Summary of recent Service Advisory Committee meetings

1. Opening Remarks and Update on ESDC / Service Canada and Budget 2024

The Chair welcomed members and introduced himself as the new Chief Operating Officer for Service Canada and Chair of the Committee. Members were then invited to briefly introduce themselves.

The Chair invited Service Canada senior management to provide updates on initiatives related to the Chief Client Experience Officer and the Canadian Digital Service. The Chair then provided an overview of Budget 2024 and initiatives related to service delivery, including funding received for Single Sign-In and Digital Credentials initiative.

2. Use of artificial intelligence (AI) in digital service delivery.

The purpose of this agenda item was to seek members’ advice on the use of AI in digital service delivery.

In particular, SAC members were invited to provide feedback and insights into the following elements:

• How to leverage AI for improving service delivery (either through direct service delivery to clients or enabling processing efficiencies) in a constantly changing and evolving technology environment; and
• Risks of using generative AI for government service delivery.

SAC members provided advice that centred around the following three themes:

1. Key issues surrounding the accessibility of AI tools
   • SAC highlighted that the lack of infrastructure in many remote communities to support adequate internet connections is a large barrier to the successful implementation of online AI tools.
   • Committee members also indicated that some individuals who have a lower level of technical literacy would require additional resources in their language of choice to ensure better comprehension and accessibility.
   • The Committee suggested that community organizations that support people with disabilities be consulted throughout the development of any potential tools to ensure that tools and platform used are accessible.
2. Building trust and providing adequate educational resources regarding AI
   • SAC reiterated that the importance of building trust with Canadians regarding the use of AI is essential for the successful implementation of any tools.
   • The Committee suggested that public broadcasters be leveraged to provide necessary information on the use of AI to Canadians, as well as partnering with community organizations to help prevent clients seeking information from unreliable sources.
   • SAC highlighted the importance of building employee trust and knowledge regarding AI as it helps ensure the relevant knowledge regarding systems, and data biases are considered.
3. Reliability, performance measurement, and feedback mechanisms
   • The Committee members highlighted the importance of maintaining service quality and reliability when implementing new tools, to ensure clients are well supported through this transition.
   • In addition, the Committee members discussed the need for performance measurement, as well as a way for clients to submit feedback on the service delivery provided by AI, with each submission being assessed by employees.

Partnerships with other federal departments, provinces, territories, the private sector, and community organizations

• The Committee recognized that lack of trust is one of the main barriers in accessing government services.
• Collaboration and partnerships with trusted community organizations are essential to help build that trust. However, it must be recognized that community organizations have limited resources to conduct outreach and referrals to government programs, services, and benefits.
• The Committee suggested identifying opportunities to meet clients at local fairs or events, including mobile service clinics in remote communities, to promote their services while building relationships and trust with communities.

Removing barriers and biases to provide more inclusive and equitable access

• The Committee emphasized the importance of meetings and discussions with clients, especially vulnerable individuals or those who are harder to reach, in order to understand their journey and barriers when interacting with government services.
• Service delivery interfaces and promotional materials need to be presented in plain and concise language and in a user-friendly format.
• Information should also be available in non-official languages, including Indigenous languages.

Digital-first and human-centred service channels

• The Committee underlined that the implementation of a digital-first approach should prioritize clients' needs and not the technology.
• When discussing the principle of "digital-first" in service delivery transformation projects, special attention should be paid to the language used. For example, "digital-first" means that all services will be available in a digital format, not that they will only be available online.
• The Committee reiterated the importance of recognizing that not every Canadian has access or knows how to use digital resources. For instance, in some remote and rural communities, access to a reliable internet connection is difficult and costly. In-person services must remain available.

Trust and communications with the public

• In relation to the appointment of the new Chief Client Experience Officer within Service Canada, the Committee stated that Service Canada should have performance indicators and service standards to paint a clear picture of what success looks like.
• The Committee suggested that Service Canada build tools to allow clients to provide feedback at different touchpoints of their service journeys. This could include looking into the possibility of implementing a direct channel of communication with marginalized and underserved populations.
• The Committee suggested that Service Canada empower its employees to resolve client service issues in a timely and efficient manner.

Seeking efficiencies through automation, artificial intelligence and technology

• The Committee reiterated that technology, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), is quickly evolving, and it is important to ensure that employees have the right skills to implement and work with AI to improve service delivery.
• The Committee suggested that Service Canada explore possibilities of collaboration with the private sector when implementing new technology or AI.
• The Committee suggested to have monitoring, evaluation, and auditing mechanisms in place to mitigate issues related to automation and AI. This could include agents who are ready to respond to issues faced by clients or correct errors caused by technology.
• When looking at opportunities for the use of AI in service delivery, the Committee suggested using AI to automate repetitive and administrative tasks and avoid using it for decision-making.

Regaining the trust of Canadians

• The SAC emphasized the importance of regaining the public trust following the passport situation. They advised that Service Canada should continue to be transparent and take accountability about the passport situation
• Effective communication with the public is important in order to regain public trust. The SAC suggested that Service Canada could use social media and the Service Canada website to inform Canadians about initiatives taken to improve passport services and how Service Canada will move forward
• The SAC recommended that Service Canada strive for continuous improvement and continue to seek feedback from Canadians on how it can improve service delivery

Ensuring the re-build of the Passport Program is client-focused first

• The SAC emphasized centralizing the client’s experience in every step of the process when rebuilding the passport program. Ensuring extensive and ongoing communication and feedback from clients is crucial for improving service
• Because it is important to ensure people with disabilities are at the centre of design and consulted, the SAC suggested that Service Canada look to leverage partnerships with community organizations as a means of extending service delivery
• The application process for a Canadian passport can be onerous for certain people, and it can discourage them from applying. There could be opportunities to review and streamline processes and immigration policies to grant a passport upon obtaining Canadian citizenship or a Social Insurance Number (SIN)

Digital and automation solutions to consider

• Members pointed that there are opportunities to consider the automation of processes in order to reduce hand-offs and manual workload, while improving the general process efficiency
• The transition towards digital services could also help reach more individuals, especially those who are using technology on a regular basis
• Service Canada could consider implementing tools for tracking the status of a passport application. This would increase transparency and efficiency on passport application processes and service delivery

• The passport situation demonstrates the importance of strengthening the predictive capacity of service delivery to ensure there are sufficient resources in place during expected peak periods

Potential partnership options

• Members suggested that Service Canada consider establishing partnerships with the private sector, such as travel agencies or service points where passport pictures are taken. Those partners could direct clients to the appropriate resources for the timely renewal or application of passports
• Partnerships could improve access to passport services by increasing the number of service points outside of passport offices and Service Canada centres
• Partnerships could improve passport service delivery in remote communities
• Using partnerships to improve the efficiency and access to passport services would need to be balanced with the protection of the integrity of the

Getting started and setting expectations: defining the problem

• Develop a concise problem statement on what you are trying to achieve or improve with data. This will point you to the data sets you need to focus on
• Be clear about what you are trying to achieve; the decision you are trying to make; the criteria you are using to make those decisions; and what you will be doing with the data; this will inform what kind of data is worth collecting. Knowing what data you are collecting and for what specific purpose will help support a rationale for organizational effort and investment in collecting data. When it is understood which data sets are needed, reach outs to people and departments can be made for more information and to discuss how to bring data sets together safely (for example, hardware, software, experts, security etc.)
• Have organizational and architectural structures and people in place for data science and artificial intelligence activities. This will help you to know how to connect data and operational people together to find out details about your projects, answer questions, and solve problems as they come up
• It is important to begin your project (collection of data) with pilots. This way you can learn what does and does not work, and show your success. Then you can move your project ahead in a bigger way

Data governance, centralization and standardization

• Centralizing data hubs and moving away from operational data silos is key to arriving at a better, more holistic understanding of your clients
• Give clear reasons for what and why data should be shared and centralized. Explain how sharing data will help both clients and staff
• Build a common language when using data so that people connect to each other and have a common understanding. It is important to standardize and have procedures in place to collect data the same way each time
• Strong data inputs will help make sure the system works at its best. If employees do not have dedicated time to produce strong data inputs, or sufficient training and encouragement, data collection and quality may be impacted
• Ensure governance and other mechanisms are in place to respect client’s privacy when collecting and using their data

Types of data

• With "real time" data, it is important to understand what the term means and why you need this type of data. Collecting and analysing real time data can be very expensive and might not always be worth the cost
• Data that you may already have, such as unemployment triggers, can help you decide where to route a client or how a process should work
• Collect both quantitative and qualitative data. Pay attention to the experiences of clients and the staff who help them. Sometimes ways of doing things can be better without having to be faster
• Data is often gathered based on issues related to time (e.g., what are wait times? How long is the client service process?). Consider how to measure quality overall or opportunities to combine quality and timing measures

Data sensitivity and biases

• It is important to be sensitive to concerns with data sharing and aware of differences between groups while also working to be inclusive
• Think about issues around bias when you work with big data sets. Are the client experiences of particular groups shown in the data more than others? Work with experts to make sure there are no built-in biases in any of your pilot projects or other activities
• Algorithms and artificial intelligence are not always good at understanding complex social and health issues. Use different ways to analyse those data sets to make sure vulnerable client groups do not get lost within the bigger set

The client and employee perspectives

• Think about how collecting and analysing data will help clients; also consider what data and information employees need to see in order to best serve clients
• Think about consulting people who live the client experience daily to help with "meaning making" - understanding what it is that your data analyses is showing
• Use story-telling and other tools to help front line staff better understand and use data in meaningful ways for their day-to-day reality
• Make sure you have the right process in place to get the data you want from your clients. Ask clients about their experience giving you data and the kinds of questions you are asking to collect the data
• Think about how the approach to collecting data might affect employees.  Responsibilities for gathering data may add a burden to already heavy employee workloads, and may require additional training and supports

Consider what is realistic

• Data is important to improve service delivery to clients. However, not all points of service delivery (that is, in-person service centres, phone, or web) can do all things. Organizations should be aware of this when analyzing and reviewing data. They should also have preference on what points of service are better for certain kinds of client interactions

Client persona development

• Creating client personas helps organizations understand how service transformation may impact clients. Using personas can also help to show the organization opportunities for making services better
• Personas need to seem like real people, with the right level of detail given. Each persona should be unique
• Personas should not be a “perfect person”. Client personas should have struggles and challenges, and be realistic to employees who work with them. Employee personas should also be complex and deal with clients in different ways
• Base vulnerable client personas on the groups that that the federal government is striving to support
• Consider personas that do not speak English or French as a first language, or who have lower reading levels. Work with these groups to show their realities

Including context

• It is important to show the reality that a persona may live in. Examples are an isolated adult living alone with complex service needs, or a new Canadian who does not know what services or documents they need
• Think about problems that a persona might have when trying to access services. For example, how will people react if information is too hard to understand
• Make sure employees know that you understand the realities they work in. Recognize past challenges and new ones that may arise. This is important before talking about new goals

Employee engagement

• Work with staff in small groups to find out how they see personas. This will help people understand your message. This may also help staff relate to the personas and understand their stories
• Find out what front-line service workers see in personas. For example, do staff think the persona is realistic? Do they care about the persona’s issues? What might staff think the persona is doing wrong, such as applying for services too late? What would staff tell the persona about how to do things differently as they seek services
• Show the realities of employee in transformation and put their ideas in place. This will be encouraging to staff as they go through the transformation process. Design employee personas who have the outcomes and experiences you want your staff to have
• Not all employees will be ready for change. Resistance may lead to poor client interactions. Be aware of obstacles and develop small stepping stones to support employees

Further considerations

• Use tools to show how to solve problems and meet goals. User Journeys can show pain points, solve problems, and identify solutions in line with the transformation journey. Use process mapping to show different views of complex processes and where things can be made simpler
• Think about using animation, infographics, and stories that build characters and follows them over time. The characters should grow and change, and face challenges that they and your employees can solve
• Do not hesitate to direct clients to the best way for them, and for you, to get the right kinds of service outcomes. This may change the types of interactions and staff training needed for in-person services
• Many people do not see the service system as user-friendly or welcoming to them. Work to ensure Indigenous people and communities are represented and have a higher profile in the transformation process
• Consider how to sustain objectives and plans, such as the ones tied to the Accessible Canada Act, in the long term, and make sure they remain current