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A Profile of the Public Service of Canada


3.0 Service Improvement

3.1 Introduction

The Government of Canada's service agenda aims to improve the quality, effectiveness, timeliness and efficiency of Government of Canada services across all delivery channels (in person, on the telephone and on the internet) in both English and French - Canada's official languages. It also seeks to improve citizen and business access to these services. An important element of this agenda is the effective use of information and communications technology in enhancing services and service delivery.

Two operating principles guide service improvement in the Canadian federal government:

  • Citizens and business must be at the centre of service delivery. To achieve this, improvements to services must be driven by the service needs and expectations of clients and focus on responding to the priorities for improvement that they have expressed through surveys, focus groups and other feedback mechanisms.
  • A 'whole-of-government' approach is essential to drive citizen- or user-centred service delivery. The Government of Canada approach is centrally co-ordinated to achieve progress across the entire government; collaborative across departments and agencies, and across jurisdictions, involving the private and not-for-profit sectors; and transformative by encouraging the re-engineering, consolidation and integration of services where it makes sense.

While all departments and agencies are responsible for improving access to, as well as the quality and the range of services they provide, the TBS leads and co-ordinates the implementation of the government-wide service agenda.

The Context for Change

In 1998, the President of the Treasury Board reported to Parliament the government's new 'outside-in' citizen-centred approach to Government of Canada service delivery. This approach means basing service on citizens' needs and expectations instead of on what the organisation sees as important. Shortly thereafter, the Citizen-Centred Service Network, composed of 220 senior service delivery officials from the three orders of government in Canada, commissioned a public opinion research project (the Citizens First report) to document Canadians' expectations, satisfaction and priorities for service improvement.

The Service Improvement Initiative launched in 2000 addresses the challenge of improving citizen satisfaction with the quality of government service delivery. It set a minimum ten per cent improvement target for improved client satisfaction over the five years of the initiative for each key service to the public.

Government On-Line, an initiative announced in 1999 to deliver the Government of Canada's programmes, services and information over the internet, has become a key enabler for improving better access and service performance. The Government of Canada has set a target of putting the most frequently used services on-line by 2005.

In April 2002, the Government On-Line and Service Improvement Initiatives were integrated in recognition of the fact that an integrated, government-wide approach is needed to modernise and improve services for citizens and businesses no matter how, or in which official language, they choose to deal with the government. This integration supports the fundamental changes the government must make in the way in which it designs and delivers programmes and services if it is to remain relevant to Canadians.

Implementing Change

The Government of Canada is working in five key areas to support multi-channel service improvement and the delivery of on-line services. These areas are:

  • Service transformation and multi-channel convergence - pursuing a user-centred approach to providing information and services to the people of Canada through the electronic, in-person and telephone service delivery channels;
  • Common, secure infrastructure - building the electronic service platform to enable clustered services, interoperability and cross-channel convergence and to support secure electronic, telephone and in-person access;
  • Policy and standards frameworks - addressing the issues of privacy, security and information management to build confidence in e-services and link service transformation to client satisfaction;
  • Communications and marketing - encouraging take-up of electronic service options, reporting on progress and engaging citizens through various feedback mechanisms to shape the evolution of service delivery;
  • Human resources - taking a cross-government approach to developing the right skills for the government's workforce to provide client-centred services across all service delivery channels.

In addition it has adopted a new policy on Alternative Service Delivery (ASD) to guide departments in assessing appropriate strategies and options for service delivery.

Supporting Material

3.2 Service Transformation and Multi-channel Integration

Service transformation and multi-channel integration involve pursuing a user-centred approach to electronic, in-person and telephone service delivery, driven by client priorities and expectations.

The Context for Change

Traditionally, information on government services has been organised to reflect the structure of government. Accordingly, to access information about a particular government service, Canadians were required to know which department to contact in person, on the telephone or through the internet. However, many Canadians are uncertain about which department offers which service.

Implementing Change

In response to citizen demands, the Government of Canada has completely redesigned its main internet portal, www.canada.gc.ca. Launched in February 2001, the new website organises information and services based on its three main client groups: individual Canadians, businesses and international (non-Canadian) clients.

The Canadians Gateway provides information and services by topic (for example learning about health care, filing income tax returns or finding a job) and client group (for example youth or seniors). The Business Gateway provides easy access to information and services that a business might require over its life cycle from initial start-up to hiring employees and exporting. The non-Canadians Gateway provides information to foreign citizens who are interested in visiting, studying or doing business with Canada, or who are interested in the country, its values and its involvement in international affairs. This client-centred approach removes the onus on clients to find and assemble related products from different government organisations, and provides access in one place to all information and services offered by the Government of Canada.

The Canada Site provides more than just information about government programmes and services. The site allows Canadians to interact with the government electronically, both to receive services and to express views. For example, Canadians can file personal income tax and benefit returns electronically, apply for employment insurance benefits on-line and notify the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency of a change of address through a protected website. Businesses can search for corporate names, register on-line for Canada Customs and Revenue Agency business programmes, incorporate federally and seek patent protection.

While the on-line 'service face' of the Government of Canada continues to evolve, progress behind the scenes is also evolving as a culture change of working horizontally is beginning to take hold. This involves moving from information and services that are grouped together to those that fit together and can be aligned in such a way as to facilitate simultaneous access.

Work has also advanced to provide a one-stop service using the in-person channel. The Service Canada Pilot Initiative, launched in 1999, put in place an integrated, government-wide approach to delivering Government of Canada services to Canadians. The pilot phase which included providing in-person single window access to basic information on Government of Canada programmes and services at select offices in communities across Canada was successfully completed in 2002 and responsibility for the maintenance and enhancement of the 122 Service Canada in-person centres was transferred to Human Resources Development Canada. In early 2003, there were 229 Service Canada in-person access centres across the country.

Finally, service standards are being established to ensure consistent and coherent service delivery across all channels.

Supporting Material

  • Government On-Line and Canadians, 2002
  • Departmental Performance Report for the period ending March 31, 2002. Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, 2002
  • Sustainable, Secure Electronic Services - Building the Base for Government-Wide, Multi-Channel Service Transformation. Annual report on Canada's progress on GOL prepared for the 36th Conference of the International Council for Information Technology in Government Administration (ICA), 2002

3.3 Common, Secure Infrastructure

Establishing a common, secure infrastructure entails building an enterprise-wide electronic service platform that enables integrated services and supports secure internet, telephone and in-person access.

The Context for Change

Canadians expect affordable, accessible and responsive services. The strategic use of information technology will enable the Government of Canada to better meet these expectations.

Given the government's commitment to implementing a new electronic face and to citizen-centred service delivery, it is critical that the government's future investments in IM/IT (Information Management/ Information Technology) infrastructure is directed towards enabling this vision. Of prime importance are those infrastructure components that are needed on a government-wide basis. The development of common and shared IM/IT infrastructure components for government-wide application requires effective strategic planning and appropriate governance.

Implementing Change

To achieve the required IM/IT infrastructure, the government adopted a federated architecture approach for the strategic IM/IT infrastructure in 2000. Under this architecture approach, infrastructure elements are planned, designed, co-ordinated and implemented into an integrated and cohesive infrastructure of common government-wide IM/IT capabilities. This flexible approach also allows for groups of departments and department-specific infrastructures to interconnect with the common infrastructure as appropriate.

Planning for a common Government of Canada IM/IT infrastructure means defining how much common infrastructure is needed to meet both government-wide and departmental service delivery requirements. It also means defining the most effective and economical way to invest in, sustain and manage the necessary infrastructure.

Since 2000, the Government of Canada has been designing the guidelines and standards that will apply to the Government of Canada's IM/IT infrastructure to make systems interoperable across departments and agencies. Through its Federated Architecture Program, the government is pursuing an iterative, coherent, government-wide planned approach to the development of three main architectures:

  • A technical architecture, to make IT systems and processes interoperable while protecting privacy and strengthening the security of the Government of Canada's IT infrastructure;
  • An information architecture, to facilitate the exchange of information between and among programmes to add value (for example convenience, faster turnarounds and greater accuracy) to transactions with external clients, and to ensure the government collects, stores, maintains and shares information in a coherent, standardised way to support more intelligent business operations;
  • A business architecture, to enable programmes to be interoperable to support customised service delivery and to facilitate the reuse of processes and components to support more efficient operations and service delivery.

Taken together, these architectures constitute the Government of Canada's enterprise architecture. In concert with this design work, the initial phase of construction of the Government of Canada's Secure Channel is nearing completion. It is the key piece of common, secure infrastructure for all federal departments and agencies that will:

  • Assure citizens that their information and transactions with government are protected;
  • Assure citizens of the authenticity and integrity of government sites and databases;
  • Protect against network intrusions;
  • Provide on-demand, broadband network services to departments and agencies;
  • Provide directory services;
  • Provide identification and authentication of individuals and businesses with which government conducts business;
  • Provide brokerage services and connectors to departmental enterprise-wide and administrative systems.

Together, these Secure Channel capabilities will enable clustered service delivery and the integration of voice and data, through a robust, scaleable IM/IT platform that supports multiple levels of security, including digital signatures.

During 2002-2003, key components of the Secure Channel, including an infrastructure for intrusion detection, directory services and the 'epass' service that enables on-line registration and authentication, have been implemented and are currently operating in Field Trial mode.

The 'epass' service, a key component of the Secure Channel, uses a combination of Secure Sockets Layer and Public Key Infrastructure technology to provide secure access to government programmes and is one of the world's first Public Key Infrastructure digital signature services for mass use by individuals. Each epass is unique and is used to authenticate the client and digitally sign documents. Epass is currently being piloted with Canada Customs and Revenue Agency's Address Change On-Line. As more on-line government services become available, it will be possible to use epass to access multiple programmes and services, including by businesses.

To facilitate interoperability and directly enable the provision of client-centred, integrated services, the Secure Channel includes a Service Broker, which acts as a service integration engine. It encompasses the 'middleware' between the distributed processes and systems of federal departments and agencies, and front-end client entry points such as the telephone, automated kiosks, in-person service counters and the government's internet portals and websites. The Service Broker acts as the 'technical translator', freeing up departments and agencies to focus solely on the business issues involved in horizontal service integration without having to worry about overcoming technological incompatibility issues and the costs associated with them. It also offers departments and agencies efficiencies, such as fully leveraging their investments in their current systems and delivering economies of scale from common application connectors.

By the end of 2003, it is expected that most federal departments will have migrated to the Secure Channel Network and be able to benefit from the enhanced functionality it provides.

Supporting Material

  • Chief Information Officer Branch (Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat) >Website on Infrastructure
  • Sustainable, Secure Electronic Services - Building the Base for Government-Wide, Multi-Channel Service Transformation. Annual report on Canada's progress on GOL prepared for the 36th Conference of the International Council for Information Technology in Government Administration (ICA), 2002

3.4 Policy and Standards Frameworks

The provision of services on the internet necessitates the development and maintenance of appropriate policy and standards frameworks in the areas of privacy, security and information management to ensure seamless, clustered, secure and private service delivery. The revolution in information technology has also impacted on policies on access to information, communications, federal identity and official languages.

The Context for Change

Research shows that Canadians expect more from their government than they do from the private sector in terms of privacy and security, in large part because the government holds so much sensitive personal information about them, spanning their health, educational attainment, job history, utilisation of social benefits, and marital and financial status. Their perceptions about how seriously the government views its stewardship responsibilities for safeguarding their personal data and respecting their privacy will have a tremendous impact on the take-up of on-line services. E-government and the concept of citizen-centred services have also created increased expectations in terms of the transparency of the affairs of those who govern in the public interest, and the speed and effectiveness of information transfer between the government and its citizens.

Information is an integral part of government service delivery and a cornerstone of government accountability. It must be managed as a strategic business resource from the earliest point in the business planning cycle through solution development, implementation, day-to-day business operations and assessments. All persons working for the Government of Canada use information in the conduct of their duties and have a responsibility and obligation for managing information. There is a need to improve the management of information in the Government of Canada to meet the additional challenges introduced by new service delivery paradigms and evolving technology, and to provide a focus for the implementation of information-related legislation and policies. New service delivery paradigms and evolving technology have also resulted in a need to review and update existing policies on communications, federal identity and official languages.

Implementing Change

The Government of Canada is committed to protecting the privacy of Canadians and is recognised as a world leader in this area. To ensure that privacy protection is built right into the development or redesign of services, the Government of Canada became the first government in the world to adopt a Privacy Impact Assessment Policy. As of May 2002, Privacy Impact Assessments are mandatory for the design or redesign of programmes and services where there are potential privacy issues, such as those that may involve the increased collection, use or disclosure of personal information, the broadening of client populations, a shift from direct to indirect collection of personal information, and new data matching or increased reuse or sharing of personal information. The Privacy Impact Assessments promote fully informed policy, programme and system-design choices, and assist managers and decision-makers in avoiding or mitigating privacy risks. Recognising that transparency promotes confidence, summaries of the assessments are also required to be made publicly available. Moreover, as of 1 January 2004, Canada will have a comprehensive privacy regime that encompasses both the public and private sectors. This means that all transactions with citizens and clients/customers will be conducted in accordance with universal privacy principles. In this context, the Privacy Impact Assessments promote and render transparent good privacy practices.

On the security front, the Government of Canada has updated its Government Security Policy, which came into force in February 2002. The policy takes important new directions, calling on departments to meet baseline security requirements, to engage in continuous security risk management and to assure continuous service delivery. Departments and agencies are now being asked to think beyond traditional static defence strategies and approach information security as an ongoing and dynamic process. This means not only erecting layers of protective mechanisms but also being prepared to detect, respond to and recover from attacks that might take place against those protective mechanisms.

In August 2000, the federal government launched a comprehensive review of the access to information (ATI) framework with the objective of providing recommendations to modernise the ATI regime in ways that promote open, effective and accountable government, an informed citizenry and the public interest. The Task Force's report, released in June 2002, contains recommendations that take a uniquely integrated approach to ATI reform by addressing legislative, administrative and cultural issues.

The government is now working to modernise its existing information technology security standards regime, relying on information technology security expertise and best practices of its departments and lead agencies, as well as international standards bodies. Some 20 priority standards are in development.

Improving the state of information management, particularly the quality of information upon which service managers rely, is a key priority. The existing policy has been substantially revised to guide the efforts of departments and agencies to better align information management needs with modern business delivery requirements, including those associated with providing integrated, citizen-centred services. The Management of Government Information policy will help to accelerate the shift from a passive, records-based approach to a more dynamic, service-focused information management function that supports informed policy and decision-making and the delivery of high quality programmes, services and information through all channels.

To support the successful implementation of the policy, a Framework for the Management of Information in the Government of Canada has been completed and is now being further developed to provide practical guidance, and to set out the principles, standards and guidelines needed in an electronically enabled environment and to support electronic service delivery. For instance, the Dublin Core metadata standard and a core subject thesaurus have been adopted, and guidelines and controlled vocabularies are being developed for specific elements, including description, type, format, coverage and audience. The framework will include content management tools and further metadata standards for portals, gateways, clusters and websites to facilitate information access, retrieval and preservation, as well as reusing information across departments and agencies. The framework will also include guidelines for the long-term management of encrypted documents and digitally signed documents, as well as guidelines for the retention and disposal of electronic records. An Information Management Resource Centre website has been established for employees and business managers at all levels to provide a single point of access to Information Management instructional material, guidelines and standards, case studies and best practices.

Responding to the diverse needs of Canadians, the Government of Canada adopted a new communications policy in April 2002 designed to ensure that communications across the federal government are well co-ordinated and effectively managed. The Communications Policy of the Government of Canada takes account of an increasingly complex communications environment, addressing several important areas such as crisis and emergency communications, new technologies and official languages.

The government has also put in place additional requirements aimed at strengthening the presence and visibility of the Government of Canada in all its activities. These Federal Identity Program requirements address the issues of identifying the Government of Canada, applying the 'Canada' wordmark, identifying government facilities, identifying employees and communicating electronically.

One of these requirements includes the development of a common look and feel for all federal internet/intranet sites and electronic networks. These standards are designed to ensure that all Canadians, regardless of their internet ability, geographic location or demographic representation have equal access to information and services on Government of Canada websites. The 33 standards approved in May 2000 fall into a total of seven categories and are intended to ensure outcomes such as federal websites that accommodate technologies such as text readers and voice-activated devices; a clear on-line federal identity so that Canadians know they are dealing with the Government of Canada; standardised and timely responses to citizen's e-mail enquiries; logical and consistent navigational formats; and compliance with all relevant policies of Canada's Official Languages Act.

In terms of official languages, a number of initiatives have been taken to advance linguistic duality in Canada and the Canadian public service. These include the preparation of an official languages action plan, the creation of a network of official languages champions comprised of senior officials from federal organisations to act as agents of change, the development of performance indicators to monitor the programme more effectively, and a study of perceptions and attitudes in the public service. With respect to technological developments and service delivery, the government's policy on alternative service delivery and its new communications policy both contain explicit official languages requirements.

Supporting Material

3.5 Communications and Marketing

Communications and Marketing are focused on encouraging take-up of electronic service options, reporting on progress and engaging citizens through consultations and other public opinion research mechanisms to shape the evolution of service delivery.

The Context for Change

Communications with Canadians to ensure that their opinions and needs guide the service agenda, to encourage use of on-line services and to report on progress are critical to the success of the integrated Government On-Line and Service Improvement Initiative.

Implementing Change

Public opinion research: The Government of Canada has engaged and continues to engage a cross-section of Canadian society and clients abroad in shaping this initiative. Public opinion research projects covering a wide variety of topics, including how to better organise information and services provided through the internet, service priorities, security and privacy, and multi-channel service delivery, are central to this approach.

Starting in December 2001, a representative panel of Canadian internet users was assembled to provide important feedback and direction on on-line service preferences and expectations. The first on-line survey was completed with panel members in April 2002 and received 4547 responses. The survey themes included government service delivery; personal information and the internet - privacy and security aspects; web design and functionality issues; satisfaction with government websites; benefits of on-line services; and expectations of future on-line services. Five on-line focus groups were conducted in November 2002, allowing the government to examine some issues in greater depth including pre-testing new website designs, communications issues, and attitudes toward and expectations of on-line services.

Marketing: Promoting on-line services will be a priority in 2003-2004. These efforts will focus on using research to guide promotion and marketing initiatives to ensure that they respond to Canadians' service priorities and expectations while increasing take-up, and to promote increased awareness and understanding of the government's commitment to protect the privacy of citizens and ensure the security of their transactions.

To date, awareness of on-line services offered through the government's main internet portal, the Canada Site, has been attained through a variety of activities including fairs and exhibits, distribution of promotional materials, and television, radio, print and internet advertising.

Public reporting: Public reporting on Government On-Line plans and progress is critical to providing information to Canadians, as well as to keeping the private sector apprised of opportunities across departments. Each year the Government of Canada produces an overview report and each department publishes its plans and reports on its progress. These documents are available to the public on the Government On-Line website (http://www.gol-ged.gc.ca/) and on departmental websites.

GOL advisory panel: In September 2001, the President of the Treasury Board established an external advisory group made up of representatives from the private, academic and voluntary sectors to provide guidance in the implementation of the Government On-Line Initiative. This group, called the Government On-Line Advisory Panel, produced its second report on 11 December 2002. The report and its seven recommendations can be accessed at http://www.gol-ged.gc.ca/pnl-grp/reports/second/transform/transform00-eng.asp.

Supporting Material

  • Departmental Performance Report for the period ending March 31, 2002. Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, 2002
  • Sustainable, Secure Electronic Services - Building the Base for Government-Wide, Multi-Channel Service Transformation. Annual report on Canada's progress on GOL prepared for the 36th Conference of the International Council for Information Technology in Government Administration (ICA), 2002
  • Government On-Line Advisory Panel Website

3.6 Human Resources

Ensuring that employees have the knowledge, expertise, skills and competencies to deliver public services in an integrated, client-centred, multi-channel environment is a key factor in successfully delivering the Government of Canada's service agenda.

The Context for Change

Cultural change of the nature and magnitude required to deliver the government's ambitious service agenda must be led from within. Moreover it cannot be driven from the traditional human resources function alone. The development of horizontal relationships across the federal government, and support for community-led initiatives to address capacity issues and share work practices, is required.

Implementing Change

Strategies for change in human resources are being developed to support communities of practice in IT, IM and service delivery across federal departments and agencies. They focus on capacity-building, recruitment, retention and re-skilling.

The government supports the continued development of leadership and human resources in the IT community by developing the strategic components of a competency-based, community-led human resources framework for horizontal management of the government's IT human resources; assessing IM/IT management and executive development programmes; improving the generic staffing pools process of pre-qualified candidates for IM/IT executive positions; creating a repository of IT work descriptions for use in classification and staffing activities; and creating a web-based tool for information on project management training courses.

To provide a basis to build leadership and human resources of the IM community, the government has developed a vision that focuses on the special needs of this community and positions IM specialists as key enablers to policy development as well as service delivery. It has conducted an organisational modelling exercise to gather information on the state of IM at the departmental level and assess existing human resources capacity to meet the challenges that a fully enabled electronic environment presents for traditional work practices.

To encourage the development of key capacities in the service delivery community, a series of regional consultations have been held to identify the unique challenges of delivering integrated, citizen-centred services in the public sector and developing a sense of community. The government has also begun to design a service delivery practices database to share the critical knowledge needed to provide effective service delivery in an electronic environment.

Supporting Material

  • Organisational Readiness Office Website
  • Departmental Performance Report for the period ending March 31, 2002. Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, 2002
  • Sustainable, Secure Electronic Services - Building the Base for Government-Wide, Multi-Channel Service Transformation. Annual report on Canada's progress on GOL prepared for the 36th Conference of the International Council for Information Technology in Government Administration (ICA), 2002

3.7 Measuring Progress

Measuring progress on the integrated Government On-Line and Service Improvement Initiative is the key to moving forward and to demonstrating the ongoing value of investment. In 2002, the Government of Canada developed a performance measurement framework for these initiatives which encompasses three main outcomes: citizen/client-centred government, better and more responsive service, and capacity for on-line service delivery. For each of these outcomes, specific indicators have been developed, as follows:

Citizen/client-centred Better and more responsive Capacity for on-line government service delivery
  • Convenience
  • Accessibility
  • Credibility
  • Critical mass of services
  • Take-up
  • Service transformation
  • Citizen/client satisfaction
  • Security
  • Privacy
  • Efficiency
  • Innovation

Work is now underway to develop performance measures for these indicators, including a Common Measurements Tool (CMT) that will provide a consistent approach to be utilised across departments and agencies, for collecting client satisfaction information no matter which delivery channel is used. These tools will assist departments and agencies in meeting Government On-Line goals and delivering on the vision of improved, citizen-centred integrated services, including by facilitating efforts to identify priority areas for further investment. The first version of the CMT is available on-line through the Institute for Citizen-Centred Services, an intergovernmental research body dedicated to promoting excellence in public sector services and delivery channels (http://www.iccs-isac.org/).

Supporting Material

  • Sustainable, Secure Electronic Services - Building the Base for Government-Wide, Multi-Channel Service Transformation. Annual report on Canada's progress on GOL prepared for the 36th Conference of the International Council for Information Technology in Government Administration (ICA), 2002.

3.8 Organisational Forms and Alternative Service Delivery

Alternative Service Delivery refers to the many and varied organisational forms and delivery mechanisms that governments use to achieve their objectives. The Government of Canada has a long and successful tradition of deploying the full spectrum of ASD arrangements to deliver its programmes and services. The Canadian way is pragmatic and innovative but ultimately grounded in serving the public interest. A case-by-case approach helps to identify the delivery option that is most appropriate for the service and the setting. In this way, ASD helps to sustain a public service culture that reflects Canadian traditions of moderation, incrementalism, and diversity in institutional structures and incentives.

The Context for Change

ASD's modern roots can be traced to the Nielsen Task Force's recommendations on procurement and contracting out in the mid-1980s. The Bureau for Delivery of Programs and Services was established to pilot most efficient organisations and competition with the private sector. Public Service 2000 changed the focus to improving the performance and reducing the cost of in-house delivery through semi-autonomous Special Operating Agencies (SOAs). Subsequent stocktaking resulted in SOAs being privatised, repatriated to departments or retained within tighter parameters. While SOAs plateaued federally at 20 agencies, many provinces and some cities adapted the concept successfully. The advent of ASD later produced higher-order service agencies for priority programmes.

In 1994-95, Program Review gave a new government a fresh start early in its mandate by systematically evaluating the design and delivery of all federal programmes. Under the banner, Getting Government Right, its legacy was an ongoing process of departmental self-examination of selected programmes and services. The Treasury Board issued a Framework for Alternative Program Delivery in 1995. ASD inherited much of the conceptual framework of Program Review but without the top-down target setting and the episodic adjustment in federal programming. There was no preconceived outcome, unlike the UK policy of creating a civil service of executive agencies or the New Zealand policy of wholesale commercialisation and privatisation of government entities.

ASD practitioners continued to be guided by the six test questions of Program Review:

  1. Public interest - does the programme or area of activity serve the public interest?
  2. Role of government - is there a legitimate and necessary role for the public sector in this area?
  3. Federalism - is the current role of the federal government appropriate in this area?
  4. Partnership - what activities or programmes should or could be provided, in whole or in part, by the private or voluntary sector?
  5. Efficiency and effectiveness - if this programme or activity continues, how could it be improved?
  6. Affordability - is the resulting package of activities or programmes affordable within the fiscal parameters of government?

Public service has changed dramatically since 1995. The Government of Canada has created more than 80 new ASD arrangements. Programme spending has decreased by $8 billion, from 16 to 12 per cent of GDP. At one time there were 55,000 fewer public servants. Only 45 per cent of federal public servants are engaged in direct service to citizens, instead of 75 per cent. It is estimated that 55 per cent of the public service operates outside traditional departments, making the 'alternative' now the norm.

The ASD portfolio in the Government of Canada includes a variety of delegated and collaborative arrangements:

  • 18 SOAs (for example passports, consulting, training);
  • Three legislated service agencies (food inspection, parks, revenue);
  • 100 Crown corporations (for example financing, mail, broadcasting);
  • 132 (2001 estimate) foundations and shared governance corporations (for example civil air navigation, airports, infrastructure);
  • Numerous interdepartmental, intergovernmental and public-private partnerships (for example federal-provincial labour market agreements);
  • Widespread outsourcing (for example military base support, real property management);
  • Several employee takeovers (six in the national capital region);
  • Selective privatisation (for example printing).

The most prominent ASD development since 1995 was the creation of three big service agencies: Canadian Food Inspection Agency (1997), Parks Canada (1998) and Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (1999). The Government of Canada rejected the notion of unbundling bureaucracy under a single agency model. All three agencies were established by enabling legislation, are responsible to ministers and report to Parliament as federal departments. Each operates under a different type and level of administrative authority, customised to its context and needs. While central agency policies do not always apply, these service agencies remain subject to their minister's policy direction and to Treasury Board approval of their business plan. They are separate employers, accounting for 35 per cent of employees in the public service.

Because they operate with greater autonomy and represent such a large portion of government, their actions set precedents, resulting in pressures and demands on core human resource, finance, and administrative regimes. They rely on innovative governance structures and management flexibilities to serve their mandates. At the same time, the agencies pose no challenge to ministerial and parliamentary accountability and still have considerable central agency oversight and guidance. The principles of modern comptrollership, applied through their planning and reporting processes, focus the agencies on citizen-centred service, public service values, results-based management and responsible spending. They help demonstrate how agency form can be used to find the right balance between autonomy and accountability in institutional arrangements.

Implementing Change

Central responsibility for ASD is housed in the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. The Treasury Board approved a new Policy on Alternative Service Delivery effective from 1 April 2002. Its purpose is to guide departments in assessing appropriate strategies and options for service delivery. The policy recognises that ASD arrangements must conform to the public interest and contribute to good governance. Government's renewed commitment to ASD encourages innovation, strengthens Treasury Board oversight of new initiatives, improves reporting to Parliament on new governance arrangements and ensures that the public service as an institution learns from experience. Consistent with Results for Canadians, ASD practice is becoming more results focused, citizen-centred, transparent, accountable and values driven.

The Government of Canada is rethinking the form and function of its new policy in favour of a less regulatory and more collaborative approach to policy administration. To fulfill its central role, the Treasury Board Secretariat is building a 'community of practice', is establishing itself as a 'centre of expertise' and is evolving as a 'virtual organisation'. It has developed policy, guidance and a comprehensive website to support the federal framework and to complement departmental capabilities. This initiative stems in part from observations by the Office of the Auditor General that the Treasury Board needs to extend its management board role and professional capacity to support emerging ASD arrangements. It responds, in particular, to the proliferation of new delegated forms (for example foundations) and collaborative practices (for example horizontal management) across government.

There is an unprecedented opportunity to apply ASD expertise to governance and service delivery challenges in Canada and abroad. ASD is distinctly Canadian, reflecting the texture and size of the country and its place in the world. Its diversity of perspectives is a strength in creatively generating ASD innovations, in producing a track record of results and in influencing international applications. At the same time, practitioners continue to grapple with the implications of globalisation, information technology, public service renewal and citizen-centred service delivery. They are challenged in scoping ASD, in sharing best practices, in accessing support groups and in capitalising on networking synergies. There is an immediate need to build capacity to respond to demands emerging for national and international co-operation. ASD remains integral to 'getting service delivery right'.

Supporting Material

  • Ford, Robin and Zussman, David (eds.) (1997). Alternative Service Delivery: Sharing Governance in Canada. Toronto: Institute of Public Administration of Canada and KPMG Centre for Government Foundation.
  • KPMG and Public Policy Forum (eds) (2000). Change, Governance and Public Management: Alternative Service Delivery and Information Technology. Ottawa: Public Policy Forum.
  • Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat Alternative Service Delivery (sub-site). Ottawa: Treasury Board Secretariat
  • Wilkins, John K. (2000). 'Alternative Service Delivery Mechanisms', in Public Sector Group (eds), Administrative and Civil Service Reform (website). Washington, DC: The World Bank.
  • Zussman, David (2002). 'Alternative Service Delivery', Chapter 4 in Christopher Dunn (ed.), The Handbook of Canadian Public Administration, pp. 53-76. Don Mills: Oxford University Press.


Date Modified: 2006-12-07
 
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