Modern Registration Division

Transcription

1 Modern Registration Division The Modern Registration Division (MRD) houses the Modern Electoral Registration Programme, responsible for modernising the electoral registration system so that it is more responsive to the needs of both the public and Electoral Registration Officers, while delivering greater efficiency. The Division also: manages the Digital Service, overseeing the operational and development aspects of the site. We are also responsible for ensuring all registration applications are returned each day to Local Authorities; develops and evaluates options around the means, channels and timing of future change to the annual canvass and registration processes; supports the Minister for the Constitution to promote democratic engagement and to ensure that we have a democracy that works for everyone in which every voice matters. We sit as part of Constitution Group, which is responsible for the coherence of the UK s constitutional and devolution settlements and the proper functioning of the democratic machinery, including elections. The Programme s headline objectives are to deliver an electoral registration system which: is quick, convenient and accessible to all; improves the completeness and accuracy of the register, particularly with regard to under-registered groups; is trusted and secure, with minimal potential for fraud; is streamlined and cost effective, removing mandated processes in favour of an outcomes-based, data-driven approach; is digital by default; builds capacity to innovate and improve, and is resilient to future change. To deliver this ambitious agenda for change, MRD is divided up into several component teams and managed by a Deputy Director. If you need to get in touch with the Division, please MERPengagement@cabinetoffice.gov.uk or use one of the personal listed below. 1

2 Meet the Senior Leadership Team Deputy Director, Modern Registration Division/Modern Electoral Registration Programme Director Gareth Baynham-Hughes As deputy director of Modern Registration Division, it is my responsibility to ensure that the electoral registration system both suits the needs of Electoral Registration Officers and is responsive to the demands of the modern citizen. Contact: Registration Reform Design & Delivery (R2D2) Headed by Natalie Bodek Registration Reform, Design and Delivery develops and evaluates options around the means, channels and timing of future change to the annual canvass and registration processes, including delivering a series of pilots to test alternative approaches and build the evidence base for permanent change. The team implements agreed changes through legislation and delivers cost optimisation measures and increased efficiencies. We work closely with the Electoral Commission to develop an approach to monitoring and measuring Electoral Registration Officer performance through the resulting register and effectiveness of methods, rather than compliance with prescribed process. Contact: natalie.bodek@cabinetoffice.gov.uk Digital and Democratic Engagement Headed by Penny Charlish-Jackson The Digital and Democratic Engagement Team leads the Government s commitment to encourage democratic participation and promote voter registration, particularly amongst those groups who are least likely to be on the electoral register. We engage with local authorities to ensure policies, and the delivery of projects, are sense-checked and on track. In addition, we work with voluntary and community organisations with unique links to under registered groups in order to underline the importance of democratic participation more widely. The Digital Service is managed by the IER Live Service Team, overseeing the operational and development aspects of the site. The Live Service is responsible for ensuring all registration applications are returned each day to Local Authorities. During election periods, the Service enters a critical period of enhanced support to ensure risks to the site and verification process is monitored 24/7. The Service also engages with Local Authorities and other stakeholders on a regular basis, keeping them up to date with news relating to elections and electoral registration. 2

3 In addition, the team leads on policy responses to written and oral parliamentary questions, correspondence, Freedom of Information requests, Private Members Bills, briefing and the development of lines to take. Contact: Constitution Group Analysis Headed by Benjamin Copley The Constitution Group Analysis Team provides analytical advice and support to the whole of the Constitution Group. We lead in the production of economic and business cases, financial modelling, cost benefit analysis and also on forecasting and securing funding for the Group. The research specialists are currently playing a leading role in the running of the Canvass Pilots project, where they are setting measurable critical success factors in line with policy intentions, assessing the extent of data collection capability and setting further management information and data requirements to ensure the measurability and evaluation of the project. Contact: benjamin.copley@cabinetoffice.gov.uk Programme Management Team Headed by Carol Gokce The Programme Management Team provides support and challenge, and tracks delivery of the Programme s portfolio. The team works with senior Constitution Group colleagues and our Non-Executive Directors to plan and run programme governance, making sure there are forums for decisions and shaping agendas that drive delivery. Working with workstream and project leads, the team also tracks the programme end-to-end plan, resources, risks and issues, and is responsible for assurance activities. Contact: carol.gokce@cabinetoffice.gov.uk Digital Specialists Headed by Piers Harris The digital specialists are responsible for digital aspects of engagement with EROs and their Electoral Management System (EMS) suppliers. We work with the Government Digital Service, the EMS suppliers and the IER Digital Service team to design and implement the IT systems that support IER. Contact: piers.harris@cabinetoffice.gov.uk A flavour of MRD s Work Streams Democratic Engagement 3

4 One of the Government s top priorities is getting as many people onto the register as possible. As part of the Every Voice Matters tour, the Minister for the Constitution is visiting every region and nation of the United Kingdom to hear about the barriers that prevent people from registering. Since the start of the tour, the Minister has spoken with nearly 100 organisations, including civil society groups, universities, and EROs to hear their experiences. As part of the Democracy That Works For Everyone campaign, there are four key themes. The first is the Boundary Review, which will address differences in the size of UK Parliamentary constituencies to make sure that everyone s vote is worth the same. The second is that the Government will make sure that British expatriates have the right to register to vote in future elections. The third is that we will continue to improve our electoral registration system to make sure it is up to date, whilst making it more secure. And finally, we will reach out to all communities, including those who feel socially excluded, to encourage them to have their say. Canvass Pilots and Permanent Change The current canvass process is viewed by EROs to be too prescriptive and expensive. To address these concerns, the Cabinet Office worked with EROs in three areas in 2016 (Birmingham, Ryedale and South Lakeland) to pilot new ways of canvassing and will do so in a further 20 areas in The key aim of these pilots is to provide evidence that alternatives to the annual canvass exist that are as effective as, and more cost-efficient than, the current canvass. Provided the results of the pilot schemes support these objectives, we intend to introduce legislation to amend the canvass process permanently later in this Parliament. Cost Optimisation Cost Optimisation measures are designed to generate savings and efficiencies in the registration process to counter the fact that Individual Electoral Registration (IER) has increased the cost of this to local authorities. Measures introduced to date, in England & Wales, include: reducing the amount of IER correspondence, sending Invitations to Register (ITRs) by at the discretion of an ERO and, introducing a single occupancy tick box, in order to identify properties where only one person resides so that EROs don t need to canvass unnecessarily These measures are already in place in England and Wales, and will be extended to Scotland in time for the 2017 annual canvass. 4

5 ERO Performance Management & Better Metrics Through a Better Metrics project, functionality will be created that will mean repeatable, high quality, more outcome focused data can be reported on electoral registration from EROs electoral management systems. This will support the Electoral Commission to monitor and assess the performance of EROs and is aimed at achieving a balanced approach where EROs have more discretion over how they conduct the annual canvass, but there is greater emphasis on the outcomes they achieve in maintaining their electoral registers. Duplicate Applications Many applications to join the register appear to come from people who are already registered and we are currently conducting a discovery phase to understand this issue in depth. The discovery phase of the duplicates project will look at the impact of the Register to Vote website and the complete registration process on electors and EROs and, subject to the findings of the discovery phase, the aim would then be for the project to move into a new phase around designing and developing the most appropriate solution. 5