National Archives: A More Systematic Customer Focus Needed (Letter
Report, 10/14/93, GAO/GGD-94-3).

Management experts today stress that if organizations--both private and
public sector--are to succeed, managers should deliver quality services
as defined by the customer.  Although the National Archives and Records
Administration has tried to understand its customers and their needs, it
has not done so systematically.  As a result, Archives lacks complete
information on quality service as defined by its customers.  From 1988
to 1992, Archives documented the needs of about 41,000 customers--less
than 1 percent of the 14.5 million individuals that Archives served
during that time.  From all of the surveys it did during the 5-year
period, Archives identified 87 potential improvements.  Archives mainly
relies on workshop evaluations, surveys, and informal feedback to
understand its customers' needs and satisfaction.  Archives does not use
these tools to provide agencywide information on customers' needs and
satisfaction because it is not a management requirement.  Archives
offices could devise a plan to regularly contact a representative sample
of their customers and use other tools, such as customer interviews,
customer follow-up surveys, and complaint tracking systems to obtain
information on customers' needs and satisfaction.  GAO believes that
Archives should undertake an approach similar to that used by the
National Archives of Canada, which surveyed customers on services they
wanted, compared those needs with services being offered, and addressed
any unfulfilled needs.  Archives also needs more complete information
from its customers before it continues its strategic planning
initiatives and should use its strategic plans to address customer
needs.

--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------

 REPORTNUM:  GGD-94-3
     TITLE:  National Archives: A More Systematic Customer Focus Needed
      DATE:  10/14/93
   SUBJECT:  Surveys
             Libraries
             Public relations
             Information gathering operations
             Management information systems
             Agency missions
             Archives
             Data collection operations
             Strategic information systems planning
IDENTIFIER:  National Performance Review
             NARA Nixon Project
             NARA Bush Project
             
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