Core Business Areas:

In order to realize its mandate and achieve its strategic direction, the Ministry has established the following core business areas:

• Service Delivery to Citizens and Businesses: Service BC.
• Service Delivery to the Public Sector.
• Service Transformation.
• Governance.
• Executive and Support Services.
• Collectively, these five core business areas include all of the Ministry's programs and services. These core business areas differ from those contained in the 2003/04 – 2005/06 Ministry Service Plan. The following chart reflects the changes that have taken place.

The core business areas set out in this Service Plan reflect the continuation of the Ministry's strategic shift from a model of traditional government service delivery to a model of customer and client-focused, value-added services. The new names of the core business areas and the regrouping of functions under the core business areas demonstrate the Ministry's commitment to transforming the way services and information are delivered to citizens, businesses, the broader public sector and core government.

A number of new initiatives have been added to the Ministry's responsibilities, including:

• expanding opportunities for citizens and businesses to access government programs and services on the Internet;
• working with private sector groups to develop alternative service delivery arrangements for delivering services and information;
• providing or improving existing high-speed Internet access to British Columbians; and
• developing and implementing the Client-Centred Service Delivery framework for ministries and other levels of government to work together to deliver services and information in a more coordinated and efficient manner.

These initiatives are reflected in the Service Transformation core business area.

Throughout this document you will notice the use of the terms "customer" and "client". Within the Ministry of Management Services, these terms generally mean the following.

Customer: An individual who receives a service or product from the Ministry of Management Services. Customers may be members of the public, businesses, or government staff.

Examples of customers:

• A citizen who visits a Government Agents office to enquire about the programs of the Ministry of Human Resources.
• Government staff who contact the Common Information Technology Services (CITS) Help Desk to resolve an information technology issue, or who contact Corporate Accounting Services to track and reconcile payments to vendors.

Client: An organization that purchases the service solutions offered by the Ministry of Management Services, allowing the organization to focus on its core business.

Examples of clients:

• Ministries purchase the services of CITS and Common Business Services.
• The Ministry of Human Resources relies on Government Agents to deliver programs in communities where the Ministry of Human Resources has no office.

Core Business Area 1: Service Delivery to Citizens and Businesses: Service BC.

Ensuring that citizens, businesses and the broader public sector have convenient access to high quality, seamless services is a priority for the Government of British Columbia. Service BC organizes the way government delivers services so that they make sense for customers, allowing them to choose Internet, telephone, or face-to-face service. Government Agents, Enquiry BC, BC OnLine and BC Internet Services provide access to services and information on behalf of a wide range of government ministries and agencies. Rather than dealing with individual ministries, customers can access services and information through one "corporate" or integrated point of contact.

The Ministry's work in this core business area will continue to focus on:

• improving service delivery and expanding the ease of access to government services (e.g., change of address, Land Titles, Corporate and Personal Property Registries, BC Assessment, Gas and Electrical permits) and information by offering convenient, one-stop "channels" such as the Enterprise Portal; and
• expanding the services available in 58 communities through Government Agents Offices.

It is estimated that for fiscal year 2004/05, this core business area will have recoveries of $5.523 million, a voted appropriation of $23.196 million (total operating expenses: $28.719 million), and a Full-Time Equivalent staff of 313.

Core Business Area 2: Service Delivery to the Public Sector.

Reducing the overall cost of internal management services to ministries and other public sector clients so that they can focus resources on their core priorities continues to be integral to the Ministry's transformation agenda. Services include common information technology, finance and administration, payroll, and procurement and supply. To achieve this goal, the Ministry has implemented a shared services model — Solutions BC. Shared services is a leading edge approach to service delivery.

The shared services approach involves five key steps:

• consolidating the resources required to deliver services;
• modifying policies and streamlining processes;
• standardizing processes and leveraging expertise;
• using technology to drive out further efficiencies; and
• continuous improvement.

Shared services is client-led and customer-focused — clients are involved in determining the services they want to receive and customer input is used to continuously improve service delivery and reduce costs.

Another important component of this core business area is BC Stats. BC Stats provides ministries, as well as other customers and clients, with statistical products, services, research and expertise.

This core business area also includes the development of the communications infrastructure to support the work required to provide or improve high-speed Internet access to communities throughout British Columbia — including First Nations communities. Addressing the "digital divide" will establish a network for delivering e-government services, with an emphasis on education and health services, and will also enhance regional economic development in the Heartlands by expanding Internet access to citizens and businesses.

The Ministry's work in this core business area will continue to focus on:

• further streamlining internal business processes;
• introducing more cost-effective, technology-based self-service models to ensure the best value for the client;
• providing or improving high-speed, broadband Internet access to more British Columbians so they can participate in and benefit from economic, health and education opportunities;
• building on the current Regional Service Delivery model to meet service needs, particularly in the Heartlands; and,
• further expanding electronic procurement to allow the government and businesses to do business with each other electronically over the Internet, and to improve the efficiency of government procurement activity.

The majority of functions within this core business area operate as if they were a $1,000 vote structure (expenditures must not exceed recoveries by more than $1,000 in a fiscal year). Recoveries for Solutions BC for 2004/05 are estimated at $309.941 million. The balance of this core business area operates on a voted appropriation of $17.542 million (total operating expenses: $327.483 million). Full-Time Equivalent staffing for 2004/05 is estimated at 1,273.

Funding is used to support activities that reduce internal costs to government, allowing ministries to focus on their core priorities.

Core Business Area 3: Service Transformation.

While all areas of the Ministry are focused on transforming service delivery to customers and clients, specific areas act as change agents or catalysts to ensure that timelines and business objectives are met and that the most appropriate service delivery models are used to meet customer and client needs.

The Results Management Office (RMO): Was created in recognition that business requirements should drive investments in information and communication technology, and that a corporate organization is required to apply project management discipline to electronic service delivery initiatives. Within the government's Electronic Service Delivery Infrastructure initiative, the government's Internet site — the Enterprise Portal — is a major project managed by the RMO. The Portal offers a new avenue for customers to access services in a way that suits their needs.

The Enterprise Portal Implementation Project was successfully completed with the launch of the Public Portal on September 16, 2003, and the Employee Portal on September 30, 2003. The operating and capital budget to complete the project for fiscal year 2003/04 was $6.0 million and the annual operating costs for subsequent years are included in the e-Government Initiatives Fund budget of $5.4 million. The Enterprise Portal Content Migration Project has commenced and will continue into fiscal 2004/05. The budget for this project also falls within the e-Government Initiatives Fund.

The Alternative Service Delivery Project Secretariat: Is responsible for working with core government to design and implement cost effective and efficient service solutions in conjunction with the private sector. Alternative service delivery covers a range of delivery approaches focusing on providing the best value for the tax dollar. It promotes opportunities that maintain or enhance service levels, derive financial benefit through cost reductions or avoidance of capital costs, and increases private sector involvement so government can focus on core business priorities.

The Alternative Service Delivery Secretariat provides specialized expertise to project teams across Government to execute long-term (7–10 year) deals with the private sector to develop and implement alternative service delivery models. The Secretariat also ensures that the most appropriate methods for partnership development are used, maximizing benefits and minimizing costs to Government.

The Service Delivery Initiative: Works with ministries and other levels of government to identify opportunities for collaboration and integration of services that maximize convenience to the public. For example, a number of ministries situated in different locations within a community may chose to locate in one office to provide more convenient and integrated service to customers. This "one government" approach ensures that services are developed and organized around the needs of customers and clients. Currently 42 Cross-Ministry Work Teams are active in 57 communities across British Columbia.

The Ministry's work in this core business area will continue to focus on:

• expanding the ease of access to government programs and services on the Internet delivered through the Enterprise Portal and overseeing the continued migration of electronic services to the Portal;
• implementing the Client-Centred Service Delivery framework for the Service Delivery Initiative;
• driving the Joint Solution Procurement² model for the procurement of major information technology and related business processes; and
• supporting project initiation and business case development of future alternative service delivery initiatives.

In 2004/05, it is estimated this core business area will have recoveries of $5.399 million, a voted appropriation of $0.393 million (total operating expenses: $5.792 million), and Full-Time Equivalent staffing of 10.

Core Business Area 4: Governance.

This core business area includes two key functions.

The Office of the Chief Information Officer is responsible for overall government information management and information technology strategic planning, identifying opportunities to transform service delivery through technology, developing information technology governance systems and policy, drafting the information and communications technology (ICT) architecture for government, and managing major stakeholder relations, including vendors, regarding ICT.

The Government Information Strategies, Policy and Legislation branch is responsible for enabling government to treat information as a strategic asset and includes:

• the Corporate Privacy and Information Access branch which is responsible for the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, the Electronic Transactions Act, the Document Disposal Act, the Personal Information Protection Act (Private Sector Privacy) and all policy, standards and directives that flow from these pieces of legislation;
• Corporate Records Management which provides corporate information management to support decision-making, reduce costs, meet business, legal and accountability requirements, and preserve British Columbia's documentary heritage;
• The government's Authentication Project Office, which is responsible for developing enterprise-wide authentication solutions. Authentication is any process that verifies that someone is who he or she claims to be. This usually involves a username and password but can include other methods; and
• the Corporate IT and Management Library which facilitates the transfer of ICT knowledge to assist employees to be more effective in their jobs.

The Ministry's work in this core business area will continue to focus on:

• overseeing electronic service delivery strategies contained within the Government's strategic plan for electronic service delivery (the e-BC Strategic Plan);
• ensuring the e-BC Strategy is strategically aligned with the Service Delivery Initiative and alternative service delivery projects;
• improving the timeliness, access, cost, quality and alignment of ICT solutions;
• developing and communicating government-wide ICT governance, standards and architectures;
• developing an "authentication" framework to enable government to manage identity and eligibility information used for electronic service delivery programs and services. This "authentication" framework will allow government to deliver government services over the Internet that have eligibility requirements, while protecting the privacy of the public; and
• implementing privacy legislation, policy and procedures to support business and service delivery initiatives.

It is estimated that for fiscal year 2004/05, this core business area will have $4.343 million in recoveries, a voted appropriation of $4.604 million (total operating expenses: $8.947 million) and an estimated Full-Time Equivalent staff of 49.

Core Business Area 5: Executive and Support Services.

This core business area provides effective leadership and change management as the Ministry transforms itself to lead the provincial strategy for the integration of customer and client-focused, multi-channel service delivery to the public and broader public sector.

The Ministry's work in this area will continue to focus on:

• providing effective financial management;
• providing overall leadership to the Ministry in order to carry out its mission of championing the transformation of government service delivery to respond to the everyday needs of citizens, businesses and the public sector;
• ensuring that employees have the tools to adapt to and benefit from change;
• ensuring the Ministry recruits and retains a workforce that is competent, capable and flexible;
• ensuring that staff actions align with Ministry goals and objectives; and
• ensuring that the Ministry's working environment encourages productivity and innovation.

For fiscal year 2004/05, this core business area will have an estimated $1.000 million in recoveries, a voted appropriation of $5.554 million (total operating expenses: $6.554 million), and an estimated Full-Time Equivalent staff of 19.

Also included in this core business area is the Premier's Technology Council. In August 2001, the Premier's Technology Council was formed. Its mandate is to provide advice on all technology-related issues facing British Columbia and its citizens and outline priorities for future years, including moving BC towards a leadership position in the ongoing technology revolution.