Executive Summary

The following information is out of date.

Service Canada is pleased to present its first annual report for the year ending March 31, 2006.

In Chapter One we report on our efforts to design the ideal one-stop service experience for each of our main channels of service delivery, and to start making tangible improvements to better serve Canadians.

In our first year, we established a network of Service Canada Centres where Canadians can get information on a range of government programs and services; introduced new outreach and mobile services to reach rural and remote areas of Canada; partnered with other departments and levels of government to offer new services; redesigned our Web Site to be a better online government service provider; introduced a number of new online services; integrated our various call centres into a single network; started developing service strategies for various groups of Canadians such as people with disabilities and seniors; and worked on establishing better processes and making better use of technologies to establish a platform for one-stop service delivery.

In Chapter Two we report on our efforts to enhance the integrity of our programs and achieve significant savings for Canadian taxpayers.

In our first year, our strategy was to increase the accuracy rate of benefit payments and reduce error and fraud through more effective risk management and more automated processes. These efforts resulted in savings in operating costs and program payments in the order of $292 million, exceeding our year-one target of $265 million.

We started work on establishing a “one-client view” of service delivery so that Canadians would not have to provide us with personal information over and over every time they deal with us. The approach – which is similar to that used by banks and other large institutions that deal with long-term clients – will include the high standards of protecting privacy and personal information Canadians expect. Other noteworthy achievements include agreements with three provinces – New Brunswick, Ontario and British Columbia – that allow the sharing of vital events information concerning births and deaths.

In Chapter Three we report on our efforts to build partnerships with more federal departments, provinces and territories, and other organizations to give Canadians true one-stop access to programs, services and information.

In our first year, our strategy was to expand our service offerings beyond the traditional services and benefits we are known for – for example, Employment Insurance, Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security. We did it in a way that built on our strengths, which include being the largest government service delivery network in the country, having extensive expertise in the processing of application and benefits, and providing a well-trained service workforce.

We successfully took on a number of new services, including receiving passport applications in 35 of our centres on behalf of Passport Canada, delivering pleasure craft licences on behalf of Transport Canada, and providing information on new government initiatives such as the Universal Child Care Benefit program.

We also tested new partnerships on a small scale to determine interest in certain services, for example by installing direct phone lines to the Canada Revenue Agency for clients in ten of our Service Canada Centres.

We are also developing practical experience in multi-government, one-stop service centres. For example, we set up a service centre in collaboration with the City of Ottawa and the Government of Ontario that offers services from all three jurisdictions in one place.

In Chapter Four we report on our efforts to be publicly accountable to Canadians and report on our results. In our first year, our strategy was to introduce four concrete elements of our commitment to providing excellent service to Canadians. Early in the first year, we introduced a Service Charter and set up the Office for Client Satisfaction to receive feedback from clients. We also introduced Service Standards to define the level of service Canadians can expect – for example, standard hours of operation for our call centres and offices, and standard wait times for Employment Insurance payments so Canadians know when they can expect their first cheque. Finally, with this annual report, we are issuing our first Performance Scorecard, which provides a public record of the progress we have made in measuring up to these standards.

In Chapter Five we report on our efforts to provide Canadians with knowledgeable, trained and helpful staff, and to create a culture of service excellence within our organization.

We strongly believe that good service starts with our service delivery representatives, whether they are helping Canadians in one of our Service Canada Centres, processing the payment of benefits, or providing telephone or Internet services.

In our first year, we worked at developing the “service delivery profession” in our organization. This included setting up a comprehensive Service Delivery Career Development Program; instituting a Service Canada “college” and service delivery training curriculum and certification program in collaboration with the Canada School of Public Service; and setting up a rewards and recognition program to recognize service innovation and excellence and staff who “go the extra mile” in serving Canadians.

Finally, the conclusion looks ahead as we build the Government of Canada’s one-stop service delivery network.

In keeping with our commitment to serve you better, you will find a form at the end of this document (Appendix 5) asking for your comments on our annual report and how we can improve it. We look forward to hearing from you.

Service Canada: A National Service Delivery Network

By March 2006, we were providing 93% of Canadians with access to our services within 50 kilometres of where they live.

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