I would be interested to hear from archivists who are grappling or have grappled
with the DETR publication on Best Value and Audit Commission Performance
Indicators - Chapter 14 User Satisfaction Performance Indicators. My specific
queries relate to BVPI 119 which asks local authorities to provide data on the
percentage of residents by targetted group satisfied with the local authority's
cultural and recreational activities.
Are all local authorities including archive services within the definition of
"cultural and recreational"?
Has any record office made headway with the question of how to express
meaningful and positive data concerning its services when it is likely that
only a tiny percentage of the overall population of the local authority area
will be familiar with or have had cause to use its services?
Has any local authority tackled the recommendation at the end of the notes on
this PI re services which count a large number (DETR suggests more than 25%)
of non-residents amongst its users?
I think many of us in local authorities would wish to draw attention to the
levels of satisfaction perceived by visitors from outside our local authority
boundary, but this raises difficulties in terms of an appropriate methodology
for the survey itself. It also raises the issue of how to survey levels of
satisfaction for those people (residents and non-residents) who use our services
without making a personal visit to the record office itself.
Any comments on these or other issues arising from the DETR Performance
Indicators would be gratefully received!
Caroline Sampson
Principal Archives Officer
Warwickshire County Record Office
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