FOI request (FOIR-404284659)

Contact Centre

Requested Mon 28 February 2022
Responded  Tue 15 March 2022

All or some of the information provided previously has expired, I require an update on the questions below.

See my request below:

Please send me the following information for each provider:

1. Incumbent Supplier: For each of the contract(s) please can you provide me with the supplier of the contract.

2. Annual Average Spend: The annual average (over 3 years) spends for each supplier.

3. Contract Expiry: The date of when the contract expires.

4. Contract Review: The date of when the contract will be reviewed.

5. Contract Description: A brief description of the services provided of the overall contract.

6. Contact Details: The person from within the organisation responsible for the contract. Please provide me with their full name, actual job title, contact number and direct email address.

7. Number of Agents: Please provide me with the total number of contact centre agents.

8. Number of Sites: Please can you provide me with the number of sites the contact centre covers.

9. Manufacturer of the contact centre: Who is the manufacturer of the contact centre system that you operate?

10. Busy Periods: Please state the month(s) which the contact centre is at its highest/busiest during the year. This can be based upon the number of calls. Your provider may be able to tell you quicker.

11. Do you use Microsoft Exchange 2003 as your email server? If not, then which product do you use?

12. Number of email users: Approximate number of email users across the organisations.

Response

1. Netcall - Automated switchboard system

2. NOTICE OF REFUSAL

The information you have requested relating to costs is commercially sensitive and falls under Section 43 of the Freedom of Information Act - Commercially Sensitive Information - Information prejudicing commercial interests - commercial interest relating to an organisations commercial activity and may include trading activity procurement and relationships with third parties.

The exemption afforded by Section 43 is subject to what is known as the 'public interest test'.

When applying the test in a particular case a public authority is deciding whether the public interest is better served by non-disclosure than by disclosure.

Although the Freedom of Information Act does not define 'in the public interest', there is a presumption under Freedom of Information that openness is in the public interest.

In applying the public interest test a public authority will take into account the distinction that has been often made by courts between things that are in the public interest, and things that merely interest the public.

Where applicants have not identified public interest considerations succinctly or accurately, the public authority has a responsibility under the Act to make their own assessment of the public interest considerations in the particular case.

We have identified the following public interest factors that may be seen as encouraging the disclosure of information:

a. accountability of public spending

We consider these factors to be of limited relevance in relation to the information in question.

Public interest factors seen as encouraging non-disclosure are, generally, the exemptions themselves. In consideration of this matter we came to the following conclusions:

a. ensuring that companies are able to compete for business fairly

b. damage to reputation and/or financial interests

In weighing the factors for and against disclosure we have concluded that the likely benefit to the applicant and the wider public of disclosure is outweighed by the likely prejudice caused by such disclosure and that therefore the public interest is better served by non-disclosure.

For the reasons given above we will not be communicating to you the information you have requested.

3. 23/03/2023

4. 20/01/2023

5. Maintenance, language and 3 monthly updates to dictionary based on verbal recordings to system to make it more accurate

6. Mark Bourne, Head of IT

7. 16

8. 1, with 8 staff working from home locations

9. Enghouse Interactive

10. March - May

11. Microsoft 365

12. 350