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ARCHIVED - Literature Review on Service Standards


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6.0 Conclusions

Citizens and clients are entitled to know what service quality to expect from government. Well-structured and communicated service standards help clients understand what to expect. Service standards can be an important component in efforts to improve client satisfaction. Problems and issues encountered in the past when developing service standards and metrics can be overcome.

For service standards to be effective they must have buy in from all levels. Managers must be seen as leaders, employees must continue to be trained and properly equipped to work to satisfy the standards. It is important to ingrain the need for consultation and reporting so that weakness can be identified and adjustments made. Departments should consider common reporting methods on service standards and other metrics associated with service improvement. The 2000 Auditor General's report stresses that, though there has been progress, there is still room for improving the measuring and benchmarking processes and it is only through a structured form of measurement that the Service Improvement Initiative can develop and grow with the changing needs of Canadian Citizens.

Based on the research to-date, it is apparent that the United States, United Kingdom and Australia have made substantial gains in the application and implementation of public service improvement initiatives. This provides the Government of Canada and its Service Improvement Initiative the opportunity to learn from the best practices employed in those countries, while keeping in mind the Canadian context. In developing service standard best practices, it may be worthwhile to do additional research on certain practices carried out in other countries, such as the 'Balanced Measures' approach of the United States, the communications plans employed in Australia, or the concept of 'local ownership' employed in the United Kingdom.