For immediate releaseOTTAWA, March 31, 2004 - The Honourable Stephen Owen, Minister of Public Works and Government Services, tabled the third annual report on the Government On-Line (GOL) initiative today in Parliament. "We have made great strides in making government more accessible to Canadians," said Minister Owen. "Forty-five services are now fully on-line. The Government On-Line 2004 report highlights our achievements to date and addresses the remaining key challenges to put all 130 of the services most needed by citizens and businesses on the Internet by 2005."Through the GOL initiative, the Government of Canada has improved services for individuals and businesses by redesigning its main Web site - the Canada Site (www.canada.gc.ca ) - which offers a convenient point of access to a wide range of programs and services. As well, specialized gateways and portals organize information and services according to users' perspectives and needs.The volume of on-line transactions, such as visiting Web sites and downloading information or forms, increased by 54% in 2003. The Jobs, Workers, Training and Career portal registered more than eight million user sessions in 2003, and the number of job banks offered via this portal has doubled. Information for international clients seeking to do business with Canada has also been expanded. The government's expanded on-line services offer economic advantages as well. For example, Canadians who submit on-line requests for Statements of Contribution (to the Canada Pension Plan) receive them within 10 days, while the same request sent by mail takes about one month to process and return. In addition, businesses that incorporate on-line pay $200 rather than the regular $250, and $20 to file an annual return on-line rather than $40 for a paper filing, a 50% savings. Human Resources and Skills Development's Web Record of Employment (ROE) service has processed nearly 73,000 transactions as of March 20, 2004, saving time and costs for payroll professionals. It is estimated that by 2006 at least 80% of businesses will submit their ROEs on-line. Similarly, HRSD's E-Payroll will link business and governments electronically and enable real-time access to and verification of payroll data, thus simplifying the delivery of social programs to Canadians and rendering cost savings for both business and governments.The Secure Channel is a common infrastructure connecting Canadians and businesses to the government with the highest standards in privacy, security, availability and reliability. Already in use by several GOL services, the Secure Channel will also be used by Canadians during the 2006 Census, enabling Canadians to fill out their surveys on-line.Lastly, the number of wireless services the Government of Canada now offers to users equipped with Web-enabled cell phones or personal digital assistants is constantly increasing. For example, Canadians can now use these devices to obtain toll-free numbers, access up-to-date economic forecasts or obtain contact information for their Member of Parliament.You can access the annual report on the GOL initiative at www.gol-ged.gc.ca or www.tpsgc.gc.ca .- 30 - For more information, please contact: Renée GillenPress SecretaryOffice of the Minister(819) 997-5421Pierre TéotonioSenior Media Relations Officer(819) 956-2310BACKGROUNDERGovernment On-LineOn-Line Service and Canadians 74% of Canadians (EKOS, Rethinking the Information Highway, 2003) reported using the Internet within the previous month. 65% of Canadian Internet users visited a government web site in 2003. (EKOS, Rethinking the Information Highway, 2003) More than 60 per cent of Canadian using the Internet access public sector Web sites, considerably higher than in other countries, according to recent reports from comScore Media Metrix Canada, a media survey group. The United States, in contrast, has a 44 per cent audience reach, while the UK and France attract 36 and 35 per cent of their online constituents, respectively.In the period between November of 2002 and January of this year some sites, like that of Canada Customs and Revenue Agency, (now Canada Revenue Agency) experienced a 155 per cent increase in the number of unique visitors.Government On-Line The Government of Canada launched the Government On-Line (GOL) initiative in October 1999. By 2005, GOL will provide citizens and businesses with on-line access to the 130 most commonly used Government of Canada information and transactional services via the Internet and in the official language of their choice. The Government's commitment to the Government On-Line initiative was reiterated in Budget 2000 and again in 2001. The Government of Canada's service strategy, of which GOL is a key component, is guided by two principles: organizing services and information around the needs and expectations of citizens and business (client-centered); and taking a "whole of government" approach to provide access to the entire range of government services regardless of what delivery channel is used to access it (telephone, in-person or web) or which department, agency, or level of government is responsible for the service. In 2003, the international consultancy firm Accenture singled out Canada as the world leader in e-government for the third consecutive year. In large measure, this rating is due to our government's progress to the service transformation stage of e-government. In addition to what departments and agencies are investing in on-line services, the Government of Canada has allocated $880 million to GOL over six fiscal years to 2005-06. To date, the following results have been achieved:1. On-Line Services and Service ImprovementThe Government of Canada is continuing to develop client-centered delivery of information and services to Canadians through its main Internet portal, the Canada Site at www.canada.gc.ca.45 of the 130 most commonly used services are now completely on-line. Almost all of the remaining services are now partially on-line and are becoming more sophisticated.2. Common, secure infrastructureThe Secure Channel, an enterprise-wide electronic service delivery platform enables integrated services and supports secure Internet access. The ePass service, which issues a digital certificate to Canadians who want access to on-line services, is being used by several departments. Over 100,000 ePasses have been issued to Canadians. In 2003, the migration to the Secure Channel network was completed and all departments are now using this new telecommunications network.A secure on-line payment service to the Receiver General, called the Receiver General Buy Button, was launched on the Secure Channel in 2003 and currently supports seven departmental storefronts.3. Policy and standards frameworksA Privacy Impact Assessment Policy was adopted to ensure that privacy is an integral part of the design or re-structuring of services. A revised Government Security Policy was adopted, and information technology security standards are being updated. A revised Management of Government Information Policy was adopted.4. Communications and measurementCanadians' views have played an important role in the design, comprehensiveness and prioritization of on-line information and services. Extensive consultations supported the Canada Site re-design and its on-going development. Extensive consultations are also underway to obtain user views on security and privacy as well as service standards, service delivery models and other service delivery issues.The GOL Advisory Panel, comprising representatives from the private, academic and voluntary sectors, submitted its final report to the government in December 2003. (http://www.gol-ged.gc.ca/pnl-grp/reports/final/final00_e.asp).Reporting on progress is also important to keep Canadians, businesses and other stakeholders informed of plans and progress. The annual GOL reports to Parliament, as well as reports from each of the departments responsible for GOL, are posted at www.gol-ged.gc.ca. A performance measurement framework with 11 performance indicators has been established covering all aspects of the Government On-Line initiative from departmental readiness to client satisfaction. A Common Measurements Tool has been developed to measure client satisfaction for in-person, telephone and Internet channels.5. Human resourcesThe Government of Canada is ensuring that employees will have the knowledge, skills and competencies to deliver public services in an integrated, client-centered and multi-channel environment.More information on Government On-Line, including the most recent report to Parliament, are available on the Internet at www.gol-ged.gc.ca.GOVERNMENT ON-LINE SERVICES COMPLETED IN 2003:Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)Business Risk ManagementFood Safety and QualityNational Land and Water InformationCitizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC)Integration of Newcomers into Canadian SocietyProtection of refugees and others in need of resettlementDepartment of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT)Export/Import Controls SystemsDepartment of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO)LicensingIndustry Canada (IC)Canadian Small Business Financing ActCompetition BureauMeasurement CanadaJustice Canada (JC)On line public participationNatural Resources Canada (NRCan)Geographical applications: maps, satellite images, surveys, etc.Canadian Heritage (PCH)Active Citizenship and Civic ParticipationCanadian Content (Knowledge and Information)Financial Support ProgramsRoyal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Federal Policing
