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How many communities currently have a CAP program? In addition to the South Florida CAP, panels were established during February 1999 in the Midwest (states of Iowa, Nebraska, and Wisconsin) and Pacific Northwest (Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington) districts of IRS. The final pilot was launched mid-March in the Brooklyn District (including Brooklyn and Queens boroughs in New York City and the counties of Nassau and Suffolk on Long Island). Each CAP represents all communities within the geographic boundaries of their respective IRS district. Back to FAQ What are our plans for expanding the program? We believe citizen panels of this kind will be useful as IRS moves to more customer-focused tax administration. From our observation of other agencies, citizen panels are well documented as a means to encourage citizen involvement and awareness. They are particularly useful at agencies that are trying to strengthen their focus on customer needs. We think that we should provide the four relatively new pilot panels with sufficient time to operate and complete their annual reports before considering expansion. These reports will carry recommendations to the Secretary, the Commissioner, and the National Taxpayer Advocate on ways to improve service at IRS. Back to FAQ How did we select our CAP program participants? Authority and approval for the IRS Citizen Advocacy Panel rests exclusively with the Secretary of Treasury. Booz-Allen & Hamilton (BAH) and the Gallup Organization provided objective assistance during the candidate recruitment and selection process, screening applicants against a set of criteria including ability to commit 100 hours of volunteer time to the project annually, and to undergo a tax check and FBI check. Applications were reviewed against a set of skill attribute criteria, and the resulting top 50 applicants for each panel were interviewed by BAH/Gallup teams. Based on interview results, the top 20 applicants for each panel were referred to the Secretary of Treasury for final selection of 12 panelists. Back to FAQ What efforts were made to ensure diversity in the composition of the advisory (advocacy) panels and in the income levels of the participants? The recruitment/selection process used by Treasury and the Booz-Allen Team included profile development for each panel derived through geographic, demographic, and citizen survey information. Census data and population distribution were considered in this process to ensure diverse representation from the largest groups in each location. Income levels was determined using a voluntary question on the application. According to Booz-Allen, nearly all applicants provided this information, and it was incorporated into panel profiles. Back to FAQ How are we rating the success of CAP thus far? The South Florida Panel, during their first six months of operation, has achieved several early successes that demonstrate the CAP's potential to make a significant impact on the IRS. The panel has been very active in outreach to the citizens of South Florida through a variety of speaking engagements, participation with the district in a number of Problem Solving Day events, and conducting their first public forum in November 1998. Using feedback from citizens, the panel assesses public views regarding the quality of IRS customer service, and develops initiatives for improvement. Back to FAQ |