ARCHIVED - Literature Review on Service Standards

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5.0 Metrics - Issues/Hurdles/Barriers Related To Monitoring And Measuring Service Standards

Service standard metrics will generally be of two forms. Either input is overtly generated through requests for information from clients and employees or information is gathered without knowledge of those involved. The first form of metrics includes client feedback forms, complaint forms, non-solicited suggestions, employee feedback forms, consultation groups (client or employee), and client surveys (mail/e-mail, internet, phone/fax or in person). The second form of metrics can include techniques such as the mystery shopper approach employed in the OPS survey. In this case, questions are prepared and a group randomly contacts the department to record the various service aspects of the encounter. This form of metric may also include such measures as silent monitoring and peer review.

In Achieving Common Service Standards^[43], three aspects are deemed integral to achieving good service:

• "Measure OPS performance on a regular basis
• Ensure that measures are consistent across ministries
• Report results in a quantitative manner"

The report details reporting procedures to help ensure greater consistency:

Reporting requirements for all Common Service Standards Ministries should: Measure their own performance on a quarterly basis and report results to the OPS Restructuring Secretariat and involved staff. Report performance numerically - in numbers and percentages of calls or pieces of correspondence or other measures that meet and not meet standards. Submit reports in electronic format Cabinet Office should: Ensure that all ministries use the same definitions and measures for collecting compliance data and reporting results. Define a common spreadsheet format, in consultation with the ministries, for reporting results. Conduct regular external validations to ensure accuracy and consistency across ministries, providing the OPS with annual feedback and measuring progress against the 1999 baseline.

The TBS How-to Guide also includes tools that may help create metrics specific to any business line. Appendix C details what is involved in developing a successful focus group and how a focus group may be most effectively used, as well as referencing and materials to consult should more information be required.

Appendix C also introduces the Common Measurements Tool (CMT) database. This database, maintained by TBS is a collection of client survey questions that may be used by different business lines. There are core questions to be used by all business lines, other questions may be selected by the business line based on appropriateness. The CMT is especially useful in that its consistency allows for extensive benchmarking, within the business line over time, as well as between different business lines. This is one of the areas where the Auditor General of Canada reported there has not been enough use of measuring and benchmarking^[44].

An example of business line specific surveys can be found in the TBS report for Corporate Services Branch^[45]. This report details how the Service Improvement Initiative may be applied to a specific business line. Annex E shows how questions from the CMT may be tailored to create a client survey touching on issues specific to a business line.

Appendix C of the How-to Guide also examines the use of comment cards. The Guide gives an example of a comment card to be used as a guide to help develop a business line specific card. As comment cards are often used as complaint cards, their use should be supplemented by other types of data, such as focus groups and client surveys.

Appendix D of the How-to Guide describes the creation of an employee survey. The employee survey is helpful in two ways. Employees are on the frontline of client service. They can identify issues that may be developing within the business line. Their input can identify areas in need of improvement. Also, consultation with employees if well handled and acted on, will improve communication, partnership, and motivation. This can increase morale, productivity, commitment, and organizational validity. The appendix details factors to consider when designing employee survey forms.

The second type of metric is best demonstrated in the Reports for the OPS Common Service Standards. They applied the mystery "shopper approach". A series of interactions (questions, information requests, comments, and complaints) were developed. These interactions were than presented to the ministries using the various points of access (in person, e-mail, telephone, mail). Then, each of the encounters was measured against the Common Service Standards.

The main theme of each of the approaches is continuity. It is necessary to maintain a consistent measuring system to measure change over time. However, measurement tools should be monitored as well. It is important to ensure that the appropriate aspect of client service is being measured.

The ACA^[46] article and the Carr-Gordon/Erin Research report^[47] also point out the importance of developing metrics to deal with processes in place within a department, which reinforces the idea of focusing on the internal client. If internal mechanisms are not monitored, it will be more difficult to implement plans for service improvement.

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