RA business objective 4
To improve the Agency's business processes and operations, in order to provide a more efficient service to customers

4.1 Customer project
This year the Agency began to clean and rationalise the existing customer data held in our unified licence database (RULES) and other internal systems, with a view to improving the quality of information used to support business processes.

We also started to develop a central Customer Information System to improve efficiency in dealing with customers generally, but this is now on hold pending consideration of any overall requirements for an Ofcom central customer database.

4.2 Single Owner, Shared Access (SOSA)
The 2001-02 Annual Report introduced SOSA – a set of principles with which all our future development projects will comply. SOSA aims to allow interconnection between the Agency's administrative and technical systems and databases, enabling data to be shared between them. Each element of data has an owner who is responsible for it; other staff may access it on a read-only basis, thus avoiding duplication and all the problems caused by holding duplicated data.

SOSA has now firmly established itself and is being taken forward in the form of a software tool, 'Casewise'. This enables the Agency's structure, business processes and system architectures to be represented and manipulated in a single and coherent way. Casewise has proved itself within the Agency, and is now finding new uses in the development of Ofcom.

4.3 Access to assignment information
The Government is committed to greater openness in the public sector. At present, most licensing data are held in confidence, but the Agency is now re-examining this policy. Greater openness of licensing and assignment information will be a precondition for spectrum trading, and will help us to meet the transparency requirements set out in the European Commission's Authorisation Directive and Radio Spectrum Decision. It will also help to introduce a range of measures, set out in the Government's response to the Cave Review, designed to empower spectrum users to take a more significant role in managing the radio spectrum.

In April 2002, the Agency concluded its consultation on proposals to publish more information about licensed radio use. Responses to the consultation indicated considerable support, but also concerns about security and confidentiality. Separately, the Cave Review's Recommendation 5.2 stated that the Agency 'should seek to implement an online frequency register covering all the civil radiocommunications bands and the radio systems utilising them'.

In its response to the Cave Review, the Government restated its belief that more information about frequency assignments should be published, if legitimate concerns about national security, law enforcement and commercial confidentiality can be met. The Communications Bill includes powers enabling this information to be published, but further consultation is planned on the disclosure mechanisms and safeguards before new regulations are drafted.

In parallel with these developments, the Agency continued its dialogue with the Mobile Services Committee subgroup on frequency and assignment data, to find out what information its members would like published so that they can make better use of the radio spectrum. As a result, in November the Agency (in co-operation with the subgroup) commissioned its IT partner, Radio Spectrum International, to carry out a feasibility and planning exercise on the information technology needed to support wider access, while addressing some of the concerns highlighted by responses to April's consultation.

4.4 e-Business
This year saw the introduction of the Agency's e-licensing form for IR2008, which provides the foundation for developing online forms for all high-volume, low-value licences. This was a major step towards the provision of a single, 'intelligent' online application function; the excellent consultation work undertaken in developing the form, along with the e-Flatco service (see Section 1.8), was recognised through a Management Consultancies Association award.

In the coming year we will develop our online services, taking into account revised operational requirements brought about by the Agency's transition into Ofcom.

Testing and Development and Temporary Use licences
In 2002-03 we significantly improved the processing of applications to use spectrum for testing and development and temporary applications. A shorter application form was introduced, and internal business processes were improved to speed up technical co-ordination and decisions on granting licences. A new electronic co-ordination process halved licensing turnaround times. The Agency now provides better customer service with more communication about the progress of applications.

4.5 Modernising Government and Reforming the Civil Service
We continue to work towards achieving the Government's objectives in this area. Across the Agency the following initiatives progressed during the year:

Business Excellence Model
We continued to work with the European Foundation for Quality Management's (EFQM) Excellence Model during 2002-03. Use of the model was extended to Business Units across the Agency, covering 18% of staff. All participating Units reported improvements in key business areas such as communications, business processes, links to personal objectives, and use of customer survey results to improve business performance.

Balanced Scorecard
The Balanced Scorecard is a widely used, top-down approach to measuring performance. This year we developed a fully functional pilot Scorecard based around the Agency's business. However, this project was deferred for Ofcom to develop further when its organisational requirements are known.

4.6 Spectrum Quality Management (SQM)
SQM is the new information, case-management and time-allocation system for the Agency's Customer Service Executive. Introduced in April 2002 for use by staff in the Regional Services Unit and at Baldock, it uses workflow to monitor and control casework, and provides access to much of the Agency's customer and spectrum assignment information via a web-browser interface. The system is delivered to the user desktop through the Agency's network infrastructure, and is accessible from remote locations via laptop PCs using mobile or landline telephony links.

SQM has the potential to support Agency initiatives in such areas as e-business, information sharing and open government, electronic records management, and customer information management. The remote access facilities will also allow us to take advantage of anticipated advances in data transmission, such as 3G mobile telephony and broadband technology.

A second stage of development and refinement is planned, aimed primarily at streamlining some process controls within the system and simplifying some aspects of system navigation. This work is expected to be completed by September 2003.

Table 6: Performance against Ministerial Quality of Service targets

Subject	Target1	Volume of cases	Achievements (%)
			02-03	01-02	00-01	99-00
Licence applications and amendments
Licence category A	100% in 5 days	100,683	100%	98%	99%	99%
Licence category B	90% in 15 days	11,583	99%	99%	100%	98%
	remainder in 25 days	140	1%	0%	0%	1%
Licence category C	90% in 40 days	6,976	92%	90%	78%	34%
	remainder in 60 days	570	8%	10%	22%	65%
Enforcement (interference complaints)
Safety of life2	100% in 24 hours	196	99%	100%	100%	100%
Business services3	98% in 5 days	550	97%	99%	100%	100%
	remainder in 10 days	16	1%	1%	0%
Domestic television and radio3	98% in 1 month	2,404	99%	100%	100%	100%
	remainder in 2 months	36	0%	0%	0%
Formal letters to complainants	90% in 10 days	3,313	84%	99%
	remainder in 20 days	527	3%	1%
Chief Executive’s correspondence4
	100% in 10 days	30	70%	100%	87%	92%
Enquires
	95% in 30 seconds	42,495	97%	96%	96%	96%
Payment of invoices
	100% in 30 days	8,532	100%	100%	100%	100%
Notes 1 In these targets, ‘days’ refers to working days. 2 All cases were dealt with within the target, but one case (not involving safety of life) was wrongly entered and consolidated in the computer recording system as being a safety-of-life case. 3 The introduction of a new computer system created a number of technical difficulties, which resulted in delays to cases in April and May 2002. 4 Cases missed the target because the Agency was awaiting third-party advice.

4.7 Quality of Service targets
The Agency's Quality of Service targets are set by Ministers. They cover licence applications and amendments (for the three main licence categories), interference complaints, correspondence, enquiries and payment of invoices. Table 6 shows how we performed against these targets in 2002-03 and in previous years.

The targets are reviewed annually to take into account our performance and our customers' views. Furthermore, on 1 July 2003 there will be slight changes to the targets because of the new European Authorisation Directive; the licence categories will change (see Table 7), as will some of the targets themselves. Tables 8 and 9 list our targets for the coming year, both before and after 1 July.

Table 7: Changes in licence categories

Licence category	Licences in this category until 30 June 2003	Licences in this category from 1 July 2003
Category A
(Licences that involve no frequency assignment, site clearance or international co-ordination)	Aircraft Amateur and Citizens' Band PBR Suppliers Private Mobile Radio Road Construction Self-Select PBR (One-Way Paging) Ship Radio Programme Making & Special Events	Aircraft Amateur and Citizens' Band PBR Suppliers Private Mobile Radio Road Construction Self-Select PBR (One-Way Paging) Ship Radio Programme Making & Special Events (unco-ordinated)
Category B
(Licences that involve frequency assignment but no site clearance or international co-ordination)	All PBR classes not in Category A, except public safety networks and individual licences requiring co-ordination Coastal Station Radio and Aeronautical Ground Stations (except those requiring international clearance) Common Base Stations Programme Making & Special Events requiring frequency assignment	All PBR classes not in Category A, except public safety networks and individual licences requiring co-ordination Coastal Station Radio and Aeronautical Ground Stations (except those requiring international clearance) Common Base Stations
Category C
(Licences that require frequency assignment and site clearance and/or international co-ordination)	PBR licences requiring co-ordination Coastal Station Radio and Aeronautical Ground Stations requiring international clearance Fixed Links (other than 58 GHz) Fixed Link Point-to-Multipoint Services (31 GHz) Scanning Telemetry Permanent Earth Stations Satellite Network licence (licence applications and terminal amendments exceeding the site clearance/co-ordination threshold of 50 dBW)	PBR licences requiring co-ordination Coastal Station Radio and Aeronautical Ground Stations requiring international clearance Fixed Links (other than 58 GHz) Fixed Link Point-to-Multipoint Services (31 GHz) Scanning Telemetry Permanent Earth Stations Satellite Network licence (licence applications and terminal amendments exceeding the site clearance/co-ordination threshold of 50 dBW) Programme Making & Special Events (co-ordinated) Testing and Development (being renamed Non-Operational Development from July 2003) Any other class added to the Frequency Authorisation Plan, except for awards by competition

Table 8: Ministerial Qulity of Service targets for 2003-04: licence applications/authorisations

Licence	Target until 30 June 2003	Target from 1 July 2003
Category A
	100% of licence applications for new or varied services to be awarded or rejected (with explanation) within five working days.	100% of valid licence applications for new or varied services to be awarded or rejected (with explanation) within seven days.
Category B
	90% of licence applications for new or varied services to be awarded or rejected (with explanation) within 15 working days; and the remainder to be awarded or rejected within 25 working days.	90% of valid licence applications for new or varied services to be awarded, or rejected with explanation, within 21 days; and the remainder to be awarded or rejected within 42 days.
Category C
	90% of licence applications for new or varied services to be awarded or rejected (with explanation) within 40 working days; and the remainder to be awarded or rejected within 60 working days or an explanation of the delay to be given.	100% of valid licence applications for new or varied services to be awarded or rejected (with explanation) within 42 days; except, where international clearance is involved, applications to be awarded or rejected within 60 days or an explanation of the delay to be given.

Table 9:Other Ministerial Qulity of Service targets for 2003-04

Subject	Target
Interference complaints
affecting:
[ safety of life services	100% to be investigated within 24 hours
[ business customers	98% to be investigated within five working days (remainder within a further five days)
[ domestic customers	98% to be investigated within one month (remainder within a further month)
	90% of interference complainants will be sent a formal case update within10 working days of the start of an investigation, and the remainder within a further 10 days
Correspondence
	The Agency's Chief Executive to respond within 10 working days to all letters from Members of Parliament delegated to her by Ministers or otherwise for reply, and to written complaints addressed to her about the Agency’s services
Enquiries
	95% of calls to the Agency’s Enquiry Point to be answered within 30 seconds
Payment of suppliers' invoices
	100% of valid invoices to be paid within 30 days of receipt by the Agency (or as agreed with the supplier)

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