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Annual Report & Accounts 1997-98 |
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Annual Report & Accounts 1997-98 |
Customer Survey
Customers are the focus of the Agency's business. To improve customer service, the Agency regularly consults customers through a programme of independent customer satisfaction surveys. The 1997/98 survey was carried out by MORI and covered the Test and Development, Mobile Network Operators, Fixed Services, Broadcasting and Satellite Services. Almost 600 telephone interviews were undertaken. Highlights included the following.
Licence turn-round times
Overall satisfaction with speed of licence issue was broadly similar to 1995 (when these groups of customers were last surveyed). However there was a marked increase in the proportion of the small Fixed Satellite group who expressed dissatisfaction.
Frequency assignment and interference reports
The vast majority of customers in these groups felt that their frequency assignments generally met their needs. As in 1995, Public Telecommunications network licensees were the group most likely to have complained about interference problems. More than half were satisfied with the way their problem was dealt with.
Aspects of customer service
A high proportion of customers continues to find our staff knowledgeable and helpful. Response to telephone calls and correspondence were also positively rated by most customers, with little change in the proportion expressing satisfaction compared to 1995.
Aspects of Agency activity
Respondents were asked whether it was important for the Agency to improve some of its activities. One of the aspects covered was raising general awareness of the need for radio licensing, which all customer groups rated as important.
Value for money
The majority of customers felt that the licence fee was good value for money in all groups in the survey apart from Fixed Satellite licensees.
The Agency is grateful to all customers who participated in this survey and for the very helpful comments expressed. Copies of the survey report are available from the Agency library.
Service standards and the Citizen's Charter
The Agency remains committed to responding to customers' needs and providing
high standards of customer service. To this end, it continues its policy of
complying with the Citizen's Charter and has produced a Charter Standard Statement,
set out in leaflet RA 251. The Agency aims to:
publish annually our service performance targets and how
we deliver against these;
The results for the year against targets are set out on the QUALITY OF SERVICE table.
review our targets every year;
Targets for the forthcoming year are published in this report and also in a separate leaflet RA 239.
promote good practice and awareness amongst users of radio
by providing clear and up-to-date information on radio services and on our role;
The Agency publishes a range of information sheets covering all aspects of radio use and providing clear and straightforward information on its policies and licensing requirements.
keep red tape to a minimum, by reducing the number of
forms and simplifying the licence procedures;
The Agency will continue to widen the range of radio services and equipment exempt from licensing where this can be done without risk of harmful interference, review forms and procedures to ensure simplicity and continue the programme of licence rationalisation and simplification.
consult widely with customers;
Consultation is at the heart of the Agency's functions. The Agency has a range of consultative committees through which it informs and involves customers from different sectors of the industry in various aspects of spectrum management policy. It also consults widely through the publication of its Spectrum Strategy and other consultative documents and through regular customer surveys. The establishment of the independent Spectrum Management Advisory Group with direct access to Ministers, as reported earlier in this document, marks a significant development of these consultative arrangements.
be accessible for enquiries and discussions;
identify ourselves by name and be courteous and helpful
in all contacts with customers;
Agency staff are accessible to customers in a variety of ways. During the year, the Agency took part in thirteen conferences and exhibitions including the Southampton Boatshow in September, the Popular Flying Association annual rally, Truckfest at Edinburgh in August and the Confederation of Aerial Industries' Trade Fair at Heathrow in June. Customers also had an opportunity to meet the Agency's senior management at the annual programme of regional roadshows. Twelve roadshows were held during the year, the fourth year since these were instituted. They have proved popular with customers and the Agency is planning to develop the concept further in this year's programme, planned for the autumn.
Customers have access to field staff on a more routine basis through the Agency's network of local offices. These offices are a key link in the chain of customer care. To many people, they are the public face of the Agency and the Agency attaches the greatest importance to ensuring that their provision of customer care is of the highest standard in the services they provide. These include resolution of interference, provision of advice, inspection of installations, monitoring and, where necessary, the use of enforcement procedures to ensure that legitimate users obtain the best possible quality from their radio systems.
Staff wear name badges when on duty in public places and make themselves known to the appropriate people when visiting sites.
The Agency aims to respond to all letters, other than formal complaints to the Chief Executive, which are dealt with under the formal complaints procedure mentioned below, within 15 working days of receipt; and to see callers to any of its offices within 10 minutes of their appointment time.
A general enquiry telephone point (020 7211 0211) provides answers to telephone queries or puts callers in touch with the appropriate staff. During the year, the trained Enquiry Officers dealt with 66,856 enquiries, and answered 97.0% of all calls within 30 seconds of the caller choosing to speak to an operator, once again surpassing the target of 92%.
Callers with access to a tone-dialling telephone can make use of the 24-hour Voice Manager system which enables them to place orders for the most popular Agency publications, either to be sent out by post the following day, or to be faxed to them immediately.
The Prime Minister has set a target that at least a quarter of dealings by members of the public with Government should be capable of being done electronically through telephones, televisions or computers by no later than October 2002. The Agency's strategy for developing information systems fully supports this aim. Its web site already makes available information about licences, consultation papers and other documents and continues to be developed. The number of hits is growing steadily, but at about 8,500 per week is already one of the highest in Government.
The RULES and ALPACA programmes described below provide a basis for improving licensing and licence accounting services to customers which will include steps to facilitate electronic transactions. These expect to cover over 80% of licences by the end of 1999 and should be able to facilitate most electronic transactions from that time.
The Agency does everything reasonably possible to make services available to everyone, including people with special needs, in accordance with the Disability Discrimination Act.
respond to complaints about our performance quickly and
in a positive and objective manner;
Many problems can be resolved informally or through normal business processes but the Agency has a formal complaints procedure that can be invoked if necessary. This makes provision for independent review as set out in full in leaflet RA 238.
provide services efficiently and cost-effectively.
The Agency aims to give full value for money in all services. It has met the annual efficiency targets imposed by Ministers each year since being established.
| QUALITY OF SERVICE TARGETS 1997/1998 Results | ||||
| TARGETS | ACHIEVEMENTS | |||
| 1997/98 | 1996/97 | |||
| LICENCE CATEGORY A | ||||
| Applications & Amendments | 100% in 5 days | 100% |  |
98% |
| LICENCE CATEGORY B | ||||
| Applications & Amendments |  90% in 15 days |
97% | |
96% |
| remainder in 25 days | 1% |  |
2% | |
| LICENCE CATEGORY C | ||||
| Applications & Amendments | 90% in 40 days |
86% | |
93% |
| remainder in 60 days | 14% | |
7% | |
| LICENCE RENEWALS (CAT D) | ||||
| Category A | 100% in 5 days | 100% | |
100% |
| Categories B & C | 100% in 10 days | 98% | |
69% |
| ENFORCEMENT | ||||
| Safety of Life | 100% in 24 hours | 100% | |
100% |
| Business Services | 98% in 5 days | 100% | |
99% |
| Domestic TV & Radio | 98% in 1 month | 100% | |
100% |
| CHIEF EXECUTIVE'S CORRESPONDENCE | ||||
| 100% in 10 days | 89% | |
100% | |
| ENQUIRIES | ||||
| 92% in 30 seconds | 97% | |
97% | |
| PROMPT PAYMENT | ||||
| 85% in 30 days | 96% | |
95% | |
These targets are explained below:
Performance against
targets
RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS AGENCY QUALITY OF SERVICE TARGETS 1998/1999
ACHIEVEMENT OF QUALITY OF SERVICE TARGETS
During 1997/98 the Agency met its overall efficiency target and met nine of its published
targets.
COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE
If you have a complaint about the Agency or have any other concerns or questions
about the level of service we provide, details of our complaints procedures
are set out in information leaflet RA 238.
RA Licensing
Category A: Licences that involve no frequency assignment, site clearance or
international co-ordination: 100% of applications for new licences or variations to
licences to be processed and despatched within 5 working days. (Includes Amateur radio,
Citizens' Band radio, Aircraft and Aeronautical Radio, Fixed Links (58 Ghz), Local
Authority Emergency Alarms, Private Mobile Radio (dealers licence), Ship Radio and Short
Range Business Radio.)
Category B: Licences that involve frequency assignment but no site clearance or international co-ordination: 90% of applications for new licences or variations to licences to be processed and despatched within 15 working days, with the remainder to be processed and despatched within 25 working days or an explanation for any delay provided to the applicant. (Includes Coastal Station Radio, Private Business Radio, Private Paging and Programme Making & Special Events.)
Category C: Licences that involve frequency assignment and site clearance and/or international co-ordination: 90% of applications for new licences or variations to licences to be processed and despatched within 40 working days, and the remainder to be processed and despatched within 60 working days or an explanation for the delay to be provided to the applicant. (Includes Licences under category B where site clearance and/or international co-ordination is required, Fixed Links (other than 58 Ghz), Point to multipoint services (31 Ghz) and Scanning Telemetry.)
Licence Renewals: Applications to renew or to reissue licences in category A to be processed and documents to be despatched within 5 working days; applications to renew or to reissue licences in categories B and C to be processed and despatched within 10 working days.
Enforcement
Handling of reports of interference to radio services: 100 % of reports involving safety
of life services to be investigated within 24 hours.
98 % of reports involving business services to be investigated within 5 working days, the
remainder within a further 10 days.
98 % of reports involving domestic television and radio reception to be investigated
within 1 month, the remainder within a further month.
Correspondence
The Chief Executive to respond within 10 working days to all letters from Members of
Parliament delegated to him by Ministers for reply and to all complaints addressed to him
about the Agency's services.
Enquiries
The Agency telephone enquiry point will answer 94% of calls within 30 seconds.
Prompt Payment
97% of all invoices received in the Agency to be paid within 30 days or within the
timescale agreed by suppliers, the remainder to be dealt with within a further 30 days.
Access to information
The Agency is fully committed to openness in accordance with the principles of The Code of Practice on Access to Government Information and the White Paper Your Right to Know: the Government's Proposals for a Freedom of Information Act. It makes available considerable amounts of information through information sheets, the Spectrum Strategy and consultative documents. Staff endeavour to satisfy all requests for information where it is feasible and practicable to do so in accordance with the Code. No charge is made for any other than exceptionally burdensome requests.
The Agency continued to produce and distribute a wide range of information sheets, MPT specifications, consultative papers and other publications. During the year, Enquiry Officers sent out 259,610 publications to industry and the public.
All Agency publications are available from:
Information and Library Service
Radiocommunications Agency
8th Floor, New King's Beam House
22 Upper Ground
London
SE1 9SA
Tel: 020 7211 0502/0505
Fax: 020 7211 0507
E-mail: library@ra.gsi.gov.uk
The Internet
As part of its commitment to enhancing accessibility to information, the Agency has
continued to develop its site on the World Wide Web. Currently the RA web site (at
www.radio.gov.uk) contains about 1,200 pages of radio-related material, including
further details of the developments highlighted in this Report, and attracts approximately
8,500 hits per week, approximately 50% of which are from UK-based users.
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