E-Government Not Yet Seamless
by Chris Thatcher
CANADA STILL RANKS AT THE TOP OF ACCENTURE’S LATEST INTERNATIONAL SURVEY, BUT SOME AREAS NEED IMMEDIATE ATTENTION.
The report is both confirmation that governments are nearing their goals and an indication that much more must be done to integrate the services of multiple levels of government into a more efficient and effective system.
While Canada is meeting objectives articulated in the Government On-Line (GOL) initiative to post the most commonly used services by the end of 2005, it did not fare so well when considered against citizens’ rising expectations.
Of 177 services measured, Canada scored 97% in number available and 80% in depth – for example, the ability to not only find information about tax returns, but also to file. In customer service maturity (a measure of citizen-focused services available over multiple channels and across governments that are proactively communicated), Canada scored 60% – still the highest and well above the 39% average, but far from ideal.
“Citizens want to be able to navigate seamlessly in an integrated fashion through all channels,” reports Alden Cuddihey, partner in government practice with Accenture. “There was a direct correlation in terms of how satisfied citizens were with the services they received from government and the degree to which government remembered who they were. In 75% of circumstances, government didn't remember all of the previous information or didn't fully remember who the citizen was, and that frustrates people.”
Almost 80% of Canadians use the Internet and an impressive 71% of those have accessed a government website. But while information is readily available, it is not well organized. As an example, Cuddihey points to the birth of a child: to apply for a health card, SIN and birth certificate, a parent must contact different departments. “We’re asking the same parent to provide the same information multiple times over – that’s not integrated service delivery. Service delivery excellence will truly be achieved when the citizen no longer has to navigate, but just explain their circumstances and have the government proactively offer the services that are available.”
According to Brent Lowe Bernie, president of comScore Media Metrix, Canada has the largest online reach and the most broadband users. Usage is spread relatively evenly across gender and age groups. But he’s only willing to give Ottawa a C grade for now – “there’s room for improvement,” he told an audience at MARCOM 2005, a marketing and communications conference in Ottawa in April.
To maximize return on its GOL investment, government must encourage Canadians to use e-services. The phone is still their preferred method of interacting with government. “Citizens were very clear that they want to be able to use the channel of their choice and they don’t want to be pushed into any particular channel,” Cuddihey says.
“The e-channel is cost effective but it’s not the total package,” says Victor Abele, director of service delivery improvement for the Treasury Board Secretariat. He cautioned MARCOM delegates that the e-channel should be viewed as a service enhancement, not a service alternative. He noted that while uptake is robust – 32% of Canadians contacted the government in the past 3 months, 31% of those via Internet – use of all other channels remains steady. Canada Revenue Agency has encountered increased complexity of questions to its call center since making basic information available online.
Security of personal information is always an issue, but there are indications that such concerns can be alleviated with the right marketing. For the first time in three years, CRA did not mention its security features in its Netfile ads after it found a majority of Canadians no longer feared filing electronically. StatsCan would like to conduct its next census online but will first have to convince citizens their personal data is protected. Abele stressed the need to promote a multi-channel, whole-of-government approach that allows for common performance measurement.
Cuddihey says the introduction of Service Canada and other initiatives indicate the government is “attempting to break down the silos and to offer those services in an integrated and seamless fashion. I think the real challenge to Canada is around the speed of implementation.” Because of its efforts to understand the needs of citizens, however, he concludes: “Canada is still very much a world leader. I think they have the right strategy in place.”
The bottom line: keep up the good work, but don't rest on your laurels.
For Accenture’s report, visit www.accenture.com.
