Australia's National Local Government Newspaper Online

Improving government service*

The Commonwealth Government is committed to improving the quality of customer service provided by its Departments, agencies and enterprises, while at the same time ensuring public funds are spent in the most efficient way.

Two key parts of the strategy to do this are 'The Quality in Customer Service Package' and the Government's decision to introduce Service Charters for government bodies that deal with the public.

Produced for the Commonwealth Government's Management Advisory Board by the Commonwealth Department of Industry, Science and Tourism and the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO), 'The Quality in Customer Service Package' identifies excellence and best practice in the Australian Public Service.

It also recommends how best to promote quality from a customer service perspective. The package was released in November 1997 and contains the following three publications and a poster.

• Report - Quality in Customer Service in the Australian Public Service - containing the results of an evaluation of the APS and a number of recommendations for improving customer service. The evaluation was carried out through a series of questionnaires and focus groups directed towards APS staff and staff and individual interviews with Secretaries of Departments.
• The Better Practice Guide to Quality in Customer Service - examining the best practice principles developed by the ANAO and includes a number of case studies.
• Toolkit - Quality in Customer Service - containing a series of practical training instruments designed to assist middle management train staff in customer service and to bring about a cultural change in an organisation's approach to customer service.
• Poster - Quality in Customer Service - listing the five best practice principles for customer service.

"This package can also assist Councils to become more customer focused, providing examples of best practice for both public and private sector organisations," said Carolyn Jenkins, Manager Service Charters Unit, Department of Industry, Science and Tourism.

"All Australians have the right to expect world class best practice in public sector service provision - this set of publications significantly advances this objective.

"The package complements the Government's decision in March 1997 to introduce Service Charters. Charters are greatly enhancing customer focus by driving cultural change in government agencies."

A Service Charter is a simple and short plain language document which sets out the quality of service standards customers can expect from an organisation. Charters provide avenues for customers to be involved in the setting of service standards and providing feedback on how well an organisation is meeting those standards.

Service Charters, in conjunction with the practicalities of achieving excellence in customer service, set out in 'The Quality in Customer Service Package', will greatly strengthen the provision of good customer service to members of the Australian public. 'The Quality in Customer Service Package' is competitively priced at $49.99 and is available from Australian Government Info Shops or by telephoning 132 447 (Cat. No. 98 0187 7).

The Commonwealth Government has produced two other publications which may interest Local Governments, 'The Guidelines for Developing a Service Charter' and 'Principles for Developing a Service Charter'. These are available free of charger by calling Janis Collings on (02) 6213 6088.

For more information on customer service issues and Service Charters, contact Carolyn Jenkins, telephone (02) 6213 6142 or see the Charters website at http://www.dist.gov.au/consumer/charters/index.html

*Copy supplied by Department of Industry, Science and Tourism.

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