Title: Electronic service delivery in a multi-channel public sector: an assessment of the government of Canada

Authors: Jeffrey Roy

Addresses: Faculty of Management, Dalhousie University, School of Public Administration, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 3J5, Canada

Abstract: The purpose of this article is to provide a critical assessment of both the Canadian federal government|s experience to date with online service delivery and the prospects for Service Canada, a new vehicle for government-wide service transformation. In doing so, our primary interest lies in better understanding the organisational dimensions to this transformation and the extent to which these dimensions are both addressed in and well aligned with the federal government apparatus. Upon review of the background to and creation of Service Canada, five major sets of factors are adopted in order to analyse the prospects for this government-wide service transformation initiative. They include the relevance and management of a multi-channel service apparatus; the governance architecture; the importance of management by networks; public-private partnering; and senior management and political support. The article concludes that significant effort is required in each of these areas in order for Service Canada to succeed.

Keywords: electronic government; e-government; governance; collaboration; interoperability; integration; politics; management; electronic service delivery; e-service; federal government; Service Canada; networks; public-private partnerships.

DOI: 10.1504/IJITM.2007.013998

International Journal of Information Technology and Management, 2007 Vol.6 No.2/3/4, pp.148 - 169

Published online: 10 Jun 2007 *

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