Achieving Continuous Improvement
in Client Satisfaction
Brian Marson and Faye Schmidt
Service and Innovation,
Treasury Board Secretariat of Canada
1
Management Commitments
– The Results for Canadians management philosophy is
based on four commitments:
 citizen
focus
 values
 responsible
 achieving
spending
results
2
Citizen-Centred Service and the
Management Board Agenda


Better service for Canadians is central to this
Agenda.
To achieve it, the Government of Canada is
implementing three major initiatives to:

Focus directly on client satisfaction
Service Improvement Initiative

Improve citizen access
Service Canada

Modernize service delivery
Government On-line
3
Policy Framework
– All departments and agencies directly serving citizens will adopt a
systematic approach to service improvement planning integrated
with their annual business planning process;
– Client satisfaction will be measured at least annually for key
services to the public using the Common Measurements Tool
metrics; set a minimum 10% client satisfaction improvement
target, to be achieved over the next five years;
– Targets and performance against targets (client satisfaction and
service standards) will be measured and reported annually in
departments’ RPP/DPR documents;
– Accountability for results, “from Clerk to clerk”;
– TB President’s Awards will be established for excellence in
improving client satisfaction
4
Service Improvement Initiative:
Improving Service Performance

In May, 2000 Treasury Board approved the Service
Improvement Initiative and a policy framework for
a results-based approach to continuous service
improvement

The initiative and policy framework are based on
the recommendations of an interdepartmental
committee on service improvement (ACSI) and
will continue to be driven by the service
community
5
Service Improvement Initiative:
Improving Service Performance

The Committee found that public sector bestpractice organizations use a results-based
approach to continuous improvement of client
satisfaction, integrated with the annual business
planning process

Analysis of 260 departmental examples suggests:
– targeted service improvement planning exists in
pockets;
– client satisfaction rates have increased by up to
40%;
– a systematic results-based approach is not
widespread.
6
Example:
Canada Economic Development
Client Satisfaction with IDEA - SME Program
Quality of Service in General
% of clients satisfied
90
88%
86
86%
84%
82
78
81%
74
70
1995-96
1996-97
1997-98
1998-99
7
Example: Environment Canada
Prairie and Northern Region (HR Branch)
Client Satisfaction with HR Services
% Satisfied Clients
90
87%
80
81%
81%
1992
1994
83%
70
60
64%
50
51%
40
1990
1991
1997
1999
8
Example: Continuous Improvement in
Client Satisfaction at the US Postal Service
NATIONAL PERFORMANCE TREND
700
680
660
Index Value
640
620
National Accts.
600
Premier Accts.
580
Business Accts.
Residential
560
New
Contract
540
Survey
Changes
520
9
500
96-4
97-1
97-2
97-3
97-4
98-1
98-2
98-3
98-4
99-1
99-2
Five Key Drivers of
Citizen Satisfaction
Five Key Drivers of
Citizen Satisfaction
Explain 70% of the
Variance in Service
Quality Ratings
Timeliness
Courtesy, Comfort
Knowledge, Competence
Timeliness Is By Far
The Most Powerful
Driver - When One
Driver Fails, It Is Most
Often Timeliness
Fair treatment
Outcome
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Source: Erin Research Inc. Citizens First, 1998.
Results-based Service Improvement
Planning and Implementation
Where Are We Now?
Where Do Our
Clients Want Us To Be?
Measure Clients’
Satisfaction
Measure Clients’
Expectations &
Priorities
How Will We
Get There?
Set Targets &
Develop Service
Improvement Plan
How Do We Make
It Happen?
Implement, Monitor,
Measure & Ensure
Accountability
Staff
Involvement
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Results-based Service Improvement
Planning and Implementation
Where Are We Now?
Where Do Our
Clients Want Us to Be?
Measure Clients’
Measure
Clients’
Satisfaction
Satisfaction
Measure Clients’
Expectations &
Priorities
How Will We
Get There?
Set Targets & Develop
Service Improvement
Plan
How Do We Make
It Happen
Implement, Monitor,
Measure & Ensure
Accountability
Staff
Involvement
Departments and agencies with
significant direct service delivery
activities will:
Adopt a comprehensive
continuous improvement planning
and implementation approach
Establish documented baseline
measures of client satisfaction for
key services to the public using
Common Measurements Tool
metrics
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Results-based Service Improvement
Planning and Implementation
Where Are We Now?
Where Do Our
Clients Want Us to Be?
Measure Clients’
Satisfaction
Measure Clients’
Expectations &
Priorities
Measure Clients’
Expectations &
Priorities
How Will We
Get There?
Set Targets & Develop
Service Improvement
Plan
How Do We Make
It Happen
Implement, Monitor,
Measure & Ensure
Accountability
Staff
Involvement
Departments and agencies with
significant direct service delivery
activities will:
Measure clients’ expectations and
identify priorities for service
improvement
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Results-based Service Improvement
Planning and Implementation
Where Are We Now?
Where Do Our
Clients Want Us to Be?
How Will We
Get There?
Measure Clients’
Satisfaction
Measure Clients’
Expectations &
Priorities
Staff
Involvement
Set
Targets
& Develop
Set
Targets
& Develop
Service Improvement
Service
Plan Improvement
Plan
How Do We Make
It Happen
Departments and agencies with
significant direct service delivery
activities will:
Implement, Monitor,
Measure & Ensure
Accountability
Set explicit targets to increase citizen
satisfaction with government services
- a minimum objective of 10%
improvement by 2005 compared to
1998 Citizens First, or organizations
own year 2000 baseline survey
Adopt and publish core service
standards for each service channel
that are linked to clients’ expectations
Prepare annual service improvement
plans based on clients’ priorities for
service improvement.
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Results-based Service Improvement
and agencies with
PlanningDepartments
and
Implementation
significant direct service delivery
activities will:
Where Are We Now?
Where Do Our
Clients Want Us to Be?
Measure Clients’
Satisfaction
Monitor, measure, and report results as
part of the annual RPP/DPR reporting
cycle using common government-wide
metrics including:
Measure Clients’
Expectations &
Priorities
• service
How Will We
Get There?
How Do We Make
It Happen
Set Targets & Develop
Service Improvement
Plan
Staff
Involvement
Implement, Monitor,
Implement,
Monitor,
Measure
& Ensure
Measure & Ensure
Accountability
Accountability
standards for key public
services;
• performance against these standards;
• annual improvement in client
satisfaction;
• progress towards satisfaction targets.
Incorporate results-based service
improvement accountability for
managers into existing performance
management systems, commencing with
DMs.
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Service Improvement Initiative
Implementation
– ADM Steering Committee (ACSI) will guide the
implementation of the initiative
– Overall government -wide objectives will be balanced
with the need for departmental flexibility by allowing
departments to set:
– the pace and rollout toward 5 year objective
– service standards and monitoring
– satisfaction targets for program and service level
– TBS will provide support, tools and lessons learned
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Improving Citizen Satisfaction:
The Implementation Process
PHASE ONE
PHASE TWO
Implementation
of the SII Guidelines
in Lead Departments
All Departments Measure
Client Satisfaction
and Plan Improvements
LEAD DEPARTMENTS
LEAD DEPARTMENTS
•Establish client satisfaction
baseline benchmarks;
•Service Improvement Plans
based on client priorities;
•Set targets for satisfaction
improvement;
•Action on key client priorities
•Identify, monitor and report
performance against service
standards;
ALL DEPARMENTS
•Identify and report on
client-driven service standards
•Establish client satisfaction
baseline benchmarks
•Set annual targets for
client satisfaction improvement
•Service Improvement Plans based
on clients’ priorities
•Action on key clients’ priorities
•Report on performance against
service standards
•Report client satisfaction
against baseline
ALL DEPARTMENTS
•Set annual targets for client satisfaction
•SI Plans based on client priorities
•Action on key client priorities
•Report performance against
client- driven service standards
PCO
TREASURY BOARD
DM accountability accords
•Standards/Results in President’s Report
•Initiate President’s Service Award
PHASE THREE
Annual Departmental
Service Improvement
Planning & Reporting
ALL DEPARTMENTS
•Set
annual client satisfaction
targets
•SI Plans based on clients’
priorities
•Action on clients’ service priorities
•Report on performance against
client-driven service standards
•Dept’s measure client satisfaction
annually using CMT metrics
•Dept’s
report progress towards 10%
improvement targets in annual
performance reports
…...Clear and measurable service satisfaction goals
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Together,
improving citizen satisfaction,
…a new focus
and measure of success.
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