Accessing Digital Services Online Our survey found that 88 per cent of Canadians have now accessed government services online, with more than half (51 per cent) accessing online services more often since the pandemic began. Going forward, two thirds (67 per cent) of Canadians said that they would prefer to access government services online rather than in person. The reasons why Canadians expect to continue accessing government services online are not surprising, with the top three reasons given being convenience, time required, and the ease of access to forms and information online. There are also some interesting differences across age groups and geography. Having services in multiple languages is important to 30 per cent of younger ELEVATING ONLINE GOVERNMENT SERVICES FOR A DIGITAL-FIRST CANADA By Rodney Helal 18 / Canadian Government Executive // Spring 2023 PERSPECTIVE Sponsored Content The past two years have put digital government services in the spotlight like never before. As Canadians adapted to working and learning from home, accessing government services online went from a convenience to a necessity, marking a significant shift in how Canadians engaged with their governments. As we emerge from the pandemic, we wanted to better understand this shift and assess what it means for governments and citizens going forward. To do this, we surveyed 1,500 Canadians across the country to find out how they’ve used digital government services, what their experience has been like, and what their expectations are going forward. The results confirmed that the majority (88 per cent) of Canadians have now accessed services online, and two thirds would prefer to access government services online going forward. However, satisfaction with the services was mixed – with only 25 per cent of respondents feeling that digital government services were better than those of the private sector, and only 50 per cent trusting the government with their personal data. As the federal government looks to enable delivery of government in the digital age through the Digital Ambition 2022 roadmap, there are a number of interesting findings that highlight both the opportunities and challenges facing all governments, as they build digital-first governments. Rodney Helal, National Sales Director, Canadian Public Sector Ontarians (aged 18 to 35), which is almost double the rate for Canadians as a whole (16 per cent). And in BC, having live support – such as chat options – was listed as a priority for 23 per cent of respondents, three times the Canadian average of 8 per cent. Unrealized expectations 85 per cent of Canadians expect online government services to be as easy to access as digital banking, and 75 per cent expect it to be as easy to access as making a purchase from Amazon. However, only 25 per cent of Canadians feel that online government services are better than those provided by private companies. There is no doubt that the government has made significant progress on digital transformation as digital services have gone from ‘nice to have’ to ‘must-have’ with governments across the country trying to keep up with changing citizen expectations. Security and trust Two-thirds (66 per cent) of Canadians are willing to create a personal profile if it allows single sign-on access to government services. However, when asked to go a step further, only 39 per cent of Canadians would consent to the government having more personal data in exchange for providing more personalized service. This is an interesting example that highlights both the potential for transformation and the challenge of getting public buy-in. Digital ID is an important part of the Digital Ambitions 2022 roadmap, and the government has committed to launching public consultations and developing a common and secure digital identity framework.
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