§ Mr. McAllionTo ask the Minister for the Civil Service when the last annual report for the Recruitment and Assessment Services Agency was published; and when the next one is due.
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§ Mr. RentonThe Recruitment and Assessment Services (RAS) Agency was established on 1 April 1991. Its first annual report, covering the financial year 1991–92, will be published in July 1992.
On its inception, RAS took over the executive functions of the former Civil Service Commission. The commissioners' report, covering the period January 1990 to March 1991, is due to be published shortly.
§ Mr. McAllionTo ask the Minister for the Civil Service (1) if he will list the new forms of alternative working patterns introduced into the Recruitment and Assessment Services Agency since its establishment as an executive agency; and if he will give a break-down by grade of the numbers of staff taking up each new working pattern;
(2) if he will list those new facilities for staff including nurseries and health care schemes which have been introduced in the Recruitment and Assessment Services Agency since its establishment as an executive agency;
(3) what appointments from the private sector have been made to the Recruitment and Assessment Services Agency at grade 7 or above since its establishment as an agency; and if he will list the post, grade and maximum salary payable, including any performance-related element;
(4) what group bonus schemes are in operation in the Recruitment and Assessment Services Agency; and if he will state the cash amount per person awarded in the last year for which figures are available, and the conditions attached to its award;
(5) how many staff were in post on the date that the Recruitment and Assessment Services Agency was established as an executive agency; and how many staff are in post now;
(6) how much was spent on events and publicity surrounding the launch of the Recruitment and Assessment Services Agency as an executive agency; and whether the cost was borne by the parent department or the new agency.
§ Mr. RentonThis is a matter for the chief executive of the Recruitment and Assessment Services Agency and I have asked him to write to the hon. Member direct.
§ Mr. McAllionTo ask the Minister for the Civil Service if he will state the maximum salary payable to the chief executive of the Recruitment and Assessment Services Agency including any performance-related element; and the length of time of the chief executive's contract.
§ Mr. RentonThe chief executive of the Recruitment and Assessment Services Agency is on the standard civil service grade 3 pay range and is eligible for the performance-related elements appropriate to that grade. His contract is for five years.
§ Mr. McAllionTo ask the Minister for the Civil Service if he will list the quality of service performance indicators adopted by the Recruitment and Assessment Services Agency since its establishment as an executive agency identifying separately those quality of service performance indicators already operative prior to agency status.
§ Mr. RentonI have either set, or made specific plans to introduce, demanding quality of service performance targets for the Recruitment and Assessment Services (RAS) Agency in the following areas:
- Customer departments' and agencies' satisfaction with overall service
245 - administration (including timeliness)
- outcome of recruitment scheme
Growth in
- size of customer base
- degree of repeat business
- amount of business gained by recommendation from existing customers
During 1990–91 the former Civil Service Commission introduced a formal "sign off" reporting and feedback system.
The commission supplied details of the outcome of a particular recruitment scheme to its customer departments and agencies who, in turn, completed and returned questionnaires giving their views on various aspects of the services provided.
On the basis of these forms, an overall satisfaction rating of 82 per cent. was achieved. The target is to increase this to 85 per cent. during 1991–92. For 1991–92, a separate rating for administration (which will include the success-rate in achieving agreed timetables) is being developed. I have set a target to meet agreed timetables in 80 per cent. of cases in 1991–92 and improve on this in future years.
Specific targets will be set by 30 September 1991 for the turnround of correspondence etc. in the light of first six months' experience of the agency's operation.
In the longer term I have asked RAS to measure and monitor growth by reference to the size of the customer base, degree of repeat business and the amount of business gained by recommendation from existing customers.
I will be looking for improvements in each of these categories over the next few years. In addition, RAS will introduce regular in-depth customer surveys, the first of which will be carried out in March 1992.