7. DESIGN OF THE PILOT
Brief overall view of the whole process undertaken
in the exercise, including its management and fieldwork
Management of Pilot
7.1 The design of the pilot evolved after consultation
at all levels, including Ministerial. FAMC Unit, FAMC Fraud and
DSS Policy Group were consulted at the earliest stage of the planning
process and involved throughout. A Project Initiation Document
(PID) was produced to set out the objectives and scope of the
review and the responsibilities for all the major work activities
and a study timetable was produced. The Benefit Review Project
Steering Committee was responsible for high level management of
the review.
7.2 A working group was set up comprising members
of the Benefit Review Team (BRT), Business Systems Security (BSS),
Analytical Services Division (ASD2H), SS Policy Group (FS1), FAMC
Unit, FAMC Fraud Section, InDepth Consulting Group and Benefit
Fraud Investigation Service (BFIS). The Working Group was responsible
for designing the review methodology and planning the implementation
of the pilot. The methodology was specific to FAMC, however experience
gained from previous reviews of other benefits was not ignored.
Methodology
7.3 Broadly the methodology was as follows:
Sampling
7.3.1 A sampling strategy was agreed with statisticians.
A random sample of 200 employed and 100 self-employed FAMC customers,
living within the areas covered by 15 local offices, was chosen.
To ensure that cases were reviewed as close as possible to the
date of claim sampling was based on the date of award. The sample
was chosen in three batches in weeks 0, 4 and 8 of the fieldwork.
Interviewers
7.3.2 Fraud Area Managers (FAMS) were asked to
provide a list of experienced officers prepared to undertake the
fieldwork. A total of 15 interviewers were recruited.
Training
7.3.3 All interviewers attended a training course
designed to include instruction on the Benefit Review methodology,
research-type interviewing techniques and technical training on
FAMC.
Questionnaire
7.3.4 A specially designed questionnaire was
used to capture data from all customers interviewed. It was designed
to structure the interview and collect data that could be coded,
input onto a database and analysed.
Penpictures
7.3.5 A comprehensive penpicture was produced
by the FAMC Unit for each case selected for visit. This provided
the interviewer with details of the current claim, relevant claims
history and provided indications of the main points requiring
checking or clarification.
Helpdesk
7.3.6 A helpdesk was set up to advise and support
interviewers during the fieldwork, check returned questionnaires,
forward cases for adjudication where appropriate and input outcomes
onto the database. The helpdesk was staffed by BA Security and
FAMC Unit.
Fieldwork
7.3.7 After attending the training course interviewers
embarked on the fieldwork which broadly comprised the following:
- a full
preview of individual cases,
- an unnotified
visit to the home of each customer,
- a full
interview using the specially designed questionnaire, including
a statement from the customer and a report,
- a visit
to the customer's
and/or partner's
employer,
- any post-interview
follow-up work that seemed appropriate, for instance surveillance,
and
- reference
to the helpdesk (FAMC adjudication experts) to decide whether
a review of entitlement was appropriate.
Adjudication
7.3.8 After the above actions had been completed
interviewers sent in their completed questionnaires and other
documentation to the helpdesk. All cases were checked by adjudication
experts and where a review of entitlement appeared appropriate
the case was referred to the FAMC Unit. Any adjudication resulting
from Benefit Review action was carried out by a team of independent
Adjudication Officers at the FAMC Unit.
Data Entry
7.3.9 After all visiting and adjudication action
had been completed, all questionnaires and other documentation,
including the outcome of any adjudication, were held at the helpdesk.
Cases were then classified as "no
change",
"case
correct",
"departmental
error",
"customer
error",
"fraud",
"suspected
fraud"
or a combination of these outcomes. These details, together with
the information contained in the completed questionnaires, were
input onto the database for subsequent analysis by Analytical
Services Division.
Analysis
7.3.10 Once the outcomes from the above action
had been entered onto the database, ASD carried out an analysis
in order to produce the findings.
Debrief
7.3.11 A number of the pilot interviewers were
invited to attend a debrief to gauge their reaction to the exercise,
obtain ideas on how to improve the methodology and to inform the
planning of the main exercise.
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