Business and Corporate Plan 2003-2004
Innovations in Customer Service
We will continue to operate in a user-friendly manner and to look for
new ways to improve our services.The objective is to resolve queries
at the first point of contact where possible or to direct callers to
the correct part of the Inspectorate with the minimum of delay.
The customer
support team
can be reached at
- Bristol – telephone 0117 372 6372
e-mail: enquiries@planning-inspectorate.gsi.gov.uk - Cardiff – telephone
029 2082 3866
e-mail: wales@planning-inspectorate.gsi.gov.uk
A number of our information guides have received the Plain English
Campaign Crystal Mark for clarity. All publications are available
in paper
format and on our web site www.planning-inspectorate.gov.uk.
Quality
Maintaining and where possible improving quality across the wide range
of services we provide remains a priority. Complaints are always thoroughly
investigated and, lessons learnt. Our quality control procedures into
processes demonstrate a 99% success rate. All of this work is subject
to the scrutiny of the Advisory Panel on Standards, who advise the First
Secretary of State and the First Minister of the Welsh Assembly Government
on the
maintenance and improvement of professional standards in the Planning
Inspectorate.
The End to End Review will look at quality issues particularly with reference
to the possibilities for measuring the quality of decisions as well as
process.
Customer Satification
We will continue to invite local authorities, planning agents and other
stakeholders to our offices in Bristol and Cardiff for informal discussions
on planning issues. We carry out an annual survey of customer satisfaction.
These surveys have previously covered specific areas of our work. However,
following on from the approach taken in the 2002-2003 survey, we expect
to continue our time series satisfaction survey on the Inspectorate’s
performance as a whole in 2003-2004, as recommended by the Advisory Panel
on Standards and the Consumer Champion Initiative.This is a regular annual
survey, providing data on customer satisfaction in a number of our
key areas of work.
In addition, the Access Team will conduct a customer satisfaction survey
of participants in early access appeals to establish whether there are
ways in which we can improve procedures for these new appeals.
Improving Communication at Public Hearings
Inspectors holding planning or development plan inquiries aim to make
the process less intimidating and as easy as possible for all participants,
particularly those without professional representation. Development plan
inquiries may include both round table sessions and hearings, to improve
the efficiency of the process and to help objectors to state their case
more effectively. In all cases Inspectors use plain language in writing
their reports, and take a business-like approach to the running of inquiries.We
encourage
local planning authorities to provide suitable and accessible inquiry venues,
with appropriate facilities for public use including an inquiry library
and photocopying. Local authorities are asked to make suitable arrangements
for translation where appropriate, and also to provide for facilities for
the visually impaired and the hard of hearing. Similar efforts are made
to encourage meaningful public participation in transport and rights of
way cases.
Welsh Language Scheme
Under the Welsh Language Scheme, the Inspectorate will continue to promote Welsh language training for our staff. We have three Welsh speaking Inspectors, three Welsh speaking Inspectors on the Lord Chancellor’s Panel and two on the Local Plans Panel. Three of our Cardiff office-based staff are fluent Welsh speakers and three others have some Welsh language skills.We will expand the range of publications in Welsh.
e-Procurement
We have already taken some good initiatives in the area of e-procurement
such as advertising our requirements electronically and the use of dedicated
procurement web sites. Our plans for 2003-2004 include the creation of
a permanent procurement Internet presence for the Inspectorate and introduction
of the Government Procurement Card in several areas of the business.
The longer term future for e-procurement includes a move into e- tendering
and consideration of the use of e-auctions for commodity procurement.
Future Development
The Inspectorate is in the process of procuring a Business Intelligence System to monitor the benefits being realised from the Planning Portal Programme and Planning Casework Service, and to provide an improved Inspectorate wide data analysis and reporting facility.The aim is to have the first element of the system in place in the early part of 2003-2004.
