NIH Customer Service Plan: Attachment 1

Customer Commitments by Customer Group

For General Public:

1. NIH will publicize ways in which the public can request and find information, including its web page, toll-free numbers and email contact information to help ensure consistency of information provided to consumers.

2. NIH will make better use of the correspondence tracking system to track written inquiries more effectively and will provide accountability for timely response to inquiries.

3. NIH will develop a system for retrieving, tracking and responding to customer feedback. Periodic reports will be provided to appropriate NIH staff. In web-presentations, whether it be information about grant funding or health information, an e-mail address will be added for suggestions or comments (How are we doing?).

4. NIH will seek advice from consumers through conferences, focus groups and advisory committees to help reengineer its business processes and improve NIH services for the public.

5. NIH will increase its accessibility to the public by expanding public outreach to ensure the general public is aware of NIH, knows how to access NIH's information, and understands the role NIH plays in the health of our nation. This includes making information available in Spanish and other languages to persons who do not speak English as a primary language. It also involves making information presentations available on tape so persons with disabilities can listen to them or run them through a Braille printer.

6. NIH will provide a web site for easy access to its health information for the public through MEDLINEplus.

For Grantee Community:

1. NIH has provided leadership in the development of the NIH/Federal Commons, a web-based client/server environment where NIH and the grantee community will conduct electronic research administration business applications.

2. NIH has developed the searchable CRISP database, which includes information regarding federally funded biomedical research projects conducted at universities, hospitals and other research institutions.

3. NIH will work with the grantee community industry, professional organizations and agency staff to develop workshops, grassroots meetings and training events to educate the grantee community on policies and procedures.

4. NIH will continue to move toward a paperless, electronic submission and review of grant applications to reduce the time and burden on institutions.

For Health Professionals:

1. NIH will identify additional electronic mechanisms that could be used to more effectively communicate NIH health messages to physicians, nurses, pharmacists, hospitals and HMOs.

2. NIH will increase its accessibility by amplifying public outreach programs and by holding workshops and symposia with health professionals and associations.

3. NIH will provide liaison services to health professional organizations in order to facilitate communication of important agency issues and findings.

4. NIH will provide a convenient means of communication with health professionals and respond to feedback received via electronic inquiries.

Other Government Agencies:

1. NIH will expand collaborative partnerships with other Federal, state and local agencies providing information related to health, biomedical research, new drugs, product information and their appropriate use.

2. NIH will enhance its current web site to post relevant information, particularly on hot issues related to the research community.

3. NIH will expand the use of collaborative agreements and partnership with other agencies to provide a team approach to solving important research issues.

4. NIH will evaluate its internal processes in order to develop and enhance staff skills as needed to assure consistency in service and on-going communications with other government agencies.

Internal Processes to Support Customer Service

NIH will evaluate its internal processes in order to enhance staff skills and develop supporting systems to assure consistency in service and improve communications with all of its customers.