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Commons Assesment Framework
Citizens Service Center of Perama
Greece

The Problem

The Citizen Services Center (KEP) of the municipality of Perama was founded with the purpose to serve the citizens transactions with the Greek State (municipalities, Prefectures, ect). In order to be a successful institution KEP should work with simple procedures for the public, without unnecessary delays and most importantly with as less bureaucracy as possible.
With the time, experience brought to surface weaknesses of the internet application “e-kep” that manages the electronic protocol and the applications filled in all KEPs of Greece. “E-kep” gave little information about the status of the citizens’ cases (back office procedures) costing time and effort in order to control the incoming and outgoing files.
As more and more people started to make use of the KEP we discovered more areas, who demanded improvement. Due to great turnout of citizens the waiting time reached, for some cases, the two hours time. Additionally the presentence of the certified deeds, which can be concluded with only one visit to the KEP premises, was very low compared to the sum of the deeds that we serve.
When then Citizen Services Center of the municipality of Perama first opened for the public, the stuff had only the basic knowledge about the public administration. Through every day experience they obtained more knowledge but there was lack of organized and targeted training like the one that the National Centre for Public Administration and Local Government (E.K.D.D.A.) provides.
Through the Common Assessment Framework we found more points that needed improving actions. The most significant of them was the absence of direct communication and interaction with social groups’ organizations such as the Protection Center of the Elderly.

Solution and Key Benefits

 What is the initiative about? (the solution)
As we applied the C.A.F. to our department pinpointing our weaknesses we started suggesting solutions and directing our actions towards improvement.
First of all we needed to do as much as possible with the least economic resources. For that we made use our personnel’s skills and knowledge. A new application called “Traffic” was developed by KEP’s employee that helped us organize and control the outgoing files as well as the incoming answers. We informed the Ministry of Interior about the options that “Traffic” gave us and today those options are embedded to the internet application “e-kep” that is used by KEPs all over the country.
We turned to technology in order to solve another problem, the extensive use of paper and printer toner. Part of the solution was the creation of a digital database, by our own means, accessible to all KEPs computers, containing Laws, Ministerial Decrees, Forms, ect. We also installed a computer screen to the KEPs window that projects valuable information for the Public in 24 hour bases. That way we avoided unnecessary use of paper, lowering our operating costs. The next step is to manage our applications in a fully digital form by having them signed with a digitizer pen and send them by e-mail or via a fax server. The entire technical infrastructure for this step is already present in the KEP and we expect to put it in use soon after the authorization from the Ministry of Interns.
Furthermore we had to reduce the waiting time for the citizens that visited out KEP. We organized their visits with priority numbers in specific date and time. The priority tickets were distributed with a flier with all the information needed for them to have their application in order. As a result the maximum waiting time plummet from 2 hours to 10 minutes.
As we established direct communication with social groups’ organizations we had the chance to understand their needs and adapt our work to them. An example is the procedure that we followed for the Free Vacation Program for the elder sponsored by the National Tourism Organization. We informed the local Protection Centers of the Elderly about the necessary papers in order to issue the citizens coupons and the whole procedure took place in the Center. Their files were transferred and processed in the KEP premises by our stuff and the coupons were sent to the owners through the administration of the Center without any effort from the elder citizens.
All of the above had as a result a 313.36% soar of the KEP’s productivity according to the statistic data recorded by the electronic application “E-kep”.

Actors and Stakeholders

 Who proposed the solution, who implemented it and who were the stakeholders?
All the solutions mentioned are the product of collective efforts and creative dialog between the KEPs administration, personnel, local and government organizations and the administration of the municipality of Perama. Frequent and programmed meetings were held where everyone could contribute their opinions, solutions or even objections. In order to have a more active participation of the public to our efforts of improvement, as they are the main stakeholders, we created a complain-suggestion form available to everyone who visits our KEP. People’s opinion helped us to locate our weak points by seeing our operations from their point of view. Similarly we distribute questioners for the C.A.F.’s report and evaluation.

(a) Strategies

 Describe how and when the initiative was implemented by answering these questions
 a.      What were the strategies used to implement the initiative? In no more than 500 words, provide a summary of the main objectives and strategies of the initiative, how they were established and by whom.
a. Almost every step we took was dictated by the Common Assessment Framework. After the Administration of the Municipality decided to apply CAF to the KEP function in the beginning of 2008, we formed an Evaluation Team which had the task of distribute the questioners to the citizens and the personnel, collect them end evaluate the answers. Where the results were implying problems the team with the administration brought them to discussion in our meetings. All the decisions where rated according to their priority and significance, forming a time schedule of improving actions. The circle of the CAF closes as we apply our initiatives and reevaluate ourselves to see where we were, where we’ve come and where we can go. Through the application of C.A.F. we were able to locate the internal and the external weaknesses and the improving actions were defined. The weaknesses were related to certain improving actions and a time schedule was established. As a result we managed to update the KEP’s equipment, a fact that improved service of the public as well as the conditions of the staff’s health and safety.
Locating our weaknesses and rating our improving actions lead to quality services for the public faster and with low cost for the Agency. At the same time in order to deal with external weaknesses spotted in our operation we turned to the Ministry of Interns and the proper Authorities with specific proposals, some of them proposed in formal documents and some in meetings with Officials or Managers.

(b) Implementation

 b.      What were the key development and implementation steps and the chronology? No more than 500 words
1. Decision of the Municipality’s Leadership to apply the Common Assessment Framework to the KEP department. (Beginning of 2008)
2. There had been a meeting open to all KEP’s personnel in order to decide the proper course of action. (February of 2008)
3. The Self Evaluation Team was formed from all levels of the Personnel. (February of 2008)
4. Questioners were distributed to the KEP’s staff. (April 2008)
5. Proposal for financing the upgrade of the KEP’s technical infrastructure (April 2008)
6. Questioners were distributed to the public. (April to May 2008)
7. First meeting of the Self Evaluation Team to mark the criteria of CAF (May 2008)
8. The weakness and the improving actions were located and recorded. (May 2008)
9. Second meeting to all KEP’s personnel in order to present the final grades of CAF (September 2008)
10. Final formation of the CAF report and file. (September 2008)
11. Organized training for the employees is been planed (January 2009)
12. Presentation of the results of the initiative to social organizations of Perama (April 2009)
13. 30% of the improving actions had already been applied, ahead of the time schedule. (May 2009)
14. Upgrade KEP’s technical infrastructure (May 2009)
15. Rise of the KEP productivity by 234.57% with less human recourses by 44,4%. (May 2009)
16. Presentation of the results of the initiative to daily and local Press (May 2009)
17. Reevaluation of CAF from the Self Evaluation Team. (October 2009)
18. 76% of the improving actions had already been applied. (November 2009)
19. Presentations of our initiative to the International Exhibition for Municipalities (November 2009)
20. Employees training plan is completed (December 2009)
21. Participation of the KEP’s manager as an instructor to EKDDA courses about CAF for public servants (government and municipalities) (Started December 2009)

(c) Overcoming Obstacles

 c.      What were the main obstacles encountered? How were they overcome? No more than 500 words
In the way we came across some obstacles economical and procedural. The most common problem that we faced was the delays caused by bureaucracy, as an illustrative example we mention the supply of the new equipment. We overcame this obstacle through meetings between the KEP’s administration, the municipality of Perama and the Ministry.
Another problem that is yet to be solved is the issue of a Ministerial Decree, regarding the applications’ signature with digital means in the network platform that the Ministry of Intern uses for KEP all over Greece . After the issue we estimate that the new procedure will cut off approximately 60% of the supplies cost.

(d) Use of Resources

 d.      What resources were used for the initiative and what were its key benefits? In no more than 500 words, specify what were the financial, technical and human resources’ costs associated with this initiative. Describe how resources were mobilized
d. Every employee was mobilized in order to have a successful application of the CAF. That way we avoided hiring special advisors. As a result there was no cost for the application. Certain employee with studies on computers and networks volunteered to plan the project of the KEP’s technical equipment upgrade and estimate the cost. After the delivery of the hardware he undertook the built of the new equipment and network. That way the only cost was the purchase of the equipment, which was 6.500€.
We obtained the necessary equipment for the public to sign digitally the applications. The cost for seven terminals was approximately 500€. As an Agency we are technically prepared and we are waiting the law adjustment for the digital signature to be applied in our work. This initiative even it has low cost we predict that it will save 60% of the running costs.
Utilizing our old computers we built with no cost a fully functional fax server that stores digitally our incoming faxes. After the law adjustment that we are waiting the fax server will manage all of our faxes incoming and outgoing without a single print. In full operation that system will bring our need for paper and toner close to zero, delivering economical and ecological benefits.
Our old equipment, besides the fax server, helped us create a screen that provides information to the public 24 hours a day reducing the use of paper spent for that cause about 15%.
Also we eliminated the need to print for internal communication. A daily updated data base in our server provides all the vital information for our operation.

Sustainability and Transferability

  Is the initiative sustainable and transferable?
Our initiative is sustainable because it helps reduce the running costs, in our case approximately by 60%, and it has significant environmental benefits. Also improves the serviced provided to the public.
For procedures that require one visit to the Agency it reduced the waiting time dramatically from 2 hours to 10 minutes. Using an application that controls the front-office accessible to employees and the administration prevents possible delays.
The information of the public with digital means reduces the use of paper and it is available beyond working hours, 24 hours a day.
The use of digitizers for signing the applications in digital form eliminates their printing and handling costs without creating serious law conflicts. The use of digital signatures can be improved by the Ministry and it can be embedded to the internet application of “e-kep”. That way all of the 1076 KEPs in Greece can use it.
All KEPs in Greece use similar procedures as they are framed by the same laws and instructions of the Ministry of Interns. So it is relatively easy to adapt any of our innovations or even all of them.

Lessons Learned

 What are the impact of your initiative and the lessons learned?
The application of CAF in the Citizen Services Center of the municipality of Perama made as see our week points in our operation and allocated the necessary actions for improvement. The ratting of those actions helped our agency to update in a specific timetable and showed the potential of the employees and the KEP as whole.
With a relatively small cost of investment and with the use of modern technology we reduced the time of the citizens’ service and we turned to a much more ecological use of our resources.
As we used the CAF we learned a valuable lesson. With specified actions, which arise from detailed definition of our weaknesses and with the combined efforts from all the levels of command, we can improve productivity with low cost.
The Common Assessment Framework as it was applied to the Citizen Services Center of the municipality of Perama won the 3rd annual award of The Ministry of Interns for Quality of Services. Our initiative where presented to the “Polis” exhibition held in the city of Thessaloniki and it is part of the lessons for CAF of the National Centre for Public Administration and Local Government (E.K.D.D.A.).

Contact Information

Institution Name:   Citizens Service Center of Perama
Institution Type:   Public Agency  
Contact Person:   Apostolos Moustakis
Title:   Dr  
Telephone/ Fax:   +30 2104411333
Institution's / Project's Website:   +302104411733
E-mail:   d.peramatos-peiraios@kep.gov.gr  
Address:   L.EIRINIS 215
Postal Code:   GR 18863
City:   PERAMA
State/Province:  
Country:   Greece

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