Goals, Objectives, Strategies and Results

Citizens’ Services three-year Service Plan was developed to align with and support the Government’s Strategic Plan and Five Great Goals. Listed under each of the Five Great Goals are the key initiatives this part of the ministry is leading.

Linkage to the Five Great Goals

Citizens’ Services is mandated to lead the transformation of service delivery across government. Projects to integrate services across ministries and enhance citizen-centred delivery will be implemented to support all Five Great Goals. The provision of a robust IT infrastructure and integrated systems support enables service integration across government and secure information sharing.

• Network BC is expanding broadband access to First Nations communities and to all B.C. target communities; this will increase the capacity of communities and citizens to take advantage of information technology. Network BC also provides support to several initiatives led by the Ministry of Education (e.g. the Provincial Learning Network, Connecting Libraries, Information Data Exchange System).
• Providing citizens with improved access to government services through a variety of channels (59 Service BC–Government Agents offices located around the province, Service BC–Enquiry BC and the Provincial Government Online Service); increasing language offerings through these services; and creating new services by integrating information and services across government programs.

• Supporting BC NurseLine and ActNow BC by developing an efficient and co-ordinated information and technology infrastructure and interface with citizens.
• Supporting ministries in strategic procurement activities (e.g. Provincial Laboratory Information Solution, Pan-Canadian Public Health Communicable Disease Surveillance and Management Project).

• Leading the Citizen-Centred Service Delivery Initiative to support the social sector by providing:
• secure communications and collaboration across the entire workforce associated with this sector;
• service integration across the diverse set of organizations operating in the sector;
• information and application sharing, as required; and
• security to maintain public trust.
• Developing a plan for a province-wide 2-1-1 toll free service throughout B.C. that will supply information and referrals about community, social, health and government services.
• Designing a procurement approach related to the social service sector.

• Leading the initiative for environmentally responsible procurement and disposal of assets.
• Providing funding support for a Green Fleet (to buy hybrid vehicles).
• Leading Green Buildings BC and initiatives related to B.C.’s Climate Change Plan and B.C.’s Plan for Energy Efficient Buildings.

• Extending broadband access across B.C. to help create jobs in smaller communities.
• Continuing to provide support to FrontCounter BC.

Cross Ministry Initiatives

This ministry leads the Citizen-Centred Service Delivery Initiative that ensures:

• all provincial government staff have a common focus on providing excellent service to citizens;
• citizens’ first interaction with government is positive and they get the information they need;
• access to government information and services is provided through a variety of channels, including public access terminals, 1-800 lines and trained staff at front counters to help assess needs and guide citizens to the appropriate service;
• one-stop service for particular segments of the population (e.g. seniors) is developed; and
• performance standards, measures and reporting on citizen satisfaction is common throughout the system.

Citizens’ Services also provides specific support to three of the cross ministry initiatives identified by government: Literacy, ActNow BC, and First Nations.

Expanding broadband Internet access enables citizens to access learning where they live. This is especially important in rural and remote communities.

Citizens’ Services also supports ActNow BC to promote healthy populations through the Citizen-Centred Service Delivery Initiative and related services provided through Information Management/Information Technology services, the Office of the Chief Information Officer, Service BC–Enquiry BC and Service BC–Government Agents.

The ministry is working directly with the First Nations Cultural Foundation and the Federal Government to ensure that the tools required for remote First Nations to access the First Voices language preservation and education program are incorporated in the broadband Internet plan. Citizens’ Services is an active member of the Aboriginal Telehealth Planning partnership.

Performance Plan

Overview

For each of its four goals, Citizens’ Services has identified objectives to be achieved over the next three years. The goals state the overall intended results of the Service Plan, while the objectives translate these goals into more specific desired outputs and outcomes. The strategies describe the key initiatives that will be implemented in order to accomplish the goals and objectives. It is important to note that there is not necessarily a one to one relationship between the strategies and objectives (e.g. a number of strategies can lead to the achievement of one objective or one strategy may contribute to more than one objective).

Performance measures are identified for each of the goals. A summary description explains how the measure links to the relevant goal and what is being measured. A detailed description of the measures is provided in the Citizens’ Services 2006–2009 Performance Methodology Report http://www.labour.gov.bc.ca/pubs/related/pmr_citizens.pdf. The Methodology Report includes the purpose/description, methodology employed, target rationale, data and benchmarking sources.

The Divisional Plans that are developed annually include more detailed tactics for each strategy, and assignment of responsibilities and accountabilities for their delivery. Each quarter, progress against the delivery of tactics and performance measurement targets is monitored, and year-end results are summarized in the Annual Service Plan Report.

This ministry is leading the cross-government initiative — Citizen-Centred Service Delivery. The objective of this initiative is to transform public services to make them more responsive to the needs of citizens. Co-ordination across departments of government will allow information and services to be packaged and presented in a way that is easy to understand, timely and simple to use. It will also lead to the provision of new services and more choices for citizens. Government services are offered through many different channels (telephone, online, mail, in person). Citizens’ Services collaborates with ministries to support the development of tools and training to ensure that government services are delivered in a consistent manner. The ministry will also lead an initiative to get feedback from customers about the service levels they are receiving and use this information to continuously improve the delivery of government services.

Citizens’ Services is the primary provider of internal services to government (e.g. information technology, payroll, procurement, strategic acquisitions, financial and business applications, accommodation and real estate) and will continue to create and implement initiatives to improve the availability, usability and delivery of these services to ministries and the broader public sector.

Key strategies include:

• Recommend and implement a citizen-centred branding strategy for service delivery.
• Recommend and implement government-wide service codes for service delivery and ensure progress in achieving improved service delivery.
• Deliver a broader range of services to support client ministries in meeting their objectives to achieve the Five Great Goals.
• Increase and improve offerings of multiple languages in delivering government services.
• Develop a framework to facilitate all provincial government staff having a common focus on citizens’ services.
• Use customer evaluations and feedback to improve the availability, usability and delivery of services provided to ministry and broader public sector clients and government staff.
• Integrate provincial, federal and municipal service delivery to better meet the service needs of citizens (e.g. develop a plan for 2-1-1 Services to access resources to employment support, skills training, etc.).

Performance Measures:

Rate of Customer (end-user) satisfaction

This performance measure demonstrates how satisfied customers or end-users are with the availability, usability and delivery of services they receive when they access government programs and information. The measure is based on two customer satisfaction ratings:

• a Service BC rating, based on surveys that focus on the satisfaction of citizens and businesses when they access government programs and information through three main service channels (telephone, in person and online);
• a Shared Services BC rating, based on an index of survey ratings of the satisfaction of public sector staff with internal services (e.g. information technology, payroll, procurement, strategic acquisitions, finance and business applications, and accommodation and real estate) provided by Shared Services BC.

Average Client satisfaction with shared services

This measure is an indicator of how successful Shared Services BC is in meeting client expectations and service requirements. The clients are the senior decision-makers for organizations within government and the public sector who purchase internal management support services. By monitoring client perceptions about its services, Shared Services BC can refine service delivery processes and drive satisfaction to higher levels. An index approach consisting of satisfaction ratings obtained from the clients for each of the major service areas will be used for this measure.

1	This rating is comprised of customer satisfaction survey results for the Service BC-Government Agents Offices, Service BC-Enquiry BC and BC OnLine. Source: Service BC.
2	Accommodation and Real Estate Services is not included in the index; this service area will be incorporated into the baseline and targets for this measure once their methodology is aligned with the methodology used by the other shared services.
3	The methodology for this measure is being developed; the baseline and targets will be identified once the methodology is confirmed.

This goal supports government’s continued commitment to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the delivery of public services.

Internal government services (e.g. information technology, payroll, procurement, strategic acquisitions, financial and business applications, and accommodation and real estate services) are provided through a shared services model. This service delivery model, initiated in 2003, allows ministries to focus on non-administrative activities and Shared Services BC, responsible for managing the shared services, to focus on gaining efficiencies and improving the delivery of these services.

Citizens’ Services also assists ministries to explore and analyze alternative service delivery models and provides oversight to ensure that large outsourced contracts are well managed. Its focus is on building the skills and capacity within government to manage long-term relationships and create the best possible value for taxpayers.

Savings to government are also achieved by driving down costs through aggregating demand and strategic sourcing and also by integrating government services (cross ministry as well as with other levels of government) to reduce redundancy and duplication while improving service.

Key strategies include:

• With respect to the delivery of shared services to government — improve business and financial management tools (including accurate forecasting, inventory and supply and demand reporting) to provide better and more predictable information for internal decision-making and for our customers.
• Continue to introduce and assist ministries in implementing more cost-effective service models including alternative service delivery.
• Continue to implement practices to ensure that large outsourced contracts are successfully managed, contract benefits are realized, and institutional knowledge is developed and leveraged.
• Incorporate the principle of sustainable environmental management in the procurement of goods and services and in the management of the ministry’s real estate portfolio.
• Leverage government’s purchasing power by continuing to aggregate volume purchasing across the B.C. government.
• Lead and support initiatives to increase co-ordination among ministries and also with other levels of government to reduce duplication, increase economies of scale and improve service delivery.
• Advance the use of e-service (e.g. e-procurement).

Performance Measures:

Average per minute cost for service delivery (Service BC)

This measure evaluates the cost of delivering service through two of Service BC’s channels — in person service provided by Service BC–Government Agents and the toll free phone services provided by Service BC–Enquiry BC. The measure is calculated using the total service delivery workload (based on transaction times and transaction volume) and the salary and overhead costs of the two channels. It tracks the efficiency of the operation of these services. Factors influencing the outcome of this measure include more efficient use of resources, expansion in the number of services provided, working with Service BC’s client agencies to reduce the length of time it takes to deliver their services and encouraging customers to use the most cost-effective channels.

IT investment in end-user productivity compared to industry’s most effective and efficient IT service delivery organizations

This measure is a comparative indicator on the amount of IT spending per end-user across the government enterprise. It is an external benchmark that provides a comparison of the B.C. government’s IT shared service to like or similar organizations across North America that have been identified as industry’s most effective and efficient (world class) organizations. Reliable and high performing IT services are a significant contributor to the productivity of government employees who are increasingly dependant on the availability and performance of IT systems to support the services they provide. The baseline for this measure is the total cost of government’s IT infrastructure for 2004/05 expressed as a percentage of the world class standard.

Payroll costs per employee paid per year

This measure indicates Payroll Services’ success in reducing costs over time. The measure demonstrates the efficiency of the payroll process which is made up of the following components: staffing, outsourcing, systems and overhead. The measure is based on dividing the total cost of these components by the average number of employees paid in a fiscal year. This measure is also compared to an external benchmark consisting of like or similar organizations that are considered to be most effective and efficient in providing payroll services.

Central procurement operational costs as a percentage of value of total goods and services purchased

This measure evaluates the efficiency of the government’s central procurement services compared to the industry standard. The cost required to operate procurement services is contrasted with the value of goods and services managed. A lower percentage indicates greater efficiency and cost-effectiveness in the delivery of procurement services.

1	This measure is calculated using the total service delivery workload (based on transaction times and transaction volume) and the salary and overhead costs of Service BC–Enquiry BC and Service BC–Government Agents.
2	As of January 2006, a number of organizational and budget structure changes have been identified that are expected to alter the baseline and targets in the future.
3	Source: Hackett IT Benchmarking Study 2004/05.
4	Source: Hackett Payroll Benchmarking Study 2003/04.
5	The industry standard is established by the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing.

The ability to integrate government services and information to provide better service to citizens is dependent upon the provision of a secure broadband Internet infrastructure, common IT standards and integrated architectural planning. Maintaining the integrity, confidentiality, and availability as well as appropriate access to the large volume of provincial government information, is an on-going priority. Governance (led by the Office of the CIO) is required to ensure there are common data systems, common standards, rules and a means to ensure they are followed. Good governance depends on a well-developed legislative and policy framework to protect individual privacy, enable improved system interoperability and data sharing and ensure the security of government’s information and applications.

Key strategies include:

• Increase connectivity (wired, wireless, mobile), e.g. connect by the end of 2006 all B.C. target communities; and work with the Ministry of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation and the Federal government to connect First Nation communities by the end of 2008.
• Enable ministries to achieve their Great Goal objectives through the use of technology and broadband infrastructure (e.g. connecting physicians with health records).
• Establish and implement an identity management strategy to provide simple, safe and secure access to enable citizens to get services from, and do business with, government online.
• Manage legislation and policy in the area of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, information management (including e-records), and document disposal and archiving.
• Develop and implement effective policy and governance structures and processes for Information Management/Information Technology in the Provincial government.
• Improve security of government information systems and infrastructure and the ability to defend against ongoing Internet-based attacks within a sound risk management framework.
• Develop common, well understood business application and information architecture standards to improve interoperability and information management across government and guide investment.

Performance Measures:

Percentage of communities with access to broadband facilities

As part of its goal to make B.C. the most educated and literate jurisdiction on the continent, the Province is investing in infrastructure to bring broadband access points to 366 communities by the end of 2006. Government is acting to bridge the digital divide. The first performance measure demonstrates the level of success in providing communities with access to broadband facilities. Closing the digital divide will increase the capacity of citizens and communities to take advantage of information technology to improve access to health, education, business and other government services.

Measure being developed to assess the state of government’s information security

This is a new measure that will provide an assessment of the state of government’s information security. The measure will be based on ISO 17799, an international information security standard that sets out what security controls should be in place for best practice security. Tracking the level of alignment with robust standards builds confidence in the government’s ability to ensure and maintain security over its electronic information and technology infrastructure.

1	The Premier’s Technology Council defines a community as any location in the province with a place name and either a public school, a library, or a health care facility.

In order to lead the transformation of service delivery across government, ministry staff must be customer-focused and results-oriented. They must also have the knowledge and skills to develop and implement innovative service delivery solutions.

Key strategies include:

• Attract, retain and develop the staff we need to deliver our business today and in the future.
• Ensure a clear and shared understanding of direction and accountabilities by aligning plans — ministry/division/branch and individual employee performance plans and by communicating these plans.
• Enhance results-oriented decision-making and continuous improvement through performance and financial reporting.
• Ensure that information and technology are leveraged within the ministry to help achieve Service Plan goals and objectives.
• For significant ministry initiatives, develop and implement communication and change management plans to address impacts.

Performance Measure:

Rating of employee satisfaction

The Citizens’ Services employee satisfaction survey is part of an annual government-wide survey issued by the BC Public Service Agency. The intent of the survey is to measure the work environment of the public service. Employee satisfaction is an indication of the progress being made towards ensuring that the ministry’s culture and leadership are supporting high-performance. The survey focuses on a number of categories including employee perceptions of leadership, support of employee development, communication throughout the organization, and support for learning and innovation.

1	The index is comprised of responses received to key categories in the annual survey supporting the objective for this goal.

Changes to Goals, Objectives, Strategies, Performance Measures
and Targets

Each year, the three-year Service Plan is extended by one year and is reviewed and revised to align with the current environment. A number of changes have been made to the goals, objectives, strategies, performance measures and targets for Citizens’ Services in the 2006/07–2008/09 Service Plan. Key changes made this year include:

• The reduction of goals from 5 to 4. All core business areas contribute to each goal and the goals are not functionally specific.
• Modification and redevelopment of strategies to align with the revised goals and objectives and to include initiatives to support other ministries to meet their objectives. This work has resulted in an overall reduction in the number of strategies. In particular,
• strategies related to government-wide service co-ordination and integration, service quality, broadening service offerings, and strengthening Information Management/Information Technology processes have been refocused and strengthened to support the ministry’s role in the implementation of the Citizen-Centred Service Delivery Initiative;
• strategies supporting the transformation of public sector services across government have been modified to focus on cost predictability, value and increased efficiency in service delivery.
• The number of performance measures has been reduced from 15 to 9. This reflects, in part, government’s direction to focus on the few critical aspects of performance. The performance measures selected align with the goals established for this Service Plan. The intent is to focus on measures that are corporate in scope and of the greatest strategic importance to Citizens’ Services. An overview of the changes to the performance measures follows. Additional detail is provided in the Citizens’ Services 2006–2009 Performance Methodology Report http://www.labour.gov.bc.ca/pubs/related/pmr_citizens.pdf.
• The following 2005–08 measures are not included in the 2006–09 Service Plan; they will, however, be included in Divisional and Business Unit Plans: volume of customers served: Service BC–Government Agents and Service BC–Enquiry BC; BC Online transactions; rate of success in meeting service standards; unit cost: Payroll Services; Workstation Support Services; and number of multi-agency public sector service transformation projects implemented.
• Two measures have been removed because the methodologies are being reassessed: percentage of viruses successfully blocked; and progress in implementing information management and technology infrastructure.
• The methodology for two of the measures will be modified for the 2006–09 reporting: rate of customer satisfaction; and average client satisfaction with shared services. The customer satisfaction measure now includes two satisfaction ratings: Service BC (public) and Shared Services BC (public sector staff). Also, new service areas have been added to both customer satisfaction ratings: Service BC now includes BC Online and Shared Services BC will include a major new service area (Accommodation and Real Estate Services) which is moving into Shared Services BC in April 2006. The client satisfaction with the shared services rating also will include Accommodation and Real Estate Services. This measure will continue to be based on an indexed approach but the methodology is being reassessed to improve the accuracy and relevancy of the data and to reflect the organizational changes.

Citizens’ Services Performance Plan Summary