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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 to parliament. In addition, related topics such as aligning service improvement reporting into departmental or agency organisational performance efforts, as well as benchmarking activities are also discussed. Accountability and communication activities associated with the Service Improvement Initiative are also outlined.

Ongoing Client Satisfaction – Monitoring 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 should allow the organization to clearly demonstrate its progress in meeting its client satisfaction targets at regular intervals. An example of such reporting is the results of the Canada Economic Development Agency's client feedback strategy, which demonstrates the agency's annual progress in client satisfaction levels for its main program IDEA-SME.

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 the 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 departmental Service Improvement Team, program managers involved in implementing service improvement, and departmental senior management. As well, the information needs of outside audiences, such as the Office of the Auditor General, Parliament, 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 being accountable. Monitoring means 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 one:
Audiences	Implementation process	Outputs	Outcomes
	Programs and services under SII Priorities for improvement Responsi-bilities Progress toward schedule Client feedback strategy	Service improvement plan Actions to improve service Service standards	Performance against service standards Client satisfaction baseline measures and client satisfaction targets Progress toward client satisfaction targets
Departmental Service Improvement Team		(1 to 3)	(1 to 3)
Departmental program managers		(1 to 3)	(1 to 3)
Departmental senior managers		(1 to 3)	(1 to 3)
Parliamen- tarians		(3)	(1 to 3)
Auditor General		(1 to 3)	(1 to 3)
Clients and Citizens		(3)	(1 to 3)

By putting in place the right mechanisms to measure, analyse and disseminate the information to the right audiences, you will contribute to create information based on continuos 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 Departmental Service Improvement Team will have to update information about the implementation process of the Service Improvement Initiative. First to plan its own work and second to report to managers on the progress and keep the organization informed about the priorities. These information items are:

• Programs and activities targeted and covered by the Service Improvement Initiative within your department or agency;

• Priorities for improvement identified by clients and agreed upon within the organisation;

• Responsibilities for implementing the Service Improvement Initiative and each action identified in the Service Improvement Plan;

• Progress toward the Service Improvement Plan schedule;

• Main actions undertaken to implement the client feedback strategy.

Monitor the Outputs

Primary outputs for the Service Improvement Initiative include: the Service Improvement Plan, the specific actions to improve services, and the creation of citizen-centred service standards. The Departmental 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 Departmental Service Improvement Team will also want to assure 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 for the Service Improvement Initiative 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 Departmental Service Improvement Team will have to make sure that each service standard is monitored and reported.

The Departmental Service Improvement Team is also responsible for documenting and consolidating the client satisfaction baseline measures and to establish 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 the overall commitment to achieve a minimum 10% increase in client satisfaction with government services by the year 2004-05. Thus, the department Service Improvement Team will need to report to their management on a regular basis on client satisfaction improvement and on progress toward the annual and the overall client satisfaction target. Using the core questions of the CMT and any other core item that the organization have decided to focus on, the departmental 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 overtime, the organization will be able to build a time series sequence of its progress such as the example shown at the beginning of this section.

Reporting to Parliament

The work done by the departmental Service Improvement Team to set-up monitoring mechanisms and to consolidate information to meet managers needs will also be extremely useful to produce the annual report to Parliament as well as meet the information needs of other organizations such as the Office of the Auditor General as well as meet the information needs of client and citizens generally.

The Policy Framework for Service Improvement approved by Treasury Board in March, 2000 commits departments to report within their Department Performance Report to Parliament the following:

1. Service standards for all key public services;
   
2. Performance against service standards;
   
3. Annual improvements in client satisfaction; and,
   
4. Progress toward client satisfaction targets.
   

Within this report, departments and organisations should also take the opportunity to report on their service improvement story including: the programs and business lines covered by a Service Improvement Plan and, their main achievements in improving service from a citizen-centred perspective.

The Guidelines for the Preparation of Department Performance Reports, which can be found at the TBS Web site, describes the current reporting requirements for the Service Improvement Initiative. A more detailed description, with suggestions on formatting this information is contained in Appendix A of this How-to Guide. The templates presented in the appendix may also be useful for structuring your internal information needs.

Accountability

Improved client satisfaction with the quality of service provided by government departments and agencies 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 from "Clerk to clerk" – from the Clerk of the Privy Council to the clerk in the local government office. 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 organisational effectiveness. Systems – such as ISO, the Baldrige award criteria, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat/National Quality Institute's criteria, or professional standards – support 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 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 organization's progress;

• to other agencies, for benchmarking purposes;

• to staff;

• to clients;

• to Parliament, in the annual Departmental Performance Report.

Checklist for Step 8

By the end of this step, you should have broken down monitoring into do-able 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 of both service improvement and client satisfaction, using both qualitative and quantitative measures.

• Communicate the results to staff, managers, Parliamentarians and Clients.

• Ensure measurements relate to objectives and performance targets.

• Ensure measurements are timely.

• Hold yourself and your staff accountable – for both positive and negative results.

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