Access to Online Services

Opening Statement to the Standing Committee on Public Accounts

Access to Online Services

(Chapter 2—2013 Fall Report of the Auditor General of Canada)

24 February 2014

Michael Ferguson, CPA, CA
FCA (New Brunswick)
Auditor General of Canada

Mr. Chair, thank you for this opportunity today to appear before the Committee to discuss our 2013 Fall Report, Chapter 2—Access to Online Services. With me is Dale MacMillan, Principal for this audit.

More and more, Canadians use the Internet to conduct business, and they want their government to provide them with information and services online. Indeed, in 2005, Canada was a world leader in online government services for its citizens—but since then, there has been a decline.

We found that since 2005, the government has not significantly expanded its online services. Users must often resort to using regular mail, phoning, or visiting a service centre in person to finish a transaction. In 2012, a survey conducted by a third party showed that fewer than 56 percent of people who performed online transactions with the Canadian government were satisfied with the services they received.

There is no government-wide strategy to guide online service delivery, and there are few incentives for departments to work together on activities common across government. Canadians must interact with each department and agency separately if they want to access government programs, such as employment insurance, veterans’ benefits, or tax services. Furthermore, when a person moves, they have to notify each department they deal with of their new address.

We noted some cases where departments have done a good job of working together to share information and provide better services. For example, at the time of our audit, the Canada Revenue Agency and Human Resources and Skills Development Canada had worked with eight provinces to simplify the Newborn Registration Service. We also noted that websites follow government standards for accessibility and consistency to make it easier for Canadians to use.

But in order for departments to work together and provide a client-focused online service, two things need to happen. First, there should be a government-wide strategy for online service delivery that departments follow as they develop their own cost-effective online service strategies. Second, a common methodology to identify and report on the cost of department delivery channels should be developed. With this information, costs can be better compared and opportunities for savings can be quantified.

The government has recognized that it is most cost-effective to deliver services to Canadians online—the government’s own estimates show that online transactions are significantly less expensive than other options for service delivery. Departments need to develop service delivery strategies that can help them better deliver cost-effective, client-focused solutions.

Finally, the government needs to make it easier for Canadians to access online services securely. There has been significant improvement over the past several years, because the government has found less expensive authentication options. But Canadians have repeatedly said they want services to be accessible and convenient. Currently, they need to re-enroll with each department, remember multiple passwords, or use different authentication options, depending on who they deal with. As well, enrolling for online services could require a single online transaction or take up to 21 days—there are different rules for each department. There should be a simple enrolment process for individuals and businesses to perform transactions online securely and cost-effectively.

Mr. Chair, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat and the four departments we examined in our audit have agreed with our findings and recommendations. They have made commitments in their responses, some of which they expect to address by 2015–16. We were pleased to note that the Secretariat has agreed to take the lead in some of the key areas incuding the development of a government-wide strategy by March 2015

Mr. Chair, this concludes my opening remarks. We would be happy to answer any questions the Committee may have. Thank you.