Service
Canada

Time Period

2001-2005

Jurisdictional Focus

Canada

Key Players:

Relevant Report(s) Produced:

Citizens as Prosumers: The Next Frontier of Service Innovation (2009)

Initiative Summary:

In 2005, the Ministry of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) introduced Canadians to Service Canada—a federal organization designed to be a 'one-stop shop' for all services delivered by the federal government. Today, Canadians can use Service Canada’s website, storefront locations or toll-free telephone number to access services including income supports like Employment Insurance, Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security.

The establishment of Service Canada was preceded by four years of planning, involving research into international best practices, consolidating previously independent government call centres and office spaces, and training thousands of employees to be subject matter experts in all of the services that the new organization would offer. While it did not singlehandedly solve the coordination issues among disability income supports, Service Canada did bring a number of federal government programs—including several income support programs—together under one roof to provide Canadians with a single point of access.