The path to citizen-centric government services

In recent years, some government entities have embarked on horizontal initiatives that simplify citizen experiences and streamline service delivery where responsibilities and mandates overlap. This approach can enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of public services by fostering collaboration between various departments and agencies, illustrated by the Community Safety and Well-Being (CSWB) initiative in Ontario.

The CSWB initiative involves municipalities working with police and community partners to address complex social issues such as mental health and addictions, gun and gang violence, human trafficking and hate-motivated crimes. By fostering cross-sector collaboration, the initiative aims to create safer and healthier communities through proactive and preventive measures.

Several powerful forces shape intergovernmental collaboration. This includes funding frameworks, which can either promote collaboration or generate tension among departments. Additionally, aligning mandates, particularly between environmental and economic development goals, is crucial for successful co-operation. Clear roles and responsibilities, along with stable leadership, create a foundation for effective collaboration, as frequent turnover among senior officials can lead to misunderstandings and inefficiencies.

The success of specific initiatives can also depend on well-defined objectives and thorough planning. Information and data-sharing protocols provide access to vital resources and facilitate informed decision making. Additionally, staff training and development helps build the capacity needed for effective collaboration. These practical considerations collectively influence the ability of departments and agencies to work cohesively and deliver high-quality services to citizens, focusing on the steps and priorities that contribute to the success of projects and initiatives.

The following factors create the conditions for successful intragovernmental collaboration and effective public service delivery.

• Articulate well-defined objectives and plans: Clear goals and detailed plans are critical for guiding initiatives.
• Create information and data-sharing protocols: Access to vital resources facilitates informed decision making.
• Invest in staff training and development: Upskilling employees builds capacity for effective collaboration. 
• Clarify roles and responsibilities: Well-defined assignments prevent misunderstandings and inefficiencies.
• Provide stable leadership: Continuity maintains consistent direction and support for collaborative efforts.
• Align mandates: Harmonizing goals, particularly between environmental and economic development objectives, can increase efficiency.
• Establish effective funding frameworks: Effective resource allocation can promote collaboration and address tensions among departments. 

Senior civil servants have told us they feel intergovernmental collaboration and coordination are increasingly strained. This is a critical challenge. Collaboration and coordination between different levels of government, particularly federal and provincial, create opportunities to address complex, multi-jurisdictional issues. Federal and provincial government activities are intertwined with shared and overlapping responsibilities, authority and funding in many public policy areas.

The Canada Child Benefit (CCB) is one example of effective intergovernmental collaboration. Consider how different levels of government worked together to achieve substantial social improvements: 

• Under the Federal-Provincial-Territorial (FPT) agreement, the federal government provided a tax benefit to low-income families.
• Provincial governments complemented this by developing supportive programs tailored to the needs of families.
• In some cases, these programs were delivered by municipalities. 

The CCB was credited with decreasing child poverty rates across Canada in the years immediately after its introduction,¹ highlighting how coordinated policy making and resource allocation among federal, provincial and municipal governments can address complex social issues and improve citizens’ lives.

Several factors affect how different levels of government interact. Political priorities and regional interests can shape the direction and focus of collaborative efforts, sometimes leading to conflicts. The distribution of responsibilities and authorities can also impact the clarity and efficiency of policy implementation. Additionally, the allocation of funding and resources can determine the success of joint initiatives. The absence of constitutionally anchored intergovernmental structures often means that coordination relies on less-formal arrangements with reduced effectiveness due to a lack of clear accountabilities, decision-making authorities and shared resources.

The first step to overcoming these challenges is consistent and effective communication across different levels of government. This helps prevent misunderstandings and delays. Governments that successfully harness these forces and learn from initiatives like the CCB can effectively collaborate with other levels of government to enhance public service delivery and benefit Canadians.

Effective intergovernmental collaboration helps address complex, multi-jurisdictional issues.

The critical success factors include:

• Align political priorities and regional interests: Finding common ground can reduce conflicts and promote cohesive efforts.
• Distribute responsibilities and authorities: Clearly defining responsibilities and authorities promotes efficient policy implementation.
• Allocate funding and resources: Providing adequate and equitable distribution of funding and resources helps support joint initiatives.
• Create constitutionally anchored structures: Establishing formal intergovernmental structures enhances coordination and effectiveness.
• Communicate consistently and effectively: Maintaining open and clear communication channels across different levels of government helps avoid misunderstandings and delays.

Introducing new service delivery models often involves overcoming significant barriers. A risk-averse culture can overshadow the benefits of innovative thinking and create reluctance to adopt new methods. This can be further complicated by concerns over maintaining service quality and fears that new approaches won’t match traditional outcomes. Additionally, some Canadians fear that extensive data sharing across departments and agencies will result in authorities holding too much of their private information.

A workforce skills gap, caused by recruitment and training that hasn't kept up with modern technology, also negatively affects service delivery. Governments sometimes turn to the private sector to fill this gap. But procurement processes that favour task-based commissioning over outcomes-based approaches can complicate these relationships and further limit meaningful change and genuine improvements in service delivery.

The need for reform also appears in governments’ use of technology. For instance, Canada’s ranking in the United Nations E-Government Development Index declined from 6th in 2003 to 47th in 2024.² Separately, a 2023 auditor general report found that one-third of the federal government’s mission-critical applications were in poor health and in critical need of modernization.³ Accurately assessing the total cost of ownership for legacy systems versus cloud solutions remains a concern, particularly as many organizations add cloud services without developing new capabilities.

Advancing digitization and integrating data in service delivery helps streamline processes, improve data sharing and enhance the overall efficiency of public services. Encouraging a culture of innovation within government agencies opens opportunities for new ideas, rewards innovative thinking and fosters an environment where experimentation and continuous improvement thrive. This approach supports citizen-centric service delivery models by creating the agility required to meet citizens' evolving needs.

Additionally, alternative delivery models, including managed services, can help governments deliver services more efficiently and effectively. For example, the federal government recently pursued transitioning a service-oriented Crown corporation to an alternative operating and delivery model. This model aimed to improve efficiency and service levels through better use of technology. Specifically, a private, not-for-profit, non-share capital corporation would deliver the Crown corporation’s public-facing services. This new entity was expected to be more nimble, innovative, responsive, client-centric and affordable, ultimately providing citizens with a better service experience.

Focusing on the following success factors help overcome barriers to new service delivery models:

• Manage service quality concerns: Address fears that new approaches won’t match traditional outcomes by demonstrating their effectiveness.
• Enhance recruitment and training: Modernize practices to keep pace with modern technology and address workforce skills mismatches.
• Accelerate digitization and data integration: Use modern technology to streamline processes, improve data sharing and enhance overall efficiency.
• Foster industry collaboration: Shift from task-based commissioning to outcomes-based approaches to foster meaningful change and improve service delivery.
• Build a culture of innovation: Encourage new ideas and reward innovative thinking to continuously evolve.