THE National Land Agency (NLA) continues to improve its service delivery through the use of technology and innovation and has its eyes set on taking the top spot in the 2014 Public Sector Customer Service Competition now under way.

The biennial competition, which falls under the Public Sector Transformation and Modernisation Programme in the Office of the Cabinet, is one of the strategies implemented by Government to achieve higher levels of service delivery in public sector entities. It rewards entities that demonstrate service excellence in various categories with winners being selected through public vote and independent judging.

Speaking at a Jamaica Information Service Think Tank on Wednesday (October 29), Director of Business Services at the NLA, Lori-Ann Thompson, said the agency is focused on improving customer service through technology.

“What we have found is that persons need easy access to information. They want it quickly, they want it at their fingertips and what we have been trying to do is to ensure that persons can have as much information as possible in as short a time as possible,” she said.

She informed that the Thomson Reuters Aumentum Registry software system instituted in 2003 has allowed the NLA to streamline the land registry process, while introducing breakthrough innovations such as a digital e-signature to approve new land titles.

As a result of the software, Thompson said that the agency has been improving its turn-around times.

“A lot of the products and services …that we have been working on over the past two years are really aimed at getting information into the hands of our customers, so that they could do their business and get through with their transactions easily,” she said.

She expressed pride at the positive feedback that the agency has been receiving from customers.

“We have had quite a lot of commendations from the public and persons have promised to vote for us (in the customer service competition)… They are making us feel very good,” she added.

Thompson told JIS News that customer service has always been an important part of the activities of the executive agency. “We are never complacent with what we have and we always strive to improve,” she said.

The NLA was the 2008/2009 winner of the Public Sector Customer Service Competition and received the Most Creative/ Innovative Entity Award in 2010/11; and The Most Improved Entity Award in 2012/13.

Members of the public can vote for any public sector entity or individual of their choice via email customerservice@cabinet.gov.jm or by using the toll free line 1-888-991-2752 or voting online at www.cabinet.gov.jm.

Customers can also place entry forms in voting boxes available at the various entities. Nominations are not restricted to the entity at which persons are doing business.

— JIS