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Public opinion research has shown that citizens and businesses want their governments to provide seamless service delivery. They expect citizen-centred service that is integrated across departments and governments; they want a choice of service channels; and they want integration across these channels. Citizens First 4 found that citizens also want assurance that the privacy of their personal information is protected and that their communications with government, especially through websites and email, are secure.

Canada’s Deputy Ministers Responsible for Service Delivery have formally recognized the importance of meeting these expectations through innovative approaches to service delivery.

This study supports the deputies’ work by examining the barriers to meeting the desire of citizens (including “corporate” citizens) for improved service, and the public organizations that have been especially successful in overcoming these barriers. Service delivery professionals need to keep in mind that new approaches to collaborative service delivery are an important element of the broader movement towards integrated public governance (IPG). Indeed, there is an emerging widespread societal emphasis on collaboration. In Wikinomics, Tapscott and Williams focus on how mass collaboration is affecting the business community, but they note that “even governments can get involved by utilizing the new digital tools to transform public service delivery and engage their citizens in policy making.”

Despite their achievements, Canada’s governments have much to learn about innovative ISD approaches, both from one another and from other countries. This learning, along with consequent improvements in service delivery and public confidence in government, can be advanced by providing a solid foundation of knowledge about innovative ISD.

The focus of this study is on the means by which governments in Canada can improve service delivery through the use of ISD initiatives.