3 May 1989]
CONSULAR WORK
THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
27
[Continued
6. In Cm 602, you refer to the "significant new area of work" created by the Representation of the People Act 1985, which gives certain British expatriates the right to register as overseas voters. What has been the approximate cost of this extra work and what has been the response of British Expatriates?
In 1986 FCO Posts abroad carried out a major publicity campaign to inform British nationals living abroad of the new overseas voting arrangements, and to encourage them to register as voters overseas, if they so qualified under the 1985 Representation of the People Act. The campaign included announcements in the local press, radio and TV as well as through direct mailing and other contact with the expatriate community, in local businesses, clubs and societies etc. The total cost to the FCO of the publicity campaign as well as the practical handling, including attestation, of registration forms in 1986-87 was £460,000 including staff costs and administrative overheads.
Just over 11,000 new voters qualified and appeared on the Electoral Roll which came into force on 16 February 1987. Since May 1987 our Posts have recorded a further 1,000 voter registrations. The estimated costs for 1987-88 were £180,000, for 1988-89 £61,000, and for 1989-90 a further £50,000 to maintain the present level of activity. But 1989-90 and future expenditure levels will depend on new arrangements for overseas voters which the Government is presently considering, and the timing of their implementation.
INFORMATION WORK
7. Can you describe how the new management systems described in paragraph 14 of Cm 602 will operate?
-Are these systems applicable to other areas of the FCO's work?
(a) The systems employed in information work:
(i) Setting Information Objectives
Posts are required to draw up annually and report information objectives and output measures. Information Department review and, where necessary, seek amendments to objectives; other data is analysed by computer to identify trends and variations needed in the supply of information materials and services.
(ii) Identifying Key Information Themes
Posts report annually and ad hoc on information themes to be addressed. The FCO (Information and News Departments and Policy Planning Staff) review monthly key information themes, commission and issue to Posts bull points and an index of other available material.
(iii) Providing Posts with a Targetted Range of Information Materials and Services
In addition to the measures above, Information Department has issued a catalogue of material and services to Posts who will place orders in the light of their information objectives. It is the intention to price some of these services and to charge Posts' local budgets for them.
(iv) Deploying Resources for Information Work According to objectives and Priorities
In analysing information reports from Posts, Information Department assess the levels of staffing devoted to information work in light of overall information objectives. Financial monitoring arrangements for expenditure on information services have been reviewed and strengthened under the direction of a management accountant. Sources of supply are being diversified in pursuit of better value for money with material and services, including specialist consultancies, available from the private sector being procured through tender.
(b) Their application in other areas of FCO work,
Such systems are being applied in other areas of FCO work. As part of the top management system, objectives are now set for all areas of our work. Individuals, posts and departments are required to report these annually, together with quantifiable output measurements, where possible, or a more subjective assessment of performance. They also carry out informal reviews of perform- ance in meeting objectives throughout the year.
More sophisticated systems for measuring overall output in quantifiable areas have now been set in place in commercial work, and in consular and entry clearance work. 1990 is the first year in which full results of the improved consular and entry clearance statistical package will be available.
Functional departments use output measures in conjunction with the objectives system to identify trends and help meet demands for staff and other resources. The systems are helping the FCO build up a more accurate picture of demands and priority areas.
All demands for extra resources and possible scopes for reduction are considered in the annual
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