In May, Sue Corke was recognized for her unremitting commitment to putting the needs of customers and users first in public service delivery. The Heintzman Leadership Award is presented annually by the Institute of Citizen-Centred Service to an individual who has demonstrated outstanding leadership within the public sector in the promotion of citizen-centred service.

Although her list of accomplishments is a long one, it is worth mentioning that, as deputy manager at the City of Toronto, Corke was instrumental to the introduction of the city’s 311 service, which provides easy access to many routine services, 24 hours a day. She also oversaw the application of BizPaL, which streamlines business permit and licensing experiences online, and she led a tri-level joint services project to coordinate integrated service delivery across three orders of government for Toronto’s priority neighbourhoods. Her championship of cross-department, cross-agency and customer-centric dialogue has also contributed to the formal creation of the Toronto Office of Partnerships.

Corke has also served as the Deputy Minister of Consumer Business Services for the province of Ontario, and she is currently the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the College of Early Childhood Educators, a provincial self-regulatory body for early childhood educators. This position gives her the opportunity to continue her work in promoting customer service as a core value.

An outside-in lens

Corke promotes an outside-in lens, arguing that public servants need to put themselves in the shoes of those actually using the services. “This may sound obvious, but it is still not a deciding factor in service design or administration,” she said. “Why? Because of a lack of capacity and narrow thinking by central agencies whose structures impede interdepartmental cooperation.”

However, there have been great achievements to look back on and learn from, particularly in routine service delivery. The 311 in Toronto, for instance, transformed the way customers make service requests. But there are challenges. “We need to move from information and referral toward completing more complex transactions,” she said.

Also, integrated client-centric service delivery approaches can prove much more difficult for more complex entitlement services than for routine services.

But successes are still possible. For example, Corke helped transform service delivery for employment and income support services by putting clients’ needs first and bundling an array of services together, transforming Toronto’s social services division from an eligibility machine to a full service operation. Another example involved the Woodbine Live development project in Rexdale. Because this project was taking place in a priority neighbourhood, Sue fought hard to ensure local economic, social and environmental needs were achieved during the negotiations.

What it takes

First, it takes building partnerships and alliances. “You should be partnering with everyone who has a role in a service delivery system. It’s not enough to just talk to part of the system,” Corke said. Small organizational groups can come together without any formal authority, but can still effectively encourage change and transformation. “Passionate people with focus and determination can improve service delivery processes on the ground.”

“Ensure those who are a part of your team are skilled in conflict management and communication – nothing scares people more than change, so these skills are essential,” she added.

Second, and critically, it takes courage. “Be fearless. Have the courage of your convictions,” Corke said. “It is much less risky to be fearless about customer service than anything else because you have the moral high ground. Don’ be afraid of fighting for it, because no one will stand up and tell you you’re wrong.”

Celebrate your own successes, but also celebrate everyone else’s. So, third, share the credit. “Reward those who have faith in you with progress however small.”

Finally, when looking to the future, Corke urges public servants to continue looking to technology and partnering to overcome common challenges. “We have done wonders with integrating routine services, but it’s time to move to improving access to human services in an intuitively bundled way. There are lots of opportunities to co-deliver services such as child care, social assistance, newcomer support and unemployment insurance, for example.”

“I’ve always learned from doing. I didn’t arrive with a set of theoretical approaches or preconceived strategies,” she said. It is about having the courage to move ahead, to reach out, and to learn. “Be brave, passionate, articulate, tenacious, focused and peaceable.” This all works toward making customer service a profession.

 

Cody Dodd is an analyst with the Institute for Citizen-Centred Service.