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This article is part of a comprehensive report published by the International Foundation for Customer Experience in Government, which aims to enhance the global dialogue on Customer Experience (CX) in the public sector. Drawing on innovative practices from around the world, the report establishes benchmarks for governments to improve their CX initiatives.

CASE STUDY: CANADA’S PUBLIC-CENTRIC SERVICE DESIGN

INTRODUCTION 

The Government of Canada (GC) introduced its comprehensive Policy on Service and Digital.The policy provides a coherent framework and guidelines for how organizations manage the design, development, and delivery of services, as well as the handling of information and data in an ever-expanding digital landscape. This integrated policy represents a progressive evolutionary stride, reflecting shared values and a commitment to meeting the expectations of citizens. The driver behind this paradigm shift involved providing greater clarity on standards and aligning them with the perspectives of customers and service providers.20

DESCRIPTION OF THE INITIATIVE

Issued by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS), the policy combines various areas,including service delivery, information technology, information management, cybersecurity,access to information, open government, and accessibility.
Within this encompassing framework, approximately 50 standards, directives, and mandatory procedures have been established to ensure the fulfillment of responsibilities and attainment of minimum expectations concerning the design and delivery of public-facing services at the federal level. It unifies the direction for the development of public services and sets definitive benchmarks, eliminating fragmentation that may have arisen from disparate guiding documents.
In this context, noteworthy shifts in emphasis are evident, with a heightened prioritization of services over conventional back-office functions. This recalibration has redefined the objectives of back-office operations, requiring a more pronounced focus on the impact of public-facing services on the overall frontline experience.
The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) plays a pivotal role in facilitating the practical adoption of policy. TBS holds a unique position to drive policy compliance by linking it with budgetary allocations and entailing goal-setting, impact assessment, and reporting of policy outcomes in conjunction with financial resource allocation. TBS now incorporates adherence as a significant dimension of performance assessment, guided by monitoring of adoption progress, data analysis, and transparent result publication.

SUCCESS FACTORS

Several key success factors contributed to the effectiveness of the program:

  • Prevalence of Citizens’ Expectations Over Technological Advancements:  The policy guidance firmly establishes that people must take precedence over technology, providing a clear mission and focus for all public servants, regardless of their roles.
  • Integration in a Single Framework: Consolidating and harmonizing the pre-existing guidance of a variety of elements of the customer-centric approach, guidelines, and standards.
  • Performative Impact: The existing processes of management and budgeting have played a pivotal role in ensuring tangible improvements in public services and the practical implementation of the guidance’s standards.
  • Budget Efficiency:: Adopting a practice of gathering and transparently publishing feedback and performance results aligned with the policy significantly bolsters CX improvement initiatives. Valuable data from these assessments informs service redesign processes and aids in allocating funding appropriately.

MAIN CHALLENGES

While the program achieved significant success, it also encountered some challenges:

  • Inconsistency in Implementation: Despite the existence of policy guidance within GC, the desired system-wide transformation has not yet been fully achieved, and some public services remain unaffected. Agencies may not feel the urgency to fix services that seem to be functioning adequately, even if comprehensive guidance exists.
  • Coordination Difficulties Within Entities: Fragmented responsibility for service improvement leads to slower progress if it is not managed adequately. Aligning different actors such as Chief Digital Officer, Chief Data Officer, Chief Technology Officer, policy departments, and design labs becomes challenging in a large country with numerous stakeholders. This often resulting in numerous “alignment meetings” without significant service improvements. 
  •  Time Efficiency: Constant revision of agreed-upon directions can be time-consuming, as it entails repeated agreement and processing of policies. Nevertheless, it is important to maintain up-to-date guidelines and rules to ensure their thorough application. To effectively cater to the ever-evolving needs of citizens, policy guidance must encompass expectations and instructions that are regularly adapted. 
  • Need for Wider Understanding: Notwithstanding rigorous efforts to evaluate performance, there is presently a general lack of an up-to-date and comprehensive view encompassing all public services, in the form of a government-wide service performance “heat map,” accessible to senior decision-makers. Gaining a comparative understanding of areas requiring improvement and those exhibiting exemplary performance would enable enhanced prioritization and proactive initiatives, thus departing from a reactive approach towards addressing service quality matters.

TAKEAWAYS 

The program offers valuable takeaways for successful government initiatives:

  • Creating a Unified Framework: To enhance the overall Government of Canada Experience (GCX), it is essential to consolidate the guidance and standards for frontline service, data governance, and digital/tech practices into an integrated system. By harmonizing these requirements and ensuring their simplicity, they will better reflect policy objectives.
  • Driving Effective Policy Action: When faced with situations where policy appears sound on paper, but implementation is faltering, policy changes should be considered (For example, if certain policy rules hinder the delivery of a satisfactory customer experience, policy adjustments should be made). It is crucial to establish a clear feedback loop to regularly update rules and ensure comprehensive policy alignment, as opposed to just addressing isolated aspects. 
  • Fortifying Coordination and Governance: Effective policy implementation requires robust coordination and daily governance, whilst avoiding the challenge of fragmented responsibilities. However, it is essential to avoid ineffective coordination that only leads to fruitless alignment discussions without tangible outcomes.
  • Cultivating a Culture of Excellence: The practice of performance management (beyond merely as an oversight function) establishes a conducive working culture that fosters continuous improvement in CX. Setting well defined goals, measuring results, and utilizing data in decision-making processes contribute significantly to enhancing the overall experience for citizens and users.
  • Consistency and Visibility: Consistency in commitment and ambition is vital when initiating new programs. Demonstrating the positive impact of changes through customer feedback reinforces motivation and encourages continued progress.

In conclusion, the Government of Canada’s comprehensive policy on service and digital aims to provide citizen-centric public services. Expected impact involves introducing client-centricity into decision-making, planning, and reporting that is formally supported by enterprise governance, technology-enabled service delivery and innovation.

In our next article, we will explore how the NSW government is leveraging customer feedback—an often underutilized input—to align institutional directions with citizen needs, driving meaningful improvements in public sector CX!

References:
20 “Policy on Service and Digital.” Canada.ca, August 24, 2017. https://www.tbs-sct.canada.ca/pol/doc-eng.aspx-?id=32603.