Does the Agency have an approved service strategy and an inventory of its services?

• CRA Service Strategy was approved by the Board on December 9, 2008, and will be implemented over a three-year period, beginning April 1, 2009.
• Performance against objectives and the status of key activities by initiative will be reported annually, and the Service Strategy will feed into both the CBP and the CRA annual report.
• The Service Strategy was preceded by the CRA Service Inventory—a high-level snapshot of current CRA services, channels, and taxpayer segments.
• Corporate oversight and management of services and service priorities is provided through corporate committees. Specifically, the OPC oversees the program development and delivery of the Agency's core business of tax and benefit administration. The SDC may also be consulted in early stages of initiatives or transformations, and RIMC is responsible for oversight of large projects.
• The Director General Service Committee (DGSC) is mandated to guide and advise on the development and implementation of CRA enterprise-level service priorities, objectives, and strategies, and thus plays a leadership role in the horizontal management of service issues for the Agency.

• Board minutes for September 2007 and December 2008
• SDC minutes for September and December 2008
• CRA Service Strategy (December 2008)
• CRA Service Inventory (September 2007)
• DGSC Terms of Reference
• DGSC Records of Discussion for May, June, July, September, and October 2008

Strong

ACCEPTABLE

Service strategy appears strong but will require maturation and monitoring in order to evaluate success.

Acceptable

Opportunity for improvement

Attention required

Do performance targets exist for key service elements, and are they used for public reporting and management accountability?

• As of February 2009, the Agency had 47 service standards related to tax, benefits, appeals, and corporate service programs.
• Performance targets for new and modified service standards are approved through the CBP.
• Performance against identified service targets is reported publicly in the AR, the DPR, the CRA Web site, and internally in the Service Standards at a Glance document.
• Achievement of selected service standards is a key measure in several EC performance agreements.
• To increase visibility and transparency, two service standard documents were posted on the CRA Web site in 2008-2009:
  • Current Year Service Standards 2008-2009 – Provides information on service standards in effect in 2008-2009, including performance targets and access and delivery channels.
  • Performance Against Our Service Standards 2002-2007 – Provides historical data on performance against our service standards for the period 2002-2003 through 2006-2007 for the service standards in effect during one or more of those years.

• CBP/RPP/DPR/AR
• Service Standards at a Glance
• Guidelines to Complete Executive Cadre Performance Agreements for 2008-2009
• Quarterly Performance Reports
• Current Year Service Standards 2008-2009
• Performance Against Our Service Standards 2002-2007

Strong

ACCEPTABLE

• Posting of Service Standards At a Glance information on the CRA Web site to further increase transparency.
• Service Standard Review Project - Identify and address potential gaps where new standards could be implemented and where existing standards require improvement, modification, or elimination in order to be meaningful and useful to clients.
• Expand Web presence of service standards.

Acceptable

Opportunity for improvement

Attention required

Is performance against service standards monitored on an ongoing basis?

• Performance against published service standards is monitored on regular basis:
  • Annually to AMC and the Board via “Service Standards at a Glance”, which analyzes performance against standards in relation to fluctuations in program volumes;
  • Quarterly to all Agency staff via the CRA intranet report “Service Standards – Interim Results”. In this way, Agency managers are provided with regular management information regarding performance against select pre-established program standards and targets, allowing them to shift resources to those areas needing attention or to emerging pressures.
• The Corporate Strategies and Business Development Branch works closely with service standard “owners” in relevant branches on the development or modification of standards and targets.
• Service standard owners continuously monitor performance against their standards and report on it through the Performance Measurement Program System.
• Each branch is required to submit an annual narrative on performance against their service standards for Service Standards at a Glance. The document is reviewed and approved by AMC and is used as a management tool.
• The OPC oversees program development and delivery of Agency core business and is the forum for discussion and management of the Agency’s day-to-day business.
• The OPC reviews the Agency's quarterly performance reports to address or make recommendations in regard to identified or anticipated program challenges.

• AR
• Service Standards at a Glance
• Service Standards – Interim results
• Quarterly Performance Reports

Strong

STRONG

Issues related to services results are identified and acted upon.

Acceptable

Opportunity for improvement

Attention required

Do service users have available a readily accessible service redress mechanism?

• The Taxpayer Bill of Rights, CRA-Service Complaints, and the Taxpayers’ Ombudsman add to the Agency’s current recourse processes by adding a formalized Agency-wide system of recourse for the resolution of service complaints.
• The 2007-2008 CRA -Service Complaints Annual Report was released in July 2008. It provides an overview of the program and a summary of statistical and analytical complaint information for the first year of operation.
• Internal structures are in place to address service related issues including the National Intake Centre, six centres of expertise, Service Complaints Office in Appeals Branch at Headquarters, and the CRA-Ombudsman Liaison Office.
• CRA is currently developing a systemic issue identification database to identify and track trends and issues that affect service delivery.
• The Taxpayers’ Ombudsman will release an interim report in early 2009 to provide an update on the activities performed during the first 11 months of operation. The first annual report is due by December 31, 2009.

• CRA-Service Complaints Annual Report
• Systemic Issue Identification Framework

Do service users have available a readily accessible service redress-mechanism?

• 2,263 service complaints finalized for the period of April 2008 to January 2009
  • 40% of complaints were upheld
  • 35% of complaints not upheld
  • 15% of complaints partially upheld
  • 10% of complaints were withdrawn
• Based on last years’ data, 400 more complaints are projected to be finalized by year-end with the same breakdown noted above.

Strong

STRONG

Performance measures to address things such as the timely resolution of service complaints and inventory levels are to be developed.

Acceptable

Opportunity for improvement

Attention required

Is client satisfaction measurement undertaken by the Agency according to a sound methodology?

• Targeting specific aspects of service or specific audiences becomes more difficult, and due to the Privacy Act and the Income Tax Act’s Section 241 provisions, sometimes impossible.
• On February 13, 2008, the federal government announced a number of new restrictions on contracting public opinion research (POR), including a reduction in POR spending, and a need for ministerial approval on all POR plans. As a result, the CRA has only received approval to contract five projects so far this fiscal year. Two of the projects touch on satisfaction:
  • 2008 Annual Corporate Survey – Based on the sampling method devised for the baseline study conducted in 2005, an approach peer-reviewed by PWGSC and the PCO.
  • Web site business user survey – A telephone survey of businesses and intermediaries – measuring users' awareness and use of CRA Web-based services, and their experience and satisfaction with the Web site.
• The 2008 Annual Corporate Survey is complete. Results of the study of Web site business users should be available by the end of the fiscal year.
• The survey reveals that the CRA is continuing to maintain a consistently positive public image. Overall satisfaction with a recent service contact has not changed and complete satisfaction with key service aspects has either remained stable or slightly increased since a slight dip in 2007.

• Client satisfaction survey
• Annual Corporate Survey

I s client satisfaction measurement undertaken by the Agency according to a sound methodology?

CRA Annual Corporate Survey (July 2007 –June 2008)

Management performance demonstrated by trending the results of satisfaction rates for overall service quality, increase in the volume of self-service, and decrease in the number of complaints received and upheld.

Strong

STRONG

The Agency’s ability to do extensive research on public views is inhibited by new policies on the conduct of public opinion research.

Consider revising the questions.

Acceptable

Opportunity for improvement

Attention required