Government of Barbados>> Public Sector Reform>>SAIP

Summary of the Problem
The Barbados public sector has been characterised in many instances by archaic systems which continue to have a negative impact on the quality of service being provided to the public. This problem has been exacerbated by certain negative attitudes in relation to the provision of service which have often resulted in several complaints by members of the public.

Importance
Given the trend towards a service economy, the importance of providing efficient and courteous service has taken on greater importance.

The aim of this programme is to improve the level of customer service in the public sector. In the short term, special concentration will be placed on those areas that provide opportunities for the greatest interaction with members of the public, such as counter services. Mindful of the contribution of tourism to the local economy, emphasis will also be placed on improving the quality of services that have direct bearing on the tourist industry, for example the Immigration Department, Customs, Barbados Licensing Authority, Beach Rangers of the National Conservation Commission, Government Security Guards, Royal Barbados Police Force and Public Libraries.

Given the pending hosting of the Cricket World Cup, an opportunity will be taken to assist government departments to help facilitate the hosting of a successful world cup by improving delivery of services.

Objectives
The objectives of this programme are to:

Help establish quality counter services
The establishment of basic service standards
Raise the level of customer satisfaction with the delivery of public services
Identify any weaknesses in the delivery of quality services and make recommendations for their improvement
Diagnose the cause of systemic problems impacting on the delivery of service and make recommendation for solving them

To achieve the above-mentioned objectives the Office of Public Sector Reform has embarked on a number of customer service workshops. These workshops seek to build awareness in the rudiments of delivering excellent customer service by focusing on factors such as reliability, assurance, and responsiveness. Mindful of the apparent resistance to service this programme would be accompanied by change management training to install new attitudes to service delivery.

Project Summary of Achievement
Since the launch of the Customer Service Assessment & Improvement Programme (SAIP) in November 2003 the following projects have been concluded:

A seminar for Heads of Departments and officers of related grades with the CEO of Barbados Cricket World Cup to educate public sector managers on the potential impact of the hosting of the World Cup on the public sector.
Over 250 public officers from agencies such as Immigration Department, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Barbados Library Service, Police Force and National Conservation Commission have been trained in Change Management/ Customer Service.

During the 2005-2006 financial year, the OPSR is hoping to convene the following seminars:

1. Measuring Customer Service: Opportunities for Continuous Improvement
Target: Mid-level managers
No. of Workshops: 2 Workshops
Course-loading: 15 Persons

2. Implementing Complaints Systems in the Public Sector
The aim of this workshop is to equip departments with the skills and tools to respond to complaints from the public and make appropriate redress where necessary.
Target: Personnel Officer, Executive Officers or any person designated to deal with complaints.
Course-loading: 20 persons

3. Supervisory Management and Customer Service
This half-day seminar targets Senior Managers and seeks to sensitize them on the importance of leadership to the attainment of successful customer service

4. Seminar for first responders
This workshop targets key agencies that have to respond in cases of emergency, for example the Royal Barbados Police Force, Barbados Defence Force, Barbados Fire Service and the Accident and Emergency Unit of the QEH.

5. Ports of Entry
Training for agencies directly providing service at ports of entry, this will in addition provide for teams drawn from different agencies to help them understand how their roles impact or complement each other. Agencies targeted include Customs and Immigration department.
Seminar loading: 15 persons by 9 seminars

6. Interdepartmental Seminar
The objective of this one day workshop is to help officers from relevant agencies appreciate how their roles interrelate.
Target: Police, Immigration, and Customs
Customer Service Appreciation for agencies interfacing with tourists: Police, NCC Beach rangers, Government Security Guards, Government Libraries, and Archives.

Outcome/Impact Expected: The number of workshops planned should cover at least five hundred (500) persons. The overall impact is expected to be an improvement in the quality of service offered to the general public and visitors especially at 'pivotal' service agencies.