Efficiency of administrative processes

WQ.223/2026

WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE CHIEF MINISTER

BY DEPUTY S.J. GLEAVE OF ST. HELIER SOUTH
QUESTION SUBMITTED ON MONDAY 19th OCTOBER 2026 ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 26th OCTOBER 2026

Question

"Will the Chief Minister advise –

1. what measures are used across Government departments to assess the efficiency of administrative processes,  including  processing  times,  repeat  contacts,  reopened  cases  and  errors  requiring correction;
2. whether data is collected on the proportion of service requests resolved at first contact without requiring further information or intervention;
3. whether any assessment has been undertaken of the cost to the Government of repeat contacts, duplicated processes and administrative errors requiring correction;
4. whether the Government has identified administrative processes that involve multiple departments or repeated submission of the same information by Islanders; and
5. whether there are any plans to introduce consistent cross-government performance measures to identify opportunities for process simplification, automation and digital transformation and, if so, when these will be introduced?"

Answer

1. The Annual Performance Report in the 2025 Annual Report and Accounts includes a range of Service Performance Measures that support the assessment of departmental performance and the efficiency  of  administrative  processes, including  monitoring  customer  satisfaction.  Measures relating to repeat contacts, reopened cases or errors requiring correction are not included. In addition, individual departments have their own dedicated Service Performance Measures and use their own performance reporting mechanisms, such as the Annual Report prepared by the Jersey Policy Authority, the Quality and Performance Report prepared by Health and Care Jersey, and published Revenue Jersey statistics, to assess the effectiveness of service delivery.
2. Where applicable, information on the proportion of service requests resolved at first contact without requiring further information or intervention can be noted within individual service request records held by departments.
3. An assessment has not currently been undertaken of the cost to the Government of repeat contacts, duplicated processes and administrative errors requiring correction. Such an assessment would be challenging to undertake in a meaningful and reliable way because these activities are generally managed as part of the normal operation of existing services and are not routinely recorded as discrete cost categories. In many cases, the resources involved form part of the fixed staffing and operational costs required to deliver a service, regardless of the volume of repeat contacts or corrective activity undertaken. Consequently, it is often difficult to distinguish between costs that are genuinely additional and avoidable, and costs that would continue to be incurred even if repeat contacts, duplicated processes or administrative errors were reduced.
4. Several processes have been identified that involve multiple departments or repeated submissions for information. This includes customer complaints, data protection and freedom of information requests, and some application processes. Where this is the case, effective triage arrangements and customer engagement processes ensure proper assignment and clear customer service.

5. As part of our ongoing commitment to deliver a leaner and less complex public sector, we are exploring opportunities to strengthen the use of existing data and reporting arrangements to provide greater visibility of administrative efficiency. While Government departments require performance measures tailored to their individual services, we recognise the potential value of a small number of common indicators that can help identify opportunities for simplification, automation and improved customer experience across the Government where these can be implemented proportionately and cost-effectively.

Departments will continue to identify opportunities for process simplification, automation, digital transformation and the appropriate use of Artificial Intelligence to improve service delivery and operational efficiency. Any future development will seek to balance the benefits of greater consistency with the need to avoid unnecessary administrative burden and to reflect the differing nature of Government services.

In  pursuing  continuous  improvement,  departments  also  have  regard  to  the  findings  and recommendations of the Controller and Auditor General, the Public Accounts Committee, Scrutiny Panels and the States Assembly.