IT issues hit UKBA complaints handling

In a report on UKBA's handling of complaints and MPs' correspondence, the inspector says it is unclear whether the CMS is compatible with the agency's other IT systems. "This has hampered the development of a unified complaints procedure," says the document, published on 7 July 2010. The inspection, carried out between October 2009 and January 2010, found a number of examples of incompatible IT systems used for the collection of information. At one border force office it found "inadequate IT systems" that did not allow staff access to the computer systems they needed to manage complaints effectively. The office, a former HM Revenue and Customs detection office, was not connected to Poise, the computer network used for the bulk of UKBA activity. It was also discovered that staff had to access the Poise network using a standalone laptop. "We noted that use of this laptop was limited for health and safety reasons, particularly because of the small screen," says the report. The investigators advised managers that the use of equipment, such as docking stations, would allow a full size monitor to be connected. Staff working in this particular office were also without access to the agency's new CMS, according to the findings. The investigators were told that the system would be delivered to border force locations in the "immediate future", however. UKBA's International Group had no access to the new CMS, and there was no clear timetable for delivery, according to the findings. There was also limited access to the tracking system used to manage MPs' correspondence in the particular border force office. More broadly across UKBA, it was found that IT problems were hindering the efficiency of staff working on MPs' correspondence. The incompatibility of two UKBA computer platforms, Poise and Indigo, and the slow performance of the correspondence tracking system, were particular issues. On Poise and Indigo, it was found that staff needed to use some programs stored on one platform, and then switch to using programs stored on the other platform. "This switching caused staff considerable problems," says the report. "One member of staff told us that 'navigating the IT adds at least 45 minutes to the time it takes me to write a letter'." Independent chief inspector John Vine, said that although the agency had made significant improvements in its handling of complaints about serious misconduct, is needed to do more. "Moving forward, I expect the UK Border Agency to develop a much more dynamic approach to addressing the root cause of complaints and correspondence," he said. "That's the real test for an organisation in convincing the public it's committed to continuous improvement and it's a significant step the UK Border Agency has yet to make."