The Quality Customer Service Network was established to promote best practices in customer service across the Irish public sector. It has expanded significantly over time and now includes over 1000 members from government departments and local authorities. The Network aims to drive reform priorities around customer service, support collaboration across organizations, and share innovative approaches. It provides resources like guidance on developing customer charters and uses data from surveys to understand customer and employee perspectives. Moving forward, the Network will focus on renewing commitments to customer service, establishing cross-government standards, and designing more accessible and responsive services.

1. An Roinn Caiteachais Phoiblí agus Athchóirithe | Department of Public Expenditure and Reform
Building a User Focused Culture
Ireland’s Quality Customer Service Network
Brian Boyle - Chair
Nora O’Donnell - Secretariat
MENA-OECD
15May2023

2. An Roinn Caiteachais Phoiblí Sheachadadh PFN agus Athchóirithe| Department of Public Expenditure NDP Delivery and Reform
Quality Customer Service Network
Background
Quality Customer Service Initiative (QCSI)
Quality Customer Service Network
• Promoting best practice
• Supporting cross-departmental collaboration
• Sharing experience and lessons learned
• Integral to successive government wide reform programmes
• Facilitates collaboration and transformation across silos

3. An Roinn Caiteachais Phoiblí Sheachadadh PFN agus Athchóirithe| Department of Public Expenditure NDP Delivery and Reform
Quality Customer Service Network
Evolution
• As the reform agenda evolved, the QCSN membership expanded to the
wider Public Service
• 2019: 83 members across 18 Civil Service Departments
• 2023: Over 1000 members from over 160 organisations across the public
service. All Government Departments, and 70% of Local Authorities

4. An Roinn Caiteachais Phoiblí Sheachadadh PFN agus Athchóirithe| Department of Public Expenditure NDP Delivery and Reform
Quality Customer Service Network
Strong partnership
• Between central D/PENDR and operational public service organisations
• Steered by cross-government working group of experts, same chair for
steering group and Network
• Secretariat provided by Department of Public Expenditure and Reform:
system-wide convening capabilities

5. An Roinn Caiteachais Phoiblí Sheachadadh PFN agus Athchóirithe| Department of Public Expenditure NDP Delivery and Reform
Quality Customer Service Network
A wide reach
• A wide reach means the Network can more effectively promote and drive
implementation of reform priorities and QCSI principles
• Membership ranges from leaders to practitioners, including: Frontline service
design and delivery, policy, corporate governance, risk management,
communications, innovation and digital transformation

6. An Roinn Caiteachais Phoiblí Sheachadadh PFN agus Athchóirithe| Department of Public Expenditure NDP Delivery and Reform
Quality Customer Service Network
Network Meetings
• Address emerging issues in customer service design and delivery.
• An effective platform to share innovative responses among customer service
practitioners, leaders and policy makers.
➢ Building trust with our customers
➢ Harnessing customer feedback for better service delivery
➢ Taking action on accessibility, Digital for all
➢ Engaging and empowering our teams to deliver service excellence

7. An Roinn Caiteachais Phoiblí Sheachadadh PFN agus Athchóirithe| Department of Public Expenditure NDP Delivery and Reform
Quality Customer Service Network
Supporting best practice to build a user focused culture:
Customer Charter and Action Plan Initiative
• Standards and level of service customers can expect & how organisations
will monitor and achieve these standards.
• Practical guidance helping organisations to develop Charters and Action
Plans.
• Continuous Improvement 4-step cycle: consult with customers, set service
standards, evaluate performance, report on results….consult with customers

8. An Roinn Caiteachais Phoiblí Sheachadadh PFN agus Athchóirithe| Department of Public Expenditure NDP Delivery and Reform
Quality Customer Service Network
Harnessing data to build a user focused culture:
Engaging with service users: Civil Service Business and General Customer
Satisfaction Surveys, OECD Trust Survey
Engaging with staff at all levels:
➢ Survey on strategic issues and capabilities in cx (how do organisations monitor &
evaluate cx, how is cx linked to statements of strategy/business plans, digital & accessibility)
➢ Survey to identify key themes and enablers for agile service response to the
Covid-19 crisis

9. An Roinn Caiteachais Phoiblí Sheachadadh PFN agus Athchóirithe| Department of Public Expenditure NDP Delivery and Reform
Quality Customer Service Network
Embeddingservicedesigntobuildauserfocusedculture:
• Customer communications toolkit – a Universal Design approach
• Design principles – Design principles and policy sprint workshops to
develop Action Plan to embed design
• Life Events - Digital First Government Services Portal. Policy sprint with
senior leaders to agree the approach to development
• Systematic feedback to inform service design – Question came from
network members. Working group set up to research and produce guidance

10. An Roinn Caiteachais Phoiblí Sheachadadh PFN agus Athchóirithe| Department of Public Expenditure NDP Delivery and Reform
Quality Customer Service Network
BuildingaUserfocussed culture –Keystosuccess
• While the focus of reform agendas may change, QCSN focus on customer
service is a constant. It’s the central mission of all our organisations, this is
evident in diverse, growing membership.
• Agility to respond to emerging issues – we respond to ideas from our
members, developing best practice guides, framing meetings.
• A culture of ‘Meitheal’ and strong partnership between central and
operational departments.

11. An Roinn Caiteachais Phoiblí Sheachadadh PFN agus Athchóirithe| Department of Public Expenditure NDP Delivery and Reform
Quality Customer Service Network
Building a user focused culture - Keys to success?
• “Focus on a unified way of approaching customer service is great. And the thinking of
having people from across the service inputting into that is also excellent.”
• “sharing of information as to how quality in the delivery of services is being improved by
organisations is very helpful”
• “It's a very uplifting forum that instils pride in being a civil servant and how innovative
the organisation is”
• “I am able to bring the valuable insights and information back to my Team. I use
presentations to circulate to the relevant teams in my organisation.”

12. An Roinn Caiteachais Phoiblí Sheachadadh PFN agus Athchóirithe| Department of Public Expenditure NDP Delivery and Reform
Next Steps:
• Government renewal of Quality Customer Service Initiative
• Creating Cross-Governmental Standards
• Ensuring senior management engagement and evaluation
• Focus on responsiveness and trust
• Designing for All
Quality Customer Service Network

13. An Roinn Caiteachais Phoiblí agus Athchóirithe | Department of Public Expenditure and Reform
Go raibh maith agaibh
Thank you