Citizens' Services — Continued
Strategic Context
This section of the Annual Report provides an overview of the context within which Citizens' Services operates and highlights activities undertaken and advancements made to manage opportunities and to mitigate risks.
Citizens' Services operates in a context where:
- The public expects government to enhance internal efficiencies, emphasize greater transparency and accountability, and improve service quality;
- The public also expects government to integrate and streamline services to create a cost-effective, seamless service delivery system;
- The private sector wants to be a valued partner in the provision of government services;
- British Columbians have access to advanced telecommunication and value-added on-line services; and
- Citizens want to be more electronically connected to government without compromising privacy or security.
To capitalize on opportunities and mitigate risks, strategies with defined deliverables were identified in the 2005/06 – 2007/08 Service Plan Update and were implemented over this past year. Results are described more completely in the Report on Performance section.
Key advances include:
High levels of citizen satisfaction (97%) with government services provided in person and over the telephone continue to be achieved;
In support of B.C.'s plan to guarantee the security of private information so that citizens can have confidence in government's ability to provide integrated services, the ministry hosted the North American Chapter of the Information Security Forum and the largest Privacy and Security Conference in Canada; chaired the National CIO's subcommittee on information protection; participated in various national and international committees and drafted a new security policy based on international standards (ISO 17799);
Work is underway to clarify the governance authority of the Province's Chief Information Officer for standard setting, oversight and approvals for the Province's information and for communications technology;
A Business/Enterprise Architecture strategy to identify opportunities for integrating related information across ministries is being developed;
A review of Chapter 12 Information and Technology Management of the Core Policy and Procedures manual has been conducted and revisions identified;
The Alternative Service Delivery (ASD) Secretariat assisted ministries to assess potential ASD initiatives and to design the most effective procurement approach and final deal structure for the Province. Two new deals (Public Health Surveillance Solution and Provincial Laboratory Information Solution) were initiated in 2005/06 and the secretariat supported two additional projects (BC Health Guide and Service BC) through the Joint Solution Procurement process;
Network BC worked with TELUS to bridge the province's digital divide. By aggregating provincial technology spending and using the savings, communities were connected to affordable high-speed Internet without the requirement of new funding;
The FrontCounter BC service centre prototype opened in Kamloops and was subsequently transferred to the Integrated Land Management Bureau with additional offices opened in Prince George, Nanaimo and Surrey this year. These centres provide clients of provincial natural resource ministries with a one-stop service;
A comprehensive Workforce Planning Profile for Citizens' Services was developed. This will provide the basis for future human resource planning to attract and retain a talented and appropriately skilled workforce in an increasingly competitive market place;
Significant learning resulted from the impacts of implementing complex business processes and technology changes across government without fully anticipating the implications on service delivery. More attention is now being given to communications and change management. Deliberate actions are being implemented to improve service; and
Increased cross-ministry collaboration and focus by the public sector on achieving the Five Great Goals has enabled Citizens' Services to move forward with its mandate to transform the delivery of services to the citizens of B.C.
Linkage to the Five Great Goals
Citizens' Services is uniquely positioned to support all Five Great Goals of government in that it is mandated to lead the transformation of service delivery across government. Service BC takes a leadership role in providing citizens with integrated information and services on behalf of ministries by phone, on the Internet or in person through the 59 Service BC – Government Agents Offices.
The Office of the Chief Information Officer and Common IT Services (within Shared Services BC) work together to provide a robust IT infrastructure and secure and standardized systems support. This enables secure information sharing and service integration across government.
In support of the Five Great Goals, significant progress was made over the past year:
- A comprehensive strategy with timelines and measurable outcomes has been developed for the cross-government Citizen-Centred Service Delivery Initiative. Goals of this initiative include: improved quality of service to citizens; an increase in the quantity of service through improved access points; specialized service centres for specific client groups (e.g., seniors); and common performance standards, measures and reporting on citizen satisfaction throughout government;
- The development of the prototype and successful transition of the ongoing operations of FrontCounter BC to the Integrated Land Management Bureau;
- The development of a government-wide service commitments and guidelines document by an inter-ministry committee;
- BC 211 (toll-free service) is now in the Partnership Development and Implementation Planning phase with a final plan targeted for fall 2006; and
- Network BC ended the 2005/06 fiscal year with Internet connectivity to citizens and businesses in 240 of 366 communities, with the remaining communities to receive broadband access points by December of 2006.
In 2005/06, Citizens' Services also contributed to each of the Five Great Goals individually as follows:
Goal 1: Make British Columbia the best-educated, most literate jurisdiction on the continent.
- Network BC continued to extend broadband access to rural, remote and First Nations communities increasing the capacity of communities and citizens to take advantage of Internet connectivity. Support was also provided for several initiatives led by the Ministry of Education (e.g., the Provincial Learning Network, Connecting Libraries and Information Data Exchange System);
Goal 2: Lead the way in North America in healthy living and physical fitness.
- Citizens' Services is supporting BC NurseLine and ActNow BC by developing an efficient and co-ordinated information and technology infrastructure, and, interface with citizens;
- It also supported ministries in strategic health-related procurement activities (e.g., Provincial Laboratory Information Solution, Pan-Canadian Public Health Communicable Disease Surveillance and Management Project);
Goal 3: Build the best system of support in Canada for persons with disabilities, those with special needs, children at risk, and seniors.
- Citizens' Services is leading the Citizen-Centred Service Delivery Initiative to support the social sector by providing: secure systems support for 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 secure systems to maintain public trust;
- Service BC, in partnership with the United Way of the Lower Mainland, is developing a plan for a province-wide 211 toll-free service that will provide information and referrals to a full range of community, social, non-emergency health and government services;
Goal 4: Lead the world in sustainable environmental management, with the best air and water quality, and the best fisheries management, bar none.
- Citizens' Services supports B.C.'s Climate Change Action Plan by providing funding support for a Green Fleet (to buy hybrid vehicles);
Goal 5: Create more jobs per capita than anywhere else in Canada.
- Network BC continued to extend broadband access across B.C. helping create jobs in smaller communities; and
- Citizens' Services continues to provide support to FrontCounter BC.
