A Smarter Approach to Provincial Agencies

Peter Bethlenfalvy is MPP for Pickering — Uxbridge and President of the Treasury Board of Ontario. This blog is one instalment in a series on the Ontario government’s Smart Initiatives, aimed at generating savings and improving user experience through innovative approaches to government. Read his previous blog here.

If I asked you to name a provincial agency, you might say organizations like the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board or the Human Rights Tribunal. While most of us could likely name a handful of provincial agencies, I bet you’d be surprised to learn that there are nearly 200 active agencies providing a range of services to the people of Ontario.

Some are big names that you’ve likely heard of like the Law Society of Ontario or the Art Gallery of Ontario. Others are less well known — like the Advertising Review Board or the Condominium Authority. Regardless of whether or not you’ve heard of them, agencies provide important services like expert advice to government, program delivery, and infrastructure maintenance.

With all these agencies providing important services, you would think the government was regularly monitoring their efficacy and value. However, for years, agency functions were never measured or reviewed by the provincial government in a comprehensive way. Without a clear understanding of how well these agencies were performing, it was impossible to know if they were providing real value for money and helping the people they were designed to serve.

That’s why our government created the Agency Review Task Force. The Task Force was established to undertake a comprehensive review of all government agencies. This allowed us to see whether their boards were properly staffed, their services were fulfilling their goals, and that the people of Ontario could easily access them when needed.

Thanks to the work of the Agency Review Task Force, our government found a number of areas where agencies could be improved. Specifically, the Task Force measured agency effectiveness, efficiency, governance, sustainability, relevance, and value for money.

Like so many other areas of government service, the Task Force found that government agencies lagged behind the private sector when it came to providing accessible digital options for Ontarians.

A key recommendation of the Task Force was the expansion of digital services. For too many Ontarians, when they had to file a form or request a service from an agency, if they couldn’t visit the physical location during regular business hours, they were out of luck.

To remedy this, the Task Force has recommended that agencies provide effective, accessible digital options. For example, WSIB is now working to implement online options so workers can access their services at any hour of the day. Likewise, the Ontario Labour Relations Board began the process of allowing video conferencing options, letting Ontarians appear remotely at hearings.

Another major finding of the Task Force was the opportunity to consolidate agencies where redundancy existed. For example, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs had an agency that hadn’t met in over 20 years and had no board members. Other agencies that fulfil similar roles have been identified for potential consolidation, ensuring taxpayer dollars are spent smarter, only funding one, integrated agency when, previously, two may have provided overlapping services.

The Task Force also found that many agencies were not making the most efficient use of funds because of unnecessary administrative costs. Almost half of all agencies were directed to implement administrative improvements, ensuring they can save much needed money while providing better, faster, more effective services.

For one-fifth of all agencies, the Task Force recommended they enhance and improve how they report the progress and effectiveness of their programs to government. Improved reporting provides the government with clearer information to ensure they’re maximizing value for taxpayers.

Many agencies are self-funding. To further ensure proper use of taxpayer dollars, the Task Force investigated ways for certain agencies to remain sustainable for years to come. This means, where appropriate, agencies will be directed to boost income internally and find efficiencies to save taxpayer dollars. For some like the Ontario Science Centre and Science North, ways to boost admissions are now being examined.

Finally, over half of agencies were instructed to improve good governance. This means ensuring board members have the skills and expertise needed to fill their roles. This simple change can vastly improve the quality of service provided.

All findings from the Task Force have helped to ensure agencies run more effectively, provide better services for the people of Ontario and better fulfil their mandates. In less than a year, the Task Force was able to complete a comprehensive review that provided vital information that the Ontario government had not had access to for years.

Thanks to the efforts of the Task Force, we’re making agencies more effective and efficient, and making government Smarter for the people of Ontario. Stay tuned to this page and my Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn accounts to stay up-to-date on our government’s other Smart Initiatives.