FOI22/23 020 Management of telephone enquiries

Date published: 28/09/2022

I wish to make a request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOI). Please contact me back in the first instance so I can confirm that the request has been received and passed to the correct person. The information I require is as follows (all queries relate to the current SQA examinations diet) : 

2. Please provide the rationale or policy information regarding the 'live' management of telephone enquiries from Chief Invigilators. This should specifically detail which sections/ departments have been selected to provide a 'live' person answering queries from SQA Co-ordinators/ Chief Invigilators, and which sections/ departments' telephone numbers are unstaffed and/ or play a recorded message.

3. Please provide the rationale or policy for the recorded message (invigilator enquiries) indicating that 'We are currently dealing with a high volume of enquiries... put your enquiry in an email to....'

4. Please provide evidence of the organisational risk assessment (if any) when formulating the policy of contact management/ office staffing for invigilator enquiries during this year's exam diet. This should include any contingency or risks relating to 'on-the-day' urgent enquiries.

5. Please provide the guidance or directive on the permitted/ recommended timescale for answering email queries from Chief Invigilators who have not been able to make any telephone contact to SQA.  

Please provide the rationale or policy information regarding the 'live' management of telephone enquiries from Chief Invigilators. This should specifically detail which sections/ departments have been selected to provide a 'live' person answering queries from SQA Co-ordinators/ Chief Invigilators, and which sections/ departments' telephone numbers are unstaffed and/ or play a recorded messages

All telephone numbers to support SQA Co-ordinators/Chief Invigilators are manned. There are no specific recorded messages on invigilation helplines, but a recorded message is played on contact numbers within a call circuit when all lines are engaged.

SQA’s Appointee Management and Operations business areas provide live telephone answering for queries for SQA Co-ordinators/Chief Invigilators.

Our online guidance directs Chief Invigilators to our Invigilator Helpline  “Our online guidance directs invigilators to this helpline. (If you do have any difficulties, we have a dedicated support team to answer any questions you may have about the role of an invigilator. The team is available Monday to Thursday from 8.30 am to 4.30 pm, and Friday from 8.30 am to 3.30 pm.  You can contact them either via email at  invigilation@sqa.org.uk or by calling on 0345 213 6987)”

Please provide the rationale or policy for the recorded message (invigilator enquiries) indicating that 'We are currently dealing with a high volume of enquiries... put your enquiry in an email to....' 

During periods of peak activity we encourage callers to use email for enquiries that do not require an immediate response ie non urgent enquiries. This allows colleagues to focus on urgent telephone calls and to respond to email enquiries at quieter periods throughout the working day.

Please provide evidence of the organisational risk assessment (if any) when formulating the policy of contact management/ office staffing for invigilator enquiries during this year's exam diet. This should include any contingency or risks relating to 'on-the-day' urgent enquiries. 

As part of our planning process for Diet 2021, we considered the impact our current working arrangements would have on the support we provide to customers and appointees. Arrangements were put in place to allow relevant colleagues, whether working in the office or at home, to access all systems, including connectivity to telephone helpdesks. Daily monitoring of calls to our contact numbers is carried out and resources realigned where necessary. Emails are prioritised on a daily basis to identify any enquiries that require immediate action.

Please provide the guidance or directive on the permitted/ recommended timescale for answering email queries from Chief Invigilators who have not been able to make any telephone contact to SQA.   

We have no directive on timescales to respond to email enquiries from Chief Invigilators. However, we aim to respond to email enquiries within 7 working days. However, this will depend on the volume and the nature of the enquiry that may require further investigation.