Table 8: Quality of Service Targets for 2002/03

Quality of Service Targets are reviewed annually to take into account performance achieved and customers' views. Ministers have approved quality of service targets for 2002/03 as follows:

Table 9: Performance against Ministerial Quality of Service Targets

	TARGETS		ACHIEVEMENTS
		Volume of cases	2001/02	2000/01	1999/00	1998/99
LICENCE CATEGORY A1
Applications and amendments	100% in 5 days	33,115	98%	99%	99%	100%
LICENCE CATEGORY B2
Applications and amendments	>= 90% in 15 days	48,824	99%	100%	98%	99%
	remainder in 25 days	592	0%	0%	1%	1%
LICENCE CATEGORY C
Applications and amendments	>= 90% in 40 days	3,773	90%	78%	34%	91%
	remainder in 60 days	378	10%	22%	65%	7%
LICENCE RENEWALS (Cat D)
Category A	100% in 5 days		target discontinued	target discontinued	100%	100%
Categories B & C	100% in 10 days				90%	94%
ENFORCEMENT
Safety of life	100% in 24 hours	298	100%	100%	100%	100%
Business services	98% in 5 days	1,198	99%	100%	100%	100%
	remainder in 10 days (for 2000/01)	11	1%	0%
Domestic TV and radio	98% in 1 month	2,286	100%	100%	100%	100%
	remainder in 2 months (from 1998/99)	1	0%	0%
Formal letters to complainants	90% in 10 days	3,285	99%
	remainder in 10 days	31	1%
CHIEF EXECUTIVE'S CORRESPONDENCE	100% in 10 days	13	100%	87%	92%	100%
ENQUIRIES	95% in 30 seconds	49,530	96%	96%	96%	95%
PROMT PAYMENT	100% in 30 days	10,884	100%	100%	100%
	97.5% in 30 days					99%
	remainder in 60 days					1%

Footnotes

1. Performance was affected in Aeronautical and PBR as certain licence products were not being catered for on RULES.
2. PBR performance in remainders was affected early in the year as resources were stretched in dealing with railway industry licences.

Resource monitoring

The Agency's quarterly review process has continued to provide a rigorous means whereby progress on work priorities, performance targets and the use of resources can be measured. In financial terms this ensured that the net running cost target was again met.

As a net running cost agency, RA has operated in both cash and accruals terms from its inception, maintaining comprehensive financial details and reporting these in the Corporate Plan and the Annual Report and Accounts. The concept of accruals accounting is enshrined in resource budgeting, and the application of resource budgeting across Government in 2001/02 meant that for the first time the Agency formally reported to DTI on a resource basis. Internal budgets however remained on a cash basis. The further development of management information laid much of the necessary groundwork for the planned introduction of resource budgets at operational levels for 2002/03, and workshops are being set up to provide staff with an understanding of the principles involved.

Efficiency

The Agency operates an annual financial efficiency target agreed by Ministers, and has achieved the 3% target set for 2001/02. A detailed weighted index underpins the efficiency target, and includes a sophisticated measurement of business volume growth. This measurement reflects the range of products made available within spectrum pricing, and covers licences for simple classes, assignments for classes which involve additional activity, and weighted income for licences awarded by competition. Work is continuing with the DTI Operational Research Unit to bring further enhancements. With the agreement of the Agency's Steering Board, a shadow measure is being established for 2002/03 which focuses on a weighting of base stations rather than income, for public mobile operations
and the roll-out of 3G and broadband.

Single Owner, Shared Access (SOSA)

SOSA is a set of principles with which all the Agency's future development projects will comply. Its overall purpose is to allow interconnection between the Agency's administrative and technical systems and databases to enable data to be shared between them. While the appropriate business unit will manage each system, the data itself may be shared between systems and between Agency staff rather than being duplicated – in short, single owner, shared access systems and data.

The SOSA strategy is being adopted to bring the following benefits:

• Customer expectations for improved service: we must be able to provide faster services that are available when the customer wants them;
• E-business: we want to satisfy both customer expectations and Government targets;
• Modernising Government will require changes to our technical processes in order for RA to meet the "five key commitments";
• Convergence of broadcasting, IT and communications will place increasing demands on RA's technical processing capabilities; and
• Running costs of current processes will be reduced as information systems and software tools are integrated into streamlined business processes.

SOSA is a long-term strategy; it will not necessarily involve radical changes to all current methods of processing and those aspects of processes that work well will be kept as long as they comply with the Agency's wider aims.

Project management

We are working towards implementation of the recommendations of the Successful IT: Modernising Government in Action report. During the past year we have developed, and begun to deliver, in-house courses on the principles of the PRINCE 2 (Projects in Controlled Environments) project management methodology, for all our Project Managers, with further specialised training for all Senior Responsible Owners. The training has been designed to support wider Agency objectives and is accompanied by the provision of written guidance. At present this training covers only IT-enabled business change projects, but plans are being developed to widen the scope to include all business change projects. The Agency is committed to complying with the Office of Government Commerce's Gateway review procedures for IT–enabled business change projects, and has arranged training for its own internal Gateway reviewers for early in the 2002/03 reporting year.

Risk management

The Agency is committed to the effective management of business risk and the full implementation of the recommendations of the Turnbull Report. This year, risk management and analysis has been incorporated into the planning and quarterly review processes with the production of risk registers at Agency, executive and business unit levels. Initial training has been provided to senior managers. A formal risk management policy for the Agency has also been developed and detailed work in this area will take place over the coming year to embed risk management into the culture of the Agency.

RA staff at work – the intranet team (top) and the Enquiry Point team (below)

Information systems

The impetus provided by e-commerce, and the need to meet other customer requirements, creates a requirement for high-quality Agency information systems, many of which are IT-based. The development of new systems and the maintenance of existing ones in a challenging environment require substantial funding and a clear set of relative business priorities. The annual review of the Agency's Information Systems Strategy (ISS) is therefore a key process, since it provides a major part of the foundation for the delivery of all customer IT-based services. In its latest iteration, the ISS has been substantially changed to reflect the increasing prominence of e-commerce and spectrum strategy.

The need to improve all aspects of the delivery process for business projects, including those with an IT element, has been recognised by central Government in recent years. This has culminated in requirements imposed by the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) that demand a rigorous approach to all aspects of the project management process. This requirement has been conscientiously addressed within the Agency and, although it has absorbed resources and slowed some aspects of project initiation, has improved substantially the overall control and benefits delivery processes. Consequently, the Agency is currently better able to resolve potential conflicts between funding priorities based on an improved identification of benefits.

RSI contribution to RA projects and other major work

The burgeoning requirement of customers and Agency staff for high quality, reliable IT facilities places an ever-increasing emphasis upon the ongoing maintenance of existing IS systems and the supporting infrastructure. RSI's major technical achievements have included the successful piloting of e-PBR (electronic licensing application form), implementation of e-Flatco (co-ordination and clearance tool for transportable satellite earth stations) and delivery of the Spectrum Quality Management (SQM) project.

Non-project work involving RSI has included a rigorous Value Testing Exercise whose findings will provide input to the next Service Improvement. The year has also seen the co-operative development of comprehensive Business Continuity facilities for all IT-based, business-critical systems. Further resilience is also being provided through the adoption of Storage Area Network (SAN) facilities that recognise the likely growth in Agency data storage requirements and the need to provide ever more resilient and flexible systems to support public and other user access.

Human resources issues

Following the formation of a dedicated recruitment team in February 2001, and the introduction of a range of measures including generic administrative and engineering recruitment campaigns, participation in engineering careers fairs and strengthening selection processes, the Agency has overcome an ongoing difficulty with recruitment and retention of staff. Over the year this effort has paid dividends in terms of a considerable reduction in the number of outstanding vacancies, which at the end of the year was within 5% of the total staff complement.

The proposed creation of OFCOM has raised a multitude of HR issues that relate to the merger of the Agency with the other four regulators. Over the year the Agency has worked with the other four regulators on HR issues of mutual interest, providing a strong basis for the forthcoming work on preparing for the HR implications of OFCOM.

The Agency's intranet has supported the communication of HR policies, guidance and procedures to ensure more effective management within the Agency. New HR policies included the outcome of a review of absence management procedures, and the application of job evaluation across the Agency.

Employee involvement

Throughout the year there have been discussions between the Agency and Trades Union Representatives, both on an informal basis and within the formal framework of regular Whitley meetings.

Training and development

To develop career paths for all our people which meet the needs of the business and individual career aspirations

A pilot Career Development programme, aimed at technical staff, has been successfully delivered and we are now considering how to provide career development opportunities to a wider group of staff. The action plans that were produced on the pilot programme included methods of development new to the Agency, such as secondments to other government departments. A series of Growing Leaders programmes, including career planning, has also been introduced to help non-managers develop their leadership skills. The pilot was delivered successfully in early 2001 and a second scheme commenced in 2002. In addition, all staff are eligible to join the Agency's Adult Further Education scheme. All these programmes and schemes include the production of a career plan clearly identifying the benefits to the business and to the member of staff. These are reviewed and evaluated to ensure that benefits are realised.

Investors in People

To ensure that all our managers are equipped to meet their responsibilities under the new IiP standard

Work on Investors in People (IiP) continued throughout 2001-2. A series of "IiP Health Check" interviews were conducted, in which a range of staff across all directorates and grades were interviewed to establish what further improvements were required. These resulted in amendments to our IiP Action Plan, and at the end of the year we were on course for successful re-accreditation. Since then we are pleased to report that the Agency has achieved IiP re-accreditation. Improvements to the training and development application and evaluation processes have been introduced and managers have been informed of remaining areas of weakness. A workshop has also been introduced to further develop managers' skills in investing in people and our Leadership Development Programme continues to provide managers with the knowledge and skills that they require.

Intranet

The RA intranet, in only 18 months of operation, has grown to become the principal information resource for Agency staff, and in so doing has outgrown its original structure. During this year it has been redesigned, to meet the increasing demands of staff, and to improve functionality and speed of retrieval. It was re-launched in February, and since then user feedback and increased use by staff have proved the benefits of the work.

An Intranet User Group, comprising staff members representing all parts of the Agency, has been established and meets regularly to plan future intranet developments.

The intranet has now become an integral part of the Agency's internal communications, providing comprehensive information access and knowledge sharing at all levels.

Photographs taken from a single vantage point in RA's HQ building in (L to R); 2000, 2001 and 2002 show the scale and pace of development in London's Docklands

Publicity material for the Growing Leaders programme

The Agency's intranet is now the primary resource for internal information

Rapport

Rapport, the RA house magazine, kept our staff informed of developments across the organisation and their colleagues' activities in furthering the Agency's objectives. The four issues published this year included articles on our most important new areas of work, and features on developments in specific business units and regions.

staff suggestion scheme

The scheme continued to generate a steady flow of good ideas from staff. There is a strong emphasis on ensuring that ideas are implemented within the organisation and we have a procedure in place to ensure that the scheme delivers effective results. During the past year approximately 80% of awards recommended for implementation have actually been implemented. The scheme has been further developed this year with the introduction of an award for the best suggestion.

Internal performance targets

The Agency has in place a comprehensive range of internal targets. These cover human resources, training and development, communications, change management, finance, information systems, facilities, research, monitoring, site clearance, radio technology and compatibility studies, and the production of Management Board minutes. Performance is continually monitored through monthly reporting, with data published on the intranet to ensure all staff are aware of progress. Within these overall targets a number have been identified as having key strategic significance and are formally reported on a similar monthly basis to the Management Board, with further detailed scrutiny within the Agency's formal quarterly review procedures.

As part of the Agency's annual resource planning cycle the targets are regularly assessed to ensure they provide robust measures that matter to staff. This process has been augmented by the internal customer satisfaction survey conducted amongst all staff during 2001/02 and the results are being examined to see if further revisions to the current list of targets are required.

Equal opportunities and diversity

This year the Agency built on its previous work on equal opportunities and diversity. All managers successfully completed a diversity awareness-raising workshop in line with the Civil Service Reform programme. Our Growing Leaders programme, aimed at developing those people with management and leadership potential, has proved to be a great success and as a result participation in our 2002 programme has increased by 100%. We offer two streams; the positive action stream aimed at ethnic minority staff and the generic stream aimed at everyone.

We have also been focusing on addressing the balance and mix of staff in terms of gender, ethnicity and disability across our grading structure and as a result have succeeded in meeting our first year's benchmark and are making good progress towards meeting the five year mark. The Agency was also accredited during the year with the Disability Two Ticks Symbol and is working towards promoting these principles across the organisation. Additionally we took part in the Race for Opportunity Benchmarking Survey and the results showed that we have made considerable progress in meeting our commitments in line with the Race Relations Amendment Act 2000.

Rapport, the RA staff magazine

Table 10: Ethnic mix of RA staff

Racial Equality Advisory Group (REAG)

REAG was set up about three years ago to advise the Chief Executive on issues relating to ethnic minorities in the workplace and to tackle the under-representation of such staff, particularly in senior grades. It has built up considerable momentum over the last two years, and there is now evidence that the desired effect - a fairer distribution of staff in all grades - is beginning to happen. The theme for this year was to create an understanding and acceptance among all Agency staff of diversity and its advantages for them and the organisation.

Two culture awareness days were well attended by a good mix of staff and were seen as great successes. REAG also made progress in its efforts to build networks beyond the organisation, making contact with the Black Police Association (BPA), who as a result agreed to do a presentation at the Agency, in September 2001. The event was well attended and the feedback was very positive. REAG has become a member of the Civil Service Racial Equality Network (CSREN), a forum to promote racial equality across the Civil Service departments. It has also developed close links with its counterpart in the DTI.

The future is very positive for REAG, albeit with many challenges. With OFCOM on the horizon a new priority for the group is to develop links with our future partners, to enable us to maintain momentum on our key issues within the new organisation.