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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1995 Week 7 Hansard (17 October) . . Page.. 1734 ..

MRS CARNELL (continuing):

We need to stress that the customer commitment program is an ongoing program that will become a key feature of all our processes. This is a bold step in making a permanent culture change for the ACT public service. Every effort will be directed at entrenching the program's customer service attitudes. It will involve empowering front-line staff to provide information confidently, to help them see the need to become more expert and knowledgeable, and to make their jobs more interesting and enjoyable. Everyone - the customers, the public service and the community - will benefit from this program.

The Government values highly those staff who are providing an excellent level of customer service. Accordingly, a customer commitment awards scheme will be established to recognise the commitment and dedication of such staff right across the ACT public service. To further promote the customer service ethos, managers at all levels will be encouraged to integrate rewards and recognition, to encourage good customer service, and to ensure that best customer service practice is promoted at the local level. Even our senior executives need to realise that their principal role is to support the front-line staff and their support staff. Accordingly, all chief executives will be required to incorporate the customer commitment program in their chief executive agreements. Senior executives' performance agreements should similarly reflect this requirement.

My department has responsibility for ensuring that the customer commitment program is implemented across all agencies in the ACT public service. It has initiated consultation with peak union bodies and my advisory councils about the program. The chief executive of the department will also provide the Government with progress reports on the implementation of the program. I commend the customer commitment program to the Assembly and look forward to reporting in the future. I present the following paper:

Customer Commitment Program - Ministerial statement, 17 October 1995.

I move:

That the Assembly takes note of the paper.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

MR STEFANIAK (Minister for Education and Training and Minister for Children's and Youth Services): Mr Speaker, I ask for leave of the Assembly to make a ministerial statement on mandatory reporting.

Leave granted.

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