Quality Service Charters in Malta: An Overview Presentation to the Innovative Public Services Group Charles Polidano Director, Strategy and Planning Office of the Prime Minister, Malta 25 April 2006

Three interlinked initiatives Quality Service Charters proper (1999 to date) Customer Care System (electronic portal for queries and complaints – 2001 to date) Common Service Standards (2006)

1. Quality Service Charters Launched 1999 to: set and publicise service standards in the delivery of public services deliver tangible results after years of Public Service reform Identification of charter sites at first centrally, later on the initiative of line departments Charters launched covering individual services or offices

Launching charters Charter development preceded by consultation of staff, external clients (workshops, questionnaires) Extensive changes (renovation of premises, revision of procedures) often took place as a result Charter represented both the dept’s commitment and an award by the centre

Results 64 charters launched to date (as compared to roughly the same number of ministries and departments) Genuine improvements made in the quality of service delivery

Difficulties encountered Staff turnover in chartered offices Limited central capacity to audit and enforce charter standards Insufficiently direct link between performance and rewards Charters varied in significance Scheme currently being rethought

2. Customer Care System Electronic transmission mechanism for public queries, requests, complaints covering central and local government Seamless system – government-wide one-stop shop Two avenues of contact: local council offices (every town and village) Internet portal – www.servizz.gov.mt Launched 2001

How it works Queries received by: Local council staff Central clearing house Automatically redirected to appropriate body depending on subject categorisation System backed by 160-strong network of operators

Results and issues 2005: nearly 52,000 queries of which: 40% concern central government 60% concern local councils Over 90% of all queries received through local councils Around 60% of requests answered within 10-day target limit Problem of staff turnover (being addressed through on-the-spot training of replacements)

3. Common service standards Newly launched government-wide service standards covering: Response times for correspondence by post and e-mail Handling of phone calls Waiting times To be brought into effect by September 2006

Issues Common standards will supersede some charters Departments face different challenges in meeting the standards Efforts to develop an effective link between adherence to standards and performance assessment