Report to/Rapport au:
Finance and Economic Development Committee
Comité des finances et du développement économique
November 7, 2011 / le 7 novembre 2011
Submitted by/Soumis par:
Steve Kanellakos, Deputy City Manager/Directeur municipal adjoint,
City Operations/Opérations municipales
Contact Person/Personne-ressource : Donna Gray, Director/directrice
Service Ottawa / Service Ottawa
613‑580‑2424, ext./poste 25684
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SUBJECT:
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SERVICE Ottawa Update - INFORMATION SUPPLEMENTAL TO THE BUDGET ESTIMATES
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OBJET :
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mise à jour DE service ottawa - RENSEIGNEMENTS SUPPLÉMENTAIRES AUX PRÉVISIONS BUDGÉTAIRES |
REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS
That the Finance and Economic Development Committee receive this report as supplemental information to the 2012 Draft Budget.
RecommandationS du rapport
Que le Comité des finances et du développement économique prenne connaissance de ce rapport à titre d’information supplémentaire au budget préliminaire de 2012.
Executive Summary
Citizens today have higher expectations of
service levels from their government. Understanding this trend, Council
developed its Strategic Plan which identified service excellence as a priority.
On October 13, 2011, the City established the Service Ottawa Department which
is now responsible for managing the “client experience” when residents
initiate an information request, service request or transaction for any City
service. However, in order for staff to deliver an
improved client experience, it is imperative they are provided with the tools
and technology required to meet client expectations.
The City is investing in modernizing the infrastructure to support an enhanced client service delivery philosophy. The first year of the Service Ottawa initiative (now part of the Service Ottawa Department) has focused on setting the foundation upon which to build and deliver subsequent service delivery improvements. Setting the foundation has included both service delivery redesign from the client perspective and the technology procurement, configuration, testing and implementation. By the end of 2011, significant improvements will have been made with respect to how citizens receive information and access services from the City. Citizens will also have a better experience when interacting with the City and will benefit from a number of operational efficiencies that has resulted in more efficient and effective service delivery.
RÉSUMÉ
De nos jours, les résidents
ont des attentes élevées en ce qui concerne le niveau de service qu’ils
reçoivent de leur ville. C’est avec cette tendance à l’esprit que le Conseil a
élaboré son plan stratégique qui fait de l’excellence du service une priorité.
Le 13 octobre 2011, la Ville a créé Service Ottawa, auquel il revient
désormais de gérer l’« expérience des clients » lorsqu’ils effectuent
une demande de renseignements, de services ou une transaction pour l’un des
services municipaux. Cependant, pour améliorer l’expérience des
clients, le personnel doit impérativement disposer des outils et de la
technologie nécessaires pour répondre à leurs attentes.
La Ville investit dans la modernisation de l’infrastructure pour contribuer à l’amélioration de la philosophie de la prestation de services aux clients. La première année de l’initiative Service Ottawa (aujourd’hui partie intégrante de Service Ottawa) visait d’abord à jeter les bases sur lesquelles fonder les améliorations à la prestation de services et les changements qui en découleraient. Cette étape comprenait la restructuration de la prestation de services du point de vue du client et l’approvisionnement, la configuration, la mise à l’essai et la mise en place de la technologie. D’ici la fin de 2011, des améliorations notables auront été apportées en ce qui concerne la communication de renseignements aux clients et leur accès aux services municipaux. Les citoyens profiteront également d’une meilleure expérience lorsqu’ils feront affaire avec la Ville et d’un certain nombre de mesures d’efficacité opérationnelle qui entraîneront une meilleure prestation de services, plus efficace et efficiente, grâce à la fondation technologique que la Ville aura bâtie afin de favoriser un meilleur premier contact avec les services municipaux.
Background
Citizens today have higher expectations of service levels from their government. Tightening budgets, changing demographics, growth and the expectation of citizens to have a choice on how they deal with their City are forcing governments to address the issue of public service delivery. Understanding this trend, Council developed its Strategic Plan which identified service excellence as a priority.
To implement Council’s vision, the City of Ottawa undertook a reorganization to better align service groupings in order to support two transformational mandates at the City: Service Excellence and Community Sustainability.
Organizational Development and Performance was created to ingrain a culture of Service Excellence at the City of Ottawa, and to bring leadership and resources to support and sustain the City’s move toward client-focused service delivery and improved operational efficiency. During this time, staff have laid the foundation for the City of Ottawa to truly become a Service Excellence organization by:
· Creating a Corporate Planning Framework to align the City’s strategic, financial and operational planning with Council Priorities;
· Creating a Corporate-wide process to track, analyze and report on measurement data;
· Developing and implementing a comprehensive Service Excellence Learning and Development Strategy;
· Conducting employee and client surveys;
· Creating a Corporate Service Excellence Plan and assisting every Department across the City to create their individual Service Excellence Plans (ACS 2011-COS-SOD-0001).
· Driving and implementing City-wide service strategies for specific client segments to promote more effective service planning and to improve service offerings from Departments through the Community Development Framework, Aboriginal Working Group, Equity and Inclusion, Older Adult Plan, Ottawa Local Immigration Partnership, and Accessibility initiatives;
· Developing the implementation plan for technology and business enhancements to the 3-1-1 Contact Centre, and seven Client Service Centres (CSCs) that will improve how the City engages, interacts with, and provides services and information to citizens; and,
· Developing a Risk Management Framework.
With the approval of the Corporate Planning Framework and the Term of Council Priorities, Service Excellence has been identified as one of eight key priorities that the City is focused on achieving in this Term of Council.
The City has created a strong Service Excellence foundation, but in order to fully incorporate it into daily operations the City needed to begin to modernize operations through the Service Ottawa Program. The City established the Service Ottawa Program as a key initiative to achieve Council’s commitment to Service Excellence.
Historically, the program incorporated nine strategic initiatives – three Enterprise projects and six departmental – all of which were poised to deliver improved services to Citizens, while driving efficiencies for the City.
Enterprise:
Citizen-Centric Services
Mobile Workforce Solutions
Business System Integration
Department
Transform Fleet Management (Public Works)
Innovative Management, Operating and Business Practices (Public Works)
Smart Energy (Public Works)
Sponsorship and Advertising (Parks, Recreation and Culture)
Optimize Utilization of Recreation Facilities (Parks, Recreation and Culture)
Integrate Community and Social Services (Community and Social Services)
Council is investing $79 million over five years on these projects and is anticipating improved client service and annual operational savings of $40 million by 2014.
Efficiency Program
By the end of 2012, the City will have reduced the number of FTEs by 47.37 and realized $25.8M in efficiencies ($14.7M of which will have been realized by the end of 2011).
The next logical step in the evolution of the Service Ottawa Program was to shift it from a set of projects being managed individually to one organizational entity that has a clear, central accountability for managing the “client experience” when residents initiate an information request, service request or transaction for any City service. This organizational entity is now called the Service Ottawa Department and was announced on October 13, 2011. This department will improve residents’ experience with all City services, and streamline the City’s administration with no additional costs or FTEs associated with these changes.
Highlights of the Department
- The current Service Ottawa Program will evolve from a set of projects to the new organizational entity responsible for the front end “client experience”;
- The three enterprise projects will continue to be managed by the new Service Ottawa Department while the six departmental projects will be managed by the individual departments assigned.
- 3-1-1 will be the entry point for all (non-emergency) client phone requests for information and services;
- Service Ottawa will be accountable to develop self-serve options for residents on the web and ensure that the counter and phone channels provide consistent service with respect to information requests, service requests and payment transactions;
- Service Ottawa will own and manage the new user-friendly ottawa.ca website where residents will be able to enter their own service requests and follow the status of the work undertaken;
- Service Ottawa will be the corporate owner of an extensive comprehensive knowledge management database accessible by all front-line staff and members of Council. This will ensure information provided to citizens is consistent and accurate;
- Residents will have clear service standard commitments and real time updates to their requests;
- Staff in the field will receive service requests directly which will facilitate enhanced work load management, improved response and regular updates to the resident initiating the request;
- Service Ottawa will become the single point of contact for intergovernmental service partners to reduce duplication and provide better service to residents.
DISCUSSION
The Service Ottawa service delivery model focuses on a closed loop experience for the client with one entry point to the City for information and services requests. Through back-end automated processes, technology will direct work requests to various departments for completion and will notify the requester when the work has been completed.
Service Ottawa Service Delivery Model
In order for the Service Ottawa programs to deliver on this improved client service experience, it was imperative that the City’s aging technology infrastructure be addressed. Only then can process and client service improvements be implemented by the departments delivering the services to citizens.
As a result, the City adopted a six-stage approach to delivering on the Service Ottawa vision.
Approach
1. Establish Project Controls
2. Build the enabling technology foundation;
3. Enhance the capabilities and capacity of the 311 and the Client Service Centres;
4. Develop online self-service capabilities for high-volume transactions;
5. Explore consolidation opportunities for phone and counter channels;
6. Transform business processes to create the closed-loop service delivery model
To date the projects have completed the following:
1. Establish Project Controls
§ Established an Enterprise Project Management Office which included the development of project structure controls:
o Efficiency and Benefits Realization Plan
o MFIPPA analysis and assessment
o Risk Plans
o Financial Management Controls
§ Developed a Procurement Strategy to ensure all large acquisitions were completed with fairness and impartiality
2. Build the enabling technology foundation
Procured and Implemented Foundational Technologies which included:
§ Citizen Service Management (CSM) System - used as the primary service request entry and knowledge management tool
§ Unified Contact Centre Enterprise (UCCE) System that will allow future self service functionality over the phone
§ Text-to-voice messaging and Interactive Voice Response (IVR) that links popular or common citizen inquiry types with easily accessible information and proactively sends notifications to residents.
§ Call recording technology for Quality Assurance and training purposes
§ Mobile technology for forestry workers to allow the staff to receive work orders from SAP and then to have SAP notify the CSM which will notify the client when the work order is completed
§ A secure Virtual Private Network (VPN) required by the City to implement much of the service improvements that will rely on mobile technology in a secure environment.
§ Interfaces with backend processing systems such as SAP and MAP to facilitate the transfer of with the CSM
3. Enhance the capabilities and capacity of the 311 and the Client Service Centres;
After thorough research and collaboration, staff have:
§ Developed a 311 optimization plan to increase capacity and functionality within 311 and mapped current call centre activities across the corporation
§ Developed and implemented Quality Assurance Program for Client Services to ensure consistent and accurate information and quality service delivery at each channel
§ Identified metrics required to measure client satisfaction. Measures include:
o First Call resolution rates
o Client satisfaction scores
o Ease of Access
o Average Speed of Answer
o Call Handling time
o Number of misdirects and Number of incomplete requests
§ Developed and trained over 100 staff on all the new technologies and processes
§ Developed business processes for 311 operations to meet business objectives
§ Created and Implemented a new Knowledge database
§ Developed a new Business continuity plan to ensure business resumptions with new technology should an interruption occur
4. Develop online self-service capabilities for high-volume transactions;
Staff reviewed approximately 2,000 city functional processes and re-engineered them into 175 different service requests. Request will be available on line in the following 26 categories:
a. By Law Complaints
i. Animal
ii. Graffiti[1]
iii. Property Standards
b. Solid Waste Collection
i. Apartment Garbage
ii. Apartment
1. Blue Recycling Carts
2. Recycling Grey Bins
3. Recycling Yellow Bins
iii. Blue Box
iv. Black Box
v. Calendar to be mailed
vi. Christmas trees
vii. Garbage
viii. Organics
c. Social and Community Services
i. Offensive Graffiti[2]
ii. Vandalism
d. Parking Control
i. Designated Parking
ii. Laneways
iii. No Parking
iv. Overtime Parking
e. Parking Equipment
i. Pay and Display Machines
f. Road Maintenance
i. Catch basin/Maintenance/Hole
ii. Private Property
iii. Road Operations General
iv. Road Travelled Surface
v. Sidewalks/Pathways/Trails
g. Traffic Operations
i. Lights[3]
5. Explore consolidation opportunities for phone and counter channels
Staff conducted a number of process reviews which identified the following:
§ Opportunities to shift services to the web
§ Opportunities to consolidate call centres in 2012 and beyond
§ Opportunities to migrate and expand services to be offered at the Client Service Centres
§ Services that should remain with the Departments
§ Optimal locations that counters could be re-located to
§ Service capabilities required to enable the CSC to handle the new services
§ Potential transformation opportunities to be included in the Service Ottawa transformation redesign
6. Transform business processes to create the closed-loop Service Delivery Model
Through collaboration with departmental staff and management, staff have:
§ Re-engineered Forestry Services :
o 311 and CSC to take their service requests (CSM)
o Transfer the information into the work order system (SAP)
o Transfer that information to the field worker on a mobile hand held device
When work order is completed
o Record the information on the work order through the mobile handheld device
o Upload that information to SAP
o SAP updates the CSM
o CSM Notifies Client of their Service Request Closure
§ Re-engineered Special Events:
o Intake of special events applications will be taken through the intake tool (CSM)
o Multiple approvals required will be handled through the CSM ‘s automated workflow capability to notify appropriate City staff and external partners of approvals required
o All approvals will be recorded in CSM
o Once completed, CSM will notify applicant of the approval of the Special Events permit
o Permit fees will be accepted online in 2012
§ Staff are in the process of creating a Business Transformation Plan for 2012 – 2014 which will explore further opportunities for transformation such as Licensing and Permit processes and traffic management operations.
Although much of the past year has been spent on modernizing the City’s technology infrastructure and streamlining information in a way that will best meet the needs of the citizens, there have also been significant improvements to client service with more anticipated by the end of the year.
Results by the end of 2011
By the end of November, the project team is planning to implement initial core functionality configured in the CSM, the UCCE, as well as implement improvements on Ottawa.ca. As a result, by the end of 2011, citizens will start to receive better information, have better access to services, have a better interaction with the City as well as benefit from a number of operational improvements.
The core CSM functionality will be focused on the 311 and Client Service Centres. Back-end processes will be linked to the CSM which will make it possible to update the client on their service request if requested. This will provide the complete closed-loop experience for the client.
Water Services will not be included in this initial release as they are currently implementing a new work order system. Once it has been implemented, it can be linked with the CSM allowing for the closed-loop experience for water requests. This functionality is planned for 2012.
Better Information
Citizens will:
• Have access to more information on the web, phone and in person that is accurate, timely and easy to access through:
• A new centralized knowledge database of information which will now direct users to the correct information based on answers to questions. This will ensure consistent, accurate and quality information is given to clients and represents more than 2,000 information documents. The original information was previously decentralized and managed by various departments across the City.
• Consolidation and revision of 10,600 pages of content on Ottawa.ca that will be organized in a more citizen-focused and intuitive way, making it easier to find information
• A Service Promise for the City of Ottawa which will inform citizens of service objectives and set expectations
• Notification to advise clients of the City’s response time associated with their service requests. All 175 service requests have a service response time that will be provided to the client at the time of the request.
• Experience the new look and feel of Ottawa.ca that is more client-friendly.
• Ottawa.ca will be rewritten using terminology that is more citizen-centric
• Select pages on Ottawa.ca will be enabled for viewing on mobile devices
• Ottawa.ca will be refreshed regularly to ensure relevant information is easily available. For example, public advisories such as parking bans will be posted on the front page as required
• There will be a new web gateway page to inform Citizens on services and how to access them. Transaction types such as online forms, payment functionality and registering for City programs will all be conveniently grouped in the “Service Ottawa” section of Ottawa.ca.
• Receive timely information about unforeseen events. New, automated up-front messaging on the City’s 311 - IVR system will facilitate the notification of major events or emerging situations, such as a water main break, which will proactively inform citizens calling 311 and minimize duplicate calls
• View descriptions about City rental facilities such as accommodation size and accessibility considerations, see virtual tours, search site availability and place a request to book city facilities online
• Be notified if their situation being reported to the City is a duplicate request and inform them of the actions being taken. Clients will be given the tracking number, the anticipated service level, and will be notified when the request has been completed if requested
• Be assured that customer service agents receive intensive training and ongoing coaching as part of a continuous improvement and quality assurance program.
In addition, Councillors and their Assistants will be able to access the knowledge database allowing them to provide the same information to their constituents as 311 agents. Not only will they have better access to information, they will also have better access to data and reporting as will staff and citizens.
Better Access to Services
Citizens will be able to:
• Complete a total of 145 service transactions online through a self-service option (which represents 70 per cent of the total service request received at 311).
• Search, book and pay online for last-minute ice time available at indoor rinks
• Ability to obtain PIN and barcodes for Parks and Recreation registration online versus calling 311.
• Apply for multiple services offerings at each social service location eliminating the need for clients to travel
• Be directed to an appropriate agent with specific expertise in their inquiry type through the Unified Contact Centre Enterprise (UCCE) System call routing functionality
Better Communications with the City
Citizens will be able to have better two-way communication with the City in the following ways:
• Ability to receive status updates both automatically through the service request notification system built into the CSM or conveniently using a service request number - that the client will be given at the time of logging their request - either over the phone or through the web. As stated earlier, this will be available for all service requests with the exception of water services requests pending the implementation of their work order system.
• Ability to provide input on their service experience through the automated survey process. Clients will be surveyed randomly when accessing 311 with respect to the client experience with the City of Ottawa which will then inform improvement initiatives. As well, when a client is notified that their request has been completed they will be notified of a link to Ottawa.ca for a survey on their end-to-end experience.
• Ability to be notified when their special event permit has been processed. In 2012, advanced special events planning and tracking will result in automated workflow which will facilitate the internal approval process as well as send notification to the client when the special event has been approved
• Ability to create an online profile (resume) with the City and asked to be notified of job alerts when jobs matching their profile become available.
• New Service Ottawa Branding. There will be a common look and feel for citizen-facing services within the Service Ottawa mandate.
Operational Efficiencies
In addition, the City has found internal service improvements and operational efficiency by:
• Implementing a new vehicle part management system ensuring that the right part is available at the right time leading to less vehicles down time and therefore more services to citizens. This has resulted in efficiencies of $338K in 2011. Once it is fully operational, it will result in annual savings of $1.4M
• Implementing a new tire management systems reducing costs by more by $59K per year
• Implementing a new wireless garage network that allows equipment technicians in Fleet to receive their tasks and update work orders electronically and in real time. This leads to less vehicle down time and therefore more services to citizens as well as annual efficiencies of $73K beginning in 2012
• Purchasing a pavement edger to complete shoulder maintenance on gravel shoulders which has reduced cost of material usage and increased production which has resulted in savings of $100K annually
• Retrofitting some city facilities with lighting upgrades, controls for heating, ventilation and air conditioning, water reduction initiatives and conversion from electric, oil or propane to natural gas, reducing energy costs by $695K annually
• Modifying planning, scheduling and work processes of the concrete sidewalk maintenance crews increasing productivity and resulting in efficiencies of $20K annually
• Installing solar panels on City Hall and the Transit Service Integrated Control Centre placing the City of Ottawa as a leader in environmental sustainability and generating revenue of approximately $20K
• Purchasing a rigging control system that reduces the time required to take down large heavy tree branches. This allows tree workers to work more efficiently and safely and therefore complete more work for clients
• Installing teleconferencing equipment in nine City facility boardrooms which will alleviate the need for staff to travel for meetings saving both time and money (17 more boardrooms will be equipped by the end of the year)
• Providing laptops to Transit Supervisors which facilitates their work in the field saving staff time
• Upgrading the Nepean Sportsplex and the Ron Kolbus Lakeside Centre making them more marketable as rental space in an effort to generate more revenue
It is important to understand that work will continue over the next three years to further improve and implement the technology foundation required to support additional service improvements across the organization. Service improvements and related technology configuration and implementation anticipated in 2012 include:
Additional Foundational Implementation:
· Expansion of VoIP usage to other departments to facilitate the consolidation of call centres
· Mobility technology foundation to support the implementation of remote technology required to implement the closed-loop process that will support additional transformational initiatives such as Forestry
· Further enhance the Knowledge Base and give access to additional city employees to act as customer service representatives
· Expansion of mobile office capabilities for City staff
· Expansion of IT service architecture to facilitate business process re-engineering (transformation) of City services
Citizens will have improved services and access to information in the following ways:
· Further Ottawa.ca enhancements including online payment capability
· Business licenses and permit applications will be available online by the end of 2012.
· Citizens will have the ability to log service requests related to water services online
· Citizens will have the ability to view and pay a water bill online
· 400 or more distinct phone numbers will be reviewed and considered for consolidation under 311
· Bylaw licenses and permits (with the exception of taxis and lotteries) will be available at all Client Service Centres in person
· Consolidation of two counter operations
· Consolidation of two call centres
· A complete closed-loop process will be implemented for Forestry Services as well as two additional service areas
· A complete closed-loop process will be implemented for Special Event Permit applications
· Pilot the use of two sites as satellite Client Services Centres
· Investigate opportunities for the non-emergency Police Call centre to be integrated with the Service Ottawa Call Centre.
· A tool to enable members of Council and their staff to log service requests on the behalf of their constituents.
CONCLUSION
In order for staff to deliver an improved client experience, it is imperative that the City provide them with the tools and technology required to meet client expectations. The City has invested in modernizing the infrastructure to support an enhanced client service delivery philosophy. In 2011, project teams have focused on setting the foundation upon which to build and deliver significant service delivery improvements. Setting the foundation has included both service delivery redesign from the client perspective and technology procurement, configuration, testing and implementation. Core functionality and service improvements will have been implemented by the end of 2011 and staff have a clear plan for 2012.
In support of the client experience, the Service Ottawa Program has transitioned from a set of projects being managed individually, to one organizational entity that has a clear, central accountability for managing the client experience when residents initiate an information request, service request or transaction for any City service. This organizational entity is now called the Service Ottawa Department.
RURAL IMPLICATIONS
N/A
CONSULTATION
Service Ottawa Project staff as well as Information Technology staff were consulted during the development of this report.
Comments by the Ward Councillor(s)
N/A
LEGAL IMPLICATIONS
There are no legal impediments to receiving this report.
RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS
There is no risk implication associated with recommendations outlined in this report.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
Efficiency savings resulting from the Service Ottawa initiatives are built into each year’s budget. The total anticipated five-year savings is $40.7M.
|
Year |
Savings ($M) |
|
2010 |
4.0 |
|
2011 |
10.7 |
|
2012 |
11.1 |
|
2013 |
10.7 |
|
2014 |
4.2 |
|
Total |
40.7 |
For 2012, $11.1M gross has been distributed across departmental budgets and has been reflected in the Draft Operating Budget which was tabled with Council on October 26.
ACCESSIBILITY IMPACTS
Accessibility is a key consideration in the development and implementation of all client service improvements initiated by Service Ottawa.
Environmental Implications
N/A
Technology Implications
ITS has been an active partner in the selection and implementation of technologies specific to Service Ottawa and is working closely with the Service Ottawa Department to develop the 2012 work plan.
City Strategic Plan
The City’s strategic plan has Service Excellence as a corporate priority. The Service Ottawa Program’s main focus is to implement projects that will directly improve how services are delivered by the City to its citizens.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
N/A
DISPOSITION
The Service Ottawa Department will action any direction received as part of consideration of this report.