OUTPUT 2.2: SERVICES

The Services output includes training and client liaison, help desk and problem resolution. The department's first line client support services, such as training and client liaison, are provided by the Client Services Centre in the Client Services Group, while the second line client services, such as information technology problem resolution, desktop moves and account management, are provided by the Technical Services Group.

Services quantity

Performance indicator: percentage change and number of client service requests.

Success is judged as reasonable output, based on trends over time.

First line support (Client Services Centre)

Help desk

There was a reduction in the number of Client Services Centre calls in 2000-2001 with 40,185 calls compared to 42,861 calls in 1999-2000. This may have been due to the fewer sitting weeks during the Olympic Games and the Centenary of Federation celebrations.

The monthly Client Services Bulletin was produced in both hard copy and electronic form. Four open days were conducted to familiarise Senators and Members and their staff with the new functionality and the additional productivity they could achieve through the use of the new POWER3.5/Office 2000 platform.

Click on the image for an Acrobat PDF printable version.  Download free PDF reader

Training

The demand for training courses in 2000-2001 was 929 days, down from 1,224 days in 1999-2000. The demand for individual (one-to-one) training was 299 days, up from 88 last year and the demand for client consultancy was 2,986 hours, an increase from 634 hours in 1999-2000. The number of one-to-one training days was up because of the introduction of a new platform in Senators' and Members' offices. The number of clients attending the classroom training courses was lower because the majority of clients are familiar with current platform which has been installed for some time.

Click on the image for an Acrobat PDF printable version.  Download free PDF reader

Second line support

There was an overall 23 per cent decrease in client demand for second line support in information technology, telecommunications and broadcasting support.

The demand for second line support generally reflects the sitting pattern or the stage of the parliament. The trend for desktop moves and installs is indicative of this trend. The period around the Olympic Games also contributed to a decrease in client demand for second line support services in 2000-2001.

Information technology - problem resolution

Client demand for information technology problem resolution and service requests was 25 per cent lower than in 1999-2000. The composition of information technology problem resolution and service requests changed, with office support calls constituting 83 per cent of calls, compared to 69 per cent last year. Client calls for information technology problem resolution for desktop and office support (5,662) was 10 per cent lower than last year (6,176) and calls for other information technology infrastructure problem resolution, such as security, database, network or projects (1,688) was down 58 per cent (4,062).

Click on the image for an Acrobat PDF printable version.  Download free PDF reader

Information technology - consultancy services

Client demand for consultancy services also decreased in 2000-2001. Client demand for desktop moves and installs (2,388 calls) was 11 per cent lower this year than last year (2,676 calls). This figure excludes the desktop moves and installs undertaken in the third quarter as part of the delivery of POWER 3.5 to the offices of Senators and Members. These moves and installs were costed to the POWER 3.5 project. Also, and information technology account management (3,469 requests) was 2 per cent lower than last year (3,557).

Telecommunications

The number of telecommunications fault calls increased 20 per cent from last year, from 1,509 to 1,804, as did the number of work requests, increasing 10 per cent from 5,412 to 5,979. The increases reflect the additional work involved in supporting the new telephony environment in 2001.

Broadcasting support

Broadcasting support requests to repair defects (542 calls) decreased 60 per cent from 1999-2000 (1,367), while broadcasting support maintenance requests (1,092) decreased 6 per cent from the last fiscal year (1,165). In terms of hours expended on these tasks, defect repair hours (4,229) decreased 21 per cent (5,358) while maintenance hours (9,109) decreased 12 per cent from (10,375).

The reduction in broadcasting support levels in 2000-2001 reflects the quality of staff work and a tighter risk management approach to maintenance.

Services price (cost)

The overall price (cost) of the Services output was $4,665,000, 13 per cent below 1999-2000. There was a reduction in all of the significant service costs areas, in part reflecting the late stage of the 39th Parliament.

The price (cost) of first line support is measured for help desk calls, training and consultancy. The price (cost) of second line support is measured for information technology problem resolution (second line support), information technology consultancy services, and support of departmental systems and specific applications.

1.   help desk call
2.   service request and problem resolved
3.   training

Success is judged by cost efficient services, based on trends over time.

First line support (Client Services Centre)

Help desk calls

The cost per call in 2000-2001 ($25.44) was 34 per cent above 1999-2000 ($19), with the full cost being ($1,022,381).

The increase in the cost per client call reflects the increasing complexity of calls, as most clients have received basic training and now call for advanced help. It also reflects the continuing increase in the range of services supported.

Training

The cost per day of classroom training was $493, up from $418 in 1999-2000. The full cost of training services was $720,204, including classroom training ($458,380) and one-to-one training sessions ($261,824).

A major factor in the increase in the average cost of classroom training courses was the smaller class sizes in 2000-2001, as most clients have received basic training at this stage of the Parliament. A number of tailored courses were run for specific groups in the parliamentary departments. There was a reduction in the cost of one-to-one training which was $876 per day in 2000-2001 compared with $1,366 in 1999-2000. There was an overall increase in the cost of training because of the unexpected increase in the number of one-to-one training days to 299 in 2000-2001 compared to 88 in 1999-2000.

New courses were developed for the upgrade to POWER 3.5 in Senators' and Members' Parliament House offices. Workshops were also run to explain the new functionality offered in the POWER 3.5 platform.

The Client Services Centre provides client consultancy services. The increased number of consultancies reflects the need for support staff to spend more time with clients to respond to their requests. The hourly cost of client consultancy services decreased from $675 in 1999-2000 (634 hours) to $195 (2,986 hours) in 2000-2001. The full cost for client consultancy was ($581,515).

Second line support

Information technology problem resolution

The overall cost of second line support problem resolution ($886,916) was 8 per cent below 1999-2000:

• the unit cost per call for information technology problem resolution for desktop and office support was $125, compared to $85 in 1999-2000. The full cost was $692,706.
• the unit cost per call for information technology problem resolution for other infrastructure support, such as security, database, network and projects, was $106, the same as in 1999-2000. The full cost was $179,589. Another $14,621 was expended on telecommunication infrastructure requests.

The increase in the cost of information technology problem resolution calls reflects the wider scope of office support, integrating information technology and broadcasting systems support.

1.   departmental systems support
2.   consultancy services
3.   publicity and publications

Success is judged by reasonable cost for services, based on trends over time.

The cost of publicity and publications is now considered an overhead in training costs. Client consultancy costs are reported under training costs.

Departmental systems support

Departmental systems support is a second line support activity.

The cost of departmental system support to non-DPRS clients was $89,837. Client demand for this service is not consistent over the years, and peaks and troughs are to be expected. The demand for this service in 2000-2001 was not significant.

When DPRS system support is included, the full cost of departmental system support was $516,602, 33 per cent lower than last year. The major components of total departmental system support in 2000-2001 were Hansard 29 per cent, and digital audio 54 per cent, with the remainder 27% expended on specific parliamentary department systems.

Information technology consultancy services

Information technology consultancy services (second line support) include desktop moves and installs, information technology consultations, account management and addons and integration work. Overall, the cost for information technology consultancy services ($843,649) was 53 per cent below 1999-2000. This decrease was in part due to a re-allocation of overheads to the Infrastructure output.

• the unit cost of desktop moves and installs ($135 per month) was 22 per cent above 1999-2000. The full cost was $323,155. The increase in costs reflects the growing complexity of the computing platform.
• Information technology consultancy services, such as advice to other parliamentary departments on computing infrastructure issues, $72,639 compared to $44,620 last year.
• the cost per account administered ($79) was 10 per cent below 1999-2000 ($85). The full cost was $272,562. The account management process is being refined to improve the cost effectiveness of the service.
• the department provides an addons and integration client consultancy service to Senators and Members and the parliamentary departments. This reflects the diverse work practices and requirement of the department's clients, where individual offices need specific software integrated into the standard computing platform. The full cost for this service in 2000-2001 ($175,293) was much lower than in 1999-2000 ($994,779) as the overheads were allocated to the cost of the Infrastructure output.

Supporting specific applications

The cost of the Services output also includes the cost of supporting specific applications, such as the paging system for Senators and Members, the Schlage security system and media monitoring in the Parliamentary Library.

The overall expenditure for these services ($186,907) was 9 per cent above 1999-2000.

The department commenced a project to replace the ageing pagers used by Senators and Members. Extensive consultations were held with the Whips' offices and Senators and Members on the Presiding Officer's Information Technology Advisory Group. In particular, client views were sought on issues such as possible solutions (pagers or mobile phones) and the need or otherwise for exclusion zones to prevent pagers from being activated while in the Chambers or the House of Representatives Main Committee. The department also held discussions with the Joint House Department on the possible transfer of responsibility for the maintenance of the Schlage security system.

Services quality

The quality of the Services output is judged mainly in terms of client satisfaction and service timeliness. As with the Infrastructure output, the objective is to provide Senators and Members with world class services that support their diverse and time critical needs when conducting parliamentary business.

Services quality - Client satisfaction

Performance indicator: percentage and number of clients who are highly satisfied/very satisfied or satisfied with services:

1.  problem resolution
2.  service timeliness
3.  quality of services

Success is judged as high-level client satisfaction, based on trends over time.

Problem resolution, service timeliness and quality of services are reported together, based on the findings of the 2000 Client Satisfaction Survey:

• 83 per cent of clients were very satisfied or satisfied with problem resolution, service timeliness and quality of services
• 85 per cent of clients were very satisfied or satisfied with help desk and second line support services.

The Client Liaison sub-group continued to review and refine its procedures for handling calls to ensure effective communication with second line support staff. Staff dedication and professionalism improved its performance of satisfying calls at the first point of contact from 65 per cent in 1999-2000 to 73 per cent in 2000-2001.

This approach to handling calls has contributed to the favourable results in the 2000 Client Satisfaction Survey where 90 per cent of clients who responded were very satisfied or satisfied with the professionalism of support staff when they phoned for assistance. 82 per cent were satisfied or very satisfied that the resolution of their problem or request was achieved in the best possible way.

Client feedback highlighted the high degree of responsiveness and professionalism of DPRS staff in resolving computer related problems. However, a small number of clients cited examples where service did not fully meet expectations and indicated that there were areas where improvements were required, namely appreciation of the time constraints facing clients and keeping clients informed on the progress of service requests.

These issues are being addressed through the department's continuous improvement strategy and initiatives such as the service improvement program, where staff identified ways to improve their understanding of the work and needs of Senators and Members and their staff and clients.

All clients are asked to rate the training courses they attend. In 2000-2001, 99 per cent of clients assessed the courses positively against criterion of excellent (46 per cent), very good (46 per cent), good (7.5 per cent), average (0.5 per cent) and poor (0 per cent). Clients also evaluated the quality of the trainer's presentation, with 54 per cent rating trainers as excellent, 37 per cent rating as very good, 8 per cent rating as good, 1 per cent rating as average and none rating as poor.

Services quality - Service timeliness

Performance indicator: timely resolution of information technology problem resolution requests - percentage and number of problems resolved within service standard.

Success is judged by timely resolution of problems, based on trends over time and specific targets.

As reported above, 83 per cent of clients were very satisfied or satisfied with problem resolution, service timeliness and quality of services

First line support

The first line support staff of the Client Services Centre closed 73 per cent (27,043) of calls taken (37,072).

Click on the image for an Acrobat PDF printable version.  Download free PDF reader

Second line support

The nature of the second line, information technology problem resolution requests, such as desktop moves and installs, requires a different set of service timeliness targets. Most second line support calls require research and site visits to resolve client problems or to undertake requests such as desktop moves.

The department is trialing service targets for these second line support requests at a level slightly above the results achieved in 1999-2000. The trial service timeliness targets for information technology problem resolution are:

• under 1 hour (30 per cent)
• under 2 hours (45 per cent)
• under 4 hours (60 per cent)
• under 8 hours (65 per cent)
• over 8 hours less than 35 per cent.

The timeliness of information technology problem resolution services was slightly below the trial targets and down on 1999-2000. This in part reflects the impact of staff leave during September 2000 (Olympics) and the increasing complexity of the supported office facilities, which now make up to 83 per cent of second line support calls (69 per cent last year).

Click on the image for an Acrobat PDF printable version.  Download free PDF reader

The timeliness of another key client service, account creation (1.4 hours) shows an improvement on last year (1.9 hours).

The gradual improvement in the account creation reflects continuing efforts to improve the efficiency of a critical client service, which provides clients with access to parliamentary information technology services.

Click on the image for an Acrobat PDF printable version.  Download free PDF reader