The committee has admitted that the office has been under a programme of ‘operational improvement and recovery activity’ since February this year and it is now receiving updates on applications processed every fortnight.
In July it was given a comprehensive update on the position but was unable to confirm average processing times, as the information could only be extracted if individual records were manually interrogated. Home Affairs has since requested an enhancement to its IT systems which is now being tested and should be operational within weeks. When it is working, it is expected that the office will set and regularly report on service standards.
But the committee has admitted that it has about 100 applications outstanding for residential and employment permits from 2022 and 2023 and another 1,000 from 2024 and 2025. The remainder are from 2026.
Deputy Rob Curgenven asked the questions which prompted the response from Home Affairs. He asked for evidence of how the office was, as claimed, ‘working hard’ to reduce the backlog.
The committee said that improvement programme was triggered when it was reported that the backlog of applications had increased from that reported the previous December, when the committee had been advised that the backlog was reducing.
The office has since gone through a comprehensive review of operational activity, detailed analysis of the workflow, identification of priority workstreams and a review of governance and delegated authority arrangements.
Home Affairs said it had also moved to strengthen operational capacity and resilience.
‘Recruitment has been undertaken for additional customer service roles, an improved team structure has been implemented, and work is under way to establish a dedicated customer service function to allow processing officers to focus on decision-making activity. Reviews of business processes, compliance controls, reporting arrangements and system functionality have also commenced, alongside an internal audit review of operational processes and controls,’ it said.
Deputy Curgenven asked whether the committee was setting specific targets, such as maximum processing times or a backlog reduction timeline. Home Affairs said it had directed officers to consider whether additional resources were needed to clear the backlog of applications and once those measures had been implemented, ‘whether it will be possible to identify deliverable targets and timeframes’.
The internal audit review, commissioned by States chief executive Boley Smillie, intends to ensure that there is ‘a clear and independently assured understanding of the backlog of permit applications and the plans in place to address it.
The review started in early September and should be completed later this month. It will look at the criteria for assessing permit applications, operational processes, that the database is accurately maintained, and that management reporting is timely and up to date. It is not expected to be published.
The committee was told last week that as of 17 September there were a total of 3,886 applications for population management permits or certificates which need to be actioned by the service, in addition to 324 applications in immigration workstreams.
Home Affairs president Deputy Marc Leadbeater described the backlog figures as ‘very sobering reading’ and said the committee was looking for clarity about how to rebuild confidence in the system’. The problems had not arisen overnight, he added, and he called for a review of the population management regime.
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