Our Public Service 2020’s high-level goal of delivering better outcomes for the public relies on improved service delivery. In Pillar 1: Delivering for our Public, the actions support the framework in two key aspects of this: responding to customers; and, ensuring value for money in delivering services. Action 2: Improve services to customers is particularly focused on the Our Public Service 2020 high-level outcomes of increasing customer satisfaction, public trust, and improving government effectiveness. Action 3: Make services more accessible to all will be progressed in tandem with Action 2, and will form part of the Work Programme for this combined Action.

This action concerns the accessibility of public services by all members of the public, including those with diverse needs, and aims to design services with the user at its centre. Service design is an innovative approach to improving public services that allows the public to be involved in the design of public services.

The Quality Customer Service Initiative, established in 1997, set out 9 Guiding Principles of Quality Customer Service – expanded to 12 in 2000. These Principles can be found here. Principles 2: Equality/Diversity; 3: Physical Access; and, 4: Information relate to making services more accessible to all, and have been a part of the work programme of the Quality Customer Service Network since its establishment in 2000.

Action 4: Significantly improve communications and engagement with the public, which has been active since 2018, also concerns itself with the planning, design, implementation and review of public services.