Revenues and Benefits best practice survey

The project issues
The London Borough of Merton commissioned us to conduct a market research survey to help them understand how local authorities that perform well in handling Revenues and Benefits achieve this. The survey would gather data concerning the implementation and use of Revenues and Benefits systems and uncover plans, issues and obstacles encountered by UK local authorities in this area.

The survey results would be used to inform discussion within the London Borough of Merton concerning its implementation of Revenues and Benefits software.

The vision was to analyse respondent data drawn from well-performing (Revenues and Benefits) authorities - defined within the DWP statistics as those authorities in the top quartile for average days to process a new claim.

The Socitm Consulting solution
A telephone interview was conducted with Marilyn Rogers, Project Manager, to define the scope of the survey, the criteria for selection of local authorities and the format of the questions. It was agreed that the target survey sample size would be 20 councils.

One survey researcher, using the questionnaire, telephoned a cross section of local authorities matching the agreed criteria, details of which are held in the Socitm local authority database. At the same time, a similar cross section was emailed with a copy of the same questionnaire. The researcher emailed the questionnaire to any council from which she could not get a telephone response.

The risks identified to the project were: (a) good performing authorities incorrectly identified, (b) timeframe and (c) cost. In the event, responses were received from some of the best performing authorities in the UK, the survey was completed within the allocated timescale and within budget. Of the 104 councils identified as meeting the criteria, responses were received from 25 – either from Revenues and Benefits officers or Heads of IT.

The benefits to the client
The survey results met the client’s objective by providing information as to how other local authorities with well-performing Revenues and Benefits functions managed them, and by informing internal discussion regarding implementation of the client’s own Revenues and Benefits system.

By using our services, the client was able to specify the project effectively and receive statistically valid results in a remarkably short timescale. Key elements contributing to this include:

• Socitm Consulting’s understanding of local authority structures and experience of eGovernment projects. This meant the project was specified and completed in a shorter timescale than would have been required simply to brief a non-specialist market research company.
• Our ready-made database of key local authority contacts. Again, in most cases, a market research supplier would have had to build the database from scratch, with consequences both for costs and accuracy.
• The experience of our project lead consultant and her team of researchers in devising and executing market research programmes in the UK public sector.

Project identification
Client organisation name: London Borough of Merton
Client contact: Marilyn Rogers, Project Manager, 020 8545 3578, marilyn.rogers@merton.gov.uk
Lead consultant: linda.butlin@socitm.gov.uk 
Project no: 5286