Provincial governments improving service to citizens while cutting costs.
Done.
The governments of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland-Labrador and Prince Edward Island partnered with Unisys to design, develop and manage Atlantic Canada On-Line (ACOL), an electronic information service that has made accessing government services more convenient for citizens.
Breakthrough: Improved Government Services
Canadian citizens and businesses can access government services via a variety of electronic methods, eliminating the need for office visits.
Secure Business Operation
Online government services
Innovation Metrics
Governments across Canada have reduced costs while enabling businesses and citizens to access various government services from a single Web site.
Simplifying service delivery.
The governments of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland-Labrador and Prince Edward Island had a mission to make government services more accessible and convenient to citizens. Rather than limiting access to services during regular office hours at separate locations, they wanted to enable remote access beyond business hours.
To achieve this mission, these governments engaged Unisys to help them redefine the way they do business. The result is Atlantic Canada On-Line — an electronic information service that enables citizens and businesses of Atlantic Canada to electronically access government information databases and carry out multiple transactions through a single window of service.
Implementing electronic business technology.
The four Atlantic Provinces of Canada entered into a public-private partnership with Unisys to develop ACOL, one of the country’s first electronic government services. Unisys brought several components to the task, including: domain expertise in public sector technology applications; experience with multi-agency engagements; and significant systems integration and network experience.
In implementing the ACOL solution, Unisys provided a number of services, including:
- Public information access
- Secure network infrastructure
- Electronic commerce functionality
- Revenue management capabilities
- Client Support Centre
- Business development program
- Information product development
- Business process reengineering program
- Marketing and communications
Now, government clients — including legal practitioners, financial institutions, businesses, other government offices and individuals — can quickly retrieve and register information via the Internet, as well as update or search records for making critical decisions or for compliance with legislative requirements. A toll-free, bilingual Client Support Center serves as the single contact point for information, registration and assistance. An automated call management system tracks and manages inquiries to complete resolution.
Clients pay transaction fees, typically established by government legislation and regulations, through a positive balance account. Payments are deposited directly to government accounts via electronic funds transfer, electronic check, credit card, checks or money order, with full financial reporting provided to government and clients.
Streamlining business processes.
The first ACOL database application, the Atlantic Personal Property Registry System (APPRS), has changed the way security interests are registered in the four Atlantic Provinces to a notice-based system. It has also redefined the roles of the interested parties: the debtor, secured party and government. They have gone from using a largely paper-based, manual provincial registry system to a region-wide electronic system.
Another ACOL application is Nova Scotia’s online motor vehicle registration renewal service. Citizens renew vehicle registrations in person, by mail, by telephone and online via a home computer or by using the Service Express self-serve computer terminals located at Customer Service Centers throughout the Province. “We have come a long way from having to leave work to do business with government within their 8:30 to 4:30 office hours,” says Steven Feindel, Director of e-Services for Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations.
Both clients and government are reaping the benefits of ACOL. For example, clients are experiencing:
- A convenient, efficient alternative to visiting a government office
- Availability beyond standard government business hours
- Ability to access multiple databases in one or more provinces across the region
- Ability to perform multiple transactions during a single interaction
- A user-friendly Windows®-based graphical interface with integrated help for improved productivity
- Administrative efficiencies allowing government employees to better focus on serving their own clients’ needs
- A common “look and feel” regardless of the information product or source.
Meanwhile, the governments of the Atlantic Provinces are experiencing benefits
such as:
- Administrative efficiencies that enable agencies to redeploy staff to more strategic functions
- A reusable framework for complex information management issues such as revenue sharing, tax treatment, intellectual property, privacy/confidentiality and dealing with multi-government jurisdictions
- The ability to develop and deploy new service offerings quickly using existing technology frameworks and business models
- The opportunity to deliver new, value-added products and services
- Access to on-going research and development, which ensures delivery of the best technical solutions
- The ability to negotiate flexible revenue-sharing and funding options.
Thanks to the commitment of the Atlantic Provinces’ governments, and the efforts of Unisys, Atlantic Canadian citizens and businesses can look forward to continued customer-driven electronic initiatives.
Customer at a glance
Atlantic Canada Provincial Governments
Mission
Provide accessible and convenient service to citizens.
Objective
Making it more convenient to do business with government by providing new methods of accessing services.
Results
Simplified service delivery. Increased access channels. Improved customer service. Canada is currently ranked as worldwide leader in e-Government.
Population served
More than 4 million.
About Unisys in the Public Sector
Unisys is a worldwide systems integrator specializing in information technology services and solutions. We offer an end-to-end portfolio of value-based solutions led by our competency in consulting and systems integration, outsourcing, network services and security, coupled with leading enterprise-class server and related technologies.
- Our government clients value the combination of people, process and performance we deliver on every project
- Our people get it done - we resolve complex, information technology problems with a combination of precision thinking and relentless execution.
- Our vision to value process is proven - we strategically align our client’s IT investment with their mission and vision.
- Our performance is world class - we deliver what we promise.
We have kept our commitment to more than 1,500 government clients around the world and we’ll do the same for you.
