1. From Single Windows to Integrated Service Delivery: A Canadian Perspective
Presentation to: International Seminar SAC Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
Institute for Citizen-Centred Service
Charles Vincent - September 21, 2005

2. Presentation Overview
Collaborative Service Improvement in Canada: The Institute for Citizen-Centred Service
Access to Public Services: From Single Windows to Integrated Service Delivery
Improving Service Quality: The Drivers of Client Satisfaction
Why is all this so important? Service Quality and Confidence in Government

3. ICCS Mission and Mandate
To promote high levels of citizen satisfaction with public-sector service delivery.
Platform for Horizontal Initiatives
Institute for Citizen-Centred Service
Research
Common Measurements Tool
Knowledge Management

4. Collaboration = Success
The ICCS is a collaborative venture:
Government of Canada;
Provinces & Territories;
Municipalities;
Institute of Public Administration of Canada
Public Sector Service Delivery Council;
Public Sector CIO Council.

5. Listening to Citizens: Canada’s Citizens First Surveys
Citizens First surveys of 6,000-10, citizens are conducted by ICCS every two years;
CF is a collaborative project of the federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal governments across Canada;
CF measures citizens’ service needs and expectations;
CF tracks citizen satisfaction with over 80 government services;
CF identifies citizens’ priorities for service improvement, and therefore the forward agenda for government action on service improvement.

6. The Citizens First Service Model

7. Comparative Service Improvement Strategies
Single Window Focus on Access
Australia
Canada
Most Jurisdictions
United Kingdom
Service Quality Focus
Source: Marson, Queen’s University

8. Citizens’ Views on Access
“I feel confident I can readily access any government service I need”
“Knowing where to start is the biggest challenge in getting government service”
Source: Citizens First

9. Single-Windows: A Runaway Hit in Canada
Service Canada
Service New Brunswick
Access PEI
Service Nova Scotia
Services Québec
Service Ontario
Service B.C.
Service Manitoba
Service Alberta…

10. The Value of Single-Window Service Delivery
Citizens want government services that are as accessible, convenient, and seamless as possible… the essence of the single-window approach is the bringing together of government services, or information about them, in order to reduce the amount of time and effort citizens must expend to find and obtain the services they need.
Bent, Kernaghan, and Marson (1999)

11. Single-Window Service Delivery: Three Main Types
“Information Gateways”
Improving accessibility through single-window information and referral.
“One-Stop Department Stores”
Improving convenience and accessibility to a wide range of government services.
“Seamless Service Boutiques”
Single-window access to a related cluster of services, including across jurisdictional lines.

12. Single Window Examples in Canada
Information Gateways:
1-800-O-Canada
Achieves comparable performance scores to private sector
Toronto 211
Service Department Stores:
Service New Brunswick
Model being replicated in Suffolk County (UK)
British Columbia Government Agents
Service Boutiques:
The Business Link Business Service Centre
HealthyOntario.com
Received 2004 Webby award

13. From Single Window to Integrated Service
Single windows are services that are GROUPED together;
Integrated Service Delivery refers to services that FIT together.
Michelle D’Auray as quoted by Ken Kernaghan

14. Multi-Channel Service Delivery
The move toward integrated service delivery is being motivated by the multi-channel nature of service…
Sources: Citizens First 3 / Taking Care of Business

15. Inter-jurisdictional Service Delivery
… and by the increasing number of inter-jurisdictional service experiences
Sources: Taking Care of Business

16. Integrated Service Delivery in Canada : A Model
Service Integration
Channel Integration
Seamless Services
Integrated access to related information, referral and services across jurisdictional lines
Integrated Channel Management
One Stop Shops Convenience and access to wide range of related and unrelated services
Independent Channels
Organizational Integration
Corporate Service Utility
Delegated Delivery
Co-location
Source: Marson, Treasury Board of Canada

17. Integrated Service Delivery: Beyond the Single Window
eContact
Information management / search engine that cuts across channels and jurisdictions. Facing challenges of shared governance and shared sustainable funding. Will require common information management standards.
BizPal
Integrated permitting and licensing application. Leading to business process integration across levels of government. Will face similar governance and funding challenges.
Integrated Inspections and Enforcement
Inspectors across the Ontario Public Service now share a common set of processes and tools, enabling them to assess all aspects of a site in a single visit rather than sending multiple inspectors on a series of visits.

18. Some Keys to Success Putting the Structures in Place
“Bubble gum and good will” needs to be supported by a business plan and governance structure
Learning to Hear and be Heard
Be clear about your needs while staying as flexible as possible
Managing as Partners
Project managers need a strong relationship of mutual trust
Leading with Vision
Senior champions who will remove barriers

19. Benefits of Integrated Services - The Canadian Experience
for citizens:
Accessibility – services are easier to find
Timeliness
Convenience
Customization to individual needs
Improved outcomes
for governments:
Lower costs of operation
Introduction of innovation
Improved program outcomes,
Improved visibility, and
Increased public trust and confidence

20. Access Remains a Significant Problem
“I appreciate O Canada – one access number to call to get in touch with the right government service. I also like to use websites for 24/7 access to government services.”
One of the reasons we want to spend time on access issues is that access continues to be a significant problem. We will see later that service quality ratings have improved since Unfortunately there is no measurable improvement in access.
This is not to say that nothing has been done. Many jurisdictions have initiated projects to address access problems. And some citizens have noticed since many of these initiatives appear in the written comments from the survey. Nevertheless, the actual numbers have not moved.
Q. I can readily access any government service that I need?

21. Access is a Priority
Citizens First 3 suggests that ACCESS remains a significant concern for citizens.
In particular, access over the TELEPHONE poses many challenges to citizens seeking public services
Can’t find the right number, Busy phone lines; Bounced around, IVR systems that confuse.
At the root of much of the dissatisfaction is a concern over the TIMELINESS of service – #1 driver.

22. The Citizens First Service Model

23. Expectations are Rising
Canadians recognize that the government’s task is more difficult…
… Yet they still expect service quality to be as good or better than the private sector
Q. Governments have a more difficult task than the private sector – they must protect the public interest as well as meet the needs of citizens?
Q. What quality of service should you get from government, compared to the private sector?

24. Focusing on the Drivers of Satisfaction
Timeliness
Knowledge
Fairness
Extra Mile / Courtesy
Outcome
Citizens who get good service on all 5 drivers rate SQ at 89 out of 100
If a citizen gives a good rating on all five of these drivers (4 or 5 out of five), the service quality rating is 89/100.
However, as this slide shows, if the number of drivers rated good declines, say to 4 of the 5, the overall service quality rating drops from 89 to 76/ 100! More strikingly, those who rate all five drivers poor rate service quality at 22/100!
We also know from our research on drivers that timeliness is the most important driver – it has a stronger effect on service quality ratings than any of the others and it receives the lowest performance score.

25. Drivers of Satisfaction
We have a better understanding of what drives satisfaction
Internet
In-Person / Phone
Timeliness
Knowledge / Competence
Extra Mile / Extra Smile
Fairness
Outcome
Easy to Find Service
Outcome
Visual Appeal
Complete Information
Results used to inform Common Measurements Tool

26. Timeliness: the Driver that Most Needs Improvement

27. Canada’s Improving Service Reputation
The results from Citizens First demonstrate that service quality ratings can be improved.

28. Improvement in a Service Environment
The results of individual services such as Canada Post (posted mail delivery) are also improving.
5.7
6.2
6.6
1998
2000
2002
7.0
6.0
5.0
2005

29. Improvement in a Regulatory Environment
The results of the Canada Revenue Agency (taxation) demonstrate that service quality ratings can be improved in a regulatory environment too.
6.2
5.5
5.7
5.9
1998
2000
2002
6.0
5.0
2005

30. The Common Measurements Tool
A multi-channel instrument for designing client satisfaction surveys;
Designed by public servants, for public servants;
Enables organizations to benchmark results;
Being used across Canada and in a growing number of other countries.
1999 Gold Award
2000 Silver Award

31. “Core” CMT Questions ESD Core Questions
Core questions are important for benchmarking
Questions are aligned with the drivers of satisfaction
Some cross-channel and some unique to channel
ESD Core Questions
Overall Satisfaction* Navigation
Timeliness* Visual Appeal
Accessibility* Information
Communication* Privacy
Outcome*
* Common to all channels

32. CMT Benchmarking Database
Central database for storing CMT data has been built;
Ability to anonymously compare results against peer organizations;
ICCS uses the database to search for trends, identify good practices, and contribute knowledge.

33. The Next Frontier? Public Sector Service-Value Chain•
James
Heskett •
Citizens First - 3 •
Telus •
Communication •
Sears
Canada •
SQM Group •
ACSI 2002
Employee
Satisfaction,&
Commitment
Client
Satisfaction
Confidence &
Trust in Public
Institutions
Drivers:
Drivers:
Drivers: •
Timeliness •
Service •
To be documented
through research •
Competence •
Courtesy •
Others to be •
Fairness
discovered and
documented •
Outcome
©Heintzman & Marson 2003

34. Why is all this so important?
Research in Canada highlights that there is a direct and measurable link between the quality of public sector service delivery and confidence in the public service.
Overall
Government
Performance
Rating
Service Quality
Depending on you audience, you can use the Confidence in Government slides at the beginning or the end of the presentation (or not at all).
We prefer to use them at the beginning as they provide a strong argument for why service quality is important and why the rest of the material is so valuable.
This slide is not from Citizens First 3, but from Communications Canada (CC). It was one of the findings that prompted us to look at the link between service quality and confidence in government since CC was not able to demonstrate either the strength of the relationship, or the direction of influence.
This is also a good slide to point out that Citizens First 3 is focused on issues of service delivery and not political/policy issues. As such, we could not ask the direct question of ones Confidence in Government. As a consequence of this limitation, the study was forced to design a proxy measure for Confidence in Government. This take us to the next slide.
Source: Communications Canada

36. Thank You! For more information
Charles Vincent