The European Benchmarking Network (EBN)

1) What is benchmarking?

The term benchmarking can mean different things to different people and will depend on how they are applying the technique.

The UK’s Public Sector Benchmarking Service (PSBS) uses the definition “learning through sharing.” This sums up what benchmarking involves irrespective of how it is applied. This definition also underpins the key reason for developing a central service, like the PSBS or EBN: the effective management of knowledge to support the spread of good practice.

The types of knowledge and information that can be managed, and the techniques that are employed to gather it, will vary greatly according to the nature of the organisation, its overall strategies for change and the specific aims of each individual project.

In some situations, benchmarking may involve comparisons of processes or metric data from unit/time/cost analysis etc. In other situations results from using self-assessment tools (such as the CAF or EFQM) might be used as the basis for identifying key areas for improvement. More generally, benchmarking is an ongoing process of sharing information and ideas in order to learn from each other’s experience and avoid re-inventing the wheel.

All of these ways of applying ‘benchmarking’ involve “learning through sharing” in order to bring about improvements in key areas. It is important to realise that none of them are mutually exclusive and that often one approach will lead to, or develop from, the use of another.

2) Why Benchmark?

Across Europe there is recognition that citizens’ are demanding better, more responsive public services. One of the best ways to improve is by finding out how comparable services or processes are delivered elsewhere, consider the applicability to your own service, and apply the knowledge gained. Standing still in not an option.

3) Why a European Benchmarking Network (EBN)?

Many states already have arrangements in place to support benchmarking in country. But many public services are unique at a national level (eg issuing passports or driving licences), and need to look to other countries for benchmarking partners. Even for services with potential partners in country, there is often a strong case for looking more widely to ensure, for example, that alternative delivery mechanisms are considered and different thinking explored.

Currently there are no formal arrangements in place to facilitate and support this exchange of information and experience. The European Benchmarking Network (EBN) aims to meet this need.

4) What might the EBN look like?

The EBN will be a network of contacts in different member states. These contacts will liaise primarily by email and telephone, supported by periodic workshops to share information. The EBN will not be a super-national organisation or have any ‘employees’ of its own.

5) What might national EBN contacts do?

The national EBN contact (or contacts) will play a critical role. Their main responsibility is to act as a gateway/guide into the appropriate part of their nation’s public sector. In order to fulfil this role, EBN contacts will generally work in central government and have a good understanding of national arrangements for sharing good practice, and the structure of government so that they can identify potential partners and broker an approach. They may well develop their own network of national contacts in different parts of central/local government. In addition, EBN contacts will need to publicise the existence of the EBN and the opportunities it offers.

6) How might it work?

A central government agency in one country (eg the UK) might be looking for a potential partner in another member state to compare, for example, the process involved in issuing passports. In this case, the UK Passport Agency would approach the UK contact for the EBN and ask them to request, through their counterparts in the EBN, whether other national passport agencies would be interested in working with the UK Passport Agency to share ideas and experiences. Replies would be fed back to the UK contact including, where appropriate, an email address or telephone number so that further contact could be pursued directly between the agencies involved. There would not, necessarily, be any need for further involvement from the EBN, apart, perhaps, for feedback in due course on the value of the experience.

This approach should encourage more exchanges between organisations as the EBN will provide a user-friendly way in to other national administrations, thereby minimising language barriers and raising confidence.

7) Will the EBN use or promote a particular method of benchmarking?

No. The EBN will help identify benchmarking partners in different member states. It will be for the partners themselves to decide how to develop their relationship and which approach is most appropriate for them. The PSBS in the UK and equivalents in other countries may be able to offer advice on different benchmarking techniques and their relative merits in various circumstances.

8) What will the Network not do?

The EBN will not be managing projects or writing reports. It is a clearing house or broker - contact’s input will normally be limited to identifying potential partners, and putting the requesting organisation and potential partners in touch with each other.

9) What resources will be needed?

This is difficult to gauge at this stage, and will undoubtedly vary between states. At a minimum, the role of EBN contact is likely to take up a large part of one person’s time and this is likely to increase as the network develops and usage increases. Some countries may wish to devote more resources to the development of national centre to encourage and support benchmarking. It is possible that an organisation at a national level is already responsible for encouraging/supporting benchmarking or the sharing of good practice. In this case, the additional resources required might be less (it is possible that in such cases their might even be some savings as the EBN should make it easier to share information between member states).

10) What support will the UK provide?

  • The UK PSBS will also be a source of enquiries to the other EBN contacts as the network develops.
  • Organise workshops to bring together EBN contacts and other stakeholders to share information and guide the development of the network (we would hope as the network develops that other nations might help with this).
  • Where case studies on particular subjects already exist, the PSBS can advise contacts about where to find them and in some cases provide an overview of the main results.
  • All EBN contacts will be able to use the main PSBS services including:
  • Access all main areas of the PSBS website in English, French or German.
  • Contact the PSBS Helpdesk by fax, telephone or e-mail (English please!)
  • The Helpdesk can deal with any enquiries about benchmarking and provides help finding partners in the UK.
  • All Helpdesk enquiries from EBN contacts will be dealt with on equal terms with those from inside the UK public sector.
  • Copies of the Benchmarking for Modern Public Services booklet, which provides a comprehensive guide to different types of benchmarking and how/when to apply them, will be available to all contacts.
  • Support the initial development of an EBN website to inform the debate on the longer-term requirement/resourcing of such a site.

11. What has been achieved so far?

There have been two meetings so far of the European Benchmarking Network (EBN) Working Group involving up to twelve member states, and this paper has been agreed as providing a basis for the network’s initial development. Nine nations (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal Spain, and UK) have formally nominated national contacts, and most are currently:

  • undertaking a survey of ways they support benchmarking activity at a national level; and
  • identifying existing national benchmarking activity across a number of sectors.

The results will be sent by the end of May to the UK’s Public Sector Benchmarking Service for collation and dissemination.

12) How might it develop?

Much will depend on take up and the views of member states as the network develops. A website might be developed to support exchanges, and the UK is therefore developing for further consideration an EBN website – - to give the network a clearer identity and focus. The site could include: a directory of EBN contacts, links to relevant national benchmarking websites, a bulletin board, a knowledge pool containing shared case studies, and repository for common reference papers. The aim is to have a demonstration site available at the next working group meeting to inform debate. Should this be seen as a potentially useful innovation, consideration will be needed on its longer-term support and development. The UK will meet the cost of developing the initial pilot site, and will provide advice on future resource implications and how these might be met.

A database might be developed to keep track of exchanges so that follow-up information can be obtained to assess the value of the network. An agreement might be worked out between network members covering the time taken to respond to requests, and the nature of replies. We will also need to think of ways to publicise the network, and whether members might be encouraged to provide a minimum of information on a national website to encourage the sharing of information.

In order to secure the long-term future of the EBN, a mechanism will be needed to enable other member states to contribute directly to its development. One way may be by revolving the lead among network members. The Working Group will work up proposals for consideration by the IPSG in the autumn.

Cabinet Office

London

April 2001