Citizens' Services

Service Delivery

This section provides an overview of the services provided by Citizens' Services, the people it serves and its relationship with its business partners.

Citizens' Services is mandated to lead the transformation of service delivery to British Columbians. Service transformation means making public services more accessible, easier to deal with and more responsive to those who need them. Citizens' Services plays a leading role in co-ordinating work across ministries and agencies to improve the way government services and information are delivered. Success is achieved through effective partnering with ministry colleagues. A complete listing of the ministry's legislation can be found in Appendix 3.

Shared services are provided primarily to the ministries but some are also provided to the broader public sector. Many of the services provided are delivered through contracts with private sector suppliers and consultants. Sound business principles and practices are followed in soliciting, negotiating and documenting all contractual agreements. A number of the key services that Citizens' Services provides are delivered using new business model partnerships that are based on long-term relationships with the private sector (e.g., TELUS Sourcing Solutions provides Human Resources Management System (HRMS)/Payroll Services and IBM Canada provides Workstation Support Services). The objective of these innovative relationships is to deliver efficient and effective services that meet or exceed the standards of quality expected by customers and clients. The contracts are structured to state clearly and completely the performance obligations of the parties to the agreement and management of these long-term relationships is based on joint governance structures that reflect best practices.

Services are provided by four business organizations:

Service BC

Service BC is the government's chief provider of front-line services to citizens, businesses and visitors. Service BC provides information and services on behalf of programs offered by ministries and agencies, by using one, or a combination of, Service BC service channels: in person by contacting Service BC – Government Agents; by phone using Service BC – Enquiry BC; or on-line through web services provided by BC OnLine and the government enterprise portal. Programs and services focus on facilitating and leading a co-ordinated approach to service transformation across government. The services of Service BC are provided by the following five areas of business:

  • Service Delivery Operations is responsible for regional points of service including: Service BC – Government Agents Offices (59 Service Centres); Community Access Terminals; and Service BC – Enquiry BC Contact Centre. The program also supports and implements over-the-counter and telephone requirements for new services;
  • Online Channel Office manages the Enterprise Portal, Employee Portal and BC OnLine. BC OnLine provides on-line access to e-government services for legal, business, government and professionals;
  • BC STATS provides statistical information and analysis services for government departments, as well as information on economic, social, and demographic conditions of the province and its people. BC STATS supports Service BC's information requirements for service delivery performance measurement and service improvement;
  • The Service Delivery Initiative Office works across ministries and other levels of government to ensure government services are designed and delivered according to the needs of citizens and businesses. This area is also responsible for the Service BC Knowledge Centre (formerly Corporate IT and Management Library) which provides cross-government information and research services; and
  • The Service Delivery Planning and Business Development Branch manages and implements new initiatives resulting from emerging business requirements.

Shared Services BC

Shared Services BC is the primary provider of internal services to government. This division is responsible for providing the basic services needed by government to function (technology, finance and administration, payroll and procurement support). The shared services model allows ministries to focus on non-administrative activities, and Shared Services BC to focus on gaining efficiencies and improving the delivery of these services. Shared Services BC is governed by a Shared Services Board of Directors made up of Deputy Ministers. The service divisions of Shared Services BC include: Common IT and Payroll Services; Common Business Services; and, as of April 1, 2006, Accommodation and Real Estate Services (formerly BC Buildings Corporation).

  • Common Information Technology (CITS) and Payroll Services
    • CITS is the steward of all information and technology assets across B.C. for core government. The technology services provided by CITS include: (i) Workplace/employee productivity services (such as email and workstations); (ii) Business application enabling services (such as Windows and UNIX server platforms and the data centre); (iii) Location connection services (such as SPAN/BC); and, (iv) Business and integrated solutions (such as common cross-government applications).
    • Provincial Human Resource Management System (HRMS/Payroll Services) manages the delivery of payroll services and application management for the government human resources payroll system. These services are provided through TELUS Sourcing Solutions Inc.
  • Common Business Services, which includes three business areas:
    • Corporate Accounting Services (CAS) manages the production, maintenance and development of the corporate financial accounting and financial management applications. CAS provides a stable and secure corporate infrastructure for financial processing and is the official "book of record" for production of the Public Accounts.
    • Procurement and Supply Services (PSS) provides procurement, asset storage and disposal, and supply services. This includes: the acquisition of goods and services; (Purchasing Services and IT Procurement) printing and publishing (Queen's Printer); management, processing and distribution of government mail (BC Mail Plus); publications (Publication Services); publishing of educational materials and hosting common learning systems for the K – 12 school system and other public sector organizations (Open School BC); office products and specialty giftware (Distribution Centre Victoria); medical, emergency, health and safety supplies, uniforms and protective clothing, emergency preparedness products (Product Distribution Centre); surplus asset disposal and redistribution (Asset Investment Recovery); and the operation of the BC Bid system to advise suppliers of competitive tendering opportunities available with the public sector in British Columbia.
    • Strategic Acquisitions and Intellectual Property (SAIP) manages and delivers strategic procurement planning, advice and implementation services for major acquisitions. It provides intellectual property management services, liaises with industry on issues related to government procurement and intellectual property and delivers procurement related training.

Office of the Chief Information Officer

The Office of the Chief Information Officer (CIO) is responsible for developing and supporting a corporate approach to the management of government's information and technology resources to citizens, businesses and the public sector. Five business areas provide service:

  • Information Security is responsible for ensuring a secure Information Management (IM) and Information Technology (IT) environment for all of government with a focus on protecting, detecting, and responding to the information security needs of government. This includes creating government IT security strategy, policy, standards, and guidelines respecting IM/IT security.
  • Strategic Planning and Policy provides corporate strategic planning and policy to directly support the CIO in IM/IT governance, legislation and policy, electronic government strategies, infrastructure and services, and privacy and information risk management. The legislation this area manages includes: the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act; the Personal Information Protection Act; the Document Disposal Act; and the Electronic Transactions Act.
  • Technology Planning and Standards ensures government is positioned to make the best use of existing and emerging information technologies by developing the required architectures, plans and IT standards to support government's strategic direction, ministry service plans, and ministry information systems plans.
  • Planning and Strategic Partnerships has primary responsibility for the interface between the office of the CIO and ministry partners, to ensure integration of information technology and information management plans and initiatives with corporate goals, objectives and priorities of government.
  • Network BC was created to work with British Columbia communities and the private sector to bridge the digital divide in British Columbia and provide high-speed access to unserved rural and remote communities, support the move towards common service delivery models for government administrative services, leverage existing and new alliances with the federal government and First Nations to explore digital access for remote First Nations' communities, as well as aggregate public sector telecommunications to achieve benefits and cost savings for citizens and businesses.

Alternative Service Delivery (ASD) Secretariat

The ASD Secretariat facilitates and leads the transformation of government services and operations through strategic partnerships with the private sector. The ASD Secretariat provides the specialized resources to support the delivery of government's key outsourcing projects and other transformational service delivery initiatives and also to build the skills and capacity within government to manage long-term relationships with its third party service providers.

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