Design and introduce ways of delivering services which are suited
to user needs, simple to understand, cost-effective, and – if they
fail – can be easily repaired.
| Factors which need to be addressed or where greater progress is needed | Signs of success |
|---|---|
| 1.
Make sure that services reflect the needs of users, including
special needs and local conditions |
Confirmation from user
groups that services meet their needs as part of formal
evaluation following implementation |
| 2.
Use innovative ways of increasing the ability to deliver,
including altering roles and purchasing additional capacity. |
Reports from in-house
innovation specialists, or external expert advisers, that the
organisation is abreast of latest developments and has exploited
opportunities to innovate that improved the delivery of services |
| 3.
Look outwards for sources of innovative ideas |
Reports from in-house
innovation specialists, or external expert advisers, that the
organisation is abreast of latest developments and has exploited
opportunities to innovate |
| 4.
Make greater use of incentives and partnership working with
suppliers where appropriate. |
The NAO Efficiency
Toolkit Overview Assessment Framework’s questions on ‘Delivery
Partner Management’ ask about relationships with partners,
incentivisation, &c. Departments can assess their level of
performance in delivery partner management using the ‘Maturity
Model’ in the Toolkit. |
| 5.
Design streamlined and straightforward administration and
management systems. |
Independent reviews of
systems and processes (by eg Internal Audit) report favourably
on simplicity of design. |
| 6.
Identify and tackle blockages to effective public service
delivery. |
Regular reviews for
the existence of choke points and analysis of the reasons within
the systems as a whole so as to target interventions on
cost-effective service improvements. |
| 7.
Use appropriate incentives and targets to drive up standards in
public services. |
Increasing standards of service which are measurable |
| 8.
Maximise resources directed to the frontline by minimising
unnecessary bureaucracy at management level. |
Low level of
complaints from customers about over-bureaucratic procedures.
Favourable reports from internal efficiency specialists eg Internal Audit or external expert reviewers. |
| 9.
Take steps to reduce the cost of compliance, for example, by
minimising information demands on customers. |
Favourable reports
upon Departmental Simplification Plans by the Better Regulation
Executive. |
| 10.
Reduce duplication of activities to prevent wasted effort and
resources. |
Favourable reports
from internal efficiency specialists eg Internal Audit or
external expert reviewers |
| 11.
Ensure that there are fall-backs to sustain service delivery
when things go wrong |
The Risk Registers
demonstrate that risks are allocated to the parties best able to
bear them and there are contingency plans in place. |
Please click on a factor to go to a checklist and linked guidance/cases.
