Transforming service to Canadians: the Service Canada model

Abstract

Over the past decade, the pursuit of citizen-centred service, combined with rapid advances in information and communication technologies, has stimulated innovative approaches to the organizational design of governments' service delivery systems. Service delivery organizations in Canada and elsewhere have taken a variety of organizational forms, thereby providing a range of models for adoption or adaptation. Service Canada offers Canadians a new model for the delivery of government services. It is a one-stop, multi-channel and multi-jurisdictional initiative that is dedicated to delivering seamless citizen-centred service. It brings together a wide range of government programmes and services from across federal departments and other levels of government to provide citizens with integrated, easy-to-access, personalized service. This article assesses the possibilities that the Service Canada model presents for service transformation through integrated service delivery (ISD) and discusses political, structural, operational, managerial and cultural barriers to its implementation.

Points for practitioners

Successful ISD initiatives can take a variety of organizational forms with an array of governance arrangements. While some of the ISD challenges are not faced by all countries, many of the challenges (e.g. privacy and security issues) are of a generic nature. Many of the solutions to ISD challenges are also of general application, including those utilized by Service Canada — the innovative use of partnerships, adequate funding, guaranteed privacy and security and effective human resource management. Note also that successful service transformation requires the creation of a culture of service excellence among employees, the demonstration of frequent and tangible results, and understanding that leadership in service integration requires a capacity for adapting to an ambiguous and ever-changing environment.