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Challenge: Systemscope
was originally engaged by Public Works and Government
Services Canada (PWGSC) in January of 2005 to develop
the business case for a successor to the GOL model of
providing Web site visitors with relevant information
and electronic service delivery. To develop a roadmap
for a coherent GoC Internet presence, Systemscope facilitated
over 50 senior government stakeholder sessions. One of
the overarching goals of this project was to enter into
a dialogue with key government executives to uncover operational
impacts and implications for a next generation service
model.
Approach: Systemscope's
Roadmap project has defined a Maturity Model that provides
public sector organizations with a clear and actionable
framework for increasing client satisfaction and service
delivery efficiency, achieving desired program and policy
outcomes, and ensuring accountability to Canadians. Systemscope’s
model:
- Establishes a common reference against which public
service organizations can be assessed, resulting in a
true government-wide enterprise approach
- Informs executive dialogue about the desired state
of client service delivery, and the internal mechanisms
required (e.g. enterprise and information architecture
components, employee skills development, tools, service
standards, operational policies, performance frameworks)
- Highlights transformation indicators and catalysts
that the organization can act upon in the short to mid
term
Outcome: Under the auspices
of the Roadmap, and now with Service Canada as the lead
client, Systemscope has undertaken a variety of projects
and generated a wide range of assets that can be applied
to GC service delivery transformation challenges. These
assets include:
- Service Inventory (Agriculture and Agri-food Canada)
- Service Map (Export Development Canada) – Program/Service
Alignment Model (PSAM)
- Service Map Matrix (Export Development Canada) –
Alternative view to the PSAM
- Client Journey (Foreign Affairs and International Trade)
– Buying from Canada
- Information Architecture (Service Canada; Government
of Canada Science & Technology)
- Governance and Partnership Models (Heritage, Natural
Resources, Industry)
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Challenge: CIC is planning a redesign of its departmental Web site,
to more closely align the site with the needs of CIC's clients, and to better integrate related sites
under CIC's purview. Systemscope was contracted to complete a User Needs Analysis and to develop an
information architecture for the site. The project involved extensive discovery and analysis work,
including consultations with internal stakeholders, a visit to CIC's Call Centre, content analysis
of the existing site, comparative analysis of similar sites, and review of site statistics and search
logs.
Approach: Systemscope’s
approach to information architecture is to seek the point
of intersection between context (mandates, desired outcomes,
available resources, technological enablers, governance),
content (nature, structure, purpose, lifecycle, processes)
and clients (who they are, their motivations for using
the site, their mental models of the subject domain, and
the behaviours they exhibit when seeking information).
With CIC, as with other similar projects, Systemscope
helped the department to build a research foundation for
web redesign, while identifying gaps in the available
research and providing guidance on improving and clarifying
the department’s approach to managing the Web as
both a communications and a service delivery platform.
Outcome: The deliverables for this project
included an IA Research Summary report that communicated these findings, and a set
of wireframes documenting alternative proposed architectures for the site. Feedback
from key points of service (international visa offices and the Canadian call centre)
was solicited, and two final draft architectures were delivered, one using a
goal/task-based approach, and the other a "client journey" approach. Both architectures feature approaches to categorization, navigation and page structure that are driven by the research findings.
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Challenge: Under the auspices of
the Roadmap to a Coherent Service Presence for the Government of Canada,
Systemscope was contracted to work with two formed GOL cluster sites --
Science.gc.ca and Innovation.gc.ca -- as well as with DFAIT's International
S&T Program, to identify an information architecture that could support the
government's broad science and technology interests, activities and clients
groups, while enabling consolidation of existing clusters and portals.
Approach: A variety of research methods were
used to inform the development of the information architecture, including consultations
with science-based departments and agencies, comparative analysis with other science Web
sites (both public and private sector), and client journeys.
Client journeys reflect an understanding of the motivations and
tasks/goals of users, and can be applied as a research methodology (identifying gaps
and opportunities for improvement in existing offerings), a design methodology (for
architecting client-centric solutions) and a strategic methodology (for defining
client-centric service strategies). In this case, client journeys were used to identify
and illustrate client experience issues related to horizontal information-seeking within
the Government of Canada's science sites and services.
Outcome: The information architecture that resulted
from this research was presented in July 2006 to the ADM Committee on Science & Technology.
The Committee endorsed further work, including broader consultations and the development
of a prototype illustrating the new architecture. This work is in progress, with completion
anticipated in late 2006.
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Challenge: Service Canada engaged Systemscope
to assist with multiple aspects of Web renovation, both internal and external, including
content strategy, content management, governance, roles & responsibilities, information
architecture, client experience design, performance measurement and content classification.
Approach: Throughout the project, Systemscope supported
Service Canada's objective of transitioning to a research-driven approach to internet and intranet
site design, including advice on improving how business and user requirements are defined, designed,
documented and communicated to the teams responsible for configuring the technology and building
the solutions.
Outcomes:
- Detailed information architecture wireframes for Service Canada's redesigned external Web site, including guidance and advice regarding content policies, metadata structures, site navigation, and classification structures (e.g., by topic and audience);
- A Research and Performance Measurement Framework designed to tie Service Canada's objectives to specific metrics for Web-based service delivery, such as usability measures;
- A detailed content inventory of Service Canada's intranet holdings, intended to inform efforts to rationalize and integrate content created and managed in multiple separate sites and repositories into a single platform;
- Process maps for roles and tasks related to content creation, publication and lifecycle management within Service Canada and with HRSDC;
- Advice and guidance on CMS configuration, particularly with regard to effective directory structures for Service Canada's Interwoven implementation.
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Challenge: The AAFC
IM Directorate is leading the development of a joint MGI/AAFC/NRCan
funded IM Education Program that has the entire GoC as
its target audience. The output of this exercise needs
to be generic enough in content to apply across government
yet simple enough in technology that it can be adopted
and edited by any organisation. It must also meet all
government standards for accessibility, and have the desired
effect of raising awareness and knowledge of IM issues.
Approach: Systemscope
focused on two areas in addressing the main challenges of
this project: selecting the optimal technology for the
delivery of the training materials and ensuring that the
right training materials met target audience requirements.
On the technology side, Systemscope performed an analysis
of current e-learning products and ultimately selected
Microsoft Producer and Microsoft Powerpoint to prepare
and present the learning modules. This decision was based
upon ease of use of the tool for the developer, the preponderance
of licenced versions of MS Powerpoint across the government
of Canada, and the possibility of later integration of
the tool in a Learning Management System. On the training
side, Systemscope consolidated existing best-of-breed
IM training content from a number of departments, and
in consultation with subject matter experts at AAFC and
NRCan, developed additional content to fill gaps in the
existing materials. By building each training module around
a practical set of learning objectives, Systemscope ensured
that training audiences received the appropriate content
to meet learning objectives.
Outcome: The Systemscope
team planned and developed an eight-module self-study,
standards-based e-Learning program built upon sound pedagogical
practices and achievable learning objectives. Topics included:
Records Management, Effective Email Management, Copyright,
IM and the Departing Employee, Privacy and Personal Information
and Information Security. The modules were delivered in
four formats to suit the preferences of different users:
Microsoft Producer with audio narrative; Microsoft Producer
without audio narrative; Adobe PDF for printing and native
Microsoft PowerPoint. Additionally, Systemscope developed
a Web site to house the training modules that was complete
with rapid feedback self-assessment quizzes and additional
information to support the modules. For all deliverables,
Systemscope maintained a branded look and feel.
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Challenge: NRCan's
Web presence is a vast network of over 400 Web sites that
include content, applications, and communication tools.
The Communications Branch, in partnership with other NRCan
branches and sectors, engaged the services of Systemscope
to work with NRCan's business leaders to identify a common
vision for NRCan's Web presence and develop a departmental
Web strategy. Specific challenges included:
- Determining how the departmental Web
presence can more effectively enable information and
service delivery for NRCan's business lines and their
clients
- Ensuring that NRCan's Web strategy is
aligned with wider GoC strategic initiatives, such as
the coherent Internet Presence (PWGSC), and
- Meeting all applicable GoC Web requirements.
Approach: To meet
the objectives of this assignment, Systemscope is using
a highly consultative approach to Web strategy development.
Systemscope has been conducting a number of consultations
with key business leaders and Web representatives within
the department to:
- Assess the current state of NRCan's Web
presence
- Articulate common goals for the departmental
Web presence
- Identify an action plan to achieve those
goals and
- Ensure better use of the Web as an effective
vehicle for communicating with Canadians
Outcome: With the final
analysis, the NRCan was able to consolidate disparate
Web sites, align itself with wider GoC initiatives and
gain a more coherent voice to NRCan clients.
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Challenges: Transport Canada
required professional services to assist the Department
in the development of an implementation plan to meet the
requirements of the federal governments Management of
Government Information (MGI) policy. Although no implementation
deadline has been identified, Transport Canada recognized
the importance of proactively complying with the policy's
requirements.
Approach: Systemscope was
engaged in January 2005 to develop the MGI Implementation
Roadmap in partnership with the Director of IM at Transport
Canada. Together they analyzed and prioritized the required
actions to address the MGI Policy. A rigorous set of consultations
took place with key stakeholders in corporate and business
lines for feedback and validation. The comments gathered
from these consultations were included after each session
resulting with buy-in of the implementation roadmap from
key stakeholders within the department.
Outcome: The results of
the accepted MGI Implementation Roadmap were outlined
in a final report and a presentation that was delivered
to the Technology and Information Management Services
Directorate (TIMSD), the Information Technology Advisory
Committee (ITAC), the IM/IT Management Board, and the
IM/IT Business Council in April 2005. The eight (8) high-level
IM activities outlined in the implementation roadmap were
approved and are expected to be implemented over the next
two years. Some activities are currently underway.
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