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 Table of contents

1. How the charter will make its mark;Citizen's Charter;Public Management.................................................. 1

Bibliography...................................................................................................................................................... 4

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Document 1 of 1

How the charter will make its mark;Citizen's Charter;Public Management

Author: Broom, Douglas

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Abstract (Abstract): John Redwood, the local government minister, said more than 50 local authorities were
among the 296 applicants for Chartermarks. By contrast, the British Standards Institution (BSI) says 42 local
authorities have qualified for its BS5750 "Qualitymark", which predates the Chartermark by several years. Chris
Sheldon of BSI says: "BS5750 was already established as the private sector benchmark for quality
management systems when the Chartermark came along. So it is understandable that people want to stay with
what is a tried and tested way of improving quality." Like the Citizen's Charter, BS5750 emphasises the ability to
respond promptly to a customer.
One man who needed no great encouragement was Richard Cummins, the chief executive of Wycombe District
Council in Buckinghamshire. Having evaluated BS5750, he decided to throw himself and his staff into the fight
to win a Chartermark. Like many public sector managers Mr Cummins argues that he and his organisation
anticipated the Charter by several years, setting targets for customer service long before John Major outlined
his "big idea".

Full text: Can the Citizen's Charter meet its targets for higher standards of service? THE Citizen's Charter is
about to face the first test of its ability to change the way public services are provided as judging begins for the
award of the first Chartermarks to organisations meeting its ideals.
Only 50 symbols will be awarded this year and William Waldegrave, the Citizen's Charter minister, has made it
clear that he will award fewer than that if the entries are not up to scratch. Since its launch a year ago, the
charter has been accused of promising much but offering no real redress to people who believe public bodies
have failed them.
For the government, the first Chartermarks will be a chance to sort out the sheep from the goats, marking out
the organisations able to embrace quality, choice, standards and value.
Entries closed at the end of June and judging by a panel chaired by Sir James Blyth, the chief executive of
Boots, has started. The first Chartermarks will be awarded at a ceremony in September.
Despite a spate of individual charters from bodies ranging from British Rail to district councils, there is
widespread confusion about the practical aims of the charter. Inside the public sector many senior managers
question the value of devoting time and effort to winning a Chartermark award for implementing something
about which they and their customers remain sceptical. Many have turned instead to British Standard 5750,
which measures the ability of an organisation to set, monitor and meet targets for quality of service.
John Redwood, the local government minister, said more than 50 local authorities were among the 296
applicants for Chartermarks. By contrast, the British Standards Institution (BSI) says 42 local authorities have
qualified for its BS5750 "Qualitymark", which predates the Chartermark by several years. Chris Sheldon of BSI
says: "BS5750 was already established as the private sector benchmark for quality management systems when
the Chartermark came along. So it is understandable that people want to stay with what is a tried and tested
way of improving quality." Like the Citizen's Charter, BS5750 emphasises the ability to respond promptly to a
customer.
Encouraging councils to apply for Chartermarks, Mr Redwood appealed to their civic pride, urging them not to
be left out in the first round of awards.
One man who needed no great encouragement was Richard Cummins, the chief executive of Wycombe District
Council in Buckinghamshire. Having evaluated BS5750, he decided to throw himself and his staff into the fight
to win a Chartermark. Like many public sector managers Mr Cummins argues that he and his organisation

15 October 2015 Page 1 of 4 ProQuest

anticipated the Charter by several years, setting targets for customer service long before John Major outlined
his "big idea".
When it came to applying for a Chartermark, matters were less straightforward. The first blow came with the
discovery that the council was not entitled to seek the award for what it was already doing. Although the
council's Customer Action policy applies to all its activities, the Cabinet Office would not accept an entry from
the council as a whole. Instead officials insisted that if it wanted to enter, Wycombe should submit six
applications, one for each service department.
Mr Cummins says: "Of course, if that is how we have to enter, then that is what we will do, but it is a great pity
that having built up a strong corporate spirit here we cannot submit ourselves to the test as a team."
Evidence of that team spirit is to be seen in the council's new offices but conveying that team spirit on paper is a
headache. The Cabinet Office offers no guidance on framing the application.
Vistors to the council are greeted by uniformed counter staff, wearing name badges. Like every other member
of staff they have targets to meet. In their case, no member of the public must be kept waiting for more than two
minutes.
The setting of targets goes throughout the organisation from a deadline for answering letters to the chief
executive to a rule that Eddie Russell, the council press officer, must answer 70 per cent of journalists' queries
within four hours. In its attempt to convince the judges, Wycombe has opted for a no-frills approach, setting out
what it is doing in seven pages of clear type, accompanied by validators' reports from CSL Group, a
consultancy firm, and the South East Regional Employers Council.
"Whether we win the Chartermark or not we will go on doing all of this and trying to do it better," says Mr
Cummins, gesturing to a poster on the wall of his office setting out the three commandments. Such evangelical
fervour surely deserves its reward in Whitehall.

People: Cummins, Richard

Publication title: The Times

Number of pages: 0

Publication year: 1992

Publication date: Aug 4, 1992

Year: 1992

Section: Features

Publisher: News International Trading Limited.

Place of publication: London (UK)

Country of publication: United Kingdom

Publication subject: General Interest Periodicals--Great Britain

ISSN: 01400460

Source type: Newspapers

Language of publication: English

Document type: NEWSPAPER

ProQuest document ID: 319101586

Document URL: http://search.proquest.com/docview/319101586?accountid=28547

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Copyright: (Copyright 1992)

Last updated: 2011-10-18

Database: ProQuest Central

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 Bibliography
Citation style: MLA 6th Edition

Broom, Douglas. "How the Charter Will make its Mark;Citizen's Charter;Public Management." The Times Aug
04 1992 ProQuest. PROQUESTMS. 15 Oct. 2015
<http://search.proquest.com/docview/319101586?accountid=28547>.

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