Where Do Our Clients Want Us To Be?

Step 3
Desired Future State

The previous steps have answered the question: "Where are we now?" With that determined, it is now time to turn attention to answer the question: "Where do our clients want us to be?" To do this, the feedback obtained will help to articulate the mission and vision – to define the desired future state of the organization and point the organization in the direction it needs to go.

Creating the Mission Statement

It is vital that the citizen-centred service effort flow from an outside-in focus. This begins with the mission statement.

If your organization has a mission statement, examine it to determine whether it is consistent with the outside-in approach. If not, it should be modified to reflect this dynamic. As well, any separate mission statement for the citizen-centred initiative should have outside-in at its core.

You should also take this opportunity to review your organizational values and see whether they are citizen-centred. Is service positioned within the organization as a value?

To develop a mission, the following are useful steps:

• Re-explore the ways your organization can benefit society in general. What are specific impacts you have on clients who approach you with needs? This will relate back to the mandate and the legislation of the organization.

• Using your assessments and feedback, consider what the various stakeholders want. What is your clients', the general public's and your staff's vision of excellent service? What are their specific needs, expectations and priorities?

• Create a vision of the impact the perfect organization providing your kind of service would have. Then, based on that vision, build a concept of excellence centred on the client and the citizen, and a vision of what it would be like to achieve that excellence.

• From those actions, the kernel of your mission should emerge. Don't try to touch all bases, just the underlying principles. Make sure the mission is short, crisp, and unforgettable – something that hangs in the memory rather than on the wall.

Understanding the citizen's vision, expectations and preferences is the basis of the whole service improvement process. The organization must demonstrate that citizen input is important to the organization. As well, the organization must share its standards and values with citizens to create realistic expectations and provide guidance to stimulate citizen input about the service provided to them.

In the end, it is still the responsibility of the organization to analyze and understand the information provided by the citizen. The outside-in focus must still be consistent with the department's mandate and legislation.

Checklist for Step 3

At the end of this step, you will have:

• Vision and mission statements that support citizen-centred service improvement.

• A clear, articulate understanding of what your organization would like to achieve.

• The updated vision for service improvement in the annual Report on Plans and Priorities based on a citizen-centred approach.

• An inspiring vision of the future organization.