Related Initiatives and Planning Processes

Regulatory Reform

Citizens’ Services will continue to support government’s regulatory reform initiative and review regulatory requirements to identify opportunities for further reduction. This approach will also be balanced against the need to ensure that the information privacy and access rights of the public are safeguarded.

Citizens’ Services will maintain the target of a zero per cent net increase in regulatory requirements through 2008/09.

Information Resource Management Plan (IRMP)

An overview of the Ministry of Labour and Citizens’ Services IRMP is available at: http://www.labour.gov.bc.ca/pubs/related/overview.htm.

Citizen-Centred Service Delivery

Citizens’ Services leads the Citizen-Centred Service Delivery Initiative on behalf of government. The purpose of this initiative is to ensure that: all government staff have a common focus on citizen-centred service; citizens’ first interaction with government is positive and they get the information they need; access to government information and services is increased through use of public terminals, 1-800 lines and trained staff; one-stop service for particular segments of the population is developed; and, measures and reporting of citizens’ satisfaction are standardized.

Central to the ministry’s 2006–2009 Service Plan is its commitment to citizen-centred service delivery. All components of the Plan are aligned to this theme:

• The ministry’s vision is: British Columbia will be a leader in Canada and recognized internationally for excellence in public service delivery.
• The mission is: Citizens’ Services will transform public services to make them cost-effective, accessible and responsive to the needs of citizens and business.
• One of four values is Service Excellence. This means that we work to know our customers and treat them as partners and that we are flexible, innovative and proactive.
• Two of Citizens’ Services four goals are focused directly on citizen-centred service delivery: goal one is: Positive service experiences for customers and clients and goal three is: A robust technology infrastructure providing for secure information management and the emerging needs of customers and clients.
• Objectives related to the goals above include: increased customer and client satisfaction with service availability, service usability, and service delivery and secure information ensured to build and maintain public confidence.
• Measures include the rate of customer satisfaction that is derived from a citizen survey. Results demonstrate how satisfied customers are with the quality of services provided when they access government programs and information through Service BC–Government Agents and the Service BC–Enquiry BC.
• Many strategies in the plan describe work that continues or will be undertaken over the next three years to advance citizen-centred service delivery. Examples include:
• recommend and implement government-wide service commitments for service delivery and ensure progress in achieving improved service delivery;
• increase and improve offerings of multiple languages in delivering government services;
• develop a framework that facilitates all provincial government staff having a common focus on citizens’ services;
• 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.);
• 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; and
• develop common, well understood business application and information architecture standards to improve interoperability and information management across government and guide investments.