STANDARD

RESULT

Review of Section 106 projects will be completed within the time allotted by regulation or sooner.

A Historic Preservation Technician position was created to handle the majority of routine cases and noncontroversial cases.

Upon inquiry, we will provide information on project status, estimated time needed to complete review, or any associated problems.

This is currently done in all Section 106 cases.T

We will clearly explain our project review decisions so you can understand why and how they were made and what to do if you disagree.

This is done if requested by customer.

To facilitate better communication, the name of the employee responsible for your project, along with a telephone number, will be on every letter.

The referenced data are on all correspondence of all offices.

We will respond promptly to requests for assistance or advice on federal historic preservation programs and related matters.

Requests are promptly routed to appropriate staff and answered promptly. Subject matters outside the Council’s purview are routed to the appropriate party.

We will provide appropriate referral to other sources of information if the request falls outside the Council’s purview or we are otherwise unable to address it.

Requests are promptly routed to appropriate staff and answered promptly. Subject matters outside the Council’s purview are routed to the appropriate party.

We will continue to produce publications that are written clearly and address the specific informational needs of our customers.

The Council published Federal Historic Preservation Case Law, 1966-1996 in response to customer demand. We are also producing a guidance document on making determination of eligibility.

STANDARD

RESULT

We will fill requests for individual copies of Council publications or training information within three working days.

Requests for Council publications or training information are filled in three days or less.

Our publications will be regularly updated to reflect changing laws and regulations, and all publications will have a date of publication on them.

All publications are now dated. When data change, we update publications.

At present we cannot meet all training demands. We will develop a plan that will facilitate the widest possible geographic and special-interest distribution.

The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) has developed partnerships with the National Conference on State Historic Preservation Officers, the University of Nevada-Reno, and others to increase the number of courses taught and tailor the contents to meet specific audience needs.

Our telephone system is designed to connect you with the person you called or, if they are unavailable, their voice mail. Telephones will be answered by a person unless all lines are busy. If all lines are busy, you will receive clear instructions for leaving a message. Under unusual circumstances, it may be impossible to answer each incoming call. We are working to improve this system.

ACHP has hired a full-time receptionist to answer calls rather than a machine. Major telephone hardware and software deficiencies have been corrected.

Your phone call will be returned within one working day of receipt.

Except in unusual circumstances, someone will return the call within one day. If the person called is on travel, the caller will be referred to someone else who can assist and provide information.

We will respond to your telephone inquires in a pleasant and helpful manner. Immediate, concise information will be provided whenever possible. If such information is not immediately available, you will be informed when you can expect to receive the information.

This is now done. Calls are referred to appropriate staff for response.

Carry out compliance activities in a professional and objective manner.

Survey being conducted.

Conduct animal care inspections in accordance with laws and regulations.

Survey being conducted.

Be respectful of individuals in the performance of our duties and responsibilities.

Survey being conducted.

Respond to information requests accurately and clearly.

Survey being conducted.

STANDARD

RESULT

You will be provided with accurate information or expert help to resolve or minimize your wildlife conflict.

In 1995, 77 percent were satisfied that the agency helped solve their wildlife problem.

Our employees will show respect for people, property, and wildlife.

Overall satisfaction with Animal Damage Control (ADC) personnel was above 90 percent in 1993.

Our employees will respect varying viewpoints on wildlife damage management.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

We will use the most humane, selective, and effective control techniques.

In 1993, 81.5 percent of clients said ADC’s methods and tools are effective.

We will conduct activities in a professional, biologically sound, and accountable way.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

Our work will be done in a safe manner and in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws and regulations.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

All Miami Animal Import Center (MAIC) clients will receive professional, courteous, fair, and even-handed treatment. We will use our knowledge of regulations, policies, and procedures to allow things to be done rather than merely prevent them from occurring.

Ninety-seven percent were satisfied with the service orientation of personnel, 91 percent were satisfied with communication, and 88 percent were satisfied with information provided.

Taxpayers can expect that we will make every effort to recover the costs of running MAIC from those who benefit and directly use our services. Direct users can expect an explanation of any charge, structuring of charges to minimize costs to a particular shipment, and correction of any calculation or charging errors.

Financial accountability was improved to eliminate costly procedures and increase efficiency. All checks are processed in 24 hours. All bills (APHIS 81 forms) are processed in 24 hours.

We will serve our import clients by providing good care for the animals quarantined in our facility.

Eighty-seven percent were satisfied with the quality of care given. Housekeeping, grooming, and feed have been improved.

We will improve the information we provide to the public about importing a pet bird through MAIC.

We adopted quarterly meetings for general brokers and meetings for special topics.

We will have a veterinary medical officer available at all times during business hours.

Veterinary inspection was increased to include clinical inspection twice a day.

We will negotiate special care arrangements for quarantined animals that do not adversely affect our biosecurity efforts and the welfare of other animals in the facility.

One hundred percent were satisfied with biosecurity measures employed.

STANDARD

RESULT

We will ensure that applications are properly filled out and sent to the regional office by express mail for assignment of account numbers within one business day of receipt.Survey being developed.

We will reconcile trust fund statements within 10 business days of receipt from APHIS Field Servicing Office to allow accounts to be closed and refunds made.

Survey being developed.

We will issue import permits within two business days of submission of applications after quarantine account numbers are issued.

Survey being developed.

We will maintain a clean and healthy environment for animals using the export facility.

Housekeeping has been improved for individual stalls.

We will provide a baseline amount of feed for animals using the facility. We will be happy to feed more at exporter request and expense when advance arrangements are made to enable us to have the feed on hand.

Quality of food has been improved.

We are committed to processing most pet and nonlivestock certificates within 15 minutes while the client is in the office.

Survey being developed.

We will help clients exporting animal byproducts to write certificates that will meet the requirements of the importing country and that can be signed by MAIC veterinarians.

Survey being developed.

We will mail fresh supplies of health certificates to USDA-accredited veterinarians within one business day of request.

Survey being developed.

To speed travelers with animals on their way, we will contact issuing veterinarians when a proffered health certificate contains three or fewer minor errors or omissions to obtain information to correct them on the spot.

Survey being developed.

We will help private practitioners write health certificates by providing current requirements and by reviewing certificates at the veterinarian’s request prior to submission.

Survey being developed.

STANDARD

RESULT

Respond in a timely manner to requests for information.

Of customers surveyed, 88 percent were satisfied.

Conduct thorough and complete investigations.

Of customers surveyed, 85 percent were satisfied.

Write high-quality and easily understood investigative reports.

Of customers surveyed, 92 percent were satisfied.

Process formal administrative prosecutions in a timely manner..

Of customers surveyed, 64 percent were satisfied.

You will be treated with courtesy and respect. You will be assisted by a polite, responsive, and knowledgeable staff. If we get things wrong, we will explain what happened and will make them right.

Customer surveys are complete. Data are being analyzed.

You will be given prompt and reliable service. We want to respond quickly and accurately to your requests for information, loans, payments, and technical assistance. We will put you in touch with the person on our staff who can best handle your request.

Customer surveys are complete. Data are being analyzed.

You will be given information that is clear, reliable, and easy to understand. We will explain to you how our programs work, what benefits you can receive, whether you are eligible, and how you can apply. We are committed to making sure the information we give you meets your needs. We want to work with you to continually improve the information we give you and the way you receive it.

Customer surveys are complete. Data are being analyzed.

You will be given forms that are easy to understand and complete. Our forms are an important way of getting information from you. We want to continually improve them so that they are easy for you to fill out and provide us with the information we need to serve you. When we revise our forms or create new ones, we will consider your suggestions.

Customer surveys are complete. Data are being analyzed.

You can expect us to work with related state and local offices. We will work closely with other government agencies such as the Cooperative Extension Service and state and local agencies to ensure that our work is mutually supportive and our policies and regulations are consistent.

Customer surveys are complete. Data are being analyzed.

STANDARD

RESULT

Be innovative, forward-thinking, and continue to look for ways to improve how we inspect meat and poultry products and protect the public health.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

Provide you with up-to-date information on food safety issues through the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline (1-800-535-4555).

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

Solicit and consider your ideas to assist us in making policy and program improvements.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

Provide uniform inspection in meat and poultry plants across the United States and hold them all to the same high standards.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

Ensure that the meat and poultry products you buy have safe-handling instructions on them.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

Investigate and prosecute people and businesses that violate meat and poultry laws.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

Continue working with industry to improve our current inspection system using new science and technological advances.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

Provide professional, friendly, patient, and polite customer service at all times.

Of survey respondents, 77 percent describe FAS services as good.

Endeavor to understand customer information needs and suggest appropriate materials and sources.

Of survey respondents, 77 percent describe FAS services as good.

Make a reasonable and specific promise to customers as to when their questions will be answered or when material will be provided.

Of survey respondents, 77 percent describe FAS services as good.

Solicit suggestions, comments, and feedback on our services.

Of survey respondents, 77 percent describe FAS services as good.

STANDARD

RESULT

You will be treated with courtesy and respect. You will be assisted by a polite, responsive, and knowledgeable staff. If we get things wrong, we will explain what happened and will make them right.

Of our customers, 78 percent are highly satisfied with our staff’s helpfulness.

You will be given prompt and reliable service. We want to respond quickly and accurately to your requests for information, loans, payments, and technical assistance. We will put you in touch with the person on our staff who can best handle your request.

Of our customers, 69 percent are highly satisfied with our staff’s responsiveness.

You will be given information that is clear, reliable, and easy to understand. We will explain to you how our programs work, what benefits you can receive, whether you are eligible, and how you can apply. We are committed to making sure the information we give you meets your needs. We want to work with you to continually improve the information we give you and the way you receive it.

Of our customers, 71 percent are highly satisfied with our staff’s accuracy.

You will be given forms that are easy to understand and complete. Our forms are an important way of getting information from you. We want to continually improve them so that they are easy for you to fill out and provide us with the information we need to serve you. When we revise our forms or create new ones, we will consider your suggestions.

Of our customers, 69 percent are highly satisfied with the clarity of written and verbal communication.

You can expect us to work with related state and local offices. We will work closely with other government agencies such as the Cooperative Extension Service and state and local agencies to ensure that our work is mutually supportive and our policies and regulations are consistent.

This standard will be covered in a 1997 multi-agency survey.

Respond to each customer in a courteous, efficient, timely, and helpful manner.

No customer complaints were received. We estimate that at least 98 percent of responses were handled in a courteous, efficient, timely, and helpful manner.

Provide complete, accurate information about our programs, product,s and services in plain language.

Some units created simple, easy-to-use brochures to market their customer services. No customer complaints were received about not understanding services.

Accurately direct you to the person or agency that has the information you need.

This is part of our routine.

Deliver promised information and products promptly.

Most deadlines were met, whether printing documents or producing other products, with deadline changes either requested or approved by customers.

STANDARD

RESULT

Work with you to meet your needs, while complying with laws and regulations.

This is routinely done. Customers were kept informed of laws and regulations.

Explain why, or offer an alternative, if we cannot meet your request.

This is routinely done. No complaints were received.

Deliver services without discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, and marital or family status.

No customer complaints were received.

Respond to your telephone or written requests within two business days.

Responses to most telephone or written requests were made within the same day (often within minutes or hours); at least 98 percent were handled within two business days, and probably 75 percent were handled within one day.

You will be treated with courtesy and respect. You will be assisted by a polite, responsive, and knowledgeable staff. If we get things wrong, we will explain what happened and will make them right.

Customers rated staff 4.11 on courtesy/respect and 4.07 on polite, responsive, and knowledgeable on a 5-point scale (1994). Survey is planned for March 1997.

You will be given prompt and reliable service. We want to respond quickly and accurately to your requests for information, loans, payments, and technical assistance. We will put you in touch with the person on our staff who can best handle your request.

Customers rated staff 4.04 on a 5-point scale (1994). Survey is planned for March 1997.

You will be given information that is clear, reliable, and easy to understand. We will explain to you how our programs work, what benefits you can receive, whether you are eligible, and how you can apply. We are committed to making sure the information we give you meets your needs. We want to work with you to continually improve the information we give you and the way you receive it.

Customers rated staff 4.03 on a 5-point scale (1994). Survey is planned for March 1997.

You will be given forms that are easy to understand and complete. Our forms are an important way of getting information from you. We want to continually improve them so that they are easy for you to fill out and provide us with the information we need to serve you. When we revise our forms or create new ones, we will consider to your suggestions.

Customers rated staff 3.73 on a 5-point scale (1994). Survey planned for March 1997.

You can expect us to work with related state and local offices. We will work closely with other government agencies such as the Cooperative Extension Service and state and local agencies to ensure that our work is mutually supportive and our policies and regulations are consistent.

Our state offices are working with other state and local offices to prepare five-year strategic plans that are mutually supportive and include customer service goals (March 1997).

STANDARD

RESULT

Keep our promises and be ethical in our service to you.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

Be polite and responsive, and assist you with a staff knowledgeable of our programs.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

Return your calls in an expedient manner.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

Be accessible and available to talk to individuals, organizations, and groups about our program.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

Give you assistance with your concerns, referring an appropriate source for problem-solving action when necessary. Our customers will not receive the run-around.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

Respect your right to quality and professional service.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

Treat you just as we would want to be treated ourselves and be fair to all people regardless of race, sex, disability, religion, age, or national origin.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

A courteous, efficient staff ready to provide technical, financial, and counseling assistance to you from loan application to graduation/payoff.

Survey planned.

We will offer you the full opportunity to become a successful homeowner by providing home ownership counseling where available, and/or referring you to a home buyer’s education program in your local area.

Survey planned.

A prompt review of your loan request and determination of eligibility within 30 days of receipt of your completed application.

Survey planned.

We will work in partnership with others such as your local real estate broker and/or builder to ensure a pleasant and professional loan processing experience.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

During the processing period, our staff will keep you informed regarding the status of your loan request and potential funding.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

After receiving your loan, we will continue to work with you to ensure your success of home ownership.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

STANDARD

RESULT

We will be there to work with you and provide the necessary assistance should you experience difficulties in carrying out the responsibilities of home ownership.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

If your income is reduced, we will promptly determine if your house payments could be lowered.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

You will be notified in writing of any adverse action taken on your loan/loan request, and the reason for the action, and you will be advised of your appeal rights.

Survey planned.

We will keep our promises and be ethical in our service to you.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

We will be polite and responsive, and will assist you with a staff knowledgeable of our programs.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

We will return your calls in an expedient manner.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

We will be accessible and available to talk to individuals, organizations, and groups about our program.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

We will give you assistance with your concerns, referring an appropriate source for problem-solving action when necessary. Our customers will not receive the runaround.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

We will respect your right to quality and professional service.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

We will treat you just as we would want to be treated ourselves, and be fair to all people regardless of race, sex, disability, religion, age, or national origin.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

We will be willing to work with you and any persons working on your behalf, and, if appropriate, to cooperate with other federal, state, and local agencies to meet your needs.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

We will continually search for customer-related improvements.

Survey planned.

We will listen to our customers to ensure that Rural Housing and Community Development Service regulations and forms are customer-friendly and ensure success of the program.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

We will efficiently and effectively provide you with assistance.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

We will provide technical and professional assistance to our customers.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

STANDARD

RESULT

You will be treated with courtesy every time you contact the Columbus Foundation.

Because of the foundation’s narrow customer base, customer service follow-up is done on an individual basis and no statistics are maintained.

Your questions regarding the Columbus Foundation will be answered on your first call.

Because of the foundation’s narrow customer base, customer service follow-up is done on an individual basis and no statistics are maintained.

Information requested regarding the Columbus Foundation’s fellowship programs will be mailed out promptly.

Because of the foundation’s narrow customer base, customer service follow-up is done on an individual basis and no statistics are maintained.

Thorough consideration will be given to every fellowship application received.

Because of the foundation’s narrow customer base, customer service follow-up is done on an individual basis and no statistics are maintained.

We will always treat you fairly and courteously.

Accomplished.

We will answer the telephone on or before the third ring. You will speak to one of our staff. On the rare occasion when no one is available, you may leave a message on our answering machine, and we will return your call on the same day or the next working day.

Accomplished.

Our letters to you will always be written in plain language.

Accomplished.

If for some reason we can’t meet the standards given below, we will send you an interim response explaining when you can expect our full reply.

Accomplished.

We will respond to your complaint letter within 10 working days.

Accomplished.

As appropriate, our written responses to complaint letters will provide you with additional sources of information and redress, and will include a complaint-handling fact sheet.

Accomplished.

If you telephone us with a complaint, we will advise you on the telephone. If a complaint specialist is not available, we will return your call by the next business day.

Accomplished.

STANDARD

RESULT

We will answer your written inquiry within 10 working days.

Accomplished.

If you telephone us, you will speak to a knowledgeable person who will answer your question. If we don’t know the answer, we will find someone who does. If we need to refer you to another office, our referrals will be prompt and accurate.

Accomplished.

Publications will be sent out within five days of receiving your request.

Accomplished.

They will be written in plain language, and will be easily understood and appropriate for our audiences.

Accomplished.

Consumer publications will be available in large type, on request.

None requested.

Provide prompt response to telephone requests for information.

No report provided.

Be pleasant and courteous in helping customers locate information.

No report provided.

Find the answers and return the call within 24 hours if we are unable to supply information immediately or refer you appropriately.

No report provided.

Meet reasonable customer deadlines for responses or explain promptly why we can’t.

No report provided.

Strive to identify you, our customers, so we can improve the Department information available to you not only by mail, but also via electronic media.

No report provided.

Use customer suggestions, complaints, and other feedback to improve our services.

No report provided.

STANDARD

RESULT

We will provide you with all of the information you may need to understand Minority Business Development Agency ( MBDA) programs and other minority business development programs that may help you.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

We will respond to telephone calls by saying at a minimum, "good morning or good afternoon, MBDA, may I help you"? Telephone inquiries will be returned within 24 hours.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

We will respond to written inquiries within six working days or within the timeframe specified by the writer. Responses will be clear and concise.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

More frequent training of regional staff who are responsible for starting the new and renewal processes for awards. This will ensure that awards are processed correctly and in a timely manner to preclude loss of continuity within the service area.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

Resolving all conflicts or disputes in a professional and cooperative manner.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

Not requesting funded organizations to perform tasks that are not part of the approved award document.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

Applying performance standards in a consistent and standard manner with no exceptions.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

We will ensure that all employees receive training on understanding the importance of customer service standards.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

We will conduct annual surveys among employees to collect innovative ways to better serve our customers.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

Meet your needs, not ours.

We are meeting this goal, as confirmed by the International Map Trade Association (IMTA) customer survey and feedback (1996).

STANDARD

RESULT

Are accurate.

We are meeting this goal, as confirmed by the International Map Trade Association (IMTA) customer survey and feedback (1996).

Are updated to the time of sale.

We are meeting this goal, as confirmed by the International Map Trade Association (IMTA) customer survey and feedback (1996).

Are fairly priced.

We are meeting this goal, as confirmed by the International Map Trade Association (IMTA) customer survey and feedback (1996).

Assess customer satisfaction and develop plans to improve customer satisfaction.

IMTA customer survey and feedback.

Market our chart products and services at boat shows and technical conferences.

We participated in five boat shows and four commercial shipping shows.

Continue our customer outreach program at major port cities nationwide.

We participate in meetings with major cities and trade shows.

Respond the same day to your telephone inquiries.

We respond within one to two days.

Respond within one week of your written correspondence.

We respond within one to two weeks.

Always be polite, considerate, and honest when communicating with you.

We are meeting this standard.

Ensure that our products and services meet or exceed your expectations.

User comments are used to correct problems.

Work closely with the International Hydrographic Organization and U.S. federal agencies to ensure that uniform surveying and charting standards are adhered to in our products.

We are working closely with IHO, International Meteorological Organization, U.S. Coast Guard, and the Navy.

Actively participate in national and international conferences, committees and technical workshops.

We participated in the Canadian Chart Organization meeting and the Statistics Committee meeting.

State-of-the-art equipment and technologies allow the National Weather Service (NWS) to operate the most advanced weather and water forecast and warning system in the world.

A Doppler radar network was completed except for three newly sited radar; most automated service observing systems were installed; new satellites are providing outstanding data; and new computers are processing data. Modernized high-tech weather forecast offices (119) and river forecast centers (13) are in place to take advantage of these new technologies and to provide improved forecast and warnings service.

We continue to increase advance warning times for severe weather. Currently, warnings of less than 10 minutes are typical for thunderstorms and tornadoes. With new technologies and increasing numbers of better-trained hazardous weather spotters, as much as 30 minutes’ warning may be possible before the severe weather occurs.

In the last10 years, warning time for severe local storms has increased from 12.5 to 18.3 minutes; warning time for tornadoes has increased from 4.6 to 9.9 minutes.

STANDARD

RESULT

We issue routine forecasts every four to six hours, but we continuously update and amend our forecasts and warnings during changing weather.

As part of its modernization, NWS issues more event-driven products, including frequent updates of its warnings and forecasts based on data from new technologies.

Our goal is to work with the private sector to make NOAA Weather Radios as common as smoke detectors—to place NOAA Weather Radios (NWR’s) wherever people congregate, including all schools, hospitals, and nursing homes to provide weather warnings which can save lives.

Expanded NWR stations and more NWR receivers are being provided; a new breed of receivers using digital protocols is expected later in 1997. NWR is the primary input to an upgraded nationwide Emergency Alert System, providing NWS weather warnings to a much larger audience.

New technologies are being developed for persons with disabilities such as the hearing-impaired.

In partnership with the private sector, NWS is providing information to hearing impaired in selected areas. The system uses WEATHERCOPY in concert with NWR, and the Emergency Managers Weather Information Network, a user-friendly computer-based retrieval system.

Development of new products and services based on user requests and requirements is a top priority.

A Proof of Concept at offices in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Grand Junction, Colorado, are testing new products and methods of feedback from customers. Quality management principles, under the NWS/employee union Quality Through Partnership Agreement, are used at all offices in Kansas. Team training preceding the deployment of AWIPS is expected to generate new methods of agency-customer interaction and feedback.

We have improved long-range forecasts, better serving the general population and America’s agricultural, transportation, and other economic interests.

While NWS has revised the format of long-range forecasts during the past several years, accuracy of these forecasts has not improved significantly. Implementation of new products in late 1997 to describe the confidence level of each forecast will enable customers to better judge the value and utility of the products and lead to better use of the information provided.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will make all publicly available information accessible as hard copy and through free-of-charge electronic services.

This practice has been followed routinely since 1995.

Information will be made available electronically at the same time it is released in print. All information posted electronically will be timely and accurate.

NTIA tries to ensure that information posted on the Web site is timely and accurate. This requires periodic review.

NTIA staff will assist you with any problems or questions you may have in the use of our electronic services.

This practice is followed routinely. In many cases, NTIA staff has provided assistance when the problem has been on the user’s end.

NTIA will monitor usage of its electronic delivery services to ensure that they are reliably available and capacity is sufficient to minimize delivery time to you.

No data provided.

STANDARD

RESULT

We will provide you with accurate, timely general information about the patent and trademark processes, products, and services, as well as information about the Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) itself. Copies of the general information booklets and forms will be mailed to you within two days of receipt of your request.

A customer satisfaction survey was conducted in 1996; survey did not explicitly measure results for this standard.

We will uphold the PTO-wide commitment regarding telephone service.

A customer satisfaction survey was conducted in 1996; survey did not explicitly measure results for this standard.

We will treat you with courtesy each time you contact us and, if appropriate, will direct you promptly to the proper office or person.

A customer satisfaction survey was conducted in 1996; survey did not explictly measure results for this standard.

STANDARD

RESULT

The Committee will communicate clearly and concisely to the National Industries for the Blind (NIB), NISH, and participating NPAs all requirements and other information that affect their participation in the JWOD Program. The Committee will actively assist NPAs to market their products and services to the federal government.

The Committee worked closely with NIB, NISH, and GSA to highlight JWOD products in new marketing and distribution systems developed in acquisition streamlining initiatives. The Committee has just published a catalog of JWOD office products and other general-use products to increase visibility of JWOD items.

Committee actions regarding additions, pricing, contract administration, compliance, and other activities will be performed within the shortest time possible in accordance with established timeframes to enhance the ability of the NPAs to accomplish their mission of providing employment and training for people who have severe disabilities.

The Committee has established processing standards as well as a tracking system to monitor adherence to recommended timeframes. During FY96, the staff handled 233 additions, 240 pricing actions, 134 compliance reviews, and hundreds of other actions, most within the established timeframes. The Committee received praise from NIB, NISH, and NPAs on improvements in responses.

JWOD products and services will meet the customers’ quality requirements at a fair market price.

The Committee is undertaking a comprehensive analysis of pricing procedures with input from independent consultants, JWOD participants, and federal customers to identify ways of increasing the effectiveness of these procedures. The Committee continues to encourage and, as appropriate, work with NIB, NISH, and federal customers on the improvement of JWOD products.

The Committee will communicate clearly and concisely to federal procurement personnel and end users of JWOD products and services all requirements and other information that affect their participation in the JWOD Program, and help remove barriers to their support of the program. Committee actions regarding additions, pricing, and contract administration will be performed within the shortest time possible in accordance with established timeframes to enhance the ability of procurement personnel to meet their customers’ demands for products and services.

In FY97, the Committee is implementing a comprehensive evaluation of the program that includes a Federal Customer Survey to assess satisfaction with prices, quality, timeliness, and administrative processes.

STANDARD

RESULT

The Committee will work with distributing agencies, including GSA, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the Defense Logistics Agency, and any authorized commercial distributors to ensure that JWOD products are easily identifiable and accessible via up-to-date procurement methods such as credit card purchasing and electronic commerce.

The Committee developed a catalog of JWOD office supplies and other general products and services. The catalog provides information about the various methods of ordering products and will be widely distributed in the next year.

To be given easy-to-follow instructions in English, or, if you choose, Spanish, on how to use the Hotline.

A survey of callers showed 100 percent reported that Hotline instructions were easy to use.

To have your call answered immediately, seven days a week, 24 hours a day.

The Hotline was available to callers continuously for the past year. About 87 percent of the callers surveyed reported that they reached the Hotline the first time they dialed.

To hear the most up-to-date information on product safety recalls.

Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) staff continually reviews and updates recorded messages and removes outdated messages. This ongoing review makes the system less complex and easier to use. Recorded safety messages describing product recalls are always available on the Hotline the same day that the calls are announced.

To speak to a Hotline staff person who will give you courteous service and be available between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. EST Monday through Friday except holidays.

Hotline staff are always available during business days from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to speak directly to callers. Staff members take product-related complaints of hazardous products or assist callers after they have listened to recorded safety messages. Callers who participated in the survey reported that Hotline staff members were always courteous.

To have your complaint of an unsafe product or product-related injury taken accurately and a copy mailed to you within two business days so that you may confirm the information you provided.

A sample of complaints returned to CPSC confirmed that Hotline staff had recorded them accurately. Tracking information showed that, during a two-month period, callers were mailed copies of their complaints the next business day about 14 percent of the time and in four business days about 93 percent of the time. After identifying the problem’s source and developing a system to improve performance, 94 percent of the complaints were mailed within two business days. Subsequently, the standard was adjusted to this more realistic and cost-effective timeframe.

To leave a message at night and on weekends and holidays if you want to report an unsafe product or product-related injury. Your call will be returned the next business day.

Of the 369 callers who left a message during a three-month period, 97 percent had their calls returned the next business day.

STANDARD

RESULT

To arrange to speak to a CPSC staff member in one of the following languages: Arabic, Burmese, Cambodian, Cantonese Chinese, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Ukrainian, Vietnamese, and Yiddish.

CPSC staff members are available to speak to callers in any of 19 different languages.

To speak with a courteous Technical Information Specialist who will be available between 7:30 a.m.and 5:30 p.m. EST Monday through Friday except holidays.

Objective data showed that requests were processed by knowledgable Technical Information Specialists from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

To have your request processed by a knowledgeable Technical Information Specialist.

Objective data showed that requests were processed by knowledgable Technical Information Specialists from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

To have your information requirements met.

Eighty-nine percent of respondents reported that they received the information they requested, and 83 percent reported that they were satisfied with the information received.

To have your request for information acknowledged in writing within five working days.

Requests for information were acknowledged within five days 94 percent of the time.

To leave a message at night and on weekends and holidays if you want to request incident data or check the status of a request. Your call will be returned the next business day.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

By November 1995, to receive our most frequently requested statistical and other injury information from our fax-on-demand system.

This is planned to be fully operational by the third quarter of FY97.

If you are a manufacturer of a consumer product, to have all relevant information on incidents and investigations regarding your product sent to you for review and comment under an information-sharing program.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

Information will be made fully and readily available, consistent with statutory requirements, unless its release is precluded by current and valid security classification. The provisions of the Freedom of Information Act will be supported in both letter and spirit.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

STANDARD

RESULT

A free flow of general and military information will be made available, without censorship or propaganda, to the men and women of the Armed Forces and their dependents.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

Information will not be classified or otherwise withheld to protect the government from criticism or embarrassment.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

Information will be withheld only when disclosure would adversely affect national security or threaten the safety or privacy of the men and women of the Armed Forces.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

The Department’s obligation to provide the public with information on its major programs may require detailed public affairs planning and coordination within the Department and with other government agencies. The sole purpose of such activity is to expedite the flow of information to the public: Propaganda has no place in Department of Defense public affairs programs.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

Reliability in handling routine orders, answering questions, and meeting customer schedules.

Our customers get a professional and timely response. Based on a mid-year review of our standards, 81 percent of complaints received in the Customer Service Division were resolved within two days. To ensure reliability of service, we are working toward ISO 9002 registration. The ISO standard provides consistency and establishes a quality management framework.

Responsiveness to customer requests and problems.

Same as above.

Employees’ knowledge of products and ability to answer questions and solve problems.

Same as above.

Professionalism in telephone and written communications.

Same as above.

We will inform state and local officials of our policies and authorities, and participate in their emergency seminars and exercises when asked.

This is not a measurable customer service standard and will be deleted. The Corps will continue to engage in these activities and is developing measurable customer service standards.

STANDARD

RESULT

We will provide emergency operations assistance (such as providing sandbags, pumps, technical assistance, etc.) when requested and in compliance with Public Law 84-99.

This is not a measurable customer service standard and will be deleted. The Corps will continue to engage in these activities and is developing measurable customer service standards.

We will provide post-flood assistance to include technical advice and assistance, debris clearance, debris removal, and temporary restoration of critical public facilities or services, and identify hazard mitigation opportunities as part of our interagency team.

This is not a measurable customer service standard and will be deleted. The Corps will continue to engage in these activities and is developing measurable customer service standards.

We will provide temporary assistance for emergency water supply as a result of a drought or contaminated source for up to 30 days or until the Federal Emergency Management Agency undertakes the provision of emergency water under its own authorities, whichever is earlier.

This is not a measurable customer service standard and will be deleted. The Corps will continue to engage in these activities and is developing measurable customer service standards.

We will answer your written inquiry within 15 working days.

Anecdotal data and focus group feedback indicate that this is a relevant standard. The monthly agency assessment system data indicate that ED staff and offices exceed this standard and achieve a 12-day average turnaround time. ED is considering updating this standard to 10 working days, and is in the process of conducting a satisfaction survey of its correspondence customers.

If you telephone us, you will speak to a knowledgeable person who will answer your question or refer it properly. You will receive no more than two referrals.

Baseline customer data indicate that customer referrals remain a relevant standard. The ED standard is based on an open matrix of information services. A mystery shopper survey of all ED call centers shows that 69 percent of calls are resolved within two referrals, 76 percent within three, 94 percent within four, and 99 percent within five. The National Performance Review standard is 85 percent resolution at the first point of contact for call centers dedicated to specific missions. An implementation plan will be undertaken to strengthen ED information systems and to make referrals more targetted, accurate, and responsive to caller needs.

We will answer phone calls promptly, within three rings, and return all voice-mail messages within 48 hours.

Baseline customer data indicate that telephone promptness remains a relevant standard. Data obtained from mystery shopper survey indicate that 55 percent answered within one ring, 80 percent within two rings, 88 percent within three rings, 94 percent within four rings, and 99 percent within five rings. Anecdotal data on voice-mail reply promptness indicate that we are complying with the standard.

We will respond to your e-mail messages within 48 hours.

A customer survey has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget and will be conducted shortly to obtain feedback data. All anecdotal feedback indicate that ED is meeting this standard.

If you have a personal appointment with a Department employee, you will not be kept waiting.

No measurement conducted. Anecdotal feedback indicate that ED is meeting this standard. The standard is being reviewed for relevancy.

STANDARD

RESULT

Requests for single copies of publications by telephone will be sent within 48 hours.

Evaluation data indicate that ED is meeting this standard. ED is also writing a performance-based contract for one-pubs distribution. Responsiveness to publication requests will be a component of measurement criteria with which the contractor will have to comply. This contract will also include customer feedback requirements, specific data measurement criteria development, and customer satisfaction.

Requests for single copies by mail and all bulk orders will be filled within 72 hours.

Available data indicate that ED is meeting this standard. See comments relating to previous action taken on publications.

Publications and documents will be made available in alternative formats on request.

This is now ED policy and is under review. This standard will be made a part of the one-pubs contract requirement. The Office of Special Education provides 100 percent compliance with the standard for its customers.

We will give you the option to receive information in electronic form where possible.

This is now ED policy. All data indicate compliance with the standard and customer satisfaction with availability. The one-pubs contract will also make this a criteria. The standard is under review.

We will respond to written complaints within 15 working days.

Internal measurement indicate that this standard is met 100 percent. The standard is now ED policy. It is under consideration for consolidation with the correspondence standard.

If you telephone us with a complaint, we will advise you on the telephone or refer your complaint to the proper source.

Anecdotal data indicate compliance with the advisement component of this standard, and mystery shopper referral data indicate compliance with the referral component. The standard may be consolidated with the correspondence standard.

We will disseminate timely and accurate information on grant opportunities and provide clear guidelines for grant proposal and criteria for selection.

We are in the process of reengineering the discretionary grants system based on customer feedback. We accomplished process improvements to comply with customer expectations on timeliness guidelines and criteria for selection. These improvements are now grant policy and procedures. We will continue to seek customer feedback through additional customer surveys.

We will disseminate timely and accurate information on student financial aid application procedures and program provisions.

We have made improvements in making timely and accurate information available to both students and institutions in response to their feedback. We are studying further improvements. Applications are on-line via the Internet, and we instituted listservs for institutions and created other feedback loops to allow rapid interaction and turnaround of products and information in response to customer needs. ED’s recent institution of technological enhancements to permit direct customer interaction on-line via the Internet and the Direct Loan initiative are additional examples. We have a system of surveys in place to seek ongoing customer feedback.

We will acknowledge receipts of requests for administrative actions and other inquiries within 48 hours.

The standard is now ED policy. All anecdotal data indicate compliance with the standard. This standard is being considered for revision or deletion, but it remains a program office standard.

Final response on administrative actions will be completed in 30 calendar days.

The standard is now ED policy. All anecdotal data indicate compliance with the standard. The standard is being considered for revision, but it remains a program office standard.

Grant award documents will clearly identify which requests should be referred to the grants specialist or program specialist and which grantee actions do not require prior approval.

All grant documents have been changed to reflect these new requirements based on customer feedback. This is now grants policy and procedure. The standard is being considered for revision, but it remains a program office standard.

STANDARD

RESULT

We will provide timely, accurate, and dependable technical assistance.

Anecdotal data indicate compliance with this standard. The standard is being considered for revision, but it remains a program office standard.

We will provide information that explains the final funding decision.

The standard is now ED policy and all matters related to final funding decisions are made available to grantees. The standard is being considered for revision, but it remains a program office standard.

We will institute sensible reporting requirements and, when conducting monitoring and site visits, perform exit interviews and make final monitoring reports available within 30 days.

Compliance is now a matter of policy. This standard is being considered for revision, but it remains a program office standard.

Demonstrate new environmental technologies and systems and transfer them to private industry and federal facilities. Demonstrate over 126 new environmental technologies, knowledge that drives the nation’s future.

The key technologies listed were successfully completed. In FY96, 127 technologies were demonstrated.

Reduce environmental, safety, and health risks by cleaning up DOE sites and complete 238 environmental cleanup actions.

In FY96, the Office of Environmental Management (EM) completed 273 environmental cleanup actions. The completions consisted of 158 final remedial actions and 115 interim actions.

Stabilize 250 kilograms (kg) of plutonium residues and solutions at the Hanford and Savannah River sites.

In FY96, 482 kg of plutonium residues and solutions were stabilized. This includes 99 kg of plutonium solutions stabilized at Savannah River and 2 kg of plutonium solutions plus 381 kg of plutonium residues at the Hanford site.

Finish 43 decommissioning projects and 137 vicinity property cleanups.

Forty-seven decommissioning projects and 163 vicinity property remedial actions were completed.

Manage 348,211 cubic meters of high-level waste.

Reductions to inventory were 12,865 cubic meters.

Issue pollution prevention performance measures and waste reduction goals by March 1996 to be achieved by the year 2000.

The FY96 data indicate that 60 percent of DOE’s purchases of Environmental Protection Agency-designated items contained recycled or recovered materials.

Initiate 20 additional projects in FY96 that will yield net savings of at least $30 million over a three-year period.

A total of 22 projects were initiated during FY96. Quarterly field progress reports from the 22 projects indicate that the cost savings estimate of $30 million over three years is still appropriate.

STANDARD

RESULT

Increase the frequency by which Environmental Mangement (EM) employees interact with stakeholders by establishing programs that engage individual employees with individual stakeholders at each EM site.

Since 1992, Site-Specific Advisory Boards (SSABs) have been established at 11 DOE sites. In FY96, a 12th SSAB was established. Two additional SSABs are planned for FY97. In June 1996, an estimated 750 stakeholders at 11 sites across the country participated in a national stakeholder budget videoconference hosted by the Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management.

Improve the distribution of programmatic information by filling orders for publications at the Center for Environmental Management Information within two business days from the time they reach the center.

At least 90 percent of publication requests have been filled within 48 hours of receipt. In calendar year 1995, the center successfully responded to 16,494 requests for information. In FY96, over 135,000 requests for information were filled (including World Wide Web inquiries). If requests involve budget analysis or other comprehensive products, the center’s staff will contact the customer with information on when they can expect a final product or conclusive response.

Increase the percentage of stakeholders reporting a "great deal" or "quite a lot" of trust in DOE from 26 percent in 1994 to 35 percent in 1996.

Results from surveys conducted in 1992 and 1994 show marked increases in trust and confidence in the DOE. The results of the third survey will be released in mid-July1997.

Ensure that the business of DOE will be open to the full view and input of those whom it serves, consistent with applicable laws, regulations, and contracts. Ensure that EM decisions consider the input of site- specific groups.

SSAB and public participation are in the FY98 EM budget. SSABs provide EM with advice on policy issues and help ensure that stakeholder input is given fair and adequate consideration in EM decisions. Nearly 70 percent of SSAB participants feel that these boards have provided informed advice to DOE. Also, all steps for involving the public in FY98 budget formulation process have been completed on time.

Eliminate the 1993 and 1994 backlog of 208 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.

The Department has reduced the average age of all pending cases by nearly 50 percent since backlog reduction initiatives were implemented in 1993.

Centralize FOIA/Privacy Act headquarters operations to ensure compliance with the 10-day statutory response time.

DOE is closer to compliance with the 10-day statutory requirement.

Implement quality improvement action plans by January 1996 at all Headquarters and Field Organizations as measured by increased self-assessment scores and external recognition of achievements.

In 1996, there was a 22 percent increase in self-assessment scores. Between 1994 and 1996, external customer satisfaction increased from 73 percent to 85 percent; 30 DOE teams have received Vice President Gore’s Hammer Award for improvement efforts and efficiencies; 9 major DOE organizations have received State Quality Awards; and 31 DOE organizations have received Energy Quality Awards for outstanding success in improving performance. The levels of excellence highlighted by this recognition underscore the superb quality improvement gains achieved throughout DOE.

STANDARD

RESULT

Dismantle weapons from 1994 to 1998 resulting in reduction of over 6,000 nuclear weapons.

To date, we have accomplished 66 percent of this goal and expect to meet the 1998 target.

Maintain/exceed confidence and reliability standards resulting in the continued maintenance of a safe and reliable stockpile.

Confidence and reliability levels maintained at 100%.

Safely deactivate surplus nuclear facilities and shut down and clean up surplus non-weapons nuclear reactor sites.

This standard is being revisited as a result of a January 1997 announcement that the Fast Flux Test Facility at the Hanford site in Washington will be maintained in a standby condition, while any future role it may play in the Department’s tritium production strategy is evaluated. A determination will be made by December 1998 as to what role, if any, the facility could potentially play in the future tritium production system.

We will be courteous, professional, flexible, honest, and helpful in all dealings with our customers. We will actively listen so we can better understand what motivates our customers and how we can best provide the environmental products, services, and information they value, and be fully responsive to customer concerns and needs regarding our services.

Training options have been researched, and a program will begin in FY97. Surveys of permit applicants and citizens involved in the permitting process have been conducted in three regions. Some of the survey questions will provide quantitative data concerning this standard. Staff members across the agency have been encouraged to meet this standard.

We will answer all telephone calls promptly and will respond to them by close of the next business day. If the person receiving the call cannot fully respond to the inquiry, the customer will be accurately referred to someone who can.

Region VI developed a telephone use and training plan that is based on a two-week recordkeeping effort to determine call sources and problems handling calls and account for limitations of equipment. Implementation, staff training, and measurement of the standard will begin in FY97.

We will respond to all external correspondence within 10 working days of receipt. If we cannot provide a complete reply within 10 working days, we will contact the customer as soon as possible within the 10-day period to acknowledge and clarify the request, discuss what is needed to provide a full response, and indicate when a full response will be provided.

Freedom of Information Act and controlled correspondence systems track and provide status information to EPA managers. "Overdues" have decreased since the system and reporting were instituted. Training in and measurement of the standard will begin nationwide in 1997.

We will provide our customers with clear, easy-to-understand, timely, and accurate information about products, services, policies, and procedures. We will ensure that customers have easy access to information, available through convenient channels in various formats.

A recently completed survey of citizens involved in EPA’s permitting process will provide quantitative information concerning this standard. The Office of Pesticides Programs (OPP) used customer feedback to redesign and expand its home page. Information is easily accessible via the Internet.

STANDARD

RESULT

Relationships with our co-implementors of environmental programs—the states, tribal and local governments, and other federal agencies—will be characterized by partnership, flexibility, and assistance that empowers them to expand their ability to deliver environmental protection.EPA continues to work with the states on Performance Partnership Grants and on the National Environmental Protection Partnership System to decrease reporting burdens and enable states to focus on environmental results. OPP conducted nine public meetings, 30 site visits, and a regional conference related to its Worker Protection Standard (WPS). OPP plans to conduct four state-regional conferences to proactively involve states in decisionmaking and priority setting of WPS program goals. The Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program (PESP) has been working on improving customer service since its inception in December 1994. Last fall, over 50 PESP liaisons were trained in customer service. Each of the PESP partners and supporters is given a liaison from OPP who acts as the service representative to the partner/supporter.

We will seek customer input to inform our decisions on policies, programs, and rules.

Region V is holding focus group meetings on its reorganization and service standards. In developing Internet accessibility, EPA participates in the Federal Web Consortium which enables the exchange of experiences, linkages, and consistency among federal partners. In the Urban Wet Weather Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) Committee, representatives from states, municipalities, and the general public meet to identify and discuss issues associated with urban wet weather flows. In the Storm Water Phase II FACA Committee, representatives from states, municipalities, and the general public provide input to EPA on solutions to storm water environmental problems. In the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) FACA Committee, participants provide EPA with advice on identifying water-quality-limited bodies of water, establishing TMDLs for them, and developing appropriate watershed protection programs for these waters. In the Effluent Guidelines Task Force, representatives from industry, academia, publicly owned treatment works, states, citizen groups, and EPA offer advice on long-term strategies for the effluent guidelines program and provide recommendations on how to expedite promulgation of this program. In the National Drinking Water Advisory Council, representatives from the general public, state and local governments, and public interest groups provide recommendations on guidance and policies related to EPA’s drinking water programs. The Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee (PPDC) established under FACA represents all customer groups and held its first meeting in July 1996. OPP has conducted nine public meetings and 30 site visits around the country relating to the Worker Protection Standard. Surveys of the permit applicants and citizens participating in EPA’s environmental permit process have been conducted in Regions 1 and 6 (NPDES) and Region 5 (UIC). The surveys will provide quantitative information on how clear, fair, appropriate, and effective EPA environmental permits are and how knowledgeable, responsive, cooperative, and available EPA staff are. A survey has been prepared that will quantitatively determine how successful EPA has been in working with representatives of delegated programs to improve EPA’s delegation processes so that they are as efficient, effective, and non-burdensome as possible.

STANDARD

RESULT

We will strive to make information available through a variety of channels, including electronic media and intermediaries, such as community organizations and local libraries.

A variety of delivery mechanisms is utilized to ensure that the broadest spectrum of the public can readily access EPA information. The National Center for Environmental Publications and Information (NCEPI) serves as a centralized source of EPA publications and electronic media products. The NCEPI publications catalog can be accessed in hard copy or through the on-line library catalog. Orders can also be placed on the Internet. A network of 10 regional libraries and public information centers and participation in the National Depository Library System provide direct access to materials across the nation. There are over 30 hotlines/clearinghouses in areas of particular public concern such as lead and radon. An Internet Web site contains over 50,000 pages including ENVIROFACTS, which has been developed as a mechanism to make EPA data systems easily available. ENVIROFACTS enables the customer to query all component databases with a single query form and to retrieve information through several output options.

We will hold ourselves accountable to providing satisfactory responses by providing mechanisms (contact names and telephone numbers/e-mail addresses) for reporting on the quality of our responses and referrals.

Each section of the EPA Web site contains a request for customer comments. The comments are monitored, selectively archived, and assessed weekly. Contact names are provided to all telephone and mail requestors.

We will mail a response within 10 business days of receipt. If we need more time to research the answer, we will contact you within those 10 days to tell you when to expect our response and who the contact person is.

The turnaround time for requests is monitored and has been improving. The percentage of e-mail requests answered within 10 days was 87 percent in October 1996, and 94 percent in January 1997.

We will provide an Agency-wide public information telephone line, which will help route inquiries.

1-888 Call EPA implementation is in progress. The pilot is projected for May, and the number will be marketed to the public at the end of June 1997.

We will answer the call promptly and courteously.

A desk protocol and reference policy is in place and training is provided for all new Information Resource Center staff. Training sessions on telephone courtesy are held periodically.

We will make every effort to answer questions immediately. Where that is not possible, we will provide a timetable for responding during the initial conversation.

The policy and procedures manual for the Information Resource Center requires that Resource Center staff contact referrals before providing referral contact information to customers. If a query cannot be answered immediately, the customer will receive regular status updates and responses within five working days.

STANDARD

RESULT

We will provide a single address for connection to all EPA resources on the Internet (http://www.epa.gov).

As of October 1996, all information accessible on the Internet was required to reside on earth1, the EPA Web site.

We will provide descriptions, including source and an assessment of quality, for data made available electronically.

As part of Web publishing guidelines, metadata must be provided for each Web page. The ENVIROFACTS Web site provides access to the metadata of its component databases. Metadata include identification information, data quality, entry/attribute information, and the relational structures among component databases.

Treat you with respect and dignity.Look at all the ways we do business and the ways we relate to you and others requesting help. We want to find ways to improve the quality and speed of our services.

In 1994, EEOC conducted an in-depth evaluation of charge processing and litigation procedures, including alternative dispute resolution procedures. Extensive input has been obtained from a wide cross-section of individuals and groups was obtained, and new approaches were implemented in 1995 as a result. Currently, EEOC is soliciting input to assess the implementation of these new approaches.

Involve charging parties to help us understand what you want, what you need, and what you think about the way we serve you.

In 1994, EEOC conducted an in-depth evaluation of charge processing and litigation procedures, including alternative dispute resolution procedures. Extensive input has been obtained from a wide cross-section of individuals and groups was obtained, and new approaches were implemented in 1995 as a result. Currently, EEOC is soliciting input to assess the implementation of these new approaches.

Support our frontline employees by giving them the tools and knowledge they need to provide the best possible service.

EEOC has developed individual development plans for all employees and is focusing training dollars on frontline staff, particularly investigative staff and attorneys.

Strengthen our commitment to customer service.

EEOC’s National Labor/Management Partnership Council established customer service group. The group is evaluating the internal customer-service environment first and will then address external customer service issues.

STANDARD

RESULT

Treat you with respect and dignity.

NOTE: The EEOC currently distributes a customer service brochure tailored to this specific customer group. This brochure contains Standards for this customer group and has a tear-off comment form. The comment form is not a formal survey of these customers and it does not ask specific questions regarding these published standards. The results are general observations based on the comments received from this customer group.

Look at all the ways we do business and the ways we relate to you and others requesting help. We want to find ways to improve the quality and speed of our services.

In 1994, EEOC conducted an in-depth evaluation of charge processing and litigation procedures, including alternative dispute resolution procedures. Extensive input has been obtained from a wide cross-section of individuals and groups was obtained, and new approaches were implemented in 1995 as a result. Currently, EEOC is soliciting input to assess the implementation of these new approaches.

Involve charging parties to help us understand what you want, what you need, and what you think about the way we serve you.

In 1994, EEOC conducted an in-depth evaluation of charge processing and litigation procedures, including alternative dispute resolution procedures. Extensive input has been obtained from a wide cross-section of individuals and groups was obtained, and new approaches were implemented in 1995 as a result. Currently, EEOC is soliciting input to assess the implementation of these new approaches.

Support our frontline employees by giving them the tools and knowledge they need to provide the best possible service.

EEOC has developed individual development plans for all employees and is focusing training dollars on frontline staff, particularly investigative staff and attorneys.

Strengthen our commitment to customer service.

EEOC’s National Labor/Management Partnership Council established customer service group. The group is evaluating the internal customer-service environment first and will then address external customer service issues.

Customer will receive accurate and up-to-date information in response to their questions.

The Call Center’s Expert Advisor System is monitored and updated daily to incorporate new information. Feedback indicates our customers are highly satisfied with our performance.

Full-time bilingual services (English/Spanish) will be provided.

Three full-time, bilingual team members not only provide full fluency in English and Spanish but also have had extensive and varied backgrounds and experience in technical telecommunications specialties and public affairs. Additionally, the Call Center has on board an engineer fluent in Spanish.

Ordinarily, customer will not receive a busy signal when they call our 888 number. Customers can expect that 80 percent of time a call will be answered within 20 seconds. The average time on "hold" will be no more than 90 seconds.

Between June 1996 and February 1997, the Call Center assisted more than 134,000 customer with an average service level greater than 80 percent and average queue time less than 90 seconds.

STANDARD

RESULT

In at least 80 percent of the cases, telephone service representatives will be able to furnish information to customers in response to questions raised. When Commission subject-matter-experts must be consulted, call will be transferred directly from the Call Center to a subject matter expert at no additional cost to the caller. Where possible, a call will not be transferred more than once.

Between June 1996 and February 1997 the Call Center assisted more than 134,000 customer. Less than 10 percent of those customers were referred to subject matter experts by the Call Center.

The Call Center will provide Headquarters personnel with periodic reports about matters of current interest to the public.

The Call Center routinely provides statistical reports, on issue of public concern, making those reports available to Headquarters ; and via the Call Center Website www.fcc.gov. The Call Center has arranged for Headquarters access to its database for "on-demand" reports.

The Call Center will coordinate carefully and frequently with the FCC Chairman, Commissioners, Bureaus, and Offices to ensure that the information given to the public is accurate, up-to-date, and properly presented.

Our User Information Services Plan requires we meet monthly. In addition, Call Center Specialists meet with Individual bureau/office staff at least once a month. Also, Commission subject matter specialists are invited to provide seminars, workshops and training sessions on hot topics or new or novel matters.

The automated call response system will provide information 24 hours a day on the status of pending license applications and other information that can be programmed into the automated system.

The Call Center’s Interactive Voice Response System (IVR) is on line, providing 24-hour information to Land Mobile and Amateur Radio Services customers. Additional databases are being added to provide efficient and quick service to customers.

Short documents will be available through FAX-on-Demand by calling 1-202-418-2830.

Full capability is in place for manual, automatic and computer generated faxing, e-mailing, and when required standard mailing of short documents. The Call Center encourages customers to use Internet and the FCC Web Site. The Call Center’s Web Site is updated every week.

Large documents can be acquired through the International Transcription Service (ITS) by calling 1-202-857-3800.

The Call Center also refers customers to ITS for large documents. Call Center staff also send some large documents directly to the customers, depending on availability. Customers are also encouraged to use the FCC Website.

FCC forms can be obtained by calling 1-800-418-FORM (3676).

The Call Center provides customers some forms directly; otherwise, we make use of the FCC Forms Contractor services. We also guide Internet-using customers to the FCC Website where many forms are available.

Written information will be transferred electronically to customers on their Internet. Our Internet address is www.fcc.gov.

We provide, via fax, mail and E-mail, copies of Public Notices, Fact Sheets, News Releases, rules and licensing information, and other entity information touching on telecommunications.

The Call Center database will be user-friendly and comprehensive in the scope of information it contains. The database will be accessible to all FCC Bureaus and Offices.

The NCC data base contains large volumes of information, in the form of fact sheets, public notices, rules, and NCC-prepared documents, all available to our telephone service representatives for automated mailing, faxing and e-mailing to customers. We are continuously updating the database.

STANDARD

RESULT

You will receive a response to your inquiry within one business day.

Callers indicated that they appreciated the quick call back and the substantive answers they received when the call was returned.

You will be transferred no more than twice. If the issue is unresolved at the third contact point, we will obtain the information and return your call.

No report.

If you are transferred during your call, we will explain your issue to the recipient of the transfer so you do not have to repeat the reason for your call.

Callers indicated that they were pleased with the recipient knowing their issues before being transferred.

If you are uncertain whom to call for assistance, you can contact one of our customers service representatives at (202) 418-7096.

The Bureau has released to the public a staff telephone directory listing based on areas of expertise.

If you would like a copy of our Bureau directory, you can obtain one over the Internet, or (for a fee), from our copy contractor at (202) 857-3800.

The Bureau has been providing information via the Internet.

You can obtain information through the following electronic addresses: Gopher-gopher.fcc.gov or FTP-ftp.fcc.gov (log in as anonymous and use your E-mail address as the password). Publications are in the /pub directory and succeeding subdirectories. Identify files of interest by downloading the index (found at the same level as /pub) and searching for key words.

Customers requested that information that is now on the Internet be placed in a more user-friendly format. This has been done and the Bureau has received compliments on its Internet site.

STANDARD

RESULT

Fact Sheets on cable regulations can be obtained through the use of fax on demand (Internet), by contacting our customer service representatives, or (for a fee) through our copy contractor. Examples of the types of Fact Sheets available include: The Consumer’s Role in Rate Regulation, Where to File Complaints Regarding Cable Service, Subscriber Signal Quality Standards, Customer Service Standards, and Contacting the Cable Services Bureau. To better answer your questions, we have established the Cable Information Line (202) 418-2225, which provides general information about cable television regulation. (To receive this information in Spanish, dial (202) 418-2226). Cable information may also be obtained by calling one of our customer service representatives at (202) 418-7096, FCC fax-on-demand at (202) 418-2830, FCC duplicating contractor (International Transcription Service, Inc.) at (202) 857-3814.

Members of the general public and persons involved in cable regulation have expressed their appreciation about the ease with which cable information is obtained. The fact sheets have been described as understandable and very useful.

Make all short documents of five pages or less (e.g., press releases, public notices, and fact sheets) available through domestic "fax-on-demand" and international fax on a case-by-case basis.

FCC indicates this standard was met; however, no data are provided to support the statement.

Place a copy of all late releases behind the glass outside the press office so the communications public knows of all released documents.

FCC indicates this standard was met; however, no date are provided to support the statement.

Make Bureau decisions and outgoing public documents available within 24 hours of release.

FCC indicates this standard was met; however, no data are provided to support the statement.

Respond within three business days to Part 61 waivers; three to five business days to requests for time extensions; two business days for special temporary authorities; and 15 business days to part 68 applications. These items are routine, within the Division Chief’s delegated authority, and do not have to be put out for public comment.

Available data will be presented in the final report in August 1997.

Respond within six weeks to non-routine public initiated items (other than complaints) that are within the Bureau Chief’s delegated authority.

Available data will be presented in the final report in August 1997.

STANDARD

RESULT

Respond within nine months to non-complex public initiated items (other than complaints) that are within the Bureau Chief’s delegated authority, but for which public notice and comment are needed.

Available data will be presented in the final report in August 1997.

Respond within twelve months to complex public initiated items (other than complaints) that are within the Bureau Chief’s delegated authority, but for which public notice and comment are needed.

Available data will be presented in the final report in August 1997.

Assign items for resolution to an appropriate division for handling within two weeks of receipt.

Available data will be presented in the final report in August 1997.

Consider alternative dispute resolution and negotiated rulemaking before moving to conventional methods of resolving contested decisions.

Available data will be presented in the final report in August 1997.

We plan to gather an analyze data, and where necessary, reassess this standard.

Available data will be presented in the final report in August 1997.

Assign a reference number, log the filing within 24 hours, and maintain the log for paperwork received without a docket or division number.

All divisions are maintaining correspondence logs to reference paperwork not associated with a current docket. Items are being logged within the established standard.

Periodically issue a public notice of outdated reports, forms, and other data requirements we can eliminate and invite comments on these and other candidates for elimination.Seek public input and coordinate within the FCC once the need for a new form or form change has been determined.

CCB has sought public comment on the creation and/or revision of any bureau forms.

Make new or revised forms available to the public two months before implementation and allow a transition period when possible.

CCB has sought public comment on the creation and/or revision of any bureau forms.

Return your telephone call within one business day.

Survey data showed that 95 percent of employees complied with the standards. The Bureau is looking into a method to formally measure these standards.

Provide an estimate of the time required to obtain an answer to your question if we are unable to respond when we first talk with you.

Survey data showed that 95 percent of employees complied with the standards. The Bureau is looking into a method to formally measure these standards.

Put a message on voice mail to indicate our unavailability when we are away from the Bureau for one day or more.

Survey data showed that 95 percent of employees complied with the standards. The Bureau is looking into a method to formally measure these standards.

State an alternative point of contact on our voice-mail message at all times.

Survey data showed that 95 percent of employees complied with the standards. The Bureau is looking into a method to formally measure these standards.

Determine if a staff member is in before we transfer a call. If the person is not in, we will ask if you would like to leave a message, be transferred to voice mail, or be transferred to another person.

Survey data showed that 95 percent of employees complied with the standards. The Bureau is looking into a method to formally measure these standards.

STANDARD

RESULT

Implement an introductory voice recording to aid the transfer of your calls to the appropriate person or organization.

Standard was met.

Maintain an enhanced functional listing, updated regularly, of CCB personnel and place it on the Internet and bulletin board system.

Standard was met.

Provide updated functional listings to the duplicating contractor for distribution.

Updates are underway. Data will be provided in the final report in August 1997.

Serve a defendant within 20 days of receipt of a formal complaint.

The Formal Complaints Branch of the Enforcement Division has met the standards established for the formal complaint process.

Hold a status/settlement conference within 45 days from the time the formal complaint is served.

The Formal Complaints Branch of the Enforcement Division has met the standards established for the formal complaint process.

Complete processing of informal complaints within six months.

The Consumer Protection Branch of the Enforcement Division has partially met its six month standard. Branch staff members feel that the six month standard is a reasonable goal with the necessary amount of resources. At this time, the number of staff is insufficient to obtain the six month standard. Efforts are underway to increase staff, radically change office procedures, and acquire state-of -the-art automation equipment to facilitate operations and expedite processing time.

We will provide a summary fact sheet of necessary forms and attachments alphabetically by service upon request. A list of forms is available with the associated fact sheets from the Customer Services Division upon request by an applicant.

You will receive your form order as soon as possible after our forms contractor receives your mail or telephone request. The telephone number is 1-800-418-FORM. You also have immediate access to forms through "fax-on-demand" and the Internet. The FCC’s Internet address is ftp.fcc.gov. The Fax-on-Demand system can be accessed by calling (202) 418-2830.

Forms requests are filled promptly by the forms contractor. Ten of the highest volume forms are available through the Fax-on-Demand system. Many of the forms are available through the Internet.

You will receive, along with the application, material that clearly describes how to complete the application form.

STANDARD

RESULT

Instructional documentation relative to the form requested, and fee filing information, is sent with the requested form.

Notices are published in the Federal Register opening a 60-day comment period for any form requiring OMB clearance. During this period, draft forms are made available to the public for their comment and subsequent form modification ideas.

You will be able to determine the status of your license application and where it is in the process.

Staff has been extensively trained in the use of all licensing databases, thus allowing them to be responsive to customer requests from status information.

Where rules permit , if your application contains errors that can be resolved by telephone, we will telephone you; when not permissible or all errors cannot be resolved by telephone, your application will be returned, but only after a complete review; errors or omissions will be clearly indicated.

Only those application errors which cannot be resolved over the phone are returned to the applicant.

We will process uncontested license applications not requiring international coordination issued by the Bureau within 31 working days of the first legally grantable day.

As of now, more than 90 percent of all uncontested license applications were processed within 31 working days of the first grantable day.

We will conduct a "grassroots" outreach for your input on rulemaking activities by attending major industry conventions and participating in regulatory panels.

WTB staff attends most major industry conventions and participates on regulatory panels.

We will hold periodic brown-bag lunch meetings on various policy and licensing issues at the Bureau that you can attend. We will announce these meetings by public notice or news release.

The Bureau held 3 informal discussion brown-bags last fiscal year.

We will have copies of rulemaking documents available on the Internet.

All available rulemaking documents and decisions for publication are posted on the Internet after the decision is released.

We will provide you with consistent and accurate information on the status of pending rulemaking, upon request.

Staff members have received instructions to assist them in responding to inquiries.

We will place copies of all public notices and other informational documents concerning wireless services on the Internet.

The WWW Home Page provides the public with public notices of various fact sheets, "hot topics", and general information on a variety of Bureau and Division activities.

You will receive a response to your inquiry within 1 business day.

Staff has been instructed staff on procedures and have published a list of names and phone numbers of staff with areas of expertise.

If you are transferred during your call, we will explain your issue to the recipient of the transfer so you do not have to repeat the reason for your call.

Staff has been instructed to give caller’s name and reason or subject of call to person receiving transferred call.

STANDARD

RESULT

Provide you with access to disaster assistance.

ACTION: FEMA’s teleregisration capacity has been enhanced and can be expanded quickly to meet surge requirements.

Provide you with an opportunity to tell your story to a responsive FEMA representative.

ACTION: Training in the principles of excellent customer service has been provided to all FEMA staff.

Treat you with respect and caring.

ACTION: Training in the principles of excellent customer service has been provided to all FEMA staff.

Give you clear, accurate information about available assistance and how to apply for it.

ACTION: Increased training has been provided to staff of the National Teleregistration Center, Community Relations cadre, and Helpline to improve their ability to provide all necessary application and assistance information to customers.

Explain clearly what you need to do after registration, what you can expect from the government agencies, and how long the process should take.

ACTION: Staff of the National Teleregistration cadre and Helpline have received additional training to improve their ability to explain information to customers.

If you are eligible, provide you with disaster housing assistance as promptly as possible and give you an estimate of when you will receive assistance.

ACTION: FEMA’s ability to process applications quickly is enhanced by a recent expansion in the capability of the National Processing Service centers. In addition, FEMA is piloting a project giving front-line staff the ability to make immediate decisions on disposition of applicant requests.

Advise you on how to protect against future losses.

ACTION: In response to survey results, FEMA is undertaking a marketing and communications initiative to increase the information available to people faced with disaster losses.

Use your suggestions and complaints to improve our service.

The improvements noted above have been made in direct response to customer input through the survey process and have been communicated to all survey respondents through a feedback report that tells them how we used their ideas.

STANDARD

RESULT

FERC daily issuance: text of formal documents the Commission issues, such as proposed, interim, and final rules, initial decisions, opinions, notices, orders, and other documents. Issuances are available on CIPS at approximately 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. daily. Issuances posted after 3:00 p.m. are available at 9:00 a.m. the following day. Documents are available in both ASCII and WordPerfect format.

Disruptions caused by system upgrades have prevented us from meeting the 3:00 p.m. deadline on a regular basis; however we do meet the 10:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. deadlines 100 percent of the time. Implementation of the system upgrade will improve our ability to meet the 3:00 p.m. deadline.

News releases: the latest information the Commission provides on a full range of energy regulatory subjects and proceedings. They are available on CIPS one work day after receipt.

Met standard 100 percent.

Commission agenda: a list of actions scheduled for a public Commission meeting. The list is available approximately seven days prior to the meeting.

Met standard 100 percent.

Commission action agenda: a list of items acted upon by the Commission at a meeting. The list is available two work days after the Commission meeting.

Met standard 100 percent.

Daily filing list: a list of all filings made at the Commission that includes the date of the filing, the applicant’s name, the type of filing, the filer/originator, the assigned docket number, and whether the filing is an intervention. The text of the filing is not available on CIPS. The list is divided by topic into six separate lists—gas, electric, hydropower, miscellaneous, oil, and rulemaking. The list is available at 3:00 p.m. on the day of receipt, generally the day following the filing date.

Met standard 100 percent.

Formal documents issued list: a list of all documents issued on a particular day. The docket number, the applicant’s name, the date issued, the title of the document, and the FERC Reports citation are included. The list is available at 3:00 p.m. the day following the issuance date.

Met standard 100 percent.

Daily calendar of hearings and conferences: a monthly list of all hearings, conferences, and meetings. The meeting date, docket number, time, and company name are included. The list is updated daily after 3:00 p.m.

Met standard 100 percent.

Solicitor’s quarterly report: the status of all court cases in which the Commission is involved. It is updated quarterly.

Met standard 100 percent.

STANDARD

RESULT

Form 423: the Monthly Report of Cost and Quality of Fuels for Electric Plants is submitted monthly, and is available electronically 95 days after the end of the reporting month.

Met standard 75 percent.

Form 714: the Annual Electric Control and Planning Area Report. The forms are available electronically 60 days after the due date.

Met standard 95 percent.

Form 715: the Annual Transmission Planning and Evaluation Report. The forms are available electronically 30 days after the due date.

Met standard 90 percent.

Data will bData will be available yearly after the April filing date.

Met standaMet standard 100 percent.

Natural Gas Pipeline Tariffs: the software and documentation for the FERC Automated System or Tariff Retrieval (FASTR) and database files containing tariffs for individual pipelines. Tariff files are updated monthly if there are any revisions since last posting.

Met standard 100 percent.

Form 2: the Annual Report of Major Natural Gas Companies and Form 2A: the Annual Report of Nonmajor Natural Gas Companies. Validated forms are available three months after receipt.

Met standard 100 percent.

Form 11: the Natural Gas Pipeline Company Monthly Statement. This report is submitted quarterly. The forms are available electronically within five business days of validation.

Met standard 100 percent.

Index of Customers: a list of all firm customers for every pipeline, the rate schedules under which they purchase gas, and the contract quantities. The list is updated quarterly after the files are validated.

Met standard 100 percent.

Discount Rate Reports by customer of the rates below the maximum allowed. Reports are filed monthly. Reports are available within five workdays after validation.

Met standard 90 percent.

STANDARD

RESULT

Identify useful federal information of help to consumers.

During FY96, as a result of contacts with more than 40 federal agencies, Consumer Information Center (CIC) consumer specialists helped to develop and/or promote and distribute 53 new publications.

Offer federal publications free or at the lowest possible cost in the free Consumer Information Catalog.

The spring 1997 Catalog continued the 25-year tradition of meeting the standard, offering 113 free publications and 101 sales publications with an average cost of 80 cents.

Ensure that sales booklets offered through the CIC program provide information that the public finds to be worth the price.

The public ordered more than 2 million sales publications from CIC during FY96. Government Printing Office (GPO) distribution monitoring reports and CIC audience surveys confirm a negligible complaint rate from recipients of less than 1 percent.

Make available publications that cover a wide variety of topics of importance to the public.

The spring 1997 Catalog continued meeting the standard, offering 214 free or low-cost publications on subjects covering topics such as buying a car, parenting, finding a job, staying healthy, investing, running a small business, and many others.

Ensure accurate processing of customer orders.

CIC continually monitors the standard through recurring site visits to the distribution processing center and daily, and often hourly, telephone communications with distribution employees. The negligible complaint rate of less than 1 percent testifies to CIC’s success.

The average time to fulfill an order by the GPO facility in Pueblo, Colorado, will be four to six week, including delivery time.

CIC continues to meet the standard, with order fulfillment time currently averaging under four weeks.

The Pueblo, Colorado, facility will be maintained as a single point for consumers to obtain copies of the catalog or other federal publications. Consumers can obtain a free copy of the Consumer Information Catalog by writing to Catalog, Pueblo, CO 81009, or by calling 1-888-8PUEBLO.

Pueblo, Colorado 81009 remains one of the best-known mail addresses in the country. In FY96, Americans ordered more than 7 million consumer publications from CIC at that address.

An efficient means will be provided for nonprofit groups, such as libraries and schools, that are able to distribute 25 copies or more of the Catalog on a quarterly basis to be placed on CIC’s bulk mailing list.

In FY96, CIC sent out mailing list applications to many schools and virtually every library in the country, offering bulk quantities of the Catalog. CIC continues to promote its bulk mailing list, which currently has more than 31,000 names.

The CIC web site at http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov and other new technology initiatives have increased customer access to the catalog and other important consumer information.

During FY96, public accesses of CIC electronic information products totaled 2.4 million.

STANDARD

RESULT

Your telephone call will be answered promptly during core working hours, usually between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. EST. After hours, your call will be received by an automated system. TDD is available for people with hearing impairments.

An automated survey mechanism was approved by the Office of Management and Budget on February 21, 1997. Survey is being conducted March 3 to March 14, 1997.

The inquiry specialist will be courteous and helpful. He or she will listen carefully to your request and provide you with the most up-to-date information available. If the information is not readily available, an information specialist will attempt to locate the source and notify you by telephone, mail, or fax.

An automated survey mechanism was approved by the Office of Management and Budget on February 21, 1997. Survey is being conducted March 3 to March 14, 1997.

If your call needs to be addressed in Spanish or by another agency, state office, or local program, we will attempt to refer you to the appropriate place.

An automated survey mechanism was approved by the Office of Management and Budget on February 21, 1997. Survey is being conducted March 3 to March 14, 1997.

All telephone and written requests for materials in stock that do not require special attention will be processed within five working days of receipt.

An automated survey mechanism was approved by the Office of Management and Budget on February 21, 1997. Survey is being conducted March 3 to March 14, 1997.

The system will provide access to multiple health topics, currently over 50 programs or topics. Topics will be continually added and revised.

Presently, the Voice Information System (VIS) is undergoing a major conversion to toll-free access; programs are reviewing the information currently residing on the system. Since the last report, VIS has added new topics including childhood lead poisoning, nutrition and physical activity; and cancer; and population groups like women’s health and adolescents and youths.

We strive to support the system with the latest communication technology for easy customer access and utility.

With the conversion to toll-free service 1-800 311-3435, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) is also taking advantage of new technology to make information easier to access. CDC will add access for rotary callers with speed recognition and access for the hearing-impaired with TDD services; plans are in place to support languages. Once the conversion is completed, there are plans to implement caller look-up for address information to more effectively automate processes like ordering publications. The database will become more "relative," in that there are multiple pointers from within the system to the same information accessed from different topics. This will also mirror Internet information so that the overall information database will become more manageable.

Each program will be custom tailored to provide response quickly and cost effectively, and with the customer’s needs being recognized.

The current system anticipates customer needs and responds with effective programming so that a caller has access to related information.

STANDARD

RESULT

Customer feedback will be continuous through fax response system.

Customers now have the option to provide feedback on the information and system operations. In the past two years, CDC has received a 95 percent satisfaction rate. The major objection to the current system was that it was not toll-free for the caller. A new contract allows us to provide toll-free service at a cost lower than the previous consumer toll system.

Information will be time sensitive, accurate, and dynamic to meet the public health needs of the customer.

Information is updated on an as-needed basis. CDC updates the fax directory to indicate the last update. This informs the caller of timeliness of the information and makes the operation more efficient because the caller does not have to access the same information repeatedly. Outbreak information is immediate. CDC has designed the system to respond to outbreak situations within three days. The program is written so that information can be injected without additional programming.

FDA customers are entitled to fair, courteous, and professional treatment; information that is accurate and current; timely responses to requests; reasonable access to appropriate staff; assurance that regulated products in the marketplace are in compliance with FDA laws and regulations; two-way communication; opportunities for collaboration and partnerships as appropriate; participation in the agency’s decisionmaking process; and assurance that their opinions and concerns are considered by the agency.

Draft customer service standards for FDA’s Office of Regulatory Affairs and other parts of the agency have been formulated by an agencywide Customer Service Team, based on discussions of internal focus groups, which identified FDA internal and external customers. These draft standards were seen as applying to all customers, but additional standards may be unique to one or more customer segments. The standards were then refined based on interviews with key internal and external stakeholders. They will be further revised following a customer satisfaction survey, which is currently under way, of consumers, health professionals, state government agencies, and regulated industry to determine the standard relevance and provide a baseline to measure future performance. This will occur during the remainder of 1997. From this effort, a customer service plan will be put together to ensure that the agency’s performance meets the standards. Performance measures will be put in place and results publicized through electronic and print media, including FDA’s home page on the Internet.

Collect and disseminate the most up-to-date information relating to substance abuse research, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment from around the world.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

STANDARD

RESULT

Design information systems to help health care professionals cope with the information explosion by translating the substance abuse literature into usable knowledge.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

Utilize the latest technology - fax, e-mail, dial-up bulletin board system, Internet, and the World Wide Web-to provide subscribers with convenient access to this information www.nih.gov. Also, provide access to substance abuse treatment information via a toll-free phone number to assist subscribers. 1-800-662-HELP.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

Provide quality customer service through our customer service center, which is accessible via a toll-free phone number within the United States and is open Monday through Friday, during business hours. Provide direct access to the CSAT Director for questions of any kind regarding the center, via a mail box called "On Line with David."

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

Keep members informed of new products and services and enhancements to products and services, and solicit ideas for new products and services through a member newsletter.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

Continually evaluate and refine products, services, delivery mechanisms, and customer service based on input from both users and potential users.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

Provide complete, accurate, state-of-the-art cancer information to cancer patients, their families, health professionals, and the American public in an organized, sensitive, and credible manner.

The CIS responded to more than 500,000 calls in 1996.

Provide National Cancer Institute (NCI) publications at no cost to patients and their families.

In 1996, close to 11 million copies of materials were provided.

Continue to staff the CIS with skilled and well-trained individuals to ensure that the program will continue to meet and exceed its high standards of quality.

Approximately 300 people serve as CIS staff. Initial selection processes and certification standards ensure that the program will continue to meet and exceed its high standards for quality. The CIS is continuing to improve and enhance certification requirements, including specialty certification.

Design information systems to ensure that information specialists can access up-to-date information in an efficient, thorough manner to best meet each caller’s needs.

Plans for 1997 include continued work on an information retrieval system. Current policies and procedures standardize and prioritize the use of resources in the CIS’s 19 regional offices. Results from the CIS’s national test call program indicate that the service is more than 95 percent compliant in retrieving and using NCI resources in priority order.

STANDARD

RESULT

Utilize the latest telecommunications technology to provide our callers with convenient access to information. The CIS will have a site on NCI’s home page, encouraging viewers of the Web page to call the CIS if they have any questions about cancer.

The CIS is continuously researching and assessing the use of improvements in telecommunications technology. A task force will be formed in 1997 to identify opportunities for improving service through advanced technologies. The CIS Web site is at http://www.icic.nci.nih.gov/occdocs/cis/cis.html.

Keep our callers informed of new services and enhancements via print ads and media placements and solicit ideas for improvements through surveys and other mechanisms.

A telephone service user survey and an outreach partner survey were completed in 1996. The results of each survey will be published in 1997. In addition, a task force is developing a strategic communications plan to increase awareness of the CIS.

Continually evaluate and refine services, delivery mechanisms, and customer service based on input from current staff and both users and potential users.

The CIS regularly seeks input from NCI staff, staff in regional offices, and users. The CIS’s systems quality management focuses on using data gathered from ongoing monitoring and other evaluation strategies to continuously improve processes, products, and services. The activities, practices, and program components that enable the CIS to build quality into every aspect of the CIS program include: (1) a vision of excellence—a management philosophy that is committed to the CIS’s leadership in the delivery of cancer information; (2) empowered change agents—participation from CIS project office staff and regional CIS staff in solving problems; (3) standardized tools—communication tools and practices, a standardized call management system, standardized policies and procedures, state-of-the-art resources, and strategic selection of staff; (4) dedication to staff development—rigorous initial training, continuing education, call monitoring, and constant supervisory support; (5) superior performance—responding to information needs in a manner that meets the needs of callers and outreach partners and allows for service evaluation; (6) continual reporting—user surveys, analysis of documentation of calls, and CISTERS, the national test call program. The interaction of these elements helps identify areas for improvement, prioritize solutions, and continually implement positive change.

Answer the telephone by the third ring.

Survey pending; results to follow.

Respond to simple information requests within three days.

Survey pending; results to follow.

Respond to complex information requests within seven days.

Survey pending; results to follow.

Assess requestors’ need to send the best possible information.

Survey pending; results to follow.

Explain clearly the scope and limitations of clearinghouse services.

Survey pending; results to follow.

Always support the physician-patient relationship.

Survey pending; results to follow.

STANDARD

RESULT

All materials shall be easily accessible and available to clearinghouse users.

Survey pending; results to follow.

Anticipate customers’ needs, determine information gaps, and develop publications to meet those needs.

Survey pending; results to follow.

Clearly describe the etiology, diagnosis, and treatment options for the medical conditions within the clearinghouses’ scope.

Survey pending; results to follow.

Ensure the accuracy and objectivity of materials and consistency with Department of Health andHuman Services policies by subjecting all publications to outside expert review.

Survey pending; results to follow.

For all materials designed to be used with a limited-literacy audience, field test the materials with members of the target audience whenever possible.

Survey pending; results to follow.

Maintain a comprehensive, up-to-date repository of available information within the clearinghouses’ scope.

Survey pending; results to follow.

Monitor the literature for items suitable to add to the database.

Survey pending; results to follow.

Maintain a network of contacts in professional and voluntary agencies to keep track of "fugitive" literature.

Survey pending; results to follow.

Add a minimum of 50 items per month to the database, no more than 20 of which may be journal articles.

Survey pending; results to follow.

Maintain constructive relationships within the patient, professional, and lay audiences through network, promotion, and outreach activities consistent with the clearinghouses’ mission to provide information and education to patients, professionals, and lay audiences.

Survey pending; results to follow.

Your telephone call will be answered promptly during core working hours, usually between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. EST. Standard information may be provided through automated menu choices; an information specialist will be available to answer your questions. After hours, your call may be handled by an automated system.

Telephone systems are operating smoothly. The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) continues to address periods of peak volume.

STANDARD

RESULT

The information specialist will be courteous and helpful. He or she will listen carefully to your request and provide you with the most up-to-date information available. If the information you need is not readily available, it will be located and you will either be called back with the answer or will receive the information by mail and/or fax.

Systems for regular oversight and supervision of information specialists and periodic staff training help maintain good service.

If your call needs to be addressed by another agency, state, or local program, we will give you an accurate referral to obtain your answers and, whenever possible, route your inquiry directly to that agency or program by mail or phone.

All requests requiring referral are rerouted directly to the outside entity.

All telephone requests for in-stock printed materials and written inquiries that do not require special attention will be processed within five working days of receipt.

These systems are working.

Publications will be written in a clear and informative manner with easily understood language and helpful format.

Editorial review systems include check on language levels.

We will strive to make information available through additional channels, including electronic media, and intermediaries such as community organizations and libraries.

ODPHP information is available via Healthfinder, a new government gateway site on the Internet.

Make federal information relating to substance abuse and mental health readily accessible to the public.

NCADI widely advertises its services through billboard, magazine, radio, and TV public service announcements; distributes over 100,000 catalogs; and offers 1-800-number computer and voice lines, a World Wide Web (WWW) site, and other channels. It received, for example, 16,000 inquiries in February. KEN offers information through a WWW site, 1-800-number bulletin board service and voice line, and other channels. In January, for example, KEN processed 3,000 requests via mail and telephone, 8,000 BBS hits, and 5,600 WWW hits. KEN has produced brochures, promotional pieces, stickers, a newsletter, and fact sheets in its first year of operation.

Keep current on advances in information technologies (i.e., Hardware, software applications, and telecommunications) and integrate these technologies, as appropriate, to enhance responsiveness to customer requests.

The NCADI WWW page won two awards in the last six months, and processed 431 e-mail messages, for example, in January. It provides on-line searchable databases, including services searchable by city, state, and Zip Code. KEN’s award-winning WWW site supports on-line ordering, searchable databases, and links to other sites. Technology is reviewed systematically and annually. A notebook PC with LCD projector enables staff to present on-line demos.

STANDARD

RESULT

Promote and operate a dedicated incoming FTS 2000 line for TTD access for persons who are hearing-impaired.

This was implemented by NCADI and KEN.

Support special promotions and public education campaigns.

NCADI currently supports the Girl Power Campaign and the Reality Check campaign. KEN supported Communities Together and other outreach activities in its first year.

Treat all our customers with courtesy.

NCADI and KEN personnel receive customerservice training, including courtesy training and anti-stigma training. KEN training explicitly addresses compassion and consumer sensitivity.

Answer telephone calls promptly during core working hours, usually between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. EST. Standard information may be provided through automated menu choices, and telephone answering equipment/voice mail shall be used for overflow calls. Requestors shall be called back within two business days.

NCADI calls are answered within four rings; fewer than 15 percent of callers have to wait on hold. Specialists are on duty from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.; overnight, a telephone ordering system accepts orders. In January, for example, 31 of these calls required a call back, which was done one day after receipt, with 94 percent of callers reached. KEN calls are channeled through an automated attendant system that permits voice messages; calls are returned the same day or, for after-hours calls, the next day.

Respond within 24 hours to high-priority informational requests (e.g., disaster-related information about mental health services).

KEN provides same-day or next-day (for after-hours calls) responses. Staff members have crisis counseling training and respond to crisis calls appropriately.

Process standard responses within five business days of receipt. Inquiries requiring individualized responses shall be answered within 10 business days of receipt or sooner if specifically requested by the project officer.

NCADI has special staff members to work with federal and media customers. KEN’s standard response to requests is within two days. Customized responses take up to five days.

Ensure high-quality, consistent content, organization, and presentation of information on federal agency servers using established federal standards; and, more important, help users find pertinent information to answer their agency-related questions.

NCADI performs a quality control survey and has a semiannual review done by an evaluation board. KEN staff members participate in ongoing training and frequently review WWW links to other agencies. The database is updated monthly.

Provide guidance on interpreting fair housing law through the publication of proposed regulations.

Customer survey is planned.

Provide substantive comments on housing implications of proposed HUD regulations and policy.

Customer survey is planned.

Provide substantive comments regarding fair housing implications of proposed legislation.

Customer survey is planned.

STANDARD

RESULT

Provide training and informational briefings as requested to HUD employees, lending and insurance industries, consumer advocacy, fair housing and civil rights groups, government officials, the press, members of protected classes, and the general public.

Customer survey is planned.

Provide timely responses to questions and concerns of customers regarding fair housing requirements and responsibilities to affirmatively further fair housing.

Customer survey is planned.

PIH offices should be open to the public and available to do business during conventional work hours as that concept is defined locally.

PIH offices are open and available to do business in accordance with locally defined standards (core hours).

Any PIH staff person receiving an incoming inquiry by telephone, letter, or personal contact -"owns" that inquiry until the substance of the inquiry has been conveyed to the office or individual responsible for a substantive response.

As part of the PIH roll-out process, inquiries are assigned by subject matter areas. Inquiries, as received and assigned, are "owned" until a substantive response is provided.

During business hours, customers inquiring in person should wait no more than two minutes to be greeted and given an idea of when a technical person will be available to respond.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

During business hours, all telephone calls should be answered by a person within three rings.

To provide greater customer service, PIH employees have individual telephone lines. Therefore, customers can make direct contact with a given individual. In the event that person is unavailable, voice-mail service is used.

To the maximum extent possible, PIH field offices and headquarters offices will have a live person responsible for answering the telephone, promptly, every minute of the business day, including "flex-time" hours.

As stated above, PIH employees have individual telephone lines. However, a common office line remains available for use by those individuals unaware of this service. In addition, in accordance with locally defined standards, coverage is available resulting from the use of flex-time.

Each office will establish a procedure whereby the principal receptionist or other telephone-answerer has a regular backup, and a mechanism by which the regular lets the backup know that he or she is "on call."

It is our understanding that Departmentally, as applied to field office operations, each program cyclinder is required to provide backup receptionist/telephone answering service.

Messages left by phone or in person should be returned by the time promised by the message-taker or within a half-day of the respondent’s return to the office.

This standard is being met. We know of no instances where either field or headquarters staff members failed to follow through on messages left by phone or in person.

STANDARD

RESULT

You will be treated in a courteous and professional manner by knowledgeable employees every time you contact us.

In 1996, 85 percent of our customers rated the ISC employees’ courtesy and knowledge level as very good.

You will receive accurate information and quality products and services.

In 1996, 72 percent of our customers rated the accuracy of information and quality of products and services as very good.

You will receive our services and products within agreed-upon timeframes.

In 1996, 79 percent of our customers rated the timeliness of our services as very good.

Our policies, procedures, and prices will be clear and understandable.

In 1996, 43 percent of our customers rated understanding of our prices as very good.

To achieve continued improvement of the state Abandoned Mine Land (AML) program in achieving the goals of SMCRA, we will accurately evaluate state implementation of the AML program by measuring hazard abatement and restoration of disturbed lands.

Cumulative and annual measurements of reclamation accomplishments indicate that the states/tribes are implementing their AML programs. Oversight teams will develop annual reports documenting the results of evaluations.

For emergencies in federal program states and states without emergency programs, an initial site visit and determination of emergency will be made within 48 hours of the complaint.

OSM responded to 91 percent of the emergency complaints within 48 hours of receipt.

We will eliminate, as rapidly as practicable, suddenly occurring hazards to human health and safety resulting from pre-1977 coal mining activity.

OSM eliminated, as rapidly as practicable, all sudden AML emergency conditions that occurred in FY96.

We will minimize exposure of the public to the suddenly occurring hazards (time from emergency report to start of actual work).

OSM minimized exposure to the public by initiating emergency abatement within 20 days on 228 emergency declarations in FY96.

We will abate high-priority hazards to human health and safety resulting from abandoned coal mining operations.

OSM abated all high-priority hazards to human health and safety.

We will restore disturbed lands and abate environmental damages resulting from abandoned coal mining operations.

OSM and the states cooperatively design AML projects in order to avoid any AML-related problems during on-site construction.

To ensure continued state/tribe responsibility and authority to implement approved AML programs, we will encourage the timely resolution of outstanding 30 C.F.R. Part 884 letters; and review, in a timely manner, state reclamation plan amendments.

Four program amendments were processed, and three outstanding Part 884 letters exist.

STANDARD

RESULT

For emergencies in federal program states and states without emergency programs, the abatement method will be determined within 30 days after the initial complaint, unless there are extenuating circumstances beyond the Agency’s control.

OSM determined the abatement method within 30 days of the initial complaint on 228 emergency projects.

For emergencies in states that administer their own programs, state emergency declarations will be finalized by us within eight hours of receipt of the state submittal.

OSM processed and finalized all State emergency declarations after receipt of each complete submittal within one day.

We will work with the states and tribes to increase the acres of land made available for productive use in each state with sites in the AML inventory.

OSM and its partners accounted for the reclamation of 9,592 acres on 285 sites.

We will work with the states and tribes to increase the number of successful cooperative acid mine drainage cleanup efforts.

OSM formed numerous partnerships with stream restoration groups throughout Appalachia and provided seed money for 13 projects.

We will process each submitted complete grant within 60 days of receipt.

OSM successfully processed each submitted complete grant application within 60 days of receipt. A total of 105 grant actions were processed in FY96.

Customers will be treated with courtesy.

A customer response card is part of each order mailed from our Information Services Branch in Denver (5,000-6,000 per month) and the EROS Data Center. For 1996, fewer than 1 percent of the cards returned to the EROS Data Center had negative comments. A new question regarding courteous treatment will be added to the next version of the card sent from Denver, and data will be collected and analyzed.

We will provide technical assistance to customers.

USGS subject matter experts respond to complex technical or scientific requests by fax, e-mail, and telephone contact. Pages of frequently asked questions (FAQS) are now on the World Wide Web, enhancing access to USGS scientific and technical information.

We will resolve our customers’ needs through a single point of contact when possible.

Single-point contacts have been established through 1-800-USA-MAPS and through the "Ask a Geologist" program on the Internet. These help eliminate many transferred phone calls and incorrect referrals. Nine USGS Earth Science Information Centers provide single point of contacts for walk-in, telephone, mail, and e-mail customers.

Customers will be helped as soon as possible.

Walk-in customers’ needs are met promptly. Flexible staffing methods now direct additional personnel to customers needing assistance during peak periods. Facsimile orders sent to Denver for standard products are handled on the same day received. At the EROS Data Center, customer inquiries increased 100 percent in 1996. Response time to customers was maintained by technological improvements to the telephone and inquiry systems.

STANDARD

RESULT

Telephone calls will be returned by the close of the following business day.

In most cases, 1-800-USA-MAPS calls are answered, or a return call is placed, within one working day. An ABACUS telephone monitoring system has been installed in Denver to ensure that all calls are answered promptly and that voice mail is handled within one working day.

Orders for standard products will be filled in a timely manner.

Turnaround time for customer orders placed with Information Services in Denver was 10 days. Customers have indicated on response cards that this meets their expectations. The EROS Data Center achieved turnaround times of less than one week for digital orders and four weeks for custom aerial photo orders. New inventory management practices and reprint notification procedures improved the availability of USGS map products and reduced out-of-stock maps to under 1 percent.

Timeframes for special services, studies, and interpretive reports will be determined through agreements with cooperators and customers. Once established, due dates will be met unless customers/cooperators agree that their interests would be better served by extending the project or report completion date.

The USGS Water Resources Division provides federal funding for state, county, city, and local entities through the Federal/State Cooperative Matching Program. USGS works closely with these and other cooperators to determine customer requirements and needs and to deliver products on time. The 90 percent renewal level for cooperative agreements in FY96 indicates a generally high level of satisfaction with the services being provided.

USGS will continuously improve availability of on-line data to technical and scientific customers and cooperators.

USGS currently has more than 100,000 screens of data associated with its Web site (expanded in 1996). Customers may use a single point (http://www.usgs.gov/) for information on geologic, biologic, water resource, and mapping products and information on services and studies. This information includes publications, fact sheets, and real-time water and earthquake data. WebGLIS is an on-line, interactive source of information about the Earth’s land surface utilizing graphics, forms, and image-browser functions, providing easy access and ordering capability. The USGS offers selected U.S. geodata databases through the Internet, which can be downloaded using anonymous file transfer protocol (FTP).

USGS will continuously improve ease of accessing USGS on-line data, including working toward a goal of single point of entry for data generated by various USGS components.

The USGS home page now provides a single point of entry for USGS data, information, products, and expertise to over 1 million customers a month. Access has been refined by providing customers with the ability to select information by subject area, science program, and type of product.

We will provide access to USGS product and ordering information through 800 numbers and electronic media.

1-800-USA-MAPS is fully operational and interactive with the EarthFax. In 1996, 57,110 callers used this number, an increase of 1,677 calls (3 percent) over 1995 usage. USGS Internet access has been expanded and enhanced with links to ordering and product information, FAQ pages for technical and scientific information, and directly downloadable data (through FTP).

We will work to improve ease of ordering for all USGS products at all ordering sites.

Commercial map dealers are now able to order products electronically from Information Services in Denver, thereby eliminating four to five days of processing time. Facsimile ordering capabilities and equipment have been improved. The number of orders placed by fax increased 60 percent in 1996.

STANDARD

RESULT

USGS data and reports will continue to meet the most rigorous standards of scientific accuracy and integrity, and be responsive to the user community.

USGS scientific reports are subject to numerous internal and external peer reviews. USGS often releases data without review to meet certain customers’ needs for timely data (for example, emergency management personnel at federal, state, and local agencies).

For special services and studies, we will establish written agreements with the customer/cooperator describing the nature of services and final products to be provided and establishing any specific standards for that activity.

In addition to its cooperative programs with state government agencies in the Water Resources, National Mapping, and Biological Resources Divisions, USGS establishes memorandums of agreement, memorandums of understanding, and cooperative research and development agreements with customers for specific studies and services.

You will be treated with courtesy and professionalism every time you contact us.

An in-house seminar was held by an outside consultant on how to improve customer service.

We will provide you with all the information you need in order to understand Commission programs.

New information about the Commission’s programs has been placed on an electronic Website and links are being formed connecting the site to other related organizations and programs. www2.dgsys.com/@jussc/commisson/comissn/html.

We will respond to your requests for applications and/or routine information within five business days.

This standard is being exceeded. In all cases, requests for information and applications are turned around on a daily basis.

We will provide you with information about other existing grant programs that may help you.

The Commission instituted regular meetings with counterparts at other grant-making organizations in the field to coordinate policy for the purpose of improved service to customers.

We will strive to make information available through additional channels, including electronic media, and intermediaries such as other Japan-related organizations and libraries.

An in-house training seminar was held with a computer specialist to train staff on Website hypertext updating.

STANDARD

RESULT

You can expect us to deliver our services fairly and to the same high standards to all our clients regardless of race, color, age, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, political preference, labor organization or nonaffiliation, marital status, or non-disqualifying handicap.

Based on responses to the 1995 customer service guidelines, 80 percent of customers reported that they were satisfied or very satisfied with the service they had received.

We will be courteous and friendly.

Of all respondents, 90 percent indicated that this standard was met.

We will acknowledge requests within two weeks.

This standard was met. Survey data indicate that 94 percent of the survey respondents received a timely acknowledgement.

We will give a Freedom of Information Act/Privacy Act (FOIA/PA) number to each request, for use as a reference on all future correspondence.

Of all FOIA/PA acknowledgment letters sent to survey respondents, 80 percent contained a reference number.

We will process requests on a "first-come-first-served" basis, and inform you of any backlog.

Of all acknowledgement letters sent to survey respondents, 40 percent provided an estimated completion date.

We will work with you to ensure that your request is complete and properly understood, so an appropriate search for records can be made.

The customer satisfaction rate for this standard varied by customer groups-e.g., there was a 67 percent alien satisfaction rate; 54 percent of all scholars were satisfied with the process. Public interest groups indicated a 51 percent satisfaction rate. This group’s overall satisfaction rates have been trending downward from 1994. However, decreases in this vital area of customer service are all under 12 percent.

We will return your phone calls within three working days.

Specific measurement criteria being developed.

We will make our responses as clear as possible, including an explanation of fees, exemptions, and the appeals process.

Of all respondents, 60 percent indicated that this standard was met.

We will provide you with the best possible copies of records.

Most respondents were satisfied with the physical quality of the information received.

We will conduct regular customer surveys to ensure that we are meeting our standards.

This standard has been met through the use of annual customer satisfaction surveys.

STANDARD

RESULT

We will clearly explain the process that Community Relations Service (CRS) uses to address racial and ethnic conflicts, and our role in that process.

Specific measurement criteria being developed.

We will provide opportunities for all parties involved to contribute to, and work toward, a solutaion to the racial or ethnic conflict.

Specific measurement criteria being developed.

If you are a participant in a CRS training session or conference, we will provide useful information and materials that will assist you in preventing or minimizing racial and ethnic tensions. If you would like more information, we will work with you to identify additional materials to meet your needs within three weeks of learning of your need.

Specific measurement criteria being developed.

We will be prepared to provide on-site services in major racial or ethnic crisis situations within 24 hours of when your community notifies CRS, or CRS becomes aware of the situation, to discuss your request for CRS services.

Specific measurement criteria being developed.

In noncrisis situations, we will contact you within three days of when your community notifies CRS, or CRS becomes aware of the situation, to discuss your request for CRS services.

Specific measurement criteria being developed.

If you are a U.S. citizen entering the country at an airport, you will find citizen inspection lines dedicated specifically for rapid clearance back into the country.

Although standards and measures have been published, progress cannot be determined because data have not been collected.

If you are a frequent business traveler being inspected in an airport using the INSPASS program, you will be processed in less than a minute. This service is available 24 hours a day. INS is exploring the possibility of expanding this to other airports.

Although standards and measures have been published, progress cannot be determined because data have not been collected.

If you use the recently instituted Dedicated Commuter Lanes in Blaine, Washington, you will experience virtually no delay in entering the country. We are working with local authorities to establish similar lanes in other land border locations

Although standards and measures have been published, progress cannot be determined because data have not been collected.

STANDARD

RESULT

If you request information through the "Ask Immigration" telephone number, (202) 514-4316, we will provide improved service by reducing the message format from 58 items to 10 and the length of the menu time from nine minutes to one. The message system is available 24 hours a day, with staff availble to assis with follow-up questions during normal business hours.Although standards and measures have been published, progress cannot be determined because data have not been collected.

If you apply for naturalization, we will schedule your case for interview within four months of receipt. You will have the opportunity to take the oath of allegiance and become a citizen no later than 60 days after approval of your application.

Although standards and measures have been published, progress cannot be determined because data have not been collected.

If you apply for adjustment of status to lawful permanent residence (Form I-485), your case will be reviewed within 90 days of filing; it may be approved without an interview if it is properly filed and: (1) it is based on an approved petition classifying you as the parent or unmarried minor child of a U.S. citizen, (2) it is based on an approved employment-based preference petition (Form I-140) and you will continue to work for the same employer as when yo were lawfully employed as a nonimmigrant (3) and you are applying under the Cuban Adjustment Act of 1966.

Although standards and measures have been published, progress cannot be determined because data have not been collected.

If you apply for immigration benefits from one of our service centers and are notified that we have received your application, you may inquire about the status of your application by calling the phone number on your receipt and entering your receipt number using a touch-tone telephone.

Although standards and measures have been published, progress cannot be determined because data have not been collected.

INS will widely distribute informational materials and common forms through community service providers, public agencies, and telephone systems in an effort to minimize the need for customers to visit district offices.

Standards and measures were established, poublished, and disseminated. Data gathering mechanisms are being developed.

Provide adjustment and naturilization applicants with filing receipts with in 30 calendar days.

Standards and measures were established, poublished, and disseminated. Data gathering mechanisms are being developed.

Enhance computer system capabilities so that status inquiries can be completed within 30 calendar days.

Standards and measures were established, poublished, and disseminated. Data gathering mechanisms are being developed.

Complete action on adjustment applications with four months.

Standards and measures were established, poublished, and disseminated. Data gathering mechanisms are being developed.

Complete action on naturalization applications within six months.

Standards and measures were established, published, and disseminated. Data gathering mechanisms are being developed.

STANDARD

RESULT

Reengineer the processes for all other applications and petitions to include establishment of timeframes for completion of actions.

Standards and measures were established, published, and disseminated. Data gathering mechanisms are being developed.

Greet customers promptly upon arrival in our offices.

Standards and measures were established, published, and disseminated. Data gathering mechanisms are being developed.

Direct customers to appropriate personnel.

Standards and measures were established, published, and disseminated. Data gathering mechanisms are being developed.

Treat you, our customer, with professionalism and respect.

Data currently unavailable. Measures need to be established jointly between INS and the U.S. Customs Service (USCS).

Work with you, facility managers, and other federal agencies to provide excellent customer service while enforcing the laws of the United States.

Data currently unavailable. Measures need to be established jointly between INS and the U.S. Customs Service (USCS).

Provide a supervisor (by phone in remote locations) to address your inspection-related concerns before you leave the area.

Data currently unavailable. Measures need to be established jointly between INS andthe U.S. Customs Service (USCS).

Make every effort to minimize your wait for an inspection.

Data currently unavailable. Measures need to be established jointly between INS and USCS.

Respond to your written inquiries as expeditiously as possible. Upon receipt of your written inquiry with a phone number, INS will contact you within five working days. INS will mail you a written response within 10 days, if desired.

Data currently unavailable. Measures need to be established jointly between INS and USCS.

Improve our inspections process while providing you with the highest level of customer service.

Data currently unavailable. Measures need to be established jointly between INS and USCS.

Timely information.

This standard was met. The average length of time a customer spends on hold is eight seconds compared to the government standard of 15 seconds.

Accurate information.

According to the survey results, customers consistently receive satisfactory responses (4.57 out of a possible 5).

STANDARD

RESULT

Efficient service.

According to the survey results, customers found the recorded messages and instructions clear and easy to understand. The Response Center received an average score of 4.40 on a 5-point scale.

Professional, courteous service.

The results for this standard show an average score of 4.62 out of 5.

We will let you know in advance when we will release our data. We will meet our release dates as published.

All release dates were met except for those affected by the federal government shutdown.

We will be available when you need us. Electronic access and 24-hour recorded messages are available for your most requested information. Information specialists are available during business hours.

All of the listed data sources were improved during this year. An automated fax system was made operational in the national and regional offices by May 1996. This system enables customers to obtain paper copies of BLS information, seven days a week, 24 hours a day. Each month the BLS Web site is accessed more than 500,000 times, a tenfold increase over 1995 usage. The site was enhanced with additional background information and more formatted tables. The Customer Service Guide was updated to make users aware of the new fax system, our expanded Web site, and our 1996 data release dates.

We will distribute data in the form that fits your needs as resources allow. Available formats include Internet, fax on request, TDD, and print materials such as news releases, reports, bulletins, brochures, and flyers. Some very large data files are also available on CD-ROM and magnetic tape.

All of the listed data formats were available. Through each of our data dissemination systems, we are working to make customers aware of the other ways they can access our data. For example, our press releases include our Web site address.

We will provide you with the name and phone number of a person who can meet your data needs. Our Customer Service Guide includes the names of BLS subject matter specialists. If you ask something we cannot answer, BLS will refer you to someone who can. We want to make your information search as fast and direct as possible.

The updated BLS Customer Service Guide includes more contacts for referral, inside and outside of BLS.

We will help you understand the uses and limits of our products. Call us with any questions you have.

In our continuous customer service survey, 98 percent of the respondents rated the clarity of our explanations as clear or very clear.

We want to meet your needs. If you have comments on our specific products, please call with your suggestions.

In our continuous customer survey, 98 percent of the respondents rated their overall satisfaction with our customer service as satisfied or very satisfied.

STANDARD

RESULT

Thoroughly explain the complaint investigation process under OFCCP’s regulations.

Survey was completed and results are being analyzed.

Be an impartial third party in an effort to resolve your complaint.

Survey was completed and results are being analyzed.

Assign, in a timely fashion, a compliance officer to your case who will interview you, answer all questions pertinent to your complaint, and keep you advised of our progress in conducting the investigation.

Survey was completed and results are being analyzed.

Resolve your complaint in a timely manner.

Survey was completed and results are being analyzed.

Give you reasonable time to provide and explain your supporting documentation and adequate notification of any additional information needed.

Previous survey results indicated that these are problem areas. The program’s Federal Contract Compliance Manual is being revised to address these issues.

Provide you an opportunity to discuss OFCCP’s findings prior to the conclusion of the investigation and an opportunity to provide additional information to support your complaint.

Previous survey results indicated that these are problem areas. The program’s Federal Contract Compliance Manual is being revised to address these issues.

Provide technical assistance at your request, widely disseminate policy interpretations and publications, and answer questions regarding OFCCP’s compliance activities.

Customer survey results indicated a high degree of satisfaction with this element.

Explain why your facility was selected for review.

Customer survey results indicated a high degree of satisfaction with this element.

Explain the purpose of the review, describe the compliance review, describe the compliance review process, and identify actions that you need to take to comply with our regulations.

Customer survey results indicated a high degree of satisfaction with this element.

Fully consider your position and explanations during the conciliation process.

Customer survey results indicated a high degree of satisfaction with this element.

Be respectful and professional during compliance reviews.

Customer survey results indicated a high degree of satisfaction with this element.

STANDARD

RESULT

You will be served by a knowledgable and courteous employee.

Awaiting approval of the customer service survey from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and affected agency employee representatives.

At the time a customer requests a report, a delivery time will be given.

Awaiting approval of the customer service survey from OMB and affected agency employee representatives.

At the time a request is received, we will provide appropriate technical information if requested, or refer the requestor to the proper source.

Awaiting approval of the customer service survey from OMB and affected agency employee representatives.

We will provide all customers with appropriate material and a new disclosure pamphlet when it is available. The target date for publication is December 31, 1996.

Awaiting approval of the customer service survey from OMB and affected agency employee representatives.

A physical presence in each state (through the NASA Teacher Resource Center Network, precollege outreach programs, and the Space Grant College and Fellowship Program).

This standard is being reassessed and revised.

Electronic information systems (NASA television, NASA Spacelink, and FEDIX) for use by schools, colleges, and universities.

This standard is being reassessed and revised.

Internet access to all of NASA’s educational materials through the World Wide Web (http://www.nasa.gov).

This standard is being reassessed and revised.

You will find National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) staff and volunteers available in all offices to assist you during posted business hours. Our business hours will be prominently posted at all sites and noted in our brochures and through other information sources.

NARA business hours are posted in all facilities nationwide, and volunteers are available to assist customers. Pamphlets have been published in several languages for visitors and tourists.

STANDARD

RESULT

You will be sent a response to your written request about our holdings within 10 working days after we receive your letter. If we cannot provide a full response within that time, we will tell you that we have received your request and tell you how long we expect it will take before we can provide a full reply.

Performance against this standard ranged between 4.98 percent and 99 percent throughout NARA, with the level of compliance depending to some extent on the volume of requests.

You will find the instructor to be professional, knowledgeable, and helpful. Upon completion of a workshop, you will have the information to help you understand the principles discussed and apply them confidently to issues within your area of interest.

The overwhelming majority of paricipants rated the instructors as very good or excellent.

You can obtain timely and up-to-date information about NARA, its services, and holdings through the Internet and other on-line services, our fax-on-demand service, through printed publications, or by contacting one of our offices.

This standard was met.

You will be provided with timely information on a daily basis through the Federal Register on the following: presidential proclamations and executive orders; proposed rules and final regulations; public meetings; and federal grants. This information is published in print and in electronic form by the Government Printing Office.This standard was met.

Discuss the problem with the person who served you.

Data not available.

Use our suggestion/complaint comment form (NA Form 14045). You can mail it or drop it in the box provided. Or you can simply write us a letter. If you request a reply, we will provide a response within seven working days.

Data not available.

Speak or write to the supervisor in charge. If we cannot solve your problem immediately, we will provide a response within seven working days.

Data not available.

If you are still not satisfied that we have handled your complaint or provided the service we promised, you can write to the Assistant Archivist for the office with which you have been dealing

Data not available.

STANDARD

RESULT

You will find National Archives and Museums Administration (NARA) staff and volunteers available in all offices to assist you during posted business hours. Our business hours will be prominently posted at all sites and noted in our brochures and through other information sources.

NARA’s business hours are posted in each office. During this reporting period, all offices were opened as scheduled, except during the governmentwide closing.

You will find us open to serve you with knowledgeable staff or volunteers 364 days (closed only on December 25), with information readily available about our programs and services. During the peak visitor season, we will extend our hours for your convenience.

During this reporting period, the exhibition hall in Washington, D.C., was opened according to schedule, except during the governmentwide closing.

You will find us open to serve you with knowledgeable staff or volunteers 362 days (closed only on Thanksgiving Day, December 25, and January 1), with information readily available about our programs and services.

During this reporting period, the libraries and museums were opened as scheduled, except during the governmentwide closing.

Discuss the problem with the person who served you.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

Use our suggestion/complaint comment form (NA Form 14045). You can mail it or drop it in the box provided. Or you can simply write us a letter. If you request a reply, we will provide a response within seven working days.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

Speak to or write the supervisor in charge. If we cannot solve your problem immediately, we will provide a response within seven working days.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

If you are still not satisfied that we have handled your complaint or provided the service we promised, you can write to the Assistant Archivist for the office with which you have been dealing.

Specific measurement criteria are being developed.

STANDARD

RESULT

Treat you with courtesy and efficiency.

According to an informal staff survey, we routinely receive positive comments about the constructive, helpful manner of our staff.

Respond to phone calls promptly, generally within two business days.

Responses to calls to our public information office occur within one to two days, including sending publications requested telephonically. The total number of telephone requests for publications for the periods of January 1996 to March 1997 was 18,200.

Answer letters, faxes, and e-mail promptly, generally within five business days.

Responses to e-mail sent to our public information office occur within one to two business days; the total number of e-mail information requests received since April 1996 is 2,600. Letters and faxes sent to our public information office have a two-day average response time. The total number of written requests for publications between January 1996 and March 1997 was 25,000.

Provide clear and accurate information about our policies and procedures.

According to an informal staff survey, staff rely upon established, clearly articulated Endowment policies and procedures, which have been conveyed to them, in responding to questions.

Provide timely information about funding opportunities.

Guidelines are published and mass-mailed approximately three months before the first application deadline to all who have applied over the last five fiscal years. The total number of FY97 guidelines sent was approximately 12,000; the total number of FY98 guidelines sent was approximately 10,500.

Mail available guidelines promptly, generally within three business days.

In addition to the above, copies of guidelines are mailed within two days, on average, to individuals who request them from our public information office.

Clearly describe the application review criteria.

The guidelines were revised to ensure consistent and clear articulation of review criteria.

Offer guidance, on request, in preparing the application.

According to an informal staff survey, knowledgeable program staff answer hundreds of phone calls from applicants seeking assistance as application deadlines approach.

Promptly acknowledge receipt of your applications.

Acknowledegment cards are sent out as applications are opened, typically within one to two business days from receipt, depending upon the volume of applications received on a given day. The total number of applications received from organizations in 1996 was approximately 2,500.

Ensure all eligible applications are reviewed thoughtfully and fairly.

Review criteria are published in funding guidelines; the Endowment has an extensive internal process for selecting application reviewers and conducting application reviews; reviewers are identified in the agency’s annual report. The Endowment relies upon a the advice of knowledgeable public citizens throughout the several stages of application review.

STANDARD

RESULT

Provide notification of your award with clear instructions for requesting your grant funds, reporting their use, and complying with terms and conditions.

Our customer service focus group provided positive feedback regarding the quality of agency grant materials. Some of the group’s proposed modifications have already been incorporated, such as allowing applicants/grantees ro reproduce forms on their personal computers and including a "change" section in our grant terms and conditions.

Answer questions accurately about Endowment policies, procedures, and relevant Federal regulations.

Our customer service focus group advised that Endowment staff is stellar in its responsiveness and in the quality of information provided. A recent informal staff survey revealed that the staff continues to receive positive feedback about assistance provided, whether related to policies and procedures for requesting payment or submitting required reports.

Provide other assistance you may need throughout the grant period, on request.

An informal staff survey indicates that the questions posed to our grants and contracts office are typically answered within 24 hours.

Respond courteously and quickly to your requests for information about our grant programs.

Of prospective applicants, 94 percent believe this standard was met.

Be able to describe the programs that best suit your needs.

Of prospective applicants, 78 percent believe this standard was met.

Provide application instructions and forms that are clear and easy for you to use.

Of prospective applicants, 92 percent believe this standard was met.

Offer prompt and thoughtful advice and guidance in preparing your application.

Of prospective applicants, 78 percent believe this standard was met.

Explain accurately the procedures that would be used to evaluate your application and when you could expect a decision.

Of prospective applicants, 90 percent believe this standard was met.

Ensure that the evaluation of your application is fair, expeditious, and informed by the expert judgments of your peers.

Sixty-four percent of grantees and 37 percent of rejected applicants believe this standard was met.

Notify you promptly of the decision on your application.

Of those surveyed, 91 percent believe this standard was met.

Provide substantive reasons for the decision reached on your application.

Of those surveyed, 66 percent believe this standard was met (21 percent have no opinion).

Give you helpful advice, if you are unsuccessful, on revising or resubmitting your application.

Of those surveyed , 51 percent believe this standard was met 37 percent have no opinion).

Provide you with an award document that is clear and easy to understand and that sets forth sensible reporting requirements.

Of those surveyed , 93 percent believe this standard was met.

STANDARD

RESULT

Provide the names of our staff members who will serve as contacts for your reports and for any assistance you may need.

Of those surveyed , 90 percent believe this standard was met.

Answer promptly and satisfactorily all requests for information on Endowment policies and procedures.

Of those surveyed , 94 percent believe this standard was met.

Read and acknowledge promptly your reports on grant activities.

Of those surveyed , 44 percent believe this standard was met (39 percent have no opinion).

Maintain a professional, helpful relationship with you as you carry your project to completion.

Of those surveyed , 70 percent believe this standard was met (26 pecent have no opinion).

Acquiring, preserving, and displaying works of art of the highest quality and intellectual merit.

A formal visitor survey to be taken at the Gallery beginning in the fall will provide more specific and measurable data; however, the findings of a 1993 visitor satisfaction survey and current visitor comment cards indicate that this standard is being met.

Offering a variety of high-quality educational programs and materials to promote the understanding of art to Gallery audiences within and outside the museum.

A formal visitor survey to be taken at the Gallery beginning in the fall will provide more specific and measurable data; however, the findings of a 1993 visitor satisfaction survey and current visitor comment cards indicate that this standard is being met.

Supporting free and complete accessibility to the museum, its exhibitions, and all public programs.

The Gallery has an ongoing phased renovation program under way to ensure that its entrances, restrooms, and other building areas provide free and complete accessibility to visitors and staff. Accessibility issues will be included prominently in the planned visitor survey.

Maintaining a clean, pleasant, and safe physical plant.

Comment cards indicate that our visitors generally tend to view the Gallery as a clean, pleasant, and safe place to visit.

STANDARD

RESULT

If you come to an National Labor Relations Boar(NLRB) field office, the Information Officer will meet with you as promptly as possible. Please bear in mind that there may be several people ahead of you who want to speak with the Information Officer. You may want to consider calling first, as most matters can be handled by phone and mail. The Information Officer will normally be able to meet with you and assist you soon after you arrive at the NLRB office.

Of surveyed customers, 56 percent reported having to wait less than five minutes to see the Information Officer. Another 28 percent waited 5 to 10 minutes. Over 18,000 such visits were made to NLRB field offices during FY96.

If you phone the NLRB office, the Information Officer will speak to you at that time or will call back as promptly as possible. The Information Officer will normally be able to call you back and assist you soon after your call to the NLRB office.

Of surveyed customers, 65 percent reported that they spoke with an Information Officer within five minutes. Over 165,000 phone inquiries were made to NLRB field offices during FY96.

In some NLRB offices located in areas where there are many Spanish-speaking people, we will provide Spanish language service if you do not speak English. Extra time may be needed to provide that service.

Such services are provided.

The Information Officer will listen to your inquiry and may ask questions that will enable us to help you. The Information Officer will explain possible options available to you.

In FY96, 5.3 percent of inquiries led to the filing of a charge or petition with NLRB. Often the matter in question was outside NLRB jurisdiction; referrals to appropriate agencies were provided.

If you are meeting with an Information Officer and decide to file a charge or petition, the Information Officer will assist you. The Information Officer will normally be able to complete the filing process on the same day you decide to file the charge or petition.

Such services are provided.

If you have telephoned the Information Officer and decide to file a charge or petition, the Information Officer will normally mail you the appropriate forms soon after your call.

Such services are provided.

Where appropriate, the Information Officer will give you literature explaining our law and our procedures.

Such services are provided.

We will treat you courteously.

Among those surveyed, over 89 percent of visiting customers and 76 percent of telephone customers reported that they were satisfied with the courtesy they received from Information Officers and the NLRB.

We will provide the same treatment to all persons regardless of race, sex, religion, national origin, age, political affiliation, sexual orientation, or disability.

Such services are provided.

STANDARD

RESULT

We will attempt to answer your questions about the case, consistent with the confidentiality rights of other persons and the Privacy Act.

Such services are provided.

If necessary, we will provide bilingual services if we are given sufficient notice of that need.

Such services are provided.

Our facilities are accessible to persons with disabilities. We will attempt to accommodate persons with disabilities. Please let us know if you will need accommodation.

Such services are provided.

If you wish, you may be represented by an attorney or other representative of your own choice.

Representation is accommodated.

We will send all parties to the case a copy of the petition. Most petitions seek to have the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) conduct a secret-ballot representation election.

The petitions are served and evidence of receipt is obtained.

We will investigate any issues that are necessary to resolve before an election can be conducted. Where appropriate, we will explain the issues raised in the case. We may ask the parties to submit their legal arguments.

Parties are notified of this.

Some petitions may be dismissed. However, where an election is appropriate, we attempt to get all parties to agree to voluntary elections. We have been successful in achieving election agreements 80 percent of the time.

An election agreement rate of over 85 percent was achieved in FY96.

Where an election is appropriate, we attempt to schedule it as soon as practicable, normally within six to eight weeks after the petition has been filed.

A majority of elections were held within 44 days after the filing of petition during FY96.

If all parties do not agree to an election, we will issue a Notice of Hearing in order to resolve necessary issues.

All parties are issued a Notice of Hearing.

The hearing will be before an NLRB Hearing Officer. All parties may present relevant evidence relating to issues that must be resolved before an election can be conducted.

During FY96, 724 such hearings were held.

After the hearing, the NLRB Regional Director will issue a written decision as promptly as possible, allowing for thorough and complete consideration of all the evidence and issues. The time it takes to issue a written decision may depend upon the length of the hearing, complexity of the issues, and office workload. From the time a petition is first filed, you should expect a regional decision normally within 45 days after petetion filing. A party may request review of the Regional Director’s decision by the board in Washington, D.C.

In FY96, a majority of Regional Director decisions were issued within 45 days of petition filing.

STANDARD

RESULT

From the time a regional decision after hearing is issued, parties should expect that an election normally will be conducted, if appropriate, within 25 to 30 days.

During FY96, elections were held within 25 to 30 days from issuance of decision.

Where an election is appropriate, we will conduct a secret ballot in such a manner so as to provide the eligible employees in the appropriate collective bargaining unit with an opportunity to cast their ballot.

During FY96, 3,443 elections were held.

If there are determinative challenged ballots or election objections, we will investigate, and/or conduct a hearing on the challenges and objections and issue a written report. We may ask the parties to produce witnesses, evidence, and legal arguments.

During FY96, there were 393 of these post-election proceedings.

From the time that challenges and/or objections to the election are filed, if no hearing is held, the parties should expect a regional report of supplemental decision normally within 35 days. If a hearing is held, the parties should expect a regional report of supplemental decision normally within 95 days.

During FY96, a majority of reports were issued within 35 days when no hearing was held and within 95 days when a hearing was held.

All parties to unfair labor practice cases have the right to expect that this agency will process their case in a fair, judicious, and prompt manner. They can expect that all the evidence submitted and contentions raised during the investigation (and appeal, where applicable) will be carefully reviewed and evaluated.

A copy of this commitment is included in the initial mailing to all parties after the filing of a charge.