Delivery & Innovation Division NICIC Story

John Napier

Northern Ireland Citizen Interaction Centre

NICIC Solution

• Computacenter Contract• Lagan Frontline CRM• Aspect ACD System

• 8 sites across NI• Mixed team sizes • Manual answer

NICIC beset by problems from the start

• Technical

• Contractual

• Business & Service Processes

• Interface with Departmental Business Areas

• Government understanding of citizen?

Deloitte Report to PSG Spring 2005

• Deloitte research (Q4, 2004/05 financial year) found that:– the average time for NICIC to answer in-bound calls was

21 seconds; with – 64% being answered within 20 seconds.

• The customer experience is very poor• High abandoned call rates • Lack of MIS analysis and quality focus• High number of unanswered calls• Very long waiting and handling times • Evidence of poor behaviour in Departments/Agencies

BDS Review Spring 2005

• 6 months to provide:

• “Northern Ireland Citizen Interaction Centre services which will meet the requirements of the eGovernment Unit’s new Contact Centre Strategy”

• “or identify an alternative approach if this proves to be impossible”.

PWC – Autumn 2005• Brought in private expertise – Price Waterhouse • Set up Service Improvement Team• Developed training programmes for staff and supervisors• Open, transparent discussion with Trade Union and staff• Independent (but equally aggressive) management of suppliers• Held detailed discussions with departmental business areas

and other stakeholders

Gem 2006• Private sector Contact Centre provider• Movement away from switchboard service to

full contact centre activity• Two phased pilot activity

– Review the organisational layout– Undertake demonstrator activity

• Demonstrator suite set-up in Clare House• Metrics reflect 1st point of contact resolution

Organisational Learning and Growth

Internal business processes

Customers

Results

Re-organise staff into teams of 12 plus EO2 manager

Server & Pc upgrade

Replace Call Recording

Implement IVR & Voice recognition

Rationalise NICIC sites

Support NI Direct

Train staff in line with CCA accreditation

Introduce flexible working

Multi-skill workforce to ensure FPOC fulfilment

Implement Team & Management structure

Blind Internal & external Monitoring

UK accreditation CCA quality Assurance

Provide fulfilment services

Help Depts identify requirements

Deliver Agreed SLA

Provide Best Value services

Improve & certify infrastructure

Develop new services & opportunities

Increase Customer Base

Virtual Contact Centre

• NICIC provides a virtual contact Centre

• Handles 5 million calls for NICS per annum

• Provides Helpdesk services• Provides first point of contact

resolution• Conducts internal & External

surveys

Fulfilment Business FPOC service

• RCA

• VLA

• GRO

• AVIAN FLU

• Planning Service

• Records NI

Platform Users

• Forensic Services

• Accounts NI

• Insolvency Service

• DARD

The ‘Citizen-centric’ Benefits Pyramid

Feedback from customers on delivery of new services

Electronic Information Service (OFMDFM)I would thoroughly recommend the use of NICIC (Bryan McVeigh) Media Monitoring Service (NIO) We were delighted (Ken Mack)(Northern Ireland Citizen Interaction Centre (DFP)Its more personal, making customers feel you are taking time and the operators feel more valued by the positive feedback given to them. (Staff Mark Royal A)DARDI was tasked with developing a nitrates information line for DARD customers – at very short notice. It would have been impossible without NICIC’s responsiveness. As a result both front & back office systems have been set-up and went live within a week (Janice Barbour)Citizens Advice Citizens Advice is hugely impressed with the knowledge, and professionalism of staff and has seen a big improvement in service delivery (Jackie Gallagher)Rates Collection AgencyI am delighted at the level of service that you and Glynis provided for us. The installation went according to plan, and any tweaks or issues were handled very quickly and effectively. I am also very grateful for the loan of the licences, which saved us a lot of money. Thank you. (John McAuley)

Progress so Far

• Between March 2006 – April 2007– 94% calls answered within 12 seconds

– figures include a 5 second recorded message

– SLA requirement is now 85% within 12 seconds

– More flexible, confident and satisfied workforce

However

– NICIC receives 5M+ calls per annum (currently exceeding ministerial Service Level targets!) – 600,000 calls unanswered at backend– 100,000+ abandoned– Multiple calls to answer a single query– 656 Telephone numbers to access government services– Anecdotal evidence that specialist staff answering simple queries

• Current Quality of Service is not sufficient

• Interface to Public Services is inconsistent

• The ‘citizen’ now expects more– Extended Service Availability– Enhanced Services– Interaction using technologies they are comfortable with

using

• Need to present opportunities to gain operational efficiencies

• Improve quality of life for staff interacting with the citizen

• Current Quality of Service is not sufficient

Step change in:

Quality

New Working New Working Methods

HR ConnectAccount NIRecords NI

New WorkingNew WorkingEnvironmentEnvironment

Workplace 2010

Network NIICT Shared Services

New Technological Foundation

Newly Skilled People

Centre for AppliedLearning

New Citizen Channels

NIDirectCitizen Online Services

In the Reform Context

EffectivenessEfficiency

NIDirect: VisionFor Government:

– providing a single point of contact for citizens;– that brings together multiple channels;– incorporating a ‘one and done’ service;– becoming a ‘best of breed’ public sector contact and

interaction centre.

For Citizen:“I can access services with confidence in a way and at a time

that suits me”.

Call

101 from anywhere in NI for

General enquiries,Agriculture,

Environment,Consumerline,

Land & Property,Culture, Arts and Leisure & Tourism

Driving & Vehicles,Education,

Health & Social Services,Roads & Transport,

Jobs & Benefits,Services for Business,

Pensions

One-stop shop for allNorthern Ireland

Public Service Enquiries

See also www.onlineni.gov.uk for more information

Illustrative only

NIDIRECT

NIDirect in Practice• Not just a ‘call centre’• User can select preferred channel• IVR Natural language Voice

Response to speed up processing• Query answered at first point of

contact• Multi-tier to ensure appropriate

response to query• Interfacing to backend systems• Use of MIS & Analytical Tools for

resource management and planning

NIDirect Contact Centre

Knowledge Base(s)

CSRs

Backend Systems

IVR System

ContactApproach

Tier 2

Tier 1

Health Edu NICS

Phase 1: Scope

Organisations

TransactionalServices

Organisations & Agencies + Information & Transaction Services

InformationalServices

NIDirect Programme(s)

MOT Application

Web

– Web Consolidation

– DirectGov

Telephony

– Single No.– Phase - 0.5– Phase - 1.0

Other Media

– Digital TV– Kiosks– Text

Tell Us Once

Additional Services

Services:

Projects:

Programme Schedule

Organisations

&

Services

Channels

Telephony Web & Text Media Physical

Phase 1

Phase 2

Phase n

Time

2008

2009

2010