Title: E-service delivery and new governance capacities: 'Service Canada' as a case study

Authors: Jeffrey Roy

Addresses: School of Public Administration, Dalhousie University, Canada

Abstract: The internet has given rise to online service delivery (or e-service) in the public and private sectors alike. The purpose of this paper is to provide a critical assessment of both the Canadian federal government|s e-service experience to date and the prospects of success for Service Canada – the latter being a new entity for citizen-centred service delivery in a multichannel environment. Our primary interest lies in better understanding the governance dimensions to this transformation and the extent to which these dimensions are well aligned. The Service Canada experience to date illustrates the governance complexities surrounding the introduction and pursuit of e-services in a public sector context. More than a technological challenge, the online delivery channels must coexist in a multichannel world where the interface between government as a service provider and the citizen as the customer is driving a more ambitious restructuring of roles and relationships.

Keywords: governance; e-services; electronic services; digital; interoperability; government; integration; collaboration; security; accountability; online service delivery; Canada; public sector; e-government; electronic government.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSTM.2006.010050

International Journal of Services Technology and Management, 2006 Vol.7 No.3, pp.253 - 271

Published online: 09 Jun 2006 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article