Strategic Context

As Citizens’ Services pursues its mandate over the next three years, it faces an environment characterized by both opportunities and challenges. In our Service Plan we have identified the strategies we will employ to mitigate risks, maximize opportunities and address key challenges.

Opportunities

• Increase accessibility for citizens, businesses and the public sector to government-wide information and services. Utilize a variety of channels (in person, telephone and online), increase broadband access and support the ease of use of tools and lead Canada in the provision of citizen’s services in multiple languages.
• Institute the necessary governance, standards and services to enable ministries to integrate government services in a way that allows citizens to access whatever they need from government, from wherever they live and by whatever avenue they choose.
• Continue to be leaders in innovative public sector service delivery by developing integrated and cost-effective shared services. This will include: successfully integrating accommodation and real estate services with Shared Services BC (e.g. information technology, payroll, procurement and supply, financial and business applications); leveraging the benefits from public/private partnerships; and ensuring a modern, efficient, and flexible provincial information and technology infrastructure.

Challenges

• Integrated service delivery depends on public confidence in government’s ability to guarantee the security of private information. The ability to identify and authenticate clients who wish to access services is important. Service delivery channels and infrastructure must be secure and privacy must be maintained.
• Integrated service delivery also depends on having broadband Internet infrastructure in place in all of B.C.’s communities and a high-level of access by citizens.
• Achieving service integration and citizen-centred service delivery is complex and requires resources. It requires working with multiple stakeholders and understanding and managing their expectations, priorities and interdependencies while dealing with the intricacies and evolution of technology.
• Being a leader in innovative service delivery carries the inherent risks of being the first to do things in a new way. Maintaining leadership also requires investment and the ability to attract and retain a talented and appropriately skilled workforce in an increasingly competitive market place.