Summary: Management experts today stress that if organizations--both private and public sector--are to succeed, managers should deliver quality services as defined by the customer. Although the National Archives and Records Administration has tried to understand its customers and their needs, it has not done so systematically. As a result, Archives lacks complete information on quality service as defined by its customers. From 1988 to 1992, Archives documented the needs of about 41,000 customers--less than 1 percent of the 14.5 million individuals that Archives served during that time. From all of the surveys it did during the 5-year period, Archives identified 87 potential improvements. Archives mainly relies on workshop evaluations, surveys, and informal feedback to understand its customers' needs and satisfaction. Archives does not use these tools to provide agencywide information on customers' needs and satisfaction because it is not a management requirement. Archives offices could devise a plan to regularly contact a representative sample of their customers and use other tools, such as customer interviews, customer follow-up surveys, and complaint tracking systems to obtain information on customers' needs and satisfaction. GAO believes that Archives should undertake an approach similar to that used by the National Archives of Canada, which surveyed customers on services they wanted, compared those needs with services being offered, and addressed any unfulfilled needs. Archives also needs more complete information from its customers before it continues its strategic planning initiatives and should use its strategic plans to address customer needs.
