Specific Initiatives for 2016-2018
The expectations of a modern, digital society have completely transformed the way information and services are provided and consumed. The way in which public services are set up to interact with customers has not always sufficiently kept pace with those expectations. Digital technology undoubtedly holds the potential to both improve the efficiency of our daily activities whilst also simplifying our customers’ experience of public services. Significant investment, from both a financial and human resources perspective, is needed to purposefully make the transition. Over the course of this strategic cycle we plan to implement the following initiatives.
Our Offices will continue to explore further ways of sharing learning with public service providers with a view to raising standards of service generally. We will continue to work in partnership with public service providers to address systemic problems, which are identified by monitoring trends in our work.
The Office of the Ombudsman will consider new areas of attention for further own-initiative investigations and will continue to publish regular casebooks. The OIC will further develop the range and nature of guidance for public bodies for publication on its website and will explore further ways of sharing learning across all public bodies.
Single Public Sector Complaints Portal
The complex pattern of public service delivery can serve to confuse people who want to complain. They are not always sure where they should go and how they should make a complaint. In order to address this confusion we are currently investigating the possibility of a single portal for all public sector complaints. Healthcomplaints.ie, which we developed in partnership with other bodies, is a useful building block towards a telephone and online service which can either signpost people who want to make a complaint about any public service or capture that complaint and send it on their behalf.
The Office currently signposts complainants, where appropriate, to the relevant agency or Ombudsman. The goal for the Ombudsman web portal is that it should have the capacity to support the hosting of a complaint portal for the public service and provide direct onward referral to public service providers’ complaint systems.
Developing a First Class ICT System for the Future
We are currently developing a new case management system (CMS) that can manage documentation, processes, workflow and reporting requirements for varying types of cases. It will be complemented by a new phone package that fully integrates with the system. We expect to deliver better throughput and quality in casework as a result of the enhanced CMS. Services will now be delivered digitally, where appropriate, with a view to automating routine tasks and therefore minimising staff data entry time. Providing appropriate elements of our services digitally will support increased quality of service for members of the public through improved case completion times. Electronic exchange of documentation will result in more effective engagement with public service providers and therefore greater support to them to improve public services.
The new CMS will also provide significantly enhanced management information with the capacity for detailed reporting including trend identification and analysis, therefore allowing us to operate more efficiently. It will be supported by an improved records management system for both case records and non-case related records. It will be a requirement that the systems will be adaptable for future use by other public sector organisations.
