Summary Report On
Service Standards

Prepared for
Innovative and Quality Services Division
Service and Innovation Sector
Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

Prepared by
Consulting and Audit Canada
Project No.: 550-0743

November 2001

Table of Contents

Page
1.	Introduction
2.	The Role of Service Standards
3.	What are Service Standards
4.	A Typology for Service Standards
5.	Exemplary Practices
6.	Lessons Learned
7.0	Conclusions

1.	Introduction

The Government of Canada is committed to modernizing government management and improving citizen/client satisfaction with the services it delivers.  To this end, the government is moving forward on a number of important initiatives, including the Service Improvement Initiative.  A key feature of this Initiative is the requirement for government departments and agencies to establish and implement service standards and then to monitor their performance against these standards, and to use these standards in managing client expectations as a means to improving client satisfaction.

In turn, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) recognized that the development of service standards requires research to better understand “what clients expect in terms of service” and consultation with managers and employees about “what the organization is able to provide”.  Ultimately the organization has to design its standards in a way that (a) clients, as well employees, understand and (b) its level of service can be measured against an objective or target by establishing accurate performance measurement mechanisms.

To provide federal departments and agencies with accurate and useful information for the development of service standards, the TBS Service and Innovation Sector has identified the need to:
•	prepare a literature review of service standards, building on the research reported in Citizens First 1998 and Citizens First 2000;
•	create a compendium “databank” of service standards published by departments and agencies in Departmental Performance Reports (DPRs), Reports on Plans and Priorities (RPPs) and their websites.  Such a compendium would cover the delivery channels, namely, over the counter, mail, electronic and phone service.  As part of the compendium, a typology of service standard categories would be developed and applied to the published standards; 
•	interview up to 15 government and up to 14 private sector managers who have successfully implemented service standards, and prepare brief case study write ups to cover the service standards in use, exemplary practices related to service standards, and lessons learned; and
•	prepare a summary report on service standards based on the findings from the literature review, the compendium of service standards and the case study write ups.

Consulting and Audit Canada (CAC) was engaged to carry out this work.  In doing so, CAC contacted and interviewed a very large number of departmental and private sector managers to identify those who exhibited exemplary practices with respect to service standards and who were willing to let their organizations be included as case studies.

This document is the summary report on service standards.  The literature review, the compendium of service standards and the case study write ups were prepared as three stand-alone documents.

Chapter 2 of this summary report discusses the role of service standards.  The definition and how to go about developing and implementing service standards are presented in Chapter 3.  Then, in Chapter 4, the typology for categorizing service standards, which was used in the Compendium of Service Standards, is presented.  This is followed by a summary of the exemplary practices in Chapter 5, which, in turn, is followed by lessons learned in Chapter 6.  Conclusions are presented in Chapter 7.

2.	The Role of Service Standards

The Government of Canada is committed to modernizing government management in order to respond to Canadians’ changing expectations and priorities.  To this end in March 2000, the President of the Treasury Board tabled Results for Canadians: A Management Framework for the Government of Canada.  The Results for Canadians framework describes the government’s four core management commitments to achieve excellence in areas critical to a well-performing public sector, namely, citizen focus, results focus, strong public service values, and responsible spending.

With respect to citizen focus, Results for Canadians stated that government services must respond to the needs of citizens, be easy to find, and be available through the mail, by phone, on the Internet or at walk-in centres.  One of the government’s key means to support the Results for Canadians citizen focus and to modernize government management is the Service Improvement Initiative.  This Initiative, which adopts a citizen’s ‘outside-in’ perspective, is intended to achieve significant, quantifiable improvement (of 10%) in citizen/client satisfaction with services over the next five years.

The essence of the Service Improvement Initiative is that the continuous and measurable increase in client satisfaction is the most reliable indicator of improvement in service quality and service performance.

As illustrated in Figure 1, increased client satisfaction is to be achieved by measuring clients’ expectations and priorities for improvement, setting service standards and related service targets linked to these expectations and revising service delivery processes accordingly, monitoring performance against these service standards, and then measuring client satisfaction and expectations again.  Establishing and monitoring performance against service standards is a key feature of the Initiative and essential for managing client expectations.  In turn, by meeting or exceeding client expectations, government departments and agencies can be assured of being able to increase client satisfaction as suggested by the results of the Citizens First 1998 and the Citizens First 2000 surveys.  Accordingly, continuous improvement would then take place by continuously repeating this process.

Figure 1 Increasing Client Satisfaction Through the Use of Service Standards

Measure
client/citizen
satisfaction or complaints and expectations

(baseline benchmark)

Review and revise, as required, service delivery and revise/create service standards

(linked to client expectations)

Monitor performance against service standards

Measure (increase in) client/citizen satisfaction with service delivery and with service standards.

Measure changes in client/citizen expectations

The Service Improvement Initiative also commits government departments to report within their existing annual Reports on Plans and Priorities/Departmental Performance Reports to Parliament the following: service standards for all key public services; performance against service standards; annual improvements in client satisfaction; and progress toward client satisfaction targets.

The Service Improvement Initiative policy framework commits those departments and agencies, which have significant direct service delivery activities for Canadians, to carry out a number of tasks and steps to improve client satisfaction and to continuously improve.  In particular, one such step is to:
•	Adopt and publish core service standards for each service channel (e.g., timeliness standards for telephone service, in-person service, electronic service, and mail service) that are linked to clients’ expectations.

As indicated in the Citizens First 2000 report, service standards are used in two main ways:
•	to provide staff with performance targets (e.g., “Phone must be answered within three rings”)
•	to inform clients what to expect (e.g., “Waiting time is less than 10 minutes”).

The Citizens First 2000 report indicated that many organizations have seen performance improve dramatically as a result of implementing a program of service standards.  The report suggested that governments make their services more accessible across many delivery channels, but especially the telephone.  As well, the report suggested that the five drivers of citizen satisfaction (i.e., timeliness; knowledgeable, competent staff; ‘the extra mile/the extra smile’ or courtesy; fair treatment; and outcome) be incorporated into every line of government business, and that the drivers for specific programs be determined.  Finally, the report also suggested that regular measurement of service drivers and service standards be integrated and staff be given feedback on their performance.
3.	What are Service Standards

Service standards have been incorporated into the management of many government programs in many countries.  Although there may be nuanced differences among jurisdictions in how they define or use service standards, the following common themes permeate, although the client focus is clearly paramount:
•	client focused, including consultation with clients in setting the level of service or service standards
•	publicly indicate the level of service that clients can expect in a service experience
•	incorporate measurable performance objectives or targets directed to satisfying clients
•	reflect a commitment by the organization providing the service
•	front-line staff who actually provide the service should be consulted in setting service standards
•	both clients and staff have the same understanding of the level of service that clients should expect
•	incorporate a complaint and redress mechanism to clients if the service standards are not met
•	usually relate to timeliness, accessibility to the service, interactions between staff and clients, accuracy, reliability.

For the federal government, the Treasury Board Secretariat’s How-to Guide says “Service standards are a commitment by the organization to provide a certain level of service to clients. These are usually in areas such as communications, access timeliness, interactions between staff and clients, and costs ... consistency counts…service standards must incorporate performance objectives ... important tools for managing client expectations and should reflect the available resources ”

The How-to Guide then describes the elements of service standards:
•	a description of the business line, 
•	service quality pledges or principles, 
•	performance objectives, 
•	cost of delivering the service, and 
•	a clear complaint and redress mechanism.

Service standards are defined around an interactive process, in the sense that there is a service provider and a service receiver or client.  A service deliverer may establish a service standard to better manage client expectations with the intent of increasing client satisfaction with the service.  The standard may be, for example, telephones should be answered within three rings or less, or staff to be more courteous to clients.  In the former case, the rings can be monitored and action taken to achieve the standard.  In the latter case, some form of client comment card or client feedback (e.g., survey, focus group) can be used to determine how courteous the client found the staff.

In each case, a service standard has been initiated and performance measured against the standard.  One relies on the client input, the other on independent measure.  Even quantifiable standards must be gauged against the client’s reaction to the encounter or experience.  The client may be satisfied with two rings, or four rings.  The standard should reflect the client’s views. (See Figure 2)

Figure 2.  Client/service deliverer interaction in service standard development

Client reaction to experience

Service performance is measured independent of how client might feel about experience

		Client- Service	Service
	Clients		Provider
		Encounter/	(business line)
		Experience

Client provides feedback on service experience, expectations and service standard

A good Service Standard is sensitive to the wants and needs of the client, but also mindful that the standards must be attainable within existing resource, regulatory and policy constraints.

Since client needs and expectations may change, service standards will change to reflect the new priorities of the client.  The client’s reaction to service encounters or experience with the service deliverer must be monitored to maintain acceptable service levels.

4.	A Typology for Service Standards

As part of the development of the Compendium of Service Standards, CAC was requested to develop a draft typology for categorizing service standards.  In examining ways of categorizing service standards, CAC looked at the relationship between the client and the service provider and identified three broad areas of service which can lend themselves to measurable service standards.  First, is the aspect of access or waiting to speak or submit (an inquiry, request, claim or proposal) to a service provider (or receptionist who is in front of a service provider).  This would generally be in person or by telephone.

The second aspect is the actual encounter or interaction between the client and service provider (or receptionist).  Again, this would generally be in person or by telephone, and may last only a few minutes but occur in real time.  Here, the client can feel the service as offered by the service provider (or receptionist) and the drivers of client satisfaction would include, as identified in Citizens First 2000 such things as the knowledge or competence of the service provider, “the extra mile/the extra smile” and friendly couteous service, and fairness.  In addition, language of choice and confidentiality are other aspects tied into the actual service.

The third aspect is related to the time to respond and the outcome, which can also take place during the encounter, as might be the case in some regulatory, inspection or enforcement (RIE) services.  Specific aspects of service include timeliness or speed of srvice, a well reasoned or justifiable (i.e., fair) decision, and the decision or outcome itself.  The three aspects are displayed in Figure3.

Figure 3.  Aspects of Service

Client

 

 

Service Provider

-	Waiting times
-	Access
-	Hours of operation

-	Timeliness (speed of service)
-	Well reasoned/justifiable, fair
-	Outcome

-	How treated during encounter
-	Language
-	Security/confidentiality

With this model in mind, CAC proposed that the typology be structured around whether a service standard addresses:
•	how the service is to be delivered
•	when the service is to be delivered
•	what service is to be delivered

HOW

The HOW category of service standards tends to cover service standards dealing with the client's experience with the service delivery and how the service provider (or receptionist) actually provides the service.  Typical service standards in this category deal with fairness, courteousness, repect and knowledgeable servers and with the professionalism and cultural sensitivity of the servers.  In a sense, this category deals with the knowledge, attitude and behaviour of servers.  In turn, in many cases, the achievement of the service standard really depends on the client's perception of the experience with the service deliverer.

This category really deals with 'how the client is made to feel' with the service experience.  Research indicates that client dissatisfaction has more to do with how the product or service is delivered to the client rather than the quality of the product or service itself.  The client's perception emphasizes the 'emotional elements' or 'emotional reactions' of service delivery.  The client's perceptions on or emotions about service delivery can be measured or assessed by some form of consultation with the client, such as surveys using the Common Measurements Tool or focus groups or comment cards or some other mechanism.

This category is obviously linked to client satisfaction.  And client's perception and satisfaction can be based on or applied to service standards addressing waiting time (including both waiting to access the service provider, e.g., the number of phone rings before the phone is answered and waiting for service in a walk-in or counter or in person service), fair treatment, the knowledge or competence of the server, the server's attitude and behaviour, and outcome.

Two other dimensions of how service is delivered can also be considered within the context of service standards, namely, the language of service service standard (i.e., the client shall be offered the service in the Official Language of the client's choice) and service security and confidentiality (i.e., the client 's information shall be treated in strict confidentiality or security).

Thus, the following three types of service standards can be considered from the HOW category, namely:

Client Perception [CP]

Official Language [OL]

Security and Confidentiality [SC]

WHEN

The WHEN category of service standards tends to deal with timeliness, responsiveness and how long it takes or should take for the service or an element of the service to take place.  In turn, there appears to be two dimensions of the timeliness service standards.  First, there is the time required to contact or reach or access the server.  For example, how many rings before the telephone is answered, how long one may have to wait on hold or at a counter to speak to someone or make an inquiry, or how many people a client is passed to until a server can address or act on the client's request.  This is very much the accessibility issue and is particularly relevant to inquiries in person at the counter or over the phone, especially call centres.

In a sense, this is the front end wait or access time, i.e., the time a client has to wait to reach or access a server.  All other accessibility related topics, at least for the time being (e.g., hours of operation, having things ready for clients when they come to look for them, maintaining updated databases, being ready for a request/inquiry, providing services for free or offering financial assistance, offering different delivery channels), have been lumped together.

The second timeliness dimension deals with service standards related to how much time is required or "allowed" by the server to deal with and resolve an inquiry or claim or proposal received from a client..  This type of service standard first requires some form of intervention from a client, who then is concerned with the time required or "allowed" to respond to a request or process a claim or make a decision, or to 'deliver on time'.  That is, the reponse time that a client should expect before receiving an acknowledgement or official interim or final response from the server.  In effect, this type of service standard is the 'speed of service'.  This timeliness dimension or waiting time, of course, only comes into play after the client has established the initial contact with the server.

In a sense, this is the back end wait time, i.e., the time a server is allowed before having to respond to a client.

Thus, the following two types of service standards can be considered from the WHEN category.

Front end waiting times or accessibility [TF]

Back end waiting times or 'speed of service' [TB]

WHAT

The WHAT category of service standards tends to deal with the accuracy, correctness, comprehensiveness, justifiability and defencibility of the outcome or decision on a request or claim.  This category of service standard also deals with the server's commitment for a well-reasoned decision or outcome, whether the client agrees or not.  Clients are entitled to and should expect well-reasoned decisions or outcomes, but not necessarily ones with which they agree.  Ultimately, the department and clients may need an objective third-party to properly assess the quality of the outcome.

The WHAT category really offers only one type of service standard, namely, outcome [OC].

Using this typology, there are six types of service standards, namely:
Client Perception [CP]

Official Language [OL]

Security and Confidentiality [SC]

Front end waiting times or accessibility [TF]

Back end waiting times [TB]

Outcome [OC]

5.	Exemplary Practices

From the brief case study write ups prepared, the following key exemplary practices were derived.

Key Exemplary Practices	Government  Example	Private Sector Example 	
Service pledge to commit and communicate standard to clients	CCRA Appeals, CCRA Client Services		
Customized initial contact letter to help manage client expectations and improve service	CCRA Appeals, CIC		
Extensive consultation with clients and staff during piloting of service standard and 	CCRA Appeals		
Initial letter and sharing of “best practices’’	CCRA Appeals		
Service standard implementation kit	CCRA Appeals		
Advice from outside	CCRA Appeals		
Redress mechanism to handle complaints 	CCRA Appeals		
Client satisfaction surveys (including electronic)	CCRA Appeals, CTCS, National Archives, NRCan ESS, RCMP Forensic laboratory services, Stats Can Adviory Services, TC TIMSD	TD Canada Trust	
Consultations with front-line staff	CCRA Client Services Directorate		
Mix of feedback sources such as ministerial correspondence, invitation, client service rating cards, internal advisory committees, direct staff feedback
	CCRA Client Services Directorate, VAC	Canada Life Insurance

	
Improve quality and range of service interaction in electronic service delivery  	CCRA Client Services Directorate, CTCS, TC TIMSD		
Competency Catalogue to identify, recruit and retain employees capable of responding to client needs	CCRA Client Services Directorate		
Agency or departmental business specific guide to service standards	CCRA's Guide to Service Standards		
Common Measurements Tool (CMT)	CTCS		
Posting surveys on Internet Website	CTCS		
Survey responses to establish priorities	CTCS, TC TIMSD, VAC		
Toll-free 1-888 client feedback line	CTCS, VAC		
Share correspondence	CTCS		
Senior management report of client survey to staff	CTCS		
Management performance appraisals and or pay based on client feedback or standards met	CTCS, HRDC EIB	AMEX, TD Canada Trust	
Increasing client and employee satisfaction in tandem	CTCS, NRCan ESS		
Consulting with employees or responding to employee survey results	CTCS, National Archives		
Strong support from senior management (i.e., DM, ADM, executive ownership, CEO)	CTCS, NRCan ESS	AMEX, Royal Sunalliance	
Appropriately resourced Support Unit	CTCS		
Learning from others or the “best”, drawing expertise, in Canada and abroad
	CTCS, HRDCEIB, RCMP Forensic Laboratory Services, TC TIMSD	Disney consumer products	
Adopting the NQI framework	CTCS		
Establish baseline through a first survey	HRDC EIB, VAC		
Quality Management Policy to define responsibilities	HRDC EIB,		
Posting service commitments widely and clearly for clients to see	HRDC EIB,		
Providing as much assistance as possible at first point of contact	HRDC EIB		
Cross-channel management of expectations	HRDC		
Graphical information on the distribution of the times 	Competition Bureau		
Information both on the actual service provided and on the clients’ perceptions of the service	Competition Bureau		
Periodic meetings with clients 	Competition Bureau, TC TIMSD		
Strong coordination in development and use of service standards, including dedicated team to provide insight and handle complaints	NRCan ESS	Canada Life Insurance
	
Third-party audit of service standards 	NRCan ESS		
ISO 17025	RCMP Forensic Laboratory Services		
Tracking of length of phone queues and number of abandoned calls	StatsCan Advisory Services		
‘’Mystery Shopper’’ Audit system	StatsCan Advisory Services		
Service level agreement or framework 	StatsCan Advisory Services		
New administrative infrastructure 
	StatsCan Advisory Services		
Lessons learned 	TC TIMSD		
Contact information in service level agreements	TC TIMSD		
Publish client survey results (i.e., DPR)	VAC		
Schedule for priority one problem resolution	TC TIMSD		
Training (employee or management)	VAC	TD Canada Trust, Disney consumer products	
Reward and recognition for employees		AMEX	
Telephone communication		Royal and Sunalliance	
Up-to-date technology		Royal and Sunalliance	
High service standard and client satisfaction targets		TD Canada Trust	
Staff empowerment to resolve issues with client		Disney consumer products	

Benefits of Exemplary Practices

•	Initial contact letter reduced the number of phone calls made by clients to the office. Gives idea of how long clients have to wait and plan better, informs them of the importance of the steps that they must take, makes the waiting process much more acceptable to clients.

•	Consultation fosters flexibility and innovation in how the pilot sites achieved the standard.

•	Implementation kit a useful tool for informing regional staff on guidelines for implementation and how to deal with frequently asked questions.

•	Advice helped to learn from the experience and expertise of others.

•	Redress mechanism is valuable indicator of client satisfaction with the service and tool to deal with satisfaction.

•	Regular client satisfaction surveys result in a number of changes in service delivery and the development and implementation of service standards and measures performance.

•	Consultations with front-line staff helps obtain first-hand information on the level of service expected by clients.

•	Mix of feedback sources useful in identifying opportunities for service enhancement and for adapting services and service delivery to satisfy client needs and expectations.

•	Competency Catalogue helps to ensure that employees have the knowledge, skills and support needed to work effectively in an environment that promotes and recognizes exemplary performance.

•	An agency or departmental specific Guide to Service Standards provides a useful tool to guide staff through a practical step-by-step process in the development and life cycle management of service standards

•	Toll free 1-888 client feedback line allows clients to voice complaints, compliments and suggestions.

•	Sharing  correspondence helps understand complaints and identify opportunities.

•	Increasing client and employee satisfaction in tandem.

•	Strong leadership and support from senior management facilitates the transition from the old culture to a new approach and to achieve buy-in.

•	Electronic service delivery improvements facilitates monitoring of performance against service standards, especially timeliness, and leads o increases in resource access and to increases in the efficiency of support staff.

•	The National Quality Institute’s Framework or the Malcolm Baldridge Criteria for Performance Excellence or ISO 9000:2000 are effective transition facilitation tools.

•	The conduct of a first survey allows to obtain statistically valid results on client satisfaction and have a basis for comparison in future years. 

•	A quality management policy defines the specific responsibilities at the national, local, and regional level to achieve the objectives.

•	Posting service commmitments widely and clearly helps clients understand and become aware of the level of service to expect, reminds employees of the service requirements to their clients, and helps them manage client expectations.

•	Management performance appraisals based on meeting standards and client satisfaction serves as an incentive to achieve desired operational results, meet commitments to clients, and contribute to the satisfaction of its clients.

•	Cross-channel management of expectations is possible when staff are trained to inform clients that in some instances certain channels, such as electronic direct payments instead of mail or telephone rather than in-person services for enquiries, may be more suitable to their immediate needs.

•	Graphical information on the distribution of the times identifies cases where the standard is significantly exceed and where the actual completion time is very short.

•	Information both on the actual service provided and on the clients’ perceptions of the service avoids the situation where the organization believes the situation is acceptable because standards are being achieved, while clients are actually unhappy because their needs and expectations are not being met.

•	Periodic meetings with client representatives allows for proper feedback.

•	Strong sector coordination ensures consistency of service standards across operating divisions and delivery channels.

•	Third-party audit of service standards allows review and assessment of whether service standards are met and use of performance information to improve its services.

•	Tracking of length of phone queues and number of abandoned calls provides an effective way of monitoring the effectiveness of the telephone answering system.

•	Service level agreement or framework serves as a commitment to provide high quality services and demonstrates provider’s openness and confidence in its procedures.

•	New administrative infrastructure may increase efficiency and continuity of the group, and therefore client satisfaction, nation-wide.

•	Schedule for priority one problem resolution keeps the client informed as to where things stand.

•	Reward and Recognition program gives incentives to employees who are recognized as having given service above and beyond the standard.

•	Staff empowerment helps resolve issues with clients on the spot, on their own, without the requirement to consult head office.

•	The use of Mystery Shopper audits serves as an independent external assessment of the overall phone system.

6.	Lessons Learned

From the brief case study write ups prepared, the following lessons learned were identified:

1.	Surveying clients (i.e., appellants) provides useful information to improve service standards, even though they might predisposed to be dissatisfied with a decision.  

2.	While appellants want and expect a favourable decision, they also expect a well reasoned and timely decision, are entitled to know when to expect a decision.

3.	Canadians expect to be able to access services through multiple channels

4.	Clients appreciate knowing what to expect in their dealings and what the service provider will do to ensure that service improvements are made when needed.

5.	Having the right skilled staff (knowledgeable, fair, and courteous) can improve client satisfaction

6.	A strategic plan creates expectations, but also consolidates commitment.

7.	Feedback and information on expectations and priorities from clients may increase credibility with its clients. 

8.	Providing customized feedback to specific groups of staff, especially from senior management heightens staff accountability and commitment to service improvement.

9.	Having a headquarters unit, headed by a Director, dedicated to planning, promoting and coordinating service improvement for front-line service delivery organizations and staff and supporting the staff facilitated the acceptance and implementation. 

10.	Using technology well can help.

11.	A credible management framework (in this case the nqi framework) and working to achieve certification and recognition from an independent body further enhances credibility.

12.	Focus on drivers of client satisfaction.

13.	Client satisfaction is driven by more than just timeliness, and while difficult to measure a commitment to other drivers is important.

14.	A recognized framework can improve management.

15.	Restructuring can help make the organization more client-focused.

16.	Need to earn commitment and credibility of staff.

17.	Client consultations help to bring efficiency to a system.

18.	Examining other jurisdictions may help to measure and improve client satisfaction.

19.	Cohesiveness within a group leads to increases in efficiency and therefore increased Client Satisfaction.  

20.	When initiating Service Standards and supporting infrastructure it is important to adopt the client’s perspective.

21.	The surveys are an invaluable source for determining resource allocation.

22.	Service standards is a tool to satisfying client expectations.

23.	Surveying clients is a tool to improve client satisfaction.

24.	Need to find a balance between ongoing tracking and refining the listening tool to ensure the tool is asking the right questions.

25.	Important to take an holistic approach to comparing internal performance data against external customer satisfaction data.

26.	Service standards related to customer satisfaction need to be addressed on a continual basis.

27.	Standardized reporting formats across units and among newly acquired or merged companies or organization is necessary for measurement and integrity of data.

28.	Frequent and thorough communication across business units (through management meetings) and deep into each business unit (through staff meetings or intranet) is very valuable.

29.	Sharing with and receiving Best Practices from other companies, not necessarily in the same industry, is useful and creates efficiencies.

30.	Linkages between feedback and planning is essential.

31.	Modify standards in unusual circumstances.

32.	Keep clients informed.

33.	There is a strong correlation between employee and client satisfaction.  

34.	Documentation of service standards and procedures for developing and integrating these standards is essential to the initiative.

35.	Dealing with demands that cannot be met.

36.	Need to anchor service standards in broader management processes, including planning, performance agreements, external reporting and accountability.

7.0	Conclusions

Citizens and clients are entitled to know what service quality to expect from government.  Well-structured and communicated service standards help ensure that clients and government employees share the same understanding of what to expect when a service is provided.  Service standards can be an important component in managing client expectations, and, as long as these expectations can be met or exceeded, it is likely that client satisfaction with the service will improve.  Problems and issues encountered in the past when developing service standards and metrics can be overcome.

Canadian government departments and agencies have exhibited many worthwhile exemplary practices in their approach to developing, implementing, monitoring and using their service standards.  Although CAC did not assess the service standards or the practices, CAC concludes that the best service standards revolve around three pillars, namely:

•	consultation with clients, and really listening to what clients have to say about their expectation on service;
•	consultation with employees who provide the services and who support the front-line service providers to ensure that their needs and concerns are listened to and that they have the competencies to achieve the service standard performance targets so that they can derive satisfaction from providing services to Canadian citizens and clients; and
•	making managers accountable for achieving their service standard performance targets, which implies having measurable standards and actually measuring them.

Departments and agencies, along with TBS, appear to be on the right track.  Service standards are a tool to help manage client expectations, which, in turn, can contribute to improving client satisfaction.  The approaches taken by departments and agencies in establishing and implementing service standards are clearly leading to success.  Those who have embarked on this journey and are integrating their service standards with the Service Improvement Initiative are creating their own momentum.

For service standards to be effective they must have buy-in from all relevant stakeholders outside the organization and all levels within the organization.  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 and agencies should consider common reporting methods on service standards and other metrics associated with service improvement.  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.