Recommendation 7

HM Government Accepted

The Cabinet Office has a robust quality assurance process in place to ensure the validity of the findings. There is a broad range of validity checks including automated ones built into the online platform; offline ones run through automated, reproducible, version-controlled scripts where outputs are tested with code using different softwares (e.g. R or STATA [programing languages for statistical computing]); and manual checks to maximise the chances of spotting errors by using different methods. The Cabinet Office accepts this recommendation and recognises the usefulness of including additional cross-referencing of sources in the quality assurance processes. At this stage we think options to pursue include: • the current year’s scores will continue to be ‘sense checked’ by comparing them to previous year’s scores before release; • each organisation will continue to cross-reference their findings with those organisations of a similar size or doing similar type of work e.g. policy or delivery; • participating organisations will cross-reference the results from the survey with the findings from their pulse surveys programmes (if they have one) that include the same measures. For example, DWP has a Listening Programme with quarterly (and/or as required around business priorities) Pulse Surveys to engage with colleagues and gain feedback across the employee journey. The pulse surveys are specifically designed to respond to DWP needs and gain a better understanding of the employee experience. DWP’s Pulse Survey questions are aligned with some of those from the Civil Service People Survey on topics such as: Health & Wellbeing; Communications; Belonging; Pride; Great Place to Work; Fair Treatment; Productivity; Role / Grade; Time with DWP / Predecessor; Ways of Working; and Demographics. The findings from the Civil Service People Survey are then used to benchmark, as necessary, to the results from the Pulse Surveys. HMRC has an Employee Listening Strategy to ensure mechanisms are in place to give every colleague a voice – in a scalable way, improve the employee experience and drive-up employee engagement, ensure that they gather feedback at a time of upheaval, change and ‘moments that matter’ during the employee lifecycle. These listening mechanisms include core surveys – the HMRC Pulse Survey (Pulse) and the People Survey and are part of a broader transition to an employee lifecycle driven listening. Planned actions following the “Listen, Learn, Act and Communicate” cycle include: i. use Pulse, the People Survey, other HMRC surveys and approaches, as a major part of how HMRC “listen” to their people. As well as measuring employee engagement, Pulse monitors topical themes as a way to track how various initiatives or key issues are perceived; ii. “learn” by creating ground level action plans in collaboration with colleagues to foster ownership, grounded in data, to drive the other two elements of the cycle. Additionally, the HMRC People, Analytics and Insight Directorate focuses on Data Storytelling, both as a tool to influence action being taken, but also as part of data and insight upskilling targeted at the whole of HMRC Chief People Officer Group; iii. the latter two elements – “act” and “communicate” - take forward and implement learning from the core surveys – Pulse and People Surveys. This approach acts as a barometer and becomes a part of HMRC’s evidence base ensuring that action is driven in line with the HMRC Strategic Objective to make HMRC a great place to work;