The Farmers’ Union of Wales has described the Welsh Government’s Rural Payments Wales (RPW) Online Single Application process as an overwhelming success following the May 15 deadline for Single Application forms and called for the approach taken to developing the system to be a template for other areas of Welsh Government work.
In a letter to natural resources and food minister Alun Davies, FUW president Emyr Jones said: “As was always anticipated, there have been teething problems with the new online system and during some periods the availability of paper SAF forms has been invaluable in terms of allowing FUW members and staff to complete and submit SAF forms.
“However, the response of our members and staff has been overwhelmingly positive.”
Mr Jones said there can be no doubt that this positive response is a direct result of the lengths to which RPW has gone to ensure the involvement of industry representatives, from the very outset of the project, with union staff and members involved at every stage of the development process and RPW staff being receptive and accommodating in response to all comments made by stakeholders.
“In particular, I would like to thank Elaine DeBono and her staff for their commitment to the project, and would single out Anthony Pritchard and Paul Phipps for their instrumental role in developing the system and accommodating industry views at every turn, thereby making the system the success it has been.
“This clearly demonstrates the importance of placing differences to one side to secure mutual benefits and positive outcomes through collaboration and, as has already been emphasised on numerous occasions, the RPW Online approach should serve as a template for future collaboration.”
However, Mr Jones warned of the need to ensure that the transition to paperless systems took the industry with it and that a “carrot rather than stick” approach continued to be adopted by Welsh Government.
“I have already referred to the important role that paper alternatives to RPW Online have played this year and a large number of farmers have continued to rely on paper forms for valid reasons.
“As has been shown, the FUW fully supports the transition to RPW Online but we would highlight the importance of ensuring that this transition is driven by reliability, broadband availability and reputation rather than the enforcement of a deadline for paper applications which would place many at a significant disadvantage.”
FUW Caernarfon county executive officer Gwynedd Watkin, who sits on the RPW Online user group which helped develop the system, said: “The online system has significantly reduced the workload we have to deal with and the likelihood that errors are made is also cut because inconsistencies are automatically flagged up, calculations are done automatically and figures can be automatically compared with last years’ figures.
“The system also means data goes straight into the RPW computer system rather than having to be scanned in from paper forms. This stops scanning errors, which have caused problems in the past, and will speed up SAF processing times.
“The online system also enables farmers and their advisers to view forms and correspondence remotely, enabling discussions without need for meetings and paper copies of correspondence.”
However, Mr Watkin emphasised the importance of continuing to allow hard copy form-filling beyond 2016, not least for those who lack broadband, IT skills and expert back-up.
“We have had minor glitches this year in Wales which have made the paper forms invaluable and much more serious problems have occurred over the border in England. There has to be a fall-back position which accommodates those who have no choice but to rely on paper,” added Mr Watkin.