Improvement Service

The need for a common method of measuring customer satisfaction with local government is to be explored by the Improvement Service and Scottish Consumer Council . Research will be commissioned to examine the need and appetite for a standard model and methodology which can be used across Scotland's local authorities. It will identity the costs and benefits associated with developing a standard model and methodology and explore what a standard model and methodology could look like.

According to the Scottish Consumer Council, the creation of a standard approach could:

• Help local authorities understand how consumers experience services
• Inform service improvements
• Help track service improvement over time
• Improve transparency and trust
• Rebalance the relationship between internal and external scrutiny
• Allow meaningful comparisons between local authorities

The Crerar review of regulation, audit, inspection and complaints handling of public services in Scotland indicated support for outcome focused measurement of public services, and emphasised the related need to measure consumer satisfaction. The Crerar review also highlighted the importance of self-assessment, in which context the development of a standard approach to customer satisfaction measurement should be understood.

The project will set out to:

• identify how customer satisfaction is currently explored and measured across local government;
• identify and analyse approaches used elsewhere in the UK;
• highlight good practice to inform the development of a standard model;
• investigate the appetite of Scottish local government for the development of a standard model of measuring customer satisfaction;
• investigate support for the different approaches to customer satisfaction measurement (identified through the research);
• explore technical options for supporting and arranging a standard model for measuring customer satisfaction.

This project is one of the deliverables in the Customer First Programme's Service Plan. It also serves the long-term objectives of the Improvement Service, to improve:

• the management and delivery of services through the existence and use of better performance information
• access to relevant performance management information to inform better decision making for the continuous improvement of services
• public performance reporting.

For further information about the project, or to be kept informed of project developments, please contact Claire Lightowler  on 01506 775558.