ADR schemes' performance
Every quarter, Ofcom publishes key performance indicator (KPI) results for the two main alternative dispute resolution (ADR) schemes: the Communication & Internet Services Adjudication Scheme (CISAS) and Communications Ombudsman (formerly known as Ombudsman Services).
Performance against KPIs
We publish both schemes’ KPI results on a quarterly basis. This makes sure people have greater awareness of, and can monitor, the schemes’ performance.
Below we set out the KPIs that we measure and the schemes’ performance for the last four quarters:
Communications Ombudsman
| KPI | Q2 2023 (April – June) | Q3 2023 (July – September) | Q4 2023 (October – December) | Q1 2024 (January – March) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| More than 80% of calls to be answered in less than two minutes | 87% | 84%** | 88% | 81%** |
| More than 90% of calls to be answered in less than five minutes | 99%** | 98%** | 98% | 97%** |
| 100% of written correspondence to be replied to within ten days | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| More than 90% of case decisions* to be issued within six weeks of the case being accepted | 98% | 99% | 99% | 99%** |
| Less than 1% of case decisions* to be issued later than eight weeks after the case has been accepted | <1% | <1% | <1% | <1% |
CISAS
| KPI | Q2 2023 (April – June) | Q3 2023 (July – September) | Q4 2023 (October – December) | Q1 2024 (January – March) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| More than 80% of calls to be answered in less than two minutes | 99% | 99% | 99% | 99% |
| More than 90% of calls to be answered in less than five minutes | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| 100% of written correspondence to be replied to within ten days | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| More than 90% of case decisions* to be issued within six weeks of the case being accepted | 98% | 98% | 97% | 99%** |
| Less than 1% of case decisions* to be issued later than eight weeks after the case has been accepted | <1% | <1% | <1% | <1% |
* The two schemes have different processes. When we talk about 'decisions', for CISAS this represents their final decision, while for Communications Ombudsman it represents their initial decision.
** This is rounded up to the nearest whole percentage.
Our approval of ADR scheme providers
Under the Alternative Dispute Resolution for Consumer Disputes (Competent Authorities and Information) Regulations 2015, ADR schemes must meet certain requirements in order to be certified by competent authorities.
Ofcom is the competent authority for the UK communications and postal sectors. Every two years, we must assess whether ADR schemes still meet the requirements of the regulations.
In April 2024, we found that these three ADR providers continued to meet these requirements:
- Communications Ombudsman
- Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR), providing CISAS and POSTRS
- Consumer Dispute Resolution Limited (CDRL)
We will continue to monitor these providers. A full list of approved ADR scheme providers is available on the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) website.