New process for measuring client satisfaction A case of the Quebec Pensions Board

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1 Good Practices in Social Security Good practice in operation since: 2010 New process for measuring client satisfaction A case of the Quebec Pensions Board Quebec Pensions Board Canada Published

2 Summary To maintain high-quality client service standards, the Quebec Pensions Board instituted a new client satisfaction measurement process, adapted to both current and future conditions. While revealing client expectations and satisfaction in terms of service and helping to improve both, it also ensures that the Board meets its commitments to clients. This process was developed based on experience and concerns of top management and operational units. Support from all stakeholders was key to successful implementation. This improvement maintains the Board's leadership in this area and has inspired other Quebec government agencies to develop their own satisfaction measurement tools. The Board has thus shown, again, that client satisfaction remains a development priority. CRITERIA 1 What was the issue/problem/challenge addressed by your good practice? In an environment where services provided evolve constantly, the approach to measuring client satisfaction must adapt both to current and future conditions. In 1995, the Quebec Pension Board set up a client service strategy based primarily on a major survey, the Grand Sondage. The survey was designed to identify client expectations and satisfaction in terms of services received. Between 1995 and 2010, satisfaction was surveyed seven times and client expectations were measured four times. The results were disseminated and changes were initiated, which contributed considerably to building a "client-focussed culture" among employees. The first rounds generated many improvements in client service. Following these changes, satisfaction seemed to plateau and the results produced fewer new ideas. The major survey was thus transformed into an accountability tool, specifically to ensure careful monitoring of compliance with the Declaration of Services to the Public. However, the tool was more complex than necessary to simply monitor accountability. In addition, other occasional surveys were added over time to address managers' needs. That group sought more precise information about improvements in their respective sector. These surveys were more specialized and, over time, met a need that the earlier major survey could not. However, they did not offer the overview the latter provided. The Board's challenge was thus to develop its client satisfaction measurement process so that it could both help to identify areas of client service improvement and address the need for accountability in terms of its commitments - and all based on its experience.

3 2 CRITERIA 2 What were the main objectives and the expected outcomes? The primary objective was to maintain high client service standards while staying current with client expectations. More specifically, the new client satisfaction measurement process would have to: identify clients' expectations regarding service; generate information to be incorporated into the Declaration of Services to the Public, which presents the Board's commitments connected to those expectations; measure client satisfaction in terms of specific services and, thus, help improve the quality of client service; report to the public on the Board's compliance with its commitments; and, compare results over time and among the services offered. CRITERIA 3 What is the innovative approach/strategy followed to achieve the objectives? Before setting up a new method and approach, internal consensus was required as to the need for and direction of this change. The following steps were taken to reach that consensus: Past experience was analyzed, including the positive aspects of the current process, its constraints and limitations and the achievements made over the years; That assessment was shared with the Board's top management. They made a commitment to review the process and received additional information to help them analyze the objectives the changes were intended to achieve; A draft of the process was developed; The draft was discussed and refined in consultation with representatives from the operational units to ensure that the final process met their needs and had their support; and, Top management and the Board's board of directors adopted the new process. Four success factors were key to the process: support of top management and the board of directors; ownership of the new process by all managers concerned; participation of the operational units in developing the tools; and, consideration of the prospective changes in client service. It was determined that the process that emerged from this revision would have three components: MIA, MASC and OSCAR. 1 - Survey of client expectations (MIA)

4 3 This survey seeks to identify the population's expectations in terms of client service provided by the Board. It involves three phases: Every six years, focus groups are held to determine the population's key expectations; A triennial survey is held to measure the significance of each expectation after the focus groups; The Board's Declaration of Services to the Public (DSC) is revised and updated based on those expectations. 2 - Annual survey to measure client satisfaction (MASC) This second survey addresses the need to maintain accountability in terms of the DSC's quality commitments. This annual exercise measures client satisfaction regarding each commitment. It also monitors changes in satisfaction over time. 3 - Survey tool for measuring client satisfaction (OSCAR) OSCAR was designed to support service improvement for Pensions Board clients. It is a bank of tested, validated questions that measures satisfaction among clients who received a specific service from the Pensions Board. OSCAR thus improves the ability to respond by: providing a detailed picture of the elements that need to be improved and determining the operational unit responsible for those improvements; and, comparing satisfaction in terms of various services, as certain questions were asked in several surveys. To ensure that all stakeholders adopt these new survey instruments quickly, a visual was linked to each. Surveys are thus represented by a boy (OSCAR), a girl (MIA) and a dog (MASC). The simplicity of the names and images chosen made it easier for Board personnel to adopt and work with these new concepts.

5 4 CRITERIA 4 Have the resources and inputs been used in an optimal way to achieve the set objectives and the expected outcomes? Please specify what internal or external evaluations of the practice have taken place and what impact/results have been identified/achieved so far. The Board succeeded in developing an approach better suited to its needs without increasing implementation costs. Thus, over the full six years of the cycle: The cost of conducting the MASC and the MIA equals the cost of the prior major survey of client expectations and satisfaction. The OSCAR tool was incorporated into regular planning for surveys addressing specific services. The questionnaires are standardized, which simplifies the design and analysis tasks. Because the questionnaires are shorter and better focussed, clients also benefit because they can respond in less time. Initial results released show positive impacts on the organization, including: the ability to obtain annual results on accountability; the ability to respond more quickly to a decline in satisfaction; access to a set of interdependent tools that ensure consistency among actions taken to improve client service. CRITERIA 5 What lessons have been learned? To what extent would your good practice be appropriate for replication by other social security institutions? The surveys and focus groups allow the Board to monitor its clients' concerns. It has the appropriate tools for evaluating and improving its services with the goal of improving client satisfaction. The Board's services can thus evolve in line with clients' expectations. The Board is a leader within the Quebec government with regard to measuring client satisfaction. Several ministries and agencies have been inspired by these achievements to develop their own tools. The process was presented to the leaders of the member organizations of the Centre d expertise des grands organismes (CEGO) and at a breakfast seminar for the entire government community. It has also been described in a practical guide available at the CEGO website: (