Developing and improving

The ICO is small, but complex. We have grown and changed substantially in recent years, absorbing new functions and many new people. With increased powers and funding we are set for significant further growth and our staff are keen to be involved in worthwhile and well-managed change. A high priority is to continue to improve the quality of our senior leadership and management, ensuring the ICO makes the most effective and efficient use of our human, financial and organisational resources. Developing staff continues to be a high priority for the ICO, helping them to fulfil their individual and team potential. We are also keen to take best advantage of new technology, to provide a better service for customers and a better working environment for staff.

Developing and improving – aim one:

To achieve a clear, articulated and lived culture with a recognisable ICO feel that is positive, forward looking, energetic, practical, responsible and influential.

• Continue to encourage greater engagement and positive morale among staff, especially by improving internal communication, ensuring the ICO’s values are an intrinsic part of how we work, developing managers’ role in internal communications and creating opportunities for staff involvement. Our staff survey will measure progress.
• Continue to promote equality and diversity in all we do, in line with our Equality and Diversity Strategy, eliminating where possible any barriers that prevent people accessing our services or enjoying employment opportunities within the ICO.
• Establish new initiatives in 2008/09 to reduce the ICO’s impact on the environment.
• Make the changes necessary to accommodate a significantly greater number of staff and an expanded role for the ICO, ensuring workforce planning strategies are capable of dealing with change and growth in the ICO’s role and funding.

Developing and improving - aim two:

To achieve recognisable world-class performance through motivated staff who are committed to the ICO’s goals and success.

• Continue to implement our Human Resources Strategy which is part of an integrated approach to the leadership, development and modernisation of the ICO, with a focus on helping everyone to get the best out of themselves and each other, covering:
• training and development recruitment health and well being reward and recognition engagement diversity and fair treatment.
• Build on our Leadership Development Programme so all senior managers are committed to, and have the skills to: make a difference where it matters communicate effectively value and support our staff improve continuously take pride in everything we do.
• Continue to develop a package of pay and benefits which is right for the job and ensures that we can attract and retain the best people.
• Develop performance management by training managers, assessing staff against clear competencies relevant to their roles, recognising good performance, and tackling poor performance.
• Continue to prioritise the training and development of staff in line with organisational requirements, with an emphasis on role-specific competencies for freedom of information and data protection, and helping staff to be quick, responsive and innovative.

Developing and improving - aim three:

To protect and promote the good corporate reputation of the ICO.

• Review and refresh our Communications and External Relations Strategy in 2008/09, building on our success so far, to ensure it will help us meet the challenges of the next three years; the emphasis will be on anticipating customers’ information needs and making information rights issues relevant to everyday life.
• Continue to build a communications culture in the ICO, developing the ICO brand, planning communications strategically, creating materials suitable for the needs of the audience, and responding to feedback.
• Continue to measure the effectiveness of our communications, publishing key indicators and researching the views of the public, stakeholders, customers and staff, in line with our Communications and External Relations Strategy.
• Improve the ICO’s approach to recruitment to position ourselves as an employer of choice among prospective candidates during 2008/09, with an emphasis on electronic and inclusive communications.

Developing and improving - aim four:

To work as effectively and efficiently as possible, making best use of our resources and gaining value for money.

• Develop an ICO Freedom of Information Strategy during early 2008/09.
• Be an exemplar in our handling of information by continuing to improve our knowledge
• management, creating and documenting policies and procedures, by making full use of our
• compliance team, and by implementing a new records management system in 2008/09.
• Finalise the ICO’s accommodation strategy which is based on the aim of moving to one site for the ICO’s central functions. In doing so we need to ensure that we make the best use of accommodation, and are prepared for any changes to the ICO’s role.

Developing and improving – aim five:

To improve our use of information technology to encourage efficiency, to keep pace with developments in society and to meet customer expectations.

• Implement our Information Services Strategy to: Ensure the new IT contract fulfils its potential; Provide staff with a solid IT platform and core applications that meet the needs of the ICO; Continually improve our ability to provide services to our stakeholders; Meet these needs cost-effectively.
• Continue to promote the benefits of payment of the notification fee by direct debit in order to increase the percentage of data controllers that pay by this method beyond the current total (50%).
• Review the current notification technology and develop our current online processes, working closely with finance and notifications teams to replace the DUIS system, with the aim of making a fully integrated online notification and payment service available by the end of 2009.
• Continue to modernise our processes, using new technology where appropriate to speed up and improve communications with audiences and to complete our work in a more effective and efficient way.
• Continue to develop new systems of data capture and analysis to provide high quality management information, and use it to inform our education and enforcement activities: integrate with replacement of the DUIS notification system (2008/09) and the CMEH casework system (2010-2012).

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