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- In-Person Service Network. Service Canada's In-person service network supports the delivery of services and information for the Government of Canada.
- Outreach (Community Outreach Liaison Service) The Community Outreach and Liaison Service (COLS) program reaches the most vulnerable populations to provide access to government services and benefits.
- Passport Service Delivery. As delegated by the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), ESDC is responsible for the delivery of the Passport Program in Canada.
- Social Insurance Number Program. Introduced in 1964, the Social Insurance Number (SIN) is a 9-digit number used as a client or account number that is required for every person working in insurable or pensionable employment in Canada and to file income tax returns.
- On This Page
- Executive Summary
- Management Response and Action Plan
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Service Transformation and Delivery Through Service Canada
- 3 Findings
- 4 Key Conclusions and Recommendations
- Appendix A – Evaluation Questions
- Appendix B – Methods and Limitations
- Appendix C – List of Technical Reports
Evaluation purpose
This horizontal evaluation assesses the relevance and performance of Service Canada’s provision of general information and services (Tier 1) through 3 channels (in-person, telephone, and online) and the provision of personalized information and services (Tier 2) for the Canada Pension Plan Retirement Pension. The evaluation focuses on the delivery of information and services for Employment Social Development Canada ’s 3 main statutory programs: Employment Insurance, Old Age Security, and the...
Scope and methodology
The evaluation covers fiscal yearsFootnote 2 2014 to 2015 to 2018 to 2019 and provides evidence regarding results under Employment Social Development Canada’s core responsibility related to “information delivery and services for other departments”Footnote 3. This evaluation used a Gender-Based Analysis Plus lens to inform data collection and analysis, including by assessing how diverse groups of people may experience programs and initiatives differently. Evaluation findings are based on 8 lin...
Recommendations
1. Explore innovative options to meeting clients’ needs for specific, personalized information about their Canada Pension Plan Retirement Pension 2. Continue to identify and reduce barriers in accessing services and benefits amongst potentially vulnerable populations and explore inclusive approaches to providing those services
Overall management response
The Canada Pension Plan is 1 of 3 pillars of Canada’s retirement income system and a key element of the retirement security of Canadians. In fiscal year 2017 to 2018, 5.8 million individuals benefited from the Canada Pension Plan and more than 302,432 individuals applied for their Retirement Pension. The decision of when to begin receiving the Canada Pension Plan Retirement Pension is complex. It requires clients to consider their Canada Pension Plan contributions and other sources of retirem...
Recommendation #1
Explore innovative options to meeting clients’ needs for specific, personalized information about their Canada Pension Plan Retirement Pension.
Recommendation #2
Continue to identify and reduce barriers in accessing services and benefits amongst potentially vulnerable populations and explore inclusive approaches to providing those services.
1.1 Evaluation objectives and scope
The evaluation addresses the following overarching questions: 1. to what extent is Service Canada meeting clients’ needs by providing information and services that are accurate and easy to understand, timely, and easy to access through its 3 service delivery channels? 2. do various population groups experience any specific barriers with regard to their use of the 3 channels? Appendix A presents the full list of evaluation questions which were approved by the Performance Measurement and Evalua...
1.2 Methodology
This evaluation used multiple lines of enquiry to assess Service Canada’s contributions to clients’ ability to access timely services and sufficient and accurate information through the service delivery channel that best meets their needs. By way of examining the Canada Pension Plan Retirement Pension in detail, specific findings were used to further bolster general findings presented in this report. Some of these findings were found to be relevant to client needs regarding the delivery of ot...
2.1 Service transformation
For nearly half a century, the Government of Canada has been working toward improving how it delivers services to the publicFootnote 11. At the same time, service delivery in the private sector has evolved rapidly through ever-advancing technologies. Clients increasingly expect the delivery of government services to keep pace – digital, easy to access, available at any time, and accompanied by timely assistanceFootnote 12,Footnote 13. Currently, there is a trend whereby Canadians are “more cr...
2.2 Service delivery through Service Canada
Introduced in 2005, Service Canada provides an integrated location where Canadians can access services and information for Employment Social Development Canada’s main statutory programs through in-person Points of Service, online or over the phone. Service Canada is the service delivery business line of Employment Social Development Canada and provides information about government organizations, programs, services, events and initiatives, including information on public consultation and citiz...
3.1 Responsibility and alignment with federal and departmental priorities
Providing clients with services and information about Government of Canada programs is a federal responsibility that is supported by Service Canada. Service Canada meets the current government policies and aligns with government priorities. Additionally, its 3 service delivery channels are strategically aligned with Employment Social Development Canada’s priorities. The literature reviewed emphasizes that there is more than simply a commercial relationship between a government and its citizen...
3.2 Meeting demonstrable needs for services and information
There is a continued need amongst Canadians and non-Canadians for Government of Canada services and information from all channels and tiers for a number of different programs. Potential challenges with obtaining services and information persist for more complex programs and for population groups that are at higher risk of experiencing 1 or more barriers. While several initiatives are underway across channels to improve service delivery, it remains important to provide multiple service deliver...
3.3 Accessibility and timeliness of service delivery across channels
Across the In-Person, Telephone, and Internet channels, most clients are able to access services and information in a timely manner, but accessibilityFootnote 26and timeliness vary by channel and purpose of the interaction. In general, wait times for in-person services are met, and most Canada Pension Plan Retirement Pension clients in particular confirmed in-person wait times are reasonable. The locations, schedules, and design of in-person services are generally accessible in one form or an...
Guided by the Policy on Service and the Policy on Communications and Federal Identity, Service Canada aims to provide clients with timely and accurate government information and services that meet the diverse information needs of the publicFootnote 82. Service Canada operates in a context of rising and evolving client expectations of service delive...
To what extent does Service Canada’s provision of services and information address a demonstrable need among Canadians generally and specifically among target groups?To what extent does Service Canada’s current and future provision of services and information about Employment Social Development Canada programs to all Canadians align with government priorities,...To what extent are Canadians aware of existing programs and services available via different service delivery channels?To what extent does Service Canada provide accurate, timely and easy access to Employment Social Development Canada services and information needed by Canadians?This evaluation measured and reported on the contribution of program efforts to realize outcomes pertaining to client service, such as client ability to access timely services and accurate information in the official language of their choice, and through the service delivery channel that best meets their needs. Attribution of impact was not possibl...
Please note that while technical studies are not published, they are available upon request. Prairie Research Associates Inc. (2019), “Providing Services and Information to Canadians through Service Canada (PSIC) Evaluation: Survey of Canada Pension Plan Clients”, prepared for Employment Social Development Canada Prairie Research Associates Inc. (2...
- 10.70%
- 25.80%
- 6.80%
- 3.80%
- In-Person Service Network. Service Canada’s in-person network is the only visible Government of Canada presence coast to coast that provides government services to Canadians and clients, including support for accessing government benefits and programs.
- Passport Service Delivery. Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) delivers the Passport Program in Canada on behalf of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), which is ultimately responsible for issuing passports and other travel documents to eligible Canadian citizens, refugees and other protected persons accepted by Canada.
- Social Insurance Number Program. The Social Insurance Number (SIN) is a nine-digit number used since 1964 as a client or account number that is required for every person working in insurable or pensionable employment in Canada.
- Canada.ca. Canada.ca is the primary Government of Canada website, providing Canadians with information on the Government’s programs and services.
A good example is people who resolve to go to the gym in January and end up on the sofa by February. Behaviour change such as habit stacking can help. When it comes to accessing government benefits, Dr. Hopkins offers a few tips. Tap into community “People with your lived experience who’ve applied for a program can be a great resource ...
Jun 21, 2024 · Increase of the maximum number of weeks of Employment Insurance (EI) Sickness benefits to 26 weeks. Effective for claims with a start date on or after December 18, 2022, the maximum number of weeks of benefits you can receive is now extended from 15 to 26 weeks. This extension also applies to special benefits for self-employed people.
Jul 1, 2015 · But some government agencies—including at the local, state, and federal levels—have successfully implemented a customer-centric approach to service design and delivery. This article draws on their experiences to illustrate the four elements of implementing transformation efforts aimed at increasing citizen satisfaction and reducing costs. 3.
People also ask
Why are government services important?
How can it support help the government?
What information does Service Canada ask a client?
Do government agencies deliver services based on the needs of people?
Why are public services important?
Does Service Canada provide personalized information and services?
Jul 28, 2022 · Indeed, engaging with government services can be hard, and navigating multiple government agencies can be even harder. Many beneficiaries are unable to access the critical support they need and are entitled to. 3 “Executive order on advancing racial equity and support for underserved communities through the federal government,” The White House, January 20, 2021.
