Appendix B
Client Feedback Strategy
In response to a decline in campground attendance over several consecutive years,
in 1985 BC Parks started to monitor visitor satisfaction levels in Provincial Parks to
better serve its visitors and increase park use. Initially conducted as a pilot,
satisfaction surveys were continued to create and maintain a customer-oriented
management philosophy for the organization.
The Visitor Satisfaction Surveys are part of a larger information strategy for the
organization. Other elements of the strategy include a citizen survey every five
years, comment cards, and focus groups. Attendance and satisfaction improved as
efforts were taken to close the gap between expectations and service delivery
performance. As well, the organization surveys its staff every three to four years, to
determine their satisfaction with their work, business practices, training and other
internal services.
The feedback is now so integrated that it is proactive. When faced with a decision
about whether or not to install a centralized telephone reservation system for
campsites, BC Parks consulted the public, who supported the idea. Once
implemented, the organization experienced increased satisfaction levels (along
with ideas for improvement).
Input from visitors also leads to creative solutions. When decreased funding led to
cutbacks in security and maintenance, satisfaction dropped. BC Parks responded
by restoring those services in some parks, while creating a new policy that not all
parks would offer the same level of service.

17

HRDC Income Security Program (ISP) (Ontario Region) recognized the value of consulting stakeholders.
Concerned about benefit overpayments after the death of the recipient, they wanted more timely notification of
deaths. ISP managers met with a group of stakeholdersfuneral service directorswho agreed to notify ISP of
deaths, in addition to informing the relatives of how to apply for Canada Pension Plan Survivor Benefits. Project
leader Ellen Pasquale reports: What started as a cost control, program integrity initiative provided an opportunity
to demonstrate our compassion for the bereaved and be more efficient at providing survivor benefits. A career
civil servant, Pasquale was pleased when a funeral director said, You must have been in retail to come up with
such a client-centred idea.

Common Measurements Tool (CMT)


While many tools are used to obtain feedback, one valuable one is the Common Measurements Tool (CMT). The
CMT is a measurement tool developed by the public sector to provide consistent quality information and to enable
the comparison of results over time and across agencies.
Using a five-point scale, the CMT assesses where service delivery exceeds, meets, or lags behind client
expectations. It includes focused questions in the areas of service/product delivery, access and facilities,
communication and cost, but also allows room for general comments on these issues. These questions will help
the organization to address the experience of clients with services, their expectations, and their priorities for
service improvement.
Organizations can add further questions or drop irrelevant ones, as the case may be, provided they maintain
consistency of style and measurement. But each user should include a core set of government-wide questions
(Appendix C) to provide benchmarks for comparison over time and across agencies. This set of questions is based
on the main drivers of service quality identified in the Citizens First research, plus general questions on
accessibility and overall satisfaction.
The CMT is in fact more than a questionnaire. With its accompanying manual, it is a guide to developing a
survey of client satisfaction based on sound methodology. The CMT is discussed further in Appendix C of this
report. A managers guide for the CMT is available on the ICCS Web site at http://www.iccs-isac.org.
A NOTE ON METHODOLOGY
If you do not have internal research expertise, it is useful to have an external expert
review your plan. Issues such as validity, representative samples, consistency over
time, confidentiality of participants, bias and other technical matters need to be
resolved.

18

Establish Baseline Data


The next step is to implement the feedback strategy by employing the CMT and other tools to obtain baseline data.
That will provide a reliable sense of the starting point for the organization and answer the question: How Are We
Doing?
Environment CanadaPrairie and Northern Region (Human Resources Branch), for example, found a baseline
of 51 percent. That wasits worth stressingnot a surprising result. Different organizations and types of
services will have different baselines and different ceilings on what can likely be achieved. Fire departments tend
to attain top service ratings, with satisfaction levels around 80 percent. But other kinds of public services may be
doing well at much lower levels of satisfaction. It is, therefore, important to understand the standard satisfaction
range for your type of organization or service, and where you currently are located in this range.
There may well be some trepidation about finding out how you are viewed by clients. Yet, it is important to
remember that the idea here is to start the process of measuring yourself against yourself so that you can
determine priorities for improvement and ultimately implement an improvement plan. That, in turn, will require
regular updates on client satisfaction through the continuous feedback process you establish. It is therefore
important to establish a core set of questions for internal benchmarking purposes so that the organization can
monitor the progress in meeting the objectives of an improvement plan.

Checklist for Step 2


At the end of this step, you should have a feedback strategy developed and reflected in the organizational business
planning process, and a performance framework. This strategy must address, at a minimum:
How to survey clients, staff and citizens.
The instruments and procedures to use.
The efforts needed to create (if it does not already exist) a willingness, even eagerness, to use feedback
constructively.
Questions that address client/citizen expectations, the experience with the service, and priorities for
future improvement, as well as the key drivers of client/citizen satisfaction.
A method to share the feedback.

See Appendix C
Client Feedback Tools
See Appendix D
Employee Surveys
19

Where Do Our Clients Want Us To Be?

STEP 3

Desired Future State


The previous steps have answered the question: Where are we now? With that determined, it is now time to turn
attention to answer the question: Where do our clients want us to be? To do this, the feedback obtained will
help to articulate the mission and visionto define the desired future state of the organization and point the
organization in the direction it needs to go.

Creating the Mission Statement


It is vital that the citizen-centred service effort flow from an outside-in focus. This begins with the mission
statement.
If your organization has a mission statement, examine it to determine whether it is consistent with the outside-in
approach. If not, it should be modified to reflect this dynamic. As well, any separate mission statement for the
citizen-centred initiative should have an outside-in focus at its core.
You should also take this opportunity to review your organizational values and see whether they are citizencentred. Is service positioned within the organization as a value?
To develop a mission, the following are useful steps:
1. Re-explore the ways your organization can benefit society in general. What are specific impacts you have
on clients who approach you with needs? This will relate back to the mandate and the legislation of
the organization.
2. Using your assessments and feedback, consider what the various stakeholders want. What is your clients,
the general publics and your staffs vision of excellent service? What are their specific needs, expectations
and priorities?
3. Create a vision of the impact that the perfect organization providing your kind of
service would have. Then, based on that vision, build a concept of excellence
centred on the client and the citizen, and a vision of what it would be like to
achieve that excellence.
4. From those actions, the kernel of your mission should emerge. Dont try to
touch all bases, just the underlying principles. Make sure the mission is short,
crisp, and unforgettablesomething that hangs in the memory rather than on
the wall.
Understanding the citizens vision, expectations and preferences is the basis of the
whole service improvement process. The organization must demonstrate that citizen
input is important to the organization. As well, the organization must share its
standards and values with citizens to create realistic expectations and provide
guidance to stimulate citizen input about the service provided to them.

20

In the end, it is still the responsibility of the organization to analyze and understand the information provided by
the citizen. The outside-in focus must still be consistent with the departments mandate and legislation.

Checklist for Step 3


At the end of this step, you will have:
A vision and mission statements that support citizen-centred service improvement.
A clear, articulate understanding of what your organization would like to achieve.
An inspiring vision of the future organization.

21

Where Do Our Clients Want Us To Be?

STEP 4

Setting Priorities for Improvement


Armed with client feedback information, it is now time to prepare for action by outlining priorities. These
priorities should be defined by the client feedback, but remain consistent with the mission and mandate.
A strategy must be set around the priorities, the purpose of the initiative, its values and its goals, as well as the
timelines for program design, implementation and evaluation.

Identifying the Key Drivers of Client Satisfaction


for Your Service and Potential Areas for Improvement
The process will vary by organization and findings, but a good starting point is to focus on the five key drivers of client
satisfaction as identified by the Citizens First research: timeliness, knowledge/competence, courtesy/going the extra
mile, fair treatment, and outcome.4 It is important to emphasize the implications of these findings: If governments
provide an acceptable level of service on these five drivers, they will achieve service quality ratings of 85 out of 100.5
While these are the key drivers of client satisfaction, you need to understand the key drivers for your specific type
of service, as the drivers and their relative importance vary by service type. Understanding these drivers will assist
you in further identifying your clients priorities for improvement.
To assist you in identifying your key service drivers, each of five key drivers of service quality are discussed below.
In addition, other potential related elements of service quality discussed below include: visibility and access;
human resources; partnering, and information technology.

Five Drivers of Service Satisfaction


1. Timeliness: This driver refers to the satisfaction with the time it takes to get service, as opposed to the
absolute length of time it takes. In terms of the five key drivers, the Citizens First research tells us that, by far,
the most important driver is timeliness. However, depending upon the nature of
the service, it should be recognized that there are limits to the extent
government processes can be speeded up, which will impact satisfaction levels.
For example, for some services considerations of fairness and accountability
impose limits on the speed at which a service can be delivered. Fortunately, if
service must be delayed beyond what citizens would normally expect, providing
reasons for the required timeframe may serve to maintain acceptable ratings of
timeliness.

22

For a basket of government services, the Citizens First research found that these five drivers
explain 72% of the variance in service quality ratings.

Citizens First report, 1998. Prepared by Erin Research Inc. and published by the Canadian
Centre for Management Development, p. 32.

2. Knowledge/Competence: The second most important driver is the knowledge and competence of the
service provider. Research tells us that performance on this driver is maximized from a well-functioning
system, including adequate staffing, proper training resources, and good internal services including
management support, technical facilities, human resources services and so forth.
3. Courtesy/Going the Extra Mile: The third most important driver from the Citizens First research is courtesy
or going the extra mile. That is, were the staff courteous and did they go the extra mile to ensure that citizens
got what they needed. This means more than formal politeness and infers reaching out proactively. Despite the
best efforts of government staff, citizens may feel uncomfortable in certain encounters with government
possibly to the point that staff may be unable to overcome it. A good example of this could be a taxation audit.
4. Fair Treatment: This driver refers to whether clients feel they were treated fairly. Governments make great
efforts to ensure fairness in service delivery, but problems arise when opinions differ as to what is meant by
fair. Government service providers may see fair as what legislation and regulations prescribe, while citizens
with opposing views may regard their treatment as unfair. Examples are most obvious when they involve
social issues. In such cases, ensuring clients are provided with sufficient information could be an important
factor in determining satisfaction levels.
5. Outcome: The final key driver of citizen satisfaction in order of importance is outcome. This is defined as
whether or not the client got what they needed. Competing claims for resources mean that government
cannot satisfy everyone. For example, applications for financial assistance may not meet requirements, or a
tax levy may be larger than anticipated. The inability of government to provide the desired outcome may
impose a ceiling on service quality scores for those who are denied the outcome they want. The desired
outcome will be denied more often in some services than others, which means that service quality ratings
will vary across different services.
Understanding the drivers for each particular service is critical for developing a service improvement plan.
Although the above five drivers were found to be the most important based upon Citizens First research, there is
no one set of answers that are standard for any particular service; each will have its own set of drivers and clients
with a set of priorities for improvement. Understanding what your particular drivers are, which driver performed
best, which was worst, and which priority for improvement is most important from your clients perspective are
all questions that you will want to pose. In addition, you will need to decide if it is practical to work on several
drivers at once, or to proceed one at a time, with a recognition that some efforts will require more time for
planning and training. Early efforts may work to attain the biggest gains in client satisfaction to secure early
successes for the organization. It is the drivers of satisfaction to which particular attention should be paid when
setting priorities. These are the elements that clients/citizens indicate are important, and priorities that they
indicate will help close the service gap by working to meet their expectations.

Other Considerations for Service Quality


VISIBILITY AND ACCESS
Visibility: On average, when citizens want to contact a public service they do not know where to find it
25 per cent of the time. How visible is your operation to citizens? Can it be improved?
Access: How satisfied are the people that know how to contact you about the process? Are there concerns about
the length of the wait? How many attempts were required to get through? How would they prefer to access you?

23

It is worth noting that sixty per cent of access issues are related to slow telephone responses, so this may be a
priority area for action. For telephone service, citizens expect:

less than a two minute wait;


to find the right person on the first or second try;
to have a response to a voice mail message within four hours.

In considering priorities, do not forget the importance of instructing clients on how to use the service. Service
interactions can be unsatisfactory not because the product or delivery was inferior, but because the client did not
know how to use the service or product. Public servants have a role as educators, which is especially true for
those services used only once or twice in a lifetime. Just as advertising helps clients find and access a service,
there are ways to support clients in the use of a service.

THE PEOPLE DIMENSION OF SERVICE


Employees are the key to success. It is difficult to conceive of any organization treating its staff poorly and then
expecting them to treat clients well. If you look after your staff, they will look after the client. You do not order staff
to smile; you recruit service-oriented people, train them well, give them good working conditions and a chance to
do a good job. Courteous service is a by-productempowered employees tend to enjoy their work.
Do staff have the proper skills to do the job (competence) for a citizen-centred approach? If not, a training plan
should be developed. As well, do staff use their own initiative? The rules cannot foresee every eventuality. How can
you give them the training, the tools and the freedom to use their initiative? In this, the organization needs to pay
attention to the constraints that prevent capable employees from using their good judgement to achieve the
mission. Welcome and applaud new ideas and initiative.

SERVICE INTEGRATION
About one time in six, the service a client needs involves more than one agency for example, a provincial birth
certificate is required in order to obtain a passport. And to change an address, citizens must deal independently
with a number of government organizations. Citizen-centred service delivery requires new partnerships within
and between governmentsand with the private and not-for-profit sectorsto integrate service so that it makes
sense to the client. To start, the organization should ask how it can work with partners to improve service, and
determine the logical place to start.

ELECTRONIC SERVICE DELIVERY


Technology can be a great enabler to improve service delivery. Electronic service delivery (ESD) can bring
services to citizens how they want them and when they want them, wherever they live. It also allows governments
to provide seamless, integrated service delivery. ESD can make it easier for citizens and businesses to find what
they need through one-stop access points with services and information organized by themelike the
environmentor type of activitysuch as services for seniorsrather than by government department. It also
supports improved client satisfaction in that it can improve performance on some of the key drivers of client
satisfaction, such as timeliness.
24

The past few years have seen great progress and many innovations in the on-line delivery of public sector services
and information. Government is just starting to tap the potential of getting on line. With the ever-increasing
potential of new technologies and the growing demand for electronic service delivery, the need for a co-ordinated,
forward-looking approach is clear. How can you make use of client-focused electronic service delivery to improve
service in your organization?
Further information on the electronic service delivery can be found on the ICCS Web site at
http://www.icss-isac.org.

Setting Priorities
So far, a considerable amount of information has been gathered from clients on their needs, expectations and
priorities for improvement. The above areas are starting points but you should ask how the information gathered
should be used for decisions. The
Service Improvement Team should
work with the management team to
discuss and agree on a decision model,
which will then be applied to the
situation.
One such model is the satisfaction
importance matrix (Appendix E).6 This
model assists in identifying which
service improvements should be
focused on first. Briefly, the model
creates a service improvement matrix
by plotting the satisfaction rating with
the importance rating on a twodimensional grid. This allows decision
makers to determine which
improvements are a top priority (low
satisfaction rating, high importance
rating). Unless both dimensions are
measured and evaluated, improvement
efforts may be misguided. If the organization only measures satisfaction and sets priorities based on the lowest
satisfaction scores, improvement efforts may have little impact in improving satisfaction levels if these items have
little importance to clients. Items with low satisfaction scores and high importance are areas to target
improvement efforts.

Woodhouse, S.A. et al., 1993. Listening to Customers: An Introduction. Victoria B.C.:


Service Quality B.C. Secretariat, Government of British Columbia.

25

Checklist for Step 4


At the end of this step, you will likely have:
A list of priorities for service improvement.
Identified priorities to improve visibility.
Identified priorities to improve access.
Identified priorities for improvement on each of the five drivers of satisfaction.
Priorities for strengthening the people dimension of service delivery.
Priorities for integrated service delivery.
Priorities for improved use of information technology.

See Appendix E
Setting Priorities

26

Where Do Our Clients Want Us To Be?

STEP 5

Setting Client-Centred Service Standards and Client Satisfaction Targets


After establishing priorities, it is vital to set standards and targets by which you intend to judge performance.
Success needs definition. Standards and targets serve to focus the organization to ensure it achieves the most it
can for both short and long-term goals.
In this guide, standards refer to the levels of service performance, while targets refer to the levels of satisfaction
aspired to. Standards are the performance levels we are committed to in the presentthe quality one can expect.
Targets are the satisfaction objectives we are moving towards.
Service standards are a commitment by the organization to provide a certain level of service to clients. These
are usually in areas such as communications, access, timeliness, interactions between staff and clients, and costs.
For example, answering telephone calls within six rings nine times out of ten could be a standard. Consistency
counts with service standards. Clients dont want great performance one day and lousy service the next. A client
whose call is answered on the first ring and then locked in voice mail jail for ten minutes wont consider that
on average good service was delivered.
Service standards must incorporate performance objectives. The standard of replying to a letter sent by mail
within two weeks may not be achievable all the time, but may be achievable in a majority of situations. What is the
appropriate level of performance for achieving the standard? It could be set at 80%, 90%, or even higher. This
allows for standards that are citizen/client based and attempt to meet their expectations for service delivery. To
ensure that it could respond to letters 100% of the time, an organization might have to set the standard at twelve
weeks. However, it is unlikely citizens/clients would find this acceptable. Incorporating performance objectives
into service standards also provides the organization with room for improvement, such as setting the goal to move
the objective of meeting the standard, for example, from 80% to 85% of the time.
Service standards are an important tool for managing client expectations and should reflect the available resources.
They tell your clients what you can provide and what they should expect to receive. Service standards must be
published so they are known by all those affectedstaff, partners, and clients. Publication motivates staff, influences
client expectations, allows educated feedback on performance, and ensures that
accountability and measurement are open and honest.
As well as service standards, targets should also be set for the levels of citizen and
client satisfaction the organization wants to achieve within a given timeframe. Service
standards are the key means for managing client expectations based on available
resources. But satisfaction targets are the key means for improving actual service
performance and quality.
Satisfaction targets should be reasonable. To begin, set targets in a few areas identified
as key by the client and doable by your staff within five years. Targets must be realistic,
reviewed regularly and adjusted annually as necessary to meet objectives over five years.

27

How to Set Service Standards


Your surveys will have told you what levels of service your clients want. Service standards should be client-driven
and reflect what the client wants, but also what the organization can currently afford. Standards are a way of
managing expectations. They tell your clients what you can provide and they can expect. Service satisfaction is
related to expectations. Managing expectations well is an important part of service improvement. Look at the
standards in other similar operations that have high levels of client satisfaction. What is the industry standard?
Discuss these with your staff, to find out what it would take to meet them. Review what level of service you are
now providing. Determine what standard you can achieve now, and what standards you will strive for in the longer
term. Further information on how to set service standards can be found in Appendix F.

Satisfaction Improvement Targets


Client satisfaction targets are more complicated since they are less direct. By helping to manage client expectations,
service standards may contribute to increased client satisfaction. But they will not guarantee satisfaction. Satisfaction
targets must be set and measured independently. What satisfaction levels do you want to achieve?
It is important not only to set targets for satisfaction improvement, but also to measure achievement. Improved
client satisfaction, after all, is the end goal of any service improvement initiative. Improved client satisfaction is also
the way to measure whether you have actually set the right priorities for service improvement and whether you are
making regular progress toward your satisfaction improvement objectives.

Steps To Take
The steps you take will vary according to your structure and organizational culture. But here are eleven steps that
offer guidance. Throughout, ensure that staff are actively involved in the process and support the targets that are set.
1. Review the data you gathered about client priorities.
2. Divide the priorities into two areas: access (including the ability to find the service); and service performance
(including the main drivers of satisfaction).
3. Use the Service Improvement Team or subgroups to deal with each area. Decide what standard of service is
appropriate in each area.
4. Present the management committee of the organization with a complete list of proposed service standards
and satisfaction targets.
5. Reach organization-wide agreement on service standards; select the most important few to focus on while
keeping in mind the different service delivery channels.
6. Ensure high level targets are translated into specific annual targets for each service or program area and that
these targets are reflected in accountability agreements.

28

7. Ensure that a strong service culture is being developed to complement client satisfaction target setting. This
will help make the targets achievable if the organizational culture supports and promotes the delivery of good
service.
8. Continue to measure regularly client expectations, priorities and satisfaction, and anchor your planning
process in this data.
9. Ensure a client complaint redress mechanism is in place.
10. Make sure that for any satisfaction target or service standard the results can be and are measured,
benchmarked, monitored, reported, and used to guide management decisions.
11. Ensure the results-based service improvement planning and implementation process is integrated with the
annual business planning process, for ongoing monitoring and updating of targets. Standards and targets are
not static, but dynamic. Monitoring and updating for continuous improvement is a never-ending process.
Setting targets can be a source of anxiety. This may be particularly true in a traditional workplace with an inside-out
focus that suddenly finds itself judged by the standards of its clients. But in the end, targets can also unify. Most
people are goal oriented. They enjoy achieving and surpassing performance targets. If the targets are reasonable and
the purpose clear, you can secure buy-in and unleash new energy as people strive to show their stuff.
Establishing priorities for improvement, and setting standards and targets, further refines where the organization
wants to be. These should be woven into the fabric of the organizations planning process, and are even deserving
of a special improvement plan specific to this initiative.

Checklist for Step 5


At the completion of this step, you should have:
Service standards that are published and openly accessible.
Service standards based on client priorities and expectations, reflecting available resources.
Satisfaction improvement targets that are sufficiently challenging that achieving them will result in a
noticeable reduction in the satisfaction gap, yet realistic enough that they can be achieved.
Measurement and performance reporting against the service standards and satisfaction improvement targets.

See Appendix F
Setting Service Standards and Performance Objectives

29

How Will We Get There?

STEP 6

Designing the Improvement Plan


By now you know where you are and where your clients want you to be, but not the path between the two. Thus
far, the vision and mission have been stated, a client-feedback strategy created, and input solicited. Priorities for
improvement have been identified, client-centred service standards and client satisfaction improvement targets
set. Now it is time to create an improvement planthe map that will guide you and your organization between
the two pointsand set the actions necessary to achieve the targets.
The improvement plan is not intended to serve as a self-contained or isolated plan. It is an integrated part of the
total business planning process of the organization. It provides for a systematic and organized approach to service
improvement planning and implementation integrated with the regular annual planning and reporting cycle of
the department or agency.
Flexibility is key to the approach and to implementing the improvement plan. The plan and improvement process
must be brought to lifea living part of the organizationwhich embraces the concept of continuous
improvement. As you plan and implement, you will be receiving new and additional information that will alter
your plan. You must be ready to change direction when required. And staff must be given room to innovate within
the basic framework and be consistent with the overall goals.

Setting the Plan


The core of the Service Improvement Plan is to focus on the service improvement priorities that are most
important for citizens and clients, as identified in Step 4. For each priority identified by clients, the organization
will identify the key actions required to address that priority. In turn, each of these key actions will be further
refined by identifying the sub-activities required to support them.
The improvement plan is an opportunity to draw on the creativity, innovation and problem-solving skills of the
organization. There is usually more than one solution to any problem and more than one way to address the
priorities. The creation and selection of actions to achieve the priorities provides an
opportunity for the organization to think outside the box. For example, a common
response to client demands for faster telephone service is to add capacity to a call
centre. Yet, a more innovative approach can reduce workload by determining why
clients need to call in the first place, and address the underlying cause rather than a
symptom of the problem (e.g. a form that is unclear to clients). Therefore, it is
critical to ensure active employee participation in the creation of the plan and to
clarify for everyone what goals the organization hopes to accomplish and how they
will be accomplished.

Example of a Service Improvement Plan Template


To help organizations get started, this section outlines an example of a potential
Service Improvement Plan template. A complete description of this generic example
can be found in Appendix G. The development of an improvement plan does not
30

require a cookie cutter approach. Every organization is unique, as are the needs, expectations and priorities of its
clients and the environment in which the organization operates. What an improvement plan will look like will
vary from organization to organization. Yet, while specifics may vary, there are common elements to an
improvement plan. For each priority identified, it is necessary to establish actions to address the improvement
priorities, identify the person(s) responsible, and state a timetable for action and specific targets for achievement.
The improvement plan will also address the monitoring and reporting process for client satisfaction targets and
service standards, and identify management accountabilities.

Direction
The first section of a Service Improvement Plan should be direction: how does the plan link into and support the
organizations mission statement and the desired future state for the organization? Stating this vision up front
enables department or agency personnel to better understand the purpose of the Service Improvement Plan. It is
also important to document here how the plan was developed, who participated, how citizens views in terms of
their priorities for improvement were obtained to produce the plan (e.g: surveys, focus groups, or formal
consultations), and how these views shape the plan. The important point is to ensure that the activities outlined
in the plan focus on citizen priorities and as such, if implemented properly, will result in improved client
satisfaction so that the department or agencys targets for client satisfaction are met.
Since the improvement plan is also a document that affects the work and work culture of the organization, it is
important in this section to outline who in the organization worked in producing the plan and how employees were
engaged in its creation.

31

Priority Areas for Improvement


The core of the plan should outline the organizations priority areas for improvement: what are the key actions,
who is responsible, what are the timeframes and expected results, and how will these results be measured? Below
are two different examples of how the priorities for improvement section could be structured. Example #1 adopts
the approach whereby for each priority area, the specific actions required are identified. Example #2 organizes
the priorities for improvement by the five key drivers of client satisfaction, in addition to identifying which service
delivery channels (e.g. telephone, over the counter, electronic, etc.) are implicated. The benefit of this second
approach is that it assists in ensuring that each driver is addressed and that the Service Improvement Plan
addresses all service delivery channels. This emphasizes a balanced, integrated approach between and among the
various channels used to deliver the service. The type of template you develop will depend upon the nature of
your business and what works best given the environment in which you work.
It is important to note that the plan should be comprehensive but kept as simple as possible so that it is clearly
understood. For example, simply requiring staff to say Have a nice day (the staff courtesy service quality driver)
will not lead clients to believe they have had a positive service experience if none of the other key drivers of client
satisfaction are in place.

32

Sample Service Improvement Plan


Priority Areas for Improvement (Example #1)

33

Sample Service Improvement Plan


Priority Areas for Improvement (Example #2)

Monitoring and Accountability


A final section in any solid plan should include a section on monitoring and accountability. The example below
presents possible elements that you may want to include. Specifically outlining how the plan is to be monitored,
the frequency with which the results will be reported and to whom assists in ensuring that key actors are
identified, an accountability regime is in place, and all relevant aspects of the plan are being properly
communicated. In addition, the value of outlining the monitoring and accountability aspects of the plan not only
comes to play when you move to implementation, but also becomes readily apparent in succeeding steps as
implementation efforts are monitored and evaluated.

34

Monitoring and Accountability SectionExample

Summary
The Service Improvement Plan links planning in the organization in two directions. First, it links to planning
upward on the strategic level. Second, it brings planning downward through its impact on the detailed work plans
of organizational units and individual staff members. In many respects, the improvement plan is a summary
document that integrates information from a variety of sources. This step incorporates the findings and work
undertaken in the previous steps. It sets out for each priority the action necessary to attain the objectives and
associated targets, sets a timeframe and identifies the resources that are required, and establishes who is
responsible and ultimately accountable for the actions. The improvement plan must also integrate and consider
other organizational issues, such as the HR plan, staff training needs, links to related services (service
integration) and the information management/information technology (IT/IM) strategy.

35

Checklist for Step 6


At the completion of this step, you should have an improvement plan that:
Integrates the findings of the previous steps (vision, mission, leadership, employee and client feedback,
identified priorities, targets and service standards).
Dovetails with other government-wide initiatives, while focusing on the specific needs of your clients.
Is a result of active employee engagement.
Is simple, clear and compelling.
Describes the actions to address the service improvement priorities identified in Step 4, in order to
achieve increased client satisfaction.
Specifies the client satisfaction targets for achievement and identifies timeframes.
Identifies responsibilities and accountabilities for actions to address service improvement priorities.
Is consistent and considers other organizational plans, such as the HR Plan, staff training, IT/IM strategy,
and change management strategy.

See Appendix G
Sample Service Improvement Plan Template
Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) is responsible for caring for those who have served
their country in combat and peacekeeping, and for their families. Already sensitive to
its clients, VAC wanted quicker turnaround times on disability pensionsbenefits for
clients with a permanent disability or disease as a result of military service. Part of a
comprehensive plan, this initiative was one of several client-centred initiatives.
However, the improvements sought were constrained by regulations. Rather than
accept the impediment and continue with a service gap, the process began with
legislative changes and the creation of new regulations to address revised
procedures. This was followed by a major reorganization within the VAC portfolio.
On the operations side, staff developed procedures and re-engineered workflows to
increase flexibility for program delivery, consultation, staff training and teamwork on
projects. Information technology changes followed. This was a lot of planning and
work for one small improvement. Yet, the changes incorporated many other
improvements and paved the way for the future, as VAC learns more about the
changing needs of its clients.

36

Each work unit was made responsible to know its targets/goals and to manage to
achieve them. Due to the high level of support and the clear knowledge of direction
and targets, it was not necessary to bring in outside consultants, or set up a
special change management team.
The lessons learned by Veterans Affairs Canada include:

A separate structure is not always needed for change. The already existing
planning function was adequate, so they did not add a quality management
framework.

The will to make it happen is required; commitment from all levels of the
organization; the support and flexibility of employees and external partners
strong communication tools and contact with clients.

37

How Do We Make It Happen?

STEP 7
Implementing

This section presents activities to support the implementation of the Service Improvement Plan. As leadership is
central to successful implementation, a leadership checklist is provided. In addition, this section also explores
implementation best practices and lessons learned from previous research undertaken in the field of service
improvement. It also presents potential service improvement tools and resources available to assist managers in
implementing service improvements.

Service Improvement Plan Implementation


In terms of implementing the Service Improvement Plan, there are several general support activities that you will
want to consider:

1. COMMUNICATE THE PLAN


Memos do not change organizations. Do not assume that because a memo describing the implementation plan
was issued, that everyone knows about it, remembers, and will act according to plan. Continue to communicate
the plan. Too much communication is better than insufficient communication. Remember that communication
is a two-way process: management must listen to staff as much as staff must listen to management.

2. VERIFY RESPONSIBILITIES
Confirm that responsibilities assigned during planning remain the right ones and adjust them as needed. Build
precise results into the targets set for teams or work units, and into the performance contract of each individual.
Ensure that your data systems provide information at the individual and work group level so that you can monitor
achievements against targets.

3. ENSURE SUPPORTING CHANGES ARE MADE


From legislation to organizational unit operating procedures, support is needed to
enable employees to act in a new, more client-centred manner. This includes the
removal of impediments that limit an employees ability to do a good job. Processes,
forms and policies should be reviewed to ensure they facilitate rather than impede
client/citizen-centred service delivery. This may mean simplified forms, the use of
clearer language in forms and documents, changed hours of service, staff training,
and the regular review of procedures. Empowered staff are central to removing
impediments, and removing impediments is central to empowering staff.

38

4. SUPPORT THE HUMAN DIMENSION


There is a human response to change. There will likely be resistance to change, and there may be fear and anxiety
among staff as well. This is okay and not unexpected, but these reactions must be dealt with and staff assisted and
supported during the transition. Implementation impacts the organizational character since it involves change,
and represents another area where leadership is essential.
As well, many initiatives are likely to involve changes to the skill sets of employees. Therefore, ensuring that
employees have access to the training and tools necessary for them to undertake their jobs is vital. After all, in
many cases the service experience of the client/citizen involves direct interaction with a public service employee.
Training is very important to the success of the organization in terms of client satisfaction. For example, research
of telephone call centres has shown significantly higher levels of client satisfaction in call centres with high levels
of employee training versus centres with low training levels. Training often helps support the five key drivers of
client satisfaction (timeliness, knowledge/competence, courtesy/extra mile, fair treatment, and outcome) and
often involves job-specific training and training in customer service skills.

5. CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION


Promoting an environment that is conducive to innovation should underlie the implementation of the Service
Improvement Plan. Purposely seeking out new, innovative ideas to bring into the organization should be
promoted. External, innovative ideas can be found through networking with similar organizations, keeping up to
date on the latest developments in your field through media such as journals, and other related activities such as
conferences. Conducting exercises such as participative problem solving, or engaging external resources can also
assist this.

6. HAVE FUN
The challenge of meeting client needs should be enjoyable. If managers and employees are consistently not
having fun, implementation likely is not going well. This may require revisiting the earlier steps to find the
problem, or reviewing the improvement plan to see how morale can be boosted. Citizen-centred service
improvement is not just a process but a part of the character of the organization that is lived every day.

7. ADJUST THE SERVICE IMPROVEMENT PLAN


Change is messy. Mistakes are made. Planning is not perfect and does not end when implementation starts.
The two phases support each other. Re-plan. Re-train. Re-adjust.

Leadership Checklist
When it comes time to implement the plan just developed, leadership is again at the fore. Sometimes managers
are so preoccupied with their daily must-do routine that they forget how closely their staff watches them for clues
about what matters in the workplace. This is not the time to give everyone a handshake and move on to
something else.

39

Leadership Checklist for Implementing the Service Improvement Plan


Remain involved and constant in your support.
Raise the service improvement profile through
daily attention and speeches; place it on key
agendas and talk about it with staff.

Listen.

Set the tone. Treat your staff with the same


degree of timeliness, courtesy, competence and
fairness you expect them to use with clients.
Ensure the outcomes they want are achieved.

Continue the Service Improvement Team,


changing their role from planning to
implementation, monitoring and adjustment.
Make consultation continuous.

Communicate. Gain buy-in from staff and ensure


continual feedback on the problems they
encounter with implementation and their ideas
to enhance the initiative. Capitalize on
the feedback and ideas. Communicate new
initiatives to clients.

Empower staff and support their decisions.

Continue to learn. Build trust. Make allowances


for mistakes.

Recognize and celebrate achievement.

Do the right thing. Set an example by doing what


is right rather than what is easy.

Accept that you may not know the answer. Build


enthusiasm. Create a pull by staff to make
service improvement changes rather than
limiting it to a push by management.

Lessons LearnedSignposts for Success


In devising specific service improvement solutions to meet citizen priorities, a good place to start is to research
best practices in similar organizations or business lines. Successful service improvements are often based on
good research. The organization is well served by your reading up on similar initiatives and meeting with
practitioners and experts in the field. There are numerous resources to assist in this. The Canadian Centre for
Management Developments Citizen-Centred Service Network undertook a research agenda in citizen-centred
service. Two products, Good Practices in Citizen-Centred Service and Innovations and Good Practices in SingleWindow Service provide an exhaustive description of best practices with a summary of lessons learned. Some of
the lessons learned from these two studies are outlined below:

40

Ensure Leadership is in Place for the Long Term: Sustained leadership by senior executives is critical
for the long-term success of a service-improvement initiative. Seeking and sustaining political support for
your service improvements was also identified in the research as another important success factor.
Encourage Citizen-Centred Values & Culture: A shared commitment to improving service delivery,
supported by citizen-centred values is at the heart of any successful service improvement. Starting the
change process by beginning with the development of a service culture is key.
Focus on Continous Improvement: Organizations should focus on continuous improvement in service
delivery, based on client and employee input and measurement.

Firmly Fix Improvements to a Results-based strategy: a results-based strategy works effectively


especially when action is focused on client priorities for service improvement and progress is continuously
measured and communicated.
Focus on Improving the Workplace: A results-based focus should be complemented by a continuous
improvement strategy for increasing staff satisfaction. This helps to achieve a supportive corporate culture.
This might entail using teamwork approaches, educating and training staff with the information they need
to succeed, empowering staff to make service improvements, and recognizing and rewarding good service.
Partnerships: Considerable research has been done in the area of partnerships and its benefits have been
well documented. Sound partnerships involve shared decision making and clear accountabilities.
Consult with Clients and Key Stakeholders: Throughout the implementation process, consultation
assists in ensuring that any changes are appropriately targeted. Although consultations can be time
consuming, they assist in maintaining and improving the range and quality of services provided. For
example, if the service improvement involves the redesign of a form, it should be focus-tested to identify
whether or not the improvements actually address the original problem. If this type of consultation is not
undertaken, attempts at service improvement could result in less client satisfaction.
Piloting: Implementing service improvement initiatives through pilots can be a good way of obtaining buyin, demonstrating success and finding what works best. This also enables risks to be managed so that
deficiencies can be found and corrected before full-scale implementation takes place.

Service Improvement Toolbox


The Canada School of Public Services Citizen-Centred Service Networks research: Good Practices in CitizenCentred Service and Innovations and Good Practices in Single-Window Service identify a number of potential tools
to assist managers in undertaking service improvements. Some of these tools involve one-time implementation
whereas others require ongoing application. Although not exhaustive, the purpose of this brief description is to
serve as a starting point.

Potential Service Improvement Tools


New Organizational Forms

Quality Management

Technology

Benchmarking

Service Standards

Public-Private Partnerships

Process Improvement

Cost Recovery

Re-engineering

Service Agreements

Integrated Service Delivery

Service Clustering, Single Window Access, and New Organizational Forms such as Special Operating
Agencies can be an effective means of clarifying roles and responsibilities, improving service, reducing
delivery costs, reducing overlap and duplication, and enhancing accountability. This may include looking at
Alternative Service Delivery (ASD) to see if there is an alternative method available to deliver the service. You
might also consider single-window service delivery and service clustering.

41

Technology, although discussed elsewhere in this guide, should be noted as another potential service
improvement tool. Technology has been a major driver for service improvement in recent years. Electronic
kiosk systems such as those at Human Resources Development Canada and Service Ontario provide an
expanding range of services to citizens and clients. Internal technological improvements in information
management have allowed organizations to offer citizens service from any location. However, through the
research, technology was found to be a two-edged sword in service deliveryto be effective, technological
delivery must be designed in close consultation with the client.
Process improvement techniques such as process mapping and re-engineering can have a powerful,
positive effect on service performance and client satisfaction if implemented properly, in consultation
with employees and clients. Public sector services and programs often have legal and technical requirements
that affect the service experience. While such requirements are often necessary, the system designed to
implement them may not be the most simple and efficient possible. Examine your systems and processes
from a client/citizen perspective. See if it is possible to cut red tape, root out unnecessary rules, change
workflow and internal processes, and expand the use of plain language.
Quality Management Frameworks offer another method to assist managers in improving their service
delivery. A variety of quality management systems exist depending upon the needs of the organization. Careful
consideration of the organizational needs versus the framework used is required. Systems range from ISO,
which maintains demanding compliance standards and ongoing authentication, to the National Quality
Institutes Fitness Test, which is more flexible in its application. (www.nqi.ca)
Benchmarking is not only an important tool for measuring performance but is also useful in identifying
areas of success and those needing improvement. Search out the best organization in your business line.
How does your organization compare? How did this organization that is considered the best attain their
results? See what can be learned from their experiences that can be adapted and implemented in your
own organization to improve service delivery to citizens and clients.
Service Agreements and Service Guarantees were also noted by the research as potentially important
tools of accountability, specifically for internal government service providers and their clients.

Additional Resources
Here are some additional resources that departments and organizations can access to assist them with service
improvement implementation:
Institute for Citizen-Centred Service Web Site: Offers a collection of documents and resources that can
help with service improvement (http://www.iccs-isac.org).
InnoService: For innovative/good practices, one source to consult is InnoService, a knowledge management
repository maintained by the Service and Innovation Sector at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
(http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/si-si/). This online resource includes a selection of good practices in service
improvement. These good practices can be searched by department or agency, the elements of service
improvement involved, or by major public service business line.

42

Checklist for Step 7


After the initial wave of implementation, you should have:
Contributed to the process through your leadership, focused on listening, understanding, building trust,
continuing to learn, setting the tone.
Effectively communicated the implementation plan to everyone and continued to communicate it.
Confirmed responsibilities and ensured that data is gathered.
Continued to adjust the plan in response to the emerging situation.
Ensured that supporting changes in processes and people are made.
Removed impediments to staff empowerment and improved service.
Asked each of your staff what their key responsibilities and accountabilities are, and obtained concise
answers without their digging out their performance contracts.

43

How Do We Make It Happen?

STEP 8
Monitoring

With implementation underway, attention must now turn to monitoring performance and ensuring accountability
for results. This section commences with an example of client satisfaction monitoring, examines linking
information needs to the various target audiences, and discusses reporting. In addition, related topics such as
aligning service improvement reporting into organizational performance efforts, as well as benchmarking
activities are discussed.

Ongoing Client SatisfactionMonitoring and Reporting


The most reliable indicator of improvement in service quality and service performance is the continuous and
measurable improvement of client satisfaction. Monitoring activities at regular intervals should allow the organization
to clearly demonstrate its progress in
meeting its client satisfaction targets. An
example of such reporting is the results of
the Canada Economic Development Agencys
client feedback strategy, which demonstrates
the agencys annual progress in client
satisfaction levels for its main program IDEASME.
As this example demonstrates, measuring
client satisfaction levels and moving towards
established client satisfaction targets requires
consistent measurement through time and
ongoing adjustment of activities to achieve
client satisfaction improvements.

Linking Information Needs to Target Audiences


The Service Improvement Plan that you prepared identifies key targets for
measurement to ensure your service improvement initiative is on track, and that you
are having a positive impact on client satisfaction. Ensuring that the information
needs of the various target audiences are met is crucial to the success of the Initiative.
This section examines the information needs of internal audiences such as the Service
Improvement Team, program managers involved in implementing service
improvement, and departmental senior management. As well, the information needs
of outside audiences, such as elected representatives, and, most importantly, clients
and citizens, are also explored.
As you monitor implementation, measure progress and ensure accountability for
results, focus on three aspects: a) implementation process, b) outputs, and c)
outcomes. Monitoring involves having a system, measuring, communicating, and
44

being accountable. Monitoring means to track, document and report information to the right audiences in order
to support decision making and accountability mechanisms. The types of information needs and the various
target audiences are discussed below, while a summary is provided in the following table.

Linking information needs to target audiences


Document and report on:
Audiences

Implementation process
Programs and
services under the
Service Improvement
Initiative
Priorities for
improvement
Responsibilities
Progress toward
schedule
Client feedback
strategy

Outputs
1. Service improvement
plan
2. Actions to improve
service
3. Service standards

Outcomes
1. Performance
against
service standards
2. Client satisfaction
baseline
measures
and client
satisfaction
targets
3. Progress toward
client satisfaction
targets

Service
Improvement Team

(1, 2, 3)

(1, 2, 3)

Program Managers

(1, 2, 3)

(1, 2, 3)

Senior Managers

(1, 2, 3)

(1, 2, 3)

Elected
Representatives

(3)

(1, 2, 3)

(3)

(1, 2, 3)

Clients and Citizens

45

By putting in place the right mechanisms to measure, analyse and disseminate the information to the right audiences,
you will create information based on continuous improvement, where managers can not only use the information to
manage the implementation of their service improvement initiative but use the information for reporting purposes as
well. The more relevant the information is to meeting management needs, the more efficient and effective will be the
reporting on your improvement initiatives. But more than that, managers and employees will be able to determine the
impact of the ultimate goal of the Service Improvement Plan: improving client satisfaction.

MONITOR THE IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS


On a regular basis, the Service Improvement Team will have to update information about the implementation
process, first to plan its own work and second to report to managers on progress and keep the organization
informed about priorities. These information items are:

priorities for improvement identified by clients and agreed upon within the organisation;
responsibilities for implementing each action identified in the Service Improvement Plan;
progress toward the Service Improvement Plan schedule; and
main actions undertaken to implement the client feedback strategy.

MONITOR THE OUTPUTS


Primary outputs include the Service Improvement Plan, the specific actions to improve services, and the creation
of citizen-centred service standards. The Service Improvement Team should track progress in implementing the
actions adopted in the Service Improvement Plan. They will want to make sure that the work has been done, that
implementation difficulties are solved, and that any readjustment required will be recommended.
The Service Improvement Team will also want to ensure that an appropriate monitoring system is in place to
monitor the implementation of the service standards. For each key service delivered to the public, service
standards will have to be shared with staff and clients. The performance objectives demonstrated by these service
standards will also have to be validated by senior management and shared with employees.

MONITOR THE OUTCOMES


The primary outcomes are: a) performance against service standards; b) client satisfaction baseline measures
and targets for increases in client satisfaction; and c) progress toward client satisfaction targets.
When the Service Standards have been established, verification mechanisms need to be identified for each
service standard, as well as the frequency for reporting. A manager should be identified as the person accountable
for the verification and the provision of performance information for each service standard. The Service
Improvement Team will have to make sure that each service standard is monitored and reported.
The Service Improvement Team is also responsible for documenting and consolidating the client satisfaction
baseline measures and for establishing client satisfaction targets in consultation with senior departmental
management. Based upon their baseline measures, each department will have to establish their annual targets
for improved client satisfaction keeping in mind high-level targets. Thus, the Service Improvement Team will need
to report to their management on a regular basis on client satisfaction improvement and on progress toward the

46

annual and the overall client satisfaction target. Using the core questions of the CMT and any other core item that
the organization has decided to focus on, the Service Improvement Team should consider producing a report that
demonstrates achievements in client satisfaction levels by service, delivery channel and/or region in improving
the client satisfaction. By doing this in a consistent manner over time, the organization will be able to build a time
series sequence of its progress like the example shown at the beginning of this section.

ACCOUNTABILITY
Improved client satisfaction with the quality of service provided by public-sector organizations is not the
responsibility of any one person in the organization but rather a collective responsibility. This is true for the broader
scope of government, with accountability shared throughout the organization. Progressively, organizations will be
asked to incorporate in their current accountability frameworks the responsibility for providing good quality of
service and improving client satisfaction.

MONITOR BROADER ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE


Service performance is just the outer skin of an effective organization. Therefore, it can be beneficial to link the
service performance into broader monitoring of overall organizational effectiveness. Systemssuch as ISO, the
Baldrige award criteria, the National Quality Institutes criteria, or professional standardssupport this monitoring.
While the use of one of these is not a requirement, they do provide a structure around which to build a monitoring
program. Search out and consider using one appropriate to your situation.

BENCHMARKING
Benchmarking is the continuous, systematic process of measuring and assessing the products, services and
practices of recognized leaders in the field to determine the extent to which they might be adapted by the
organization to achieve superior performance. Therefore, it is important to have a system to monitor the progress
made by others outside your organization. This will involve keeping up to date on the literature and how similar
agencies or work units are faring in their own transition. What are they doing now? Are new tools being developed?
Excellence, like an Olympic record, is a moving target.

COMMUNICATE RESULTS
Progress must be communicated, as does information on areas that need improvement. Make sure you
communicate regularly:

up the line, so supervisors and central agencies can monitor the organizations progress;
to other agencies, for benchmarking purposes;
to staff;
to clients; and
to elected representatives.

47

Checklist for Step 8


By the end of this step, you should have broken down monitoring into doable pieces, integrated with each other.
You should:
Review each of the steps, reassess your current state, review improvement priorities, review
improvement actions adopted, update standards and targets, and re-plan.
Continue to benchmark and learn.
Oversee the measurement of results in service improvement and client satisfaction,
using both qualitative and quantitative measures.
Communicate the results to staff, managers, elected representatives and clients.
Ensure measurements relate to objectives and performance targets.
Ensure measurements are timely.
Hold yourself and your staff accountablefor both positive and negative results.

See Appendix H
Reporting Guidelines for
Departmental Performance Reports

48

How Do We Make It Happen?

STEP 9

Recognition: Celebrating Success


People need to be recognized when they do a good job. It is not only fair but also eminently practical since
recognition and incentives improve performance.
Many public service organizations have established recognition programs. Existing programs should be reviewed
to ensure that service improvement and client satisfaction measures are used and good client service rewarded. If
you do not already have such a program, you should institute one as part of your service improvement initiative.
Here are some key elements for establishing a new program or reviewing an existing one.

1. WIDELY BASED
It is important that recognition be fair and open to everyone who contributes to improved service. It should be
based on a wide variety of sourcesinformation on who is doing well based upon the achievement of client
satisfaction targets, or which staff are most appreciated by clients and why. Information should be gathered that
shows contributions to the organizations mission and performance for each program, by each work unit, and,
where possible, by each employee.

2. WHICH RESULTS TO REWARD


Decide what results to reward, remembering that it is advisable to have a wide range, from extraordinary
achievement to ordinary accomplishments. Make the recognition appropriate to the achievement.
Employees are the clients of the recognition program. As such, solicit their opinions on what should be rewarded
and whom they think should be recognized.

3. METHODS TO USE TO RECOGNIZE, REWARD AND CELEBRATE


The methods to recognize staff are endless, but tend to fall into five main styles. The most successful recognition
systems adopt a mixture of all five, while keeping the program simple to understand and administer, transparent
and fair.
The styles are:

Interpersonal Recognition
A simple, effective and valued way to recognize staff is to listen to themthrough surveys, in meetings, and
face to face. Acting on what they say enhances that recognition. Dropping in to give praise or sending a
congratulatory e-mail or note can work wonders.

49

Symbolic Recognition
There are many effective, low-cost symbolic ways to show recognition, such as certificates of appreciation,
coupons to the movies or dinner out, or staff appreciation days. Use creativity when developing methods and
ask employees for suggestions.
Financial Rewards
For the most part, policy on major financial rewards is decided centrally. But some modest rewards
may be possible.
Give External Recognition
Many outsiders may help your organization to attain its goals and this contribution should be recognized.
Create opportunities to show your appreciation such as volunteer appreciation nights or plaques to present
to other agencies.
Seek External Recognition
A number of competitive awards are given for good public management. Seek them out.

4. IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAM, WITH ATTENTION TO GOOD MANAGEMENT


It is not uncommon for recognition programs to fall apart once they are created because of poor implementation.
Leadership is critical, and managers must demonstrate their commitment to the program. Ensure the person
responsible for the program is someone who gets things done. Ensure the program is visible, adequately funded
and sustainable, and reaches into all areas of the organization. Also, maintain a balance between recognition of
the big and small successes. Cynicism creeps in if management attention is only paid to big successes.

5. PUBLICIZE THE RESULTS


Results should be shared with your staff and the public. The public is tired of whitewashing and spin doctoring.
But they never seem to tire of good stories. Public recognition is another important way of honouring your staff.

6. CLOSE THE CIRCLE


Once the program is underway, it needs to be reviewed to determine if it is having the desired impact. Celebration
is not the end of the process. Even as the cleaning staff is taking down the last of the decorations from an awards
banquet, the organization needs to recommit to the process of surveying the clients, revising the plan, and
reaching for higher levels of service.
The Commonwealth Association for Public Administration and Management awarded
its 1998 bronze prize for service innovation to the team at Industry Canada who put
together SchoolNet, a project to connect every library and school in Canada to the
Internet. The team celebrated that success and then promptly set the loftier goal of
providing 250,000 connected computers, the equivalent of one per classroom. The
next year, they won the Government in Technology gold medal. Taking pride in their
work, exceeding expectations and celebrating their success while pressing on to
improve their serviceSchoolNet is helping build childrens skills for the knowledge
economy.

50

Checklist for Step 9


In recognition of your organizations achievements, you have a method to recognize and celebrate success
that has, at a minimum, these features:
It is based on solid data, both quantitative and qualitative.
It is client-centred, with your staff as the clients.
It recognizes performance improvement, client satisfaction and target achievement, as well as the
traditional criteria.
It blends financial rewards, interpersonal, symbolic, and external recognition.
Small successes are not overlooked.
Results are shared and made public.
It loops back into steps one through eight, as part of continuous improvement.

51

SUMMARY
The example on the following pages provides a summary of the Service Improvement Planning and
Implementation methodology at work. Each of the above identified steps are important and contribute to overall
success; none can be skipped or glossed over. Although presented as discrete elements, the steps are obviously
interconnected.
For success, leadership from all employees is a must and serves as a base to build a strong service improvement
initiative. This starts with the creation of a Service Improvement Team to assist with the process. This team sets
out to adopt a results-based service improvement planning and implementation approach that answers four key
questions in nine steps in this methodology.
The first question is Where are we now? This is addressed with an internal assessment by identifying the clients,
products, services, partners and stakeholders of the organization. Then, the current state is assessed through the
establishment of a client feedback strategy and the identification of current levels of client and employee
satisfaction, expectations and priorities.
The next question is Where do our clients want us to be? This involves defining the desired future state of the
organization by ensuring the mission statement includes a service vision. Client priorities for improvement are
identified based on client and employee feedback. Client satisfaction targets are then set along with client-driven
service standards.
The next question, How will we get there? is addressed by the design of a service improvement plan that has
action plans to achieve targets, a defined schedule, and resources and responsibilities allocated.
The final question asks How do we make it happen? and involves the implementation of the service
improvement plan, and the monitoring and measuring of progress made while ensuring accountability for
results. This concludes with an employee recognition program that celebrates success.
Each must be revisited as part of a continuous improvement approach, some more frequently than others. For
example, the Service Improvement Plan will be reviewed more frequently than the mission and vision statement.
The task is not easy. But it can be fun. There is joy in achievement. There is also joy in watching clients
satisfaction levels rise. It reassures us of the value of our work and makes the workplace more enjoyablecause
for celebration.
Example of the Service Improvement Planning and Implementation (SIPI)
Methodology at Work
The following example is fictitious and designed for demonstration purposes only. A
Ministry of Agriculture has an information and training program designed to assist
farmers with environmental management of sensitive lands along streams. The
Ministry is not certain how well this program is performing for its clients but some
anecdotal feedback makes them think it could perform better using a structured
service improvement planning process. The Ministry has decided that it would like
to achieve an improvement of 10% in service performance over a three-year period.

52

To begin, the Ministry has decided to create a small team to assist with the
development of a Service Improvement Plan. As the plan will only involve a modest
sized program, the team will be ad hoc rather than dedicated.
Assessment: The team starts with an identification of all the clients, partners and
stakeholders involved in the program. Once started, the team quickly realizes that
the program has a much larger impact than they originally thought. While the
primary clients of the program are farmers, several others are identified, including
one that was previously overlooked: rural property owners who are not farmers but
rent their property out for intensive agriculture. Some internal clients of the
program include the Communications Unit that provides information and brochures
at autumn fair displays. In terms of partners, other government ministries were
identified: Ministry of Environment (water protection, pollution control), Ministry of
Natural Resources (fisheries protection), and local watershed management
authorities. As well, non-governmental organizations are identified as partners,
including farming associations and conservation groups that provide information
and training to their members. Stakeholders include anglers and the local
communitythe latter through the flood control benefits derived from the program.
Current State: The team establishes a client feedback strategy, with comment
cards for clients coming to offices for information, and satisfaction surveys for
clients taking training. When required, focus groups will collect more detailed
information from clients. The improvement initiative focus is on improving the
satisfaction of direct program clients: farmers. To begin, these clients are brought
together for a few focus groups to gather some initial information on the issues.
This is followed by a CMT-based client survey for which, in addition to the core
questions, the team adds a few standard items (notably from the Communications
Unit) and creates a section related specifically to the program (such as questions
specifically on training), using standard CMT metrics. This survey provides a
benchmark to measure progress. The survey reveals an overall satisfaction level of
70%, which leads to a target of 77%, representing a 10% increase in client
satisfaction.
Mission/Vision: In reviewing the mission statement of the branch delivering the
program, the team sees room for improvement. The current mission is To provide
high quality information and training on sustainable agricultural practices to the
farming community. While good, the team and senior management think it best to
tweak the wording to state: To provide high quality information and training on
sustainable agricultural practices to meet the needs of the farming community.
While minor, this ensures the focus is on the needs of the clients and indicates a
culture shift to a citizen-centred organization.
Priorities for Improvement: From the survey, clients clearly identified three
improvement priorities. These deal with the clearness of communication, the
amount of time required to deliver training, and telephone access to the Branch for
program information.
Standards and Targets: The team looks at the data and determines that in order to
achieve a 10% service performance improvement, it will set an annual objective of
2.3% (72.3% in Year 1; 74.6% in Year 2; and 77.0% in Year 3). For service
standards, the team takes the lead from the survey and the Citizens First survey.
53

For in-person service, the clients want service within five minutes; to deal with no
more than two people; and phone calls answered within three rings. The objective
is to achieve these standards 80% of the time.
The Service Improvement Plan: The team then constructs the Service Improvement
Plan. An integrated document, it contains much of the content already developed.
This plan includes statements on the timeframe and scope of the initiative, the
efforts taken to develop the plan, the mission statement of the program, and the
vision of citizen-centred service in the Ministry. From the three priorities identified,
the team draws up the action plan that identifies the needed actions for
improvement, and states the responsibilities, timeframes, results, and how results
will be measured. Several individuals involved in the program are identified with
responsibilities. The improvement plan also states that the results for
implementing the plan will be reported as part of the regular reporting process for
the program, with additional reports made on a quarterly basis for staff and
partners. Management accountability for the improvement plan lies with the
Branch Director, who gives final approval to the plan, and has made the Service
Improvement Plan part of the accountability agreement with her ADM.
Implementation: The team recognizes that the implementation of the improvement
plan is strongly linked to the next stage of monitoring. This includes communication
of the plannot just to staff, but to the partners and stakeholders. The
responsibilities stated in the plan are verified so that everyone is clear on
expectations, why the changes are being made, and what the desired outcome is:
increased client satisfaction. This supports a culture shift to a citizen/client focus.
Management also ensures that changes are made to support the plan, such as
working with Systems to improve the telephone services, and addressing the clarity
of the information in documents. Where needed, staff training is identified and
undertaken. As it exists, the plan is likely not perfect and will require adjustment.
While intended as an annual document, the plan is expected to have periodic
adjustments, especially during early implementation. Implementation is not a oneoff event, but a continuous improvement process.
Monitoring: With implementation underway, the improvement plan is monitored as
part of a continuous improvement process. A monitoring system is put in place as
part of the client feedback strategy that provides timely feedback. In addition,
periodic reviews are undertaken through informal staff networks and periodicals to
see how other jurisdictions are performing on similar programs as part of a
benchmarking exercise. Results are measured and communicated on a regular
basis to staff, clients, the legislature, and the public. Accountability decisions are
then made based on the monitoring. With a short timeframe (three years), the

54

team decides that monitoring and revision will focus only on the Service
Improvement Plan. Longer timeframes might make it appropriate to revisit the
earlier steps and reconfirm the identification of clients and the program mission to
ensure they are still valid.
Rewards and Recognition: After consulting with staff and management, the team
decides to recommend to management that the improvements recognize all staff
involved in the initiative rather than only individuals. They also feel that both
ordinary and extraordinary achievement should be recognized, from completion of
an action item to achievement of the client satisfaction targets, and reflect the
significance of the accomplishments. An annual recognition dinner is also
suggested to recognize the external partners who help deliver the program.

55

GLOSSARY
Baseline data: data captured at the beginning of a process that an organization can compare with the same type
of data collected at the end of the process. This allows organizations to measure differences in performance.
Benchmarking: the action of identifying, comparing, understanding and adapting outstanding practices
found either inside or outside an organization. Benchmarking is based mainly on common measures and
the comparison of obtained results both internally and externally. This information will help the organization to
know where it is in terms of performance and to take action to improve its performance based on a best
practice organization.
Citizens: bearers of rights and duties in a framework of democratic community. There are three dimensions
of citizenship: citizens as clients (the users or recipients of government services), citizens as taxpayers,
and citizens as members of a civic or democratic community, with the rights and obligations such
membership entails.
Client expectations: the assumptions that each client has about the kind of service that will be provided during
a transaction. The expectations are usually related to timeliness, reliability, accessibility, responsiveness and
product quality.
Clients: the category of citizens who are the direct users or recipientssometimes involuntary recipientsof
government services.
Continuous improvement: the ongoing process of assessing performance against desired results and client
feedback, and subsequently making adjustments to improve performance.
External Client: a member of the public who is a direct recipient of public services.
Focus group: a small group of clientsusually between 6 and 12brought together to provide their views
on particular services and products.
Innovation: the implementation of new methods or ideas to improve the quality of service provided. An
innovative approach to providing quality service includes looking beyond traditional methods of doing business.
Internal Client: a public sector employee who receives services directly from fellow government service
providers to, in turn, provide services to their clients.
Partner: organizations who work co-operatively together towards shared or compatible objectives with some
degree of shared authority and responsibility, joint investment of resources, shared risk and mutual benefit.
Quality: the degree of excellence clients perceive, based upon their needs and expectations.
Satisfaction target: the level of satisfaction an organization strategically identifies as a minimum to obtain for a
defined period of time.
Service gap: the difference between what clients expect and what they perceive they received.

56

Service Improvement Plan: based on knowledge of client needs, preferences, expectations and priorities for
improvement, the improvement plan is a management tool used to set activities to meet the service standards
and satisfaction targets set for the organization.
Service Standard: a pledge that a service will be delivered at a defined level. It provides a yardstick against which
services can be measured.
Stakeholder: an individual or organization who receives an indirect social benefit from a public service and who
may be affected by changes in service even though they are not themselves a client.
Target: an objective the organization would like to achieve, usually within a certain timeframe.

57

APPENDIX

Service Improvement Assessment Grid

58

APPENDIX

Client Feedback Strategy


Continuous Feedback Strategysample
Data required

Method

Frequency

Responsibility

Citizen expectations
and needs

Focus groups

Annually

Director, Strategic
Planning

Client satisfaction

Exit survey
Postal survey

Continuous
Annually

Front line staff


Director, Client Services

Client priorities
for improvement

Exit survey
Postal survey

Continuous
Annually

Front line staff


Director, Client Services

Client complaints

Complaint
management system

Semi-annually

Director, Client Services

Short electronic
employee survey

Semi-annually

Director,
Human Resources

Quality circle meeting

Bi-monthly

Employee satisfaction
Employee ideas for
improvement

Director,
Client Services

59

APPENDIX

Client Feedback Tools


Focus Groups
A focus group is a small group, usually between six and twelve people, brought together to provide views on
particular services and products in a consensus-building discussion. These groups stimulate discussions on
specific topics, and are useful for gathering balanced and detailed input from a variety of clients with different
perspectives. Focus groups encourage innovative thinking and consensus building around a specific product,
service or service delivery process. A discussion guide often helps to direct the group. The guide focuses the
discussion on specific topics to ensure the information required is obtained.
Within a service improvement initiative, focus groups can be used in the assessment process to identify what is
important for the client in terms of service and what could be a good service in terms of standards. Focus groups
could also be used in the middle of the process to identify solutions or actions to undertake to improve service or
to better understand what is the meaning of specific comments provided by the clients in a survey or on a
comment card.
Tips on conducting successful client focus groups:

60

Small focus groups (between six and ten participants, including moderator) are generally more successful
than larger groups.
The recruitment process should ensure the group is representative of the whole target group.
The goal is to reach a consensus among group members.
A moderator is needed to lead the discussion group. This person should ensure that all relevant topics are
covered, everyone has the opportunity to voice their opinions, and the results of the session are recorded.
Outline the general purpose and overall approach for the discussion to all participants at the start of the
discussion meeting.
Each person should be encouraged to actively participate in the discussion and voice their opinions.
Some topics can be facilitated through graphics, flip charts, video, etc.
Refreshments could be provided.

Common Measurements Tool


The Common Measurements Tool (CMT) provides public organizations with a set of standard questions and
standard measurement scales for use in surveying their client. It must be stressed that it is a tool, not a ready-touse client satisfaction survey. Rather, it is a comprehensive collection of potential survey questions that an
organization may select from, to custom design a client satisfaction survey that meets their information
requirements. Organizations are encouraged to select those sections that are most appropriate to their services
and clients. The use of standard questions allows the organization to benchmark progress on its service
improvement journey over time and, since questions are standard, organizations can compare results with other
organizations within the same business line. To ensure this ability to benchmark performance, several core
questions will be required for inclusion in all surveys. These are presented on the following page.
Also, the CMT is a client satisfaction survey, not a citizen survey. A client survey deals with questions about
service delivery at an operational level and on the specifics of the service delivery experience, such as the time
required to deliver service, whether staff were courteous, and accessibility of the service. In contrast, a citizen
survey addresses issues indirectly related to the delivery of services, such as the service delivery mechanisms
and structures.
Designed to provide client feedback to any public organization and ensure that all aspects of client service are
considered, the CMT is conceived around five key elements: client expectations, perceptions of the service
experience, satisfaction levels, levels of importance, and priorities for service improvements. These are the basis
for the types of questions asked in the CMT, which is arranged around five dimensions of service delivery:
responsiveness, reliability, access and facilities, communications, and cost (where applicable).
With a focus on these five elements, the organization is able to know the degree of client satisfaction on various
aspects of service delivery, and what clients consider important in service delivery. When the priorities for
improvement are considered and the expectations known, the organization can then focus efforts that will best
serve to close the service gap in meeting the needs, expectations and priorities of clients.
Comprehensive information on the five key service delivery elements provides a solid foundation on which to
base decision making, such as the areas to focus improvement efforts and resource allocation. It may also help in
the management of client expectations, if those expectations are unrealistic or achievable, through better
communication with clients.

Further Information
For more information on the CMT, including the questions contained in the tool, please consult:
The Institute for Citizen-Centred Service(ICCS), 2003. Common Measurements Tool: CMT User Manual.
Web site: http://www.iccs-isac.org

61

CMT Core Questions


Drivers & Outcome Measures

Question

Response Scale

Service Delivery Channels

Timeliness

Overall, how satisfied were


you with the amount of time
it took to get the service?

1 - Very Dissatisfied
2
3
4
5 - Very Satisfied
N/A - Not Applicable

Telephone
In-person
Web
Mail
Email

Accessibility

Overall, how satisfied were you with


the accessibility of the
service/product?

1 - Very Dissatisfied
2
3
4
5 - Very Satisfied
N/A - Not Applicable

Telephone
In-person
Web
Mail
Email

Overall
Satisfaction

How satisfied were you with


the overall quality of the
service delivery?

1 - Very Dissatisfied
2
3
4
5 - Very Satisfied
N/A - Not Applicable

Telephone
In-person
Web
Mail
Email

Fairness

I was treated fairly

Agreement
1 - Strongly Disagree
2
3
4
5 - Strongly Agree
N/A - Not Applicable

Importance
1 - Not at all important
2
3
4
5 - Very Important
N/A - Not Applicable

Telephone
In-person
Web
Mail
Email

Information

I was informed of everything


I had to do to get the
service/product

Agreement
1 - Strongly Disagree
2
3
4
5 - Strongly Agree
N/A - Not Applicable

Importance
1 - Not at all important
2
3
4
5 - Very Important
N/A - Not Applicable

Telephone
In-person
Web
Mail
Email

Extra Mile

Staff went the extra mile to


make sure I got what I
needed

Agreement
1 - Strongly Disagree
2
3
4
5 - Strongly Agree
N/A - Not Applicable

Importance
1 - Not at all important
2
3
4
5 - Very Important
N/A - Not Applicable

Telephone
In-person
Web
Mail
Email

Staff were knowledgeable and


competent

Agreement
1 - Strongly Disagree
2
3
4
5 - Strongly Agree
N/A - Not Applicable

Importance
1 - Not at all important
2
3
4
5 - Very Important
N/A - Not Applicable

Telephone
In-person
Web
Mail
Email

SATISFACTION

PERFORMANCE

Competence

* Questions about service staff will not be relevant in many surveys of Internet services, however they may be
relevant when the service involves new technologies such as Voice over Internet Protocol.
62

Access

I was able to get through to


an agent without difficulty

Agreement
1 - Strongly Disagree
2
3
4
5 - Strongly Agree
N/A - Not Applicable

Importance
1 - Not at all important
2
3
4
5 - Very Important
N/A - Not Applicable

Telephone
In-person
Web
Mail
Email

Waiting Time

I waited a reasonable amount


of time at the service location

Agreement
1 - Strongly Disagree
2
3
4
5 - Strongly Agree
N/A - Not Applicable

Importance
1 - Not at all important
2
3
4
5 - Very Important
N/A - Not Applicable

Telephone
In-person
Web
Mail
Email

Navigation

It was easy to find what I was


looking for

Agreement
1 - Strongly Disagree
2
3
4
5 - Strongly Agree
N/A - Not Applicable

Importance
1 - Not at all important
2
3
4
5 - Very Important
N/A - Not Applicable

Telephone
In-person
Web
Mail
Email

Appeal

The site is visually appealing

Agreement
1 - Strongly Disagree
2
3
4
5 - Strongly Agree
N/A - Not Applicable

Importance
1 - Not at all important
2
3
4
5 - Very Important
N/A - Not Applicable

Telephone
In-person
Web
Mail
Email

Information

The site had the information


I needed

Agreement
1 - Strongly Disagree
2
3
4
5 - Strongly Agree
N/A - Not Applicable

Importance
1 - Not at all important
2
3
4
5 - Very Important
N/A - Not Applicable

Telephone
In-person
Web
Mail
Email

Privacy

I feel confident that my


privacy is fully protected on
this site (OR: when I
communicate by email with
[agency].)

Agreement
1 - Strongly Disagree
2
3
4
5 - Strongly Agree
N/A - Not Applicable

Importance
1 - Not at all important
2
3
4
5 - Very Important
N/A - Not Applicable

Telephone
In-person
Web
Mail
Email

In the end, did you get what


you needed?

__ Yes
__ No
__ I got part of what I needed

OUTCOME
Outcome

Telephone
In-person
Web
Mail
Email

63

Comment Cards

In addition to surveys, comment cards are a common method to gather feedback from clients. Both tools provide
some of the same information, but each is intended for a specific purpose. A survey is intended to gather
information that can be analyzed and results benchmarked over time. The process uses a methodology that
ensures that the results are representative and statistically valid. This allows the organization to know with a
degree of certainty the extent to which service improvement efforts have impacted customer satisfaction, and to
make strategic decisions based on the information.
Comment cards only provide broad opinions, which are often valid, but which cannot be used to track changes. As
they do not follow a rigorous methodology, they are not considered statistically valid or representative of the client
base. Since anyone can complete a comment card, in many cases they are only completed after a negative
experience and have been referred to as complaint cards. The primary purpose of the comment card is to
provide information to staff quickly to so that operational problems can be corrected as soon as possible, notably
on the key drivers of service (e.g. timeliness, staff courtesy, staff competence, quality of information, fairness, and
outcome of the service). In addition, comment cards emphasize open-ended questions for broader comments on
the service experience. Comment cards, as such, serve to supplement rather than replace a customer satisfaction
survey. A generic comment card can be found on the following page.

64

65

Your personal information will be


protected by privacy legislation

APPENDIX

Employee Surveys
Purpose of an employee survey
Organizations may conduct employee surveys as part of their service improvement initiative for a number of
reasons. Employee involvement, commitment and participation are key elements of any organization that would
like to improve service for citizens. Management needs the opinions of the work force to identify areas for
improvement and should, therefore, provide regular opportunities for employees to participate in the decisionmaking process.
A well-handled employee survey can catalyze or enhance communication, partnerships with employees, and
motivation. Morale, productivity, commitment and organizational vitality can be substantially improved by
listening to and acting on employee suggestions.
Employee surveys can:
allow an organization to tap employees as a resource to focus on areas within the organization that can
be improved. Survey data can identify the highest-priority elements of the organizations service
improvement initiative;
establish baseline data for an organization in terms of the degree to which it meets the criteria of a
quality service organization. From this baseline data, the organization can measure progress made in
implementing or improving its quality service initiative. The baseline data could also help organizations
identify, understand and adapt current outstanding practices that will provide the basis for further
improving performance;
obtain input from employees, thereby encouraging participation in the change process and fostering
buy-in;
identify training and learning needs to support the service improvement initiative, and
gather perceptions on other key elements of a service improvement initiative, such as leadership and
recognition programs.

66

Success criteria
To ensure the quality and the validity of the survey some methodological and strategic decisions will be required
to:
determine whether to use the whole employee group or a representative sample;
involve staff representatives in the first step of the process;
control the size of the questionnaire by focussing on what is really important;
design a comprehensive questionnaire ensuring that employees understand the meaning of each
question and are able to answer it in preliminary test;
dedicate adequate resources and time;
clearly communicating the survey purpose and its link with the organizational mandate;
use management representatives to send the survey, and raise the importance of this consultation by
ongoing communications;
send a reminder memo in order to increase the participation rate;
ensure confidentiality and anonymity to participants;
ensure independence of the process in delicate situations by using external resources;
integrate staff satisfaction in organizational performance indicators;
use appropriate resources and mechanisms to conduct statistical analysis;
act on results.
As part of the survey process, the organization should determine if the survey met its stated objectives. The
organization might assess success against the following criteria:
the employee participation rate;
the extent to which the survey assisted in the design of the service improvement initiative;
the extent to which the data helped measure progress in defined areas;
the extent to which the survey data was integrated with other service improvement data to design or
improve service delivery;
the extent to which follow-up surveys are used to measure progress in service delivery; and
the extent to which feedback loops were built into the survey to give employees information on survey
results and on actions deemed necessary by those results.

67

Content of an employee survey


An employee survey should focus on satisfaction and priorities for improvement in five areas:
Communication
Management behaviours
Human resources management and development
Teamwork, staff relations and work facilities
Service delivery

Further Information
For more information on employee surveys, please consult:
Canada. Statistics Canada, 1992. Guide to Conducting an Employee Opinion Survey in the Federal Public Service.
Special Surveys Group, Statistics Canada.
Canada. Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, 1999, Public Service Employee Survey.
Canada. Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, 1995. Quality Service Guide VI: Employee Surveys.
Edwards, J. E., M. D. Thomas, P. Rosenfeld, and S. Booth-Kewley, 1996. How to Conduct Organizational Surveys: A
Step-by-Step Guide. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications.
Harwood, Paul L, 1998. Employee Surveys in the Public Service: Experience and Success Factors.
Ottawa: Canadian Centre for Management Development.

68

The description of the Service Improvement Matrix is taken from Listening to Customers:
An Introduction prepared by S.A. Woodhouse et al. for the Service Quality B.C. Secretariat,
Government of British Columbia, 1993.

APPENDIX

Setting Priorities
The Satisfaction/Importance Matrix7
As noted in Step 4: Setting Improvement Priorities, one way to determine priorities for service improvement is
to create a service improvement matrix. This allows decision makers to visualize potential areas for service
improvement based on client survey responses by plotting client satisfaction and the importance of each
service element.
By plotting the two ratings on a two-dimensional grid, it can be quickly determined which improvements are both
necessary (low satisfaction ratings) and important for clients (high importance ratings). The location of each service
element plotted isolates those that are service improvement priorities (see the legend on the following page).
The following data illustrates the use of the matrix, based on the five-point scale of the CMT.

a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

Dimension of Service
Hours of service
Comfort of waiting area
Waiting times
Parking
Staff courtesy

Satisfaction
1
2
2
5
4

Importance
3
4
2
2
5

The Service Improvement Matrix

69

The Four Quadrants of the Matrix


Priorities for Improvement. Service elements here have low satisfaction levels, but
are the service dimensions which are also the most important to clients. These are
the service elements that require immediate attention.
Strengths. This contains those service elements that the client considers important
and that have a high level of satisfaction. No improvement is required on these
elements.
Redeployment? Elements in this quadrant have high satisfaction levels but are
not important to clients. No improvement is required to these service elements, or
the opportunity may exist to reallocate resources in support of other improvement
priorities.
Opportunities. Clients have low levels of satisfaction with these elements but they
are also not important. Improvements on these elements are not a priority at the
moment.
Note: By moving the crossed centre-lines of the matrix (up-down, left-right), the selection of
improvement priorities can be adjusted. The example on the previous page reflects such
an adjustment.

Based on the data in this example (which uses an adjusted centre line), Hours of Service and Waiting Times
emerge as improvement priorities.
When designing your questionnaires and testing them with focus groups, be sure to verify that you will get data
to construct a service improvement matrix. As well, several priorities will likely emerge, or priorities identified
only by a minority of respondents may be squeezed out of the Priorities for Improvement quadrant. It is
essential that the importance ratings be supported by a question that asks respondents to identify their top
priorities for improvement.

70

APPENDIX

Setting Service Standards and Performance Objectives


How to Set Service Standards
What Citizens Have Said
What are citizen expectations for the speed of service in various delivery channels? The 2003 Citizens First 3
survey documents citizen expectations for service standards in the area of telephone service, counter service,
mail service, e-mail, and referrals.

Telephones: 84% of respondents feel that a thirty second wait on the telephone is acceptable; 68% of
respondents believe that a wait of one minute or more for a government representative is unacceptable.
Referrals: 82% of respondents find it acceptable to deal with two people in order to get the service; 89%
find it unacceptable to deal with more than two people.
Waiting in Line: 85% of respondents believe that waiting in line at a counter for two minutes is acceptable
service; 89% of respondents believe that a wait of fifteen minutes or more in a government line is
unacceptable.
Postal Service: 75% of respondents feel a two week wait is an acceptable time to allow for a mailed reply;
96% find more than three weeks is unacceptable.
E-mail: 66% of respondents believe that an e-mail message should be returned within one day; 98%
consider a reply within two days unacceptable.

Elements of Service Standards


1. Description of the service provided and, where applicable, benefits clients are entitled to receive.
2. Service quality pledges or principles that describe the quality of service delivery clients can expect to receive.
3. Performance objectives for key service aspects such as timeliness, access, and accuracy of delivery.
4. Cost of delivering the service.
5. Clear complaint and redress mechanisms for clients when they feel standards have not been met.

71

Service Standard Principles

Widespread and equitable. Service standards should have a wide application across an organization, with
the same standards applied to clients using the same services in different locations.
Meaningful to individuals. Standards should be meaningful to the people using the service, relate to
those service aspects the clients feel are important, and be expressed in terms the client can easily
understand.
Based on consultation. Service standards should be developed in consultation with clients.
Attainable yet challenging. Standards should be realistic, based on analysis, consistent with program
objectives, and achievable while at the same time providing a challenge to the service providers.
Affordable. Standards should take account of user charges, if applicable, and be attainable within available
resources.
Owned by managers and employees. Service standards are an essential management tool in service
delivery. The managers and employees are responsible for taking ownership of them and setting and using
service standards to continually improve the cost-effectiveness of service delivery.
Published. Service standards should be published and made known to clients.
Performance measured and reported. Performance achievements should be monitored against the
standards and client satisfaction with the service provided, with results reported to clients.
Reviewed and updated. Standards should be regularly reviewed and adjusted to reflect new
circumstances.

Steps in Developing Service Standards

72

Know your business. Identify clients (direct and indirect), services, and partners; define current activities;
know what is affordable (what does it cost to deliver your services?).
Consult with clients and staff. What are the most important features of the service you provide? What are
the clients satisfaction levels with the service? What changes do clients want or need? What are client
expectations? What are your responsibilities? Outline reciprocal responsibilities and roles.
Set client-sensitive service standards. Establish standards which are easily understood byand
important forclients. Consider piloting a standard on a small scale, and provide cost projections when
appropriate and reasonable. Fine-tune the standard.
Empower and train service providers. Train and equip staff to help clients and let staff know what is
expected of them. Empower front-line staff to make decisions. Train managers and supervisors in
leadership and motivation.
Communicate service standards and report on performance. Advise staff and clients of service
standards. Report on the performance achieved versus the standards; report on clients satisfaction level
with this service.
Implement service standards and manage service quality. Measure your performance against your
standards. Strive for continuous improvement. Develop a Service Improvement Plan.

Further Information
For more information on service standards in the Government of Canada, please consult:
Canada. Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, 1995. Quality Service Guide VII: Service Standards. Ottawa:
Minister of Supply and Services Canada. Available on the Internet at:
http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/Pubs_pol/opepubs/TB_O/siglist_e.html
Canada. Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, 1996. Service Standards: A Guide to the Initiative. Ottawa:
Minister of Supply and Services Canada. Available on the Internet at:
http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/Pubs_pol/opepubs/TB_D3/GUID_e.html
Canada. Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, 1996. An Overview of Quality and Affordable Service for
Canadians: Establishing Service Standards in the Federal Government. Quality and Affordable Services for
Canadians: Establishing Service Standards in the Federal Government (An Overview). Ottawa: Minister of Supply
and Services Canada. Available on the Internet at:
http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/Pubs_pol/opepubs/TB_D3/OQUA_e.html

73

74

APPENDIX

Service Improvement Plan Template


The following pages present several options that organizations may wish to consider in the creation of their
Service Improvement Plans.

Purpose
The Service Improvement Plan isin essencea comprehensive summary document that captures the
information collected and synthesized in Step 1 to Step 5 and presents it in a concise manner. It will identify the
clients, partners and stakeholders of the organization, and state the mission statement of the organization that
includes a service vision to provide focus to serve as a reminder of the mission when drafting the plan. It will
identify the client feedback mechanisms used and identify the current levels of client and employee satisfaction,
expectations, and priorities. From this, it will identify the priorities that clients have identified for service
improvement, and lead to the setting of satisfaction improvement targets and client-driven service standards. The
improvement plan then states actions to achieve the targets, defines the schedule, and allocates resources and
responsibilities for improvements. It is also forward-looking to the later steps by identifying how progress will be
measured for each target.

Suggested Approach
The examples found on the following pages are examples only. They are not intended to represent the definitive
ways to structure a Service Improvement Plan, but to serve as suggestions for organizations, from the work unit
level up to the department, or agency-wide basis, for what such a plan might look like.
The examples are presented in a variety of formats, but generally all contain the same basic information
elements. Remember, the Service Improvement Plan is designed primarily to serve the internal needs of the
organization to structure and plan actions for improvements. As such, the structure of the plan should reflect the
needs of the organization so that is understandable by management and staff. A secondary consideration will be
any information needed for reporting purposes. In these cases, the organization may wish to use the same format
in the plan as it will use in the reporting process to simplify report preparation.

75

76

77

78

79

APPENDIX

References and Bibliography


References
p. 3, Erin Research Inc., 1998, Citizens First. Ottawa: Canadian Centre for Management Development.
p. 10, P. Harkins, 1999. Powerful Conversations. New York: McGraw-Hill, p. 22-23.
p. 13, K. Albrecht, 1993. Anne-Marie Goes to the Bank from The Only Thing That Matters, by K. Albrecht.
New York: Harper Business, p. 3-6.
Bibliography
These are suggested additional sources that the group working on preparing this guide have found useful.
Resources will be kept updated on the Institute for Citizen-Centred Service Web site (http://www.iccs-isac.org). Please let us
know of any additional resources that you have found especially useful.
LEADERSHIP
Kotter, J.P., 1996. Leading Change. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
Ingstrup, O. and P. Crookall, 1998. The Three Pillars of Public Management. Montreal: McGill-Queens University Press.
INTERNAL ASSESSMENT
Whiteley, R.C., 1997. The Customer Driven Company: moving from talk to action. Reading, Massachusetts: Addison Wesley.
ASSESSING THE CURRENT STATE
Edmunds, H., 1999. The Focus Group Research Handbook. Lincolnwood, Illinois: NTC/Contemporary Publishing.
PRIORITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT
Thor, C.G., 1998. Designing Feedback. Menlo, California: Crisp Management Library.
SETTING STANDARDS AND TARGETS
Keehley, P. et al., 1997. Benchmarking for Best Practices in the Public Sector. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
RECOGNITION
Nelson, B., 1994. 1001 Ways to Reward Employees. New York: Workman Publishing.

80

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
R.A. Malatest & Associates Ltd., 2002. Clients Speak: A Report on Single-Window Government
Services in Canada. The Public Sector Service Delivery Council & The Institute of Public
Administration of Canada.
George Spears & Kasia Seydegart, 2001. Citizens First 2000. Erin Research Inc. for the Public
Sector Service Delivery Council & The Institute of Public Administration of Canada.
George Spears, Kasia Seydegart, & Faye Schmidt, 2003. Citizens First 3. Erin Research for The
Institute for Citizen Centred Service & The Institute of Public Administration of Canada.
Phase 5, Spring 2004. Taking Care of Business. Phase 5 for The Institute of Public
Administration of Canada.

81

You might also like