Customer commitment

The HIE network aims to provide the best possible service to the individuals, businesses, organisations and communities with whom we work, and to demonstrate maximum transparency in all of our operations.

Our nationally-acclaimed policy of 'Accountability Through Openness' - which guarantees unprecedented public access to information, including details of financial assistance approvals by the Local Enterprise Companies - is now augmented by an equally pioneering policy on appointments to the boards of HIE network LECs.

'Appointability Through Openness' provides for the widest possible community involvement in leadership of local economic development across the Highlands and Islands. Candidates for LEC board directorships are identified through wide local advertising and consultation. LEC nominations panels, with independent external representation, sift candidates using job specifications and objective criteria, including relevant skills, experience and merit. Designed to give LECs maximum access to local talent, and provide local people with maximum access to the leadership process, the policy has proved successful in generating local responses.

We voluntarily comply with the Scottish Executive's code of practice on access to information.

Customer comment encouraged

We encourage customers to tell us what they think about the service they receive from the Network and we are committed to dealing with complaints fairly and quickly. Comments or complaints should be directed, in the first instance, to the chief executive of the relevant LEC or to the chief executive of HIE, as appropriate.

Charter Mark

Charter Mark is the Government's award scheme for recognising and encouraging excellence in public service. It is unique among quality schemes in the way that it concentrates on results - service the customer actually receives. The HIE network was awarded the , which is held for periods of three years, in 1994,1997 and 2004.

Key resources

The HIE network's greatest single asset is its staff and we continually seek to improve their skills and, consequently, the overall performance of the Network. At the heart of this process is the business development programme Investors in People, which encourages companies and organisations to develop individual skills in line with overall business objectives.

Measuring progress

Within the Network, evaluation is an integral part of our activities. A formal year-end evaluation of each LEC's activities looks at achievement against targets and at qualitative performance against a set of management standards. We subject programmes and projects to independent external evaluation, under the guidance of an internal steering group.

For further information, please contact Jem Arthur.