Can Public Sector Service Delivery Be Improved?

Abstract

National surveys have documented a major decline in Canadians' satisfaction with public sector service delivery since 2020. Service satisfaction levels for federal services are back to levels not seen for two decades. Potential reasons for the recent declines in public sector service delivery performance are examined, as well as lessons from public organizations which have maintained high levels of service satisfaction in recent years despite the challenges. The article suggests the building blocks of a more robust approach and proposes a citizen-centred, results-based model for public sector service delivery in Canada, using service satisfaction as the primary results measure. Regular, measurable improvement in service satisfaction should be both the objective and the criterion of high performance in public sector service delivery and will require a sustained, multi-channel approach to service improvement planning and implementation based on measurement of, and focus on, key drivers of service satisfaction.