Published plans and annual reports 2015-2016: Ministry of Government and Consumer Services

About the Ministry

The Ministry of Government and Consumer Services (MGCS) delivers vital programs, services, and products — including consumer protection and public safety, access to government information, internal business services and employee inclusion and accessibility — to strengthen government and enhance the quality of life for Ontario’s families.

MGCS was formed in the summer of 2014, when the former Ministry of Consumer Services and the former Ministry of Government Services came together as one ministry within the Ontario government.

Now, the Ministry looks to deliver on its commitment through 3 strategic priorities:

• Service Excellence: Exceeding the expectations of our customers and clients.
• Leadership: Leading the way by championing innovative solutions, being a catalyst for transformation, and building an inclusive and accessible workplace.
• Partnerships: Acting as a collaborative partner who adds value and achieves results.

How MGCS does business

The Ministry has five primary lines of business:

1. Consumer Protection: This division informs Ontarians about their rights and protections as consumers, and provides assistance if they believe these rights have been violated, through the Consumer Protection Act and other consumer protection legislation. Consumer Protection Ontario, the ministry’s education and public-information initiative, reaches out to consumers and businesses as a trusted source of information, advice and awareness.
2. Information, Privacy and Archives (IPA): The IPA division provides strategic leadership to the OPS for a wide range of information management-related activities, including planning, policy and standards development, access to information, and the protection of privacy. Within IPA, the Archives of Ontario acquires, preserves, and makes publicly accessible original records of enduring value relating to the province.
3. Ontario Shared Services (OSS): OSS provides strategic advice, controllership and cost-effective service delivery in financial and non-tax revenue processing, payroll and benefits processing, benefit administration, supply chain management, enterprise business services and human resources.
4. OPS Diversity Office: The Diversity Office provides programs, policies and services in one of the world’s most diverse jurisdictions, and works to make the OPS an even more inclusive organization that is inclusive and accessible.
5. ServiceOntario: ServiceOntario provides Ontarians with fast, friendly and easy access to a range of government services and information. This includes the convenience of one-stop shopping, available through online, telephone and in-person delivery channels. ServiceOntario serves both individuals and businesses, simplifying their interactions with government.

The success of these five lines of business relies upon the ongoing support of:

• Communications
• Corporate Services
• Information Technology and
• Legal Services

Performance measurement

The Ministry uses performance measures including those on customer service and information management to track progress, help ensure goals are met and continuously find ways to improve.

Consumer Services

The Ministry is implementing a new business intelligence system to capture trends and inform government policy development and decisions. In 2014-15, the Ministry initiated the development of a new Information and Information Technology (I&IT) system – the Integrated Consumer Protection System – that will support improved data management and reporting. As part of this I&IT modernization project, the Ministry will establish new measures of efficiency, effectiveness, and customer satisfaction with service delivery.

Customer satisfaction with administrative authorities

Consumer Services conducts an annual survey of administrative authority satisfaction. The survey measures satisfaction with the quality of the oversight relationship with the Ministry. The central themes of the survey are partnership, communication and effective collaboration. Consumer Services is currently reviewing the scope and methodology of the survey as the current model has been in use for several years.

Overall satisfaction

Consumer Services remains committed to continuous improvement in administrative authority satisfaction.

The Ministry surveys customer satisfaction and has established service standards to continuously improve service. Through our service standards, the Ministry makes a public commitment to deliver a high level of service that our clients and customers can expect. The Ministry’s standards help ensure that services are accessible, timely, courteous and responsive. They also ensure the privacy and personal information of Ontarians is protected.
The Ministry has exceeded the following service standards:

Information, Privacy and Archives

Information Management

Ontario Shared Services

Customer Service

ServiceOntario

Customer satisfaction with public-facing services

ServiceOntario surveys customer satisfaction throughout the year for each of its service delivery channels: online, in-person and telephone. Customers rate their service experience from one (very dissatisfied) to five (very satisfied). The ServiceOntario performance indicator reflects the percentage of customers who indicated a five rating for their overall satisfaction. The results in the table below are based on surveys for all channels.

Overall satisfaction

ServiceOntario is committed to continuous improvement in customer satisfaction.

Service Standards

Key ServiceOntario service standards measure the percentage of transactions delivered within established timeframes and the effectiveness of service delivery processes. The money-back service guarantee had an average 99.9 per cent achievement rate in 2014-15.

The graph below displays nine money-back guaranteed services that exceeded performance targets. These nine services include online birth, marriage and death certificates; premium online birth, marriage and death certificates; electronic master business licences, online personalized licence plate orders and online publications orders. Service levels exceed 99 per cent. The goal for 2015-16 is to maintain a service standard achievement rate above 99 per cent through strict process control and continuous improvement.

All of ServiceOntario’s published service standards met or exceeded their targets in 2013-14.

Fiscal 2013-14

Organizational chart

Organizational chart for the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services

• Minister of Government and Consumer Services – David Orazietti
  • Group of three
    • Advertising Review Board
    • Ontario Film Review Board
    • 9 Administrative Authorities
  • Deputy Minister of Government and Consumer Services – Wendy Tilford
    • Legal Director – Fateh Salim
    • Director: Communications – Laurie Menard
    • CIO Government Services Integration Cluster (GSIC) – Rob Devries
    • Chief Inclusion and Accessibility Officer OPS Diversity Office – Virginia Hatchette
    • Associate DM Ontario Shared Services Division – Angela Coke
      • ADM HR Service Delivery Division – Donna Holmes
      • ADM/CIO Enterprise Financial Services and Systems Division – David Clifford
      • ADM Supply Chain Ontario – Marian Macdonald
      • ADM Enterprise Business Services Division – Glen Medeiros
      • ADM Pay and Benefits Services Division – Riet Verheggan
    • Integration Project Team – Cindy Greeiaus (A) Yvonne Defoe (A) Debbie Farr (A)
    • Chief Privacy Officer and Archivist of Ontario: Information, Privacy and Archives Division – Jim Hamilton
    • ADM Transformation & Strategic Operations – Renu Kulendran
    • ADM Policy Planning & Oversight – Frank Denton
    • ADM and CAO Corporate Services – Clare McMilan
    • Associate DM and CEO ServiceOntario – Shirley Philips (A)
      • ADM Customer Care Division – Helga Iladis
      • ADM Central Services – Robert Mathews (A)
      • ADM Business Development – David Ward
      • ADM Business Improvement – Bev Hawton

Download printer-friendly organizational chart (JPG)

Acts administered by the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services

• Apportionment Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. A.23
• Archives and Recordkeeping Act, 2006, S.O. 2006, c. 34, Sched. A
• Arthur Wishart Act (Franchise Disclosure), 2000, S.O. 2000, c. 3
• Assignments and Preferences Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. A.33
• Athletics Control Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. A.34
• Bailiffs Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. B.2
• Board of Funeral Services Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. F.36
• Boundaries Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. 8.10
• Business Corporations Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. B.16
• Business Names Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. B.17
• Business Regulation Reform Act, 1994, S.O. 1994, c. 32
• Change of Name Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. C.7
• Collection and Debt Settlement Services Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. C.14
• Condominium Act, 1998, S.O. 1998, c. 19
• Consumer Protection Act, 2002, S.O. 2002, c. 30, Sched. A
• Consumer Reporting Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. C.33
• Corporations Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. C.38
• Corporations Information Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. C.39
• Delegated Administrative Authorities Act, 2012, S.O. 2012, c. 8, Sched. 11 (not yet in force)
• Discriminatory Business Practices Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. D.12
• Electricity Act, 1998, S.O. 1998, c. 15, Sched. A, in respect of Part VIII
• Electronic Land Registration Services Act, 2010, S.O. 2010, c. 1, Sched. 6
• Electronic Registration Act (Ministry of Consumer and Business Services
• Statutes), 1991, S.O. 1991, c. 44
• Extra-Provincial Corporations Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. E.27
• Factors Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. F.1
• Film Classification Act, 2005, S.O. 2005, c. 17
• Financial Administration Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. F.12, in respect of section 1.0.1 and clause 38 (1) (a.3)
• Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. F.31
• Funeral, Burial and Cremation Services Act, 2002, S.O. 2002, c. 33
• Government Services and Service Providers Act (ServiceOntario), 2012, S.O. 2012, c. 8, Sched. 21 (not yet in force)
• Highway Traffic Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, in respect of Part III
• Horse Riding Safety Act, 2001, S.O. 2001, c. 4
• Land Registration Reform Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. L.4
• Land Titles Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. L.5
• Limited Partnerships Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. L.16
• Marriage Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. M.3
• Ministry of Consumer and Business Services Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. M.21
• Ministry of Government Services Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. M.25, except in respect of services provided by the Treasury Board Secretariat
• Motor Vehicle Dealers Act, 2002, S.O. 2002, c. 30, Sched. B
• Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. M.56
• Not-for-Profit Corporations Act, 2010, S.O. 2010, c. 15 (not yet in force)
• Official Notices Publication Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. 0.3
• Ontario New Home Warranties Plan Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. 0.31
• Ontario Underground Infrastructure Notification System Act, 2012, S.O. 2012, c.4
• Paperback and Periodical Distributors Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. P. 1
• Partnerships Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. P.5
• Payday Loans Act, 2008, S.O. 2008, c. 9
• Personal Property Security Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. P.10
• Real Estate and Business Brokers Act, 2002, S.O. 2002, c. 30, Sched. C
• Registry Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. R.20
• Repair and Storage Liens Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. R.25
• Residential Complex Sales Representation Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. R.28
• Retail Business Holidays Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. R.30
• Safety and Consumer Statutes Administration Act, 1996, S.O. 1996, c.19
• Securities Transfer Act, 2006, S.O. 2006, c. 8
• Technical Standards and Safety Act, 2000, S.O. 2000, c. 16
• Travel Industry Act, 2002, S.O. 2002, c. 30, Sched. D
• Vintners Quality Alliance Act, 1999, S.O. 1999, c. 3
• Vital Statistics Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. VA
• Wine Content and Labelling Act, 2000, S.O. 2000, c. 26, Sched. P
• Wireless Services Agreements Act, 2013, S.O. 2013, c. 8

Agencies, boards and commissions

Agencies

The Advertising Review Board (ARB) was established in 1985 with its mandate set out in Procurement Directive on Advertising, Public and Media Relations, and Creative Communications Services; mandatory central common service for the OPS ensuring the fair and transparent procurement of advertising, communications consulting (public and media relations), and creative communications services for government clients. The ARB provides ministries and government agencies with assistance and advice on the acquisition of advertising and communications services.

Financial Summary

The Ontario Film Review Board (OFRB) receives its mandate through the Film Classification Act, 2005. Subject to specific exceptions, if a film (e.g., movie, DVD, video etc.) is to be distributed or exhibited in Ontario, it must first be classified or approved by the OFRB, thereby providing the public with information to make informed viewing choices for themselves and their children.

* Estimates based on six month period from April 1 to September 30, 2015 and reflect the delegation of the Film Classification Act, 2005 and oversight of the OFRB to the Ontario Film Authority (OFA), a delegated administrative authority, which will take effect on October 1, 2015.

Administrative authorities

The ministry’s administrative authorities are based on several pieces of legislation. The Safety and Consumer Statutes Administration Act, 1996 (SCSAA), provides a framework for the delegation of the administration of legislation with respect to electrical safety, motor vehicle dealers and sales persons, travel sales, as well as real estate salespersons, brokers and brokerages. The oversight frameworks applicable to funeral services regulation, technical standards, new home warranties, and appellations of Ontario-made wine are established within specific statutes for each respective area.

Individual statutes and SCSAA establish the accountability and governance framework that applies between the ministry and the not-for-profit corporation that administers legislation on behalf of the government in specific consumer protection or public safety areas.

The ministry monitors administrative authority service delivery and the government remains responsible for the legislation and regulations that are administered within a defined business sector. The administrative authorities deliver services such as licensing, inspections, complaint handling and enforcement.

The Board of Funeral Services (BoFS) administers provisions of the Funeral, Burial and Cremation Services Act, 2002 that apply to the funeral and transfer sector, and the Board of Funeral Services Act. The BoFS licenses funeral directors, funeral establishment operators, funeral planners and transfer service operators, and their sales representatives inspect funeral establishments and transfer services, investigate complaints regarding licensees and administer a pre-paid funeral services compensation fund that protects consumers who prepay for funeral services and suffer a financial loss if the service provider is unable or unwilling to cover the cost.

The Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) is responsible for administering laws related to the Ontario Electrical Safety Code, the licensing of Electrical Contractors and Master Electricians, electricity distribution system safety, and electrical product safety.

The Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council (OMVIC) administers the Motor Vehicle Dealers Act, 2002, and the Motor Vehicle Dealers Compensation Fund which is a fund for consumers who have lost money involving a registered dealer. OMVIC registers motor vehicle dealers and salespeople and conducts inspections and investigations to ensure compliance with the Act.

The Ontario One Call (ON1Calll) administers the Ontario Underground Infrastructure Notification System Act, which requires owners of underground infrastructure to be members of ON1Call and to provide the location of the infrastructure to excavators when requested. ON1Call operates a locate request routing service and enforces compliance with its members, which include gas, electrical and telecommunications utilities, and municipalities.

The Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) administers the Real Estate and Business Brokers Act, 2002 which regulates the conduct of real estate salespersons, brokers and brokerages. RECO registers real estate salespersons, brokers and brokerages, enforces standards to obtain/maintain registration, requires brokers and salespersons to meet educational standards, conducts inspections of brokerage offices to ensure compliance with the Act and investigates complaints.

The Tarion Warranty Corporation administers the Ontario New Home Warranties Plan which provides warranty coverage to new home buyers. Tarion registers new home builders and vendors, enrols new homes for warranty coverage, investigates illegal building practices, resolves warranty disputes between builders/vendors and homeowners, maintains a Guarantee Fund that provides for the payment of compensation under the plan, informs and educates new home builders, and through research programs, promotes progressive improvement in the quality of housing in Ontario.

The Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) enforces public safety standards in industry sectors such as amusement devices, boilers and pressure vessels, elevating devices, natural gas, petroleum and propane fuels and equipment, operating engineers and upholstered and stuffed articles.

The Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO) administers the Travel Industry Act, 2002. It registers travel agents and travel wholesalers, monitors their financial performance to identify financial risk, inspects their operations to ensure compliance with the Act, and manages Ontario’s Travel Industry Compensation Fund. The Fund may reimburse customers with eligible claims for travel services paid, to or through a registered travel agent, but not provided, up to certain amounts.

The Vintners’ Quality Alliance Ontario (VQA Ontario) is responsible for administering an appellation of origin system governing the production and marketing of Ontario wines under the VQA Ontario label.

Ministry financial information

Ministry planned expenditures 2015-16

*Includes statutory appropriations (excludes operating and capital assets)

Ministry Operating and Capital (excludes statutory appropriations and assets)

Operating and Capital Summary by Vote

For additional information see:

Expenditure estimates

Public Accounts of Ontario

2015 Ontario Budget

Appendix 1

2014-15 Annual report

Business achievements

Within the five core lines of business outlined in Part One, MGCS achieved several key milestones in 2014-15.

1. Consumer Protection

The ministry is responsible for informing and educating consumers, and increasing awareness among Ontario businesses regarding their obligations under consumer-protection legislation; modernizing provincial business law; and promoting public safety and standardization.

Highlights for 2014-15 included:

• Passing the Fighting Fraud and Reducing Automobile Insurance Rates Act, 2014, which establishes consumer protection measures specific to the towing and storage industries, and undertaking consultations on potential regulations to support implementation of the Act.
• Helping home buyers by increasing real estate market openness and transparency. Protections under the Real Estate and Business Brokers Act, 2002 were developed to improve transparency in multiple bidding situations. These protections come into force July 1, 2015.
• Increasing protection for vulnerable, indebted Ontarians against the abusive and predatory practices of some companies that offer debt settlement services by amendments to the renamed Collection and Debt Settlement Services Act, coming into force July 1, 2015.
• Providing enhanced protections for consumers under the Wireless Services Agreements Act, 2012 to ensure that wireless and cell phone contracts set out clearly which services come with the basic fee and which would result in extra charges for the consumer. The Act also requires wireless services providers to get customer consent before amending, renewing, or extending a fixed-term contract and restricts the cancellation fees that can be charged.
• Improving protections for consumers who feel pressured to sign a contract at the door for a water heater, giving them twice as long to reconsider their decision with a new 20-day cooling-off period as part of reforms to the Consumer Protection Act, 2002 effective as of April 1, 2015.
• Releasing the final report from Stage Three of the Condo Act review which broadly endorsed the recommendation to reform the Act made during Stage Two of the review.
• Establishing inspection authorities under the Consumer Protection Act, 2002, to allow inspectors to take a more preventative and targeted approach to enforcement through the use of education and awareness materials and new tools such as warning letters. As of April 1, 2015, inspectors are able to proactively enter businesses in Ontario, examine documentation relevant to an inspection, require cooperation in the inspection process, and issue orders to address and correct consumer issues, where appropriate.
• Establishing Consumer Protection Ontario, an awareness program of the ministry of and its administrative authorities that promotes consumer rights and public safety.
• Launching a marketing campaign to promote awareness of Consumer Protection Ontario, including television, digital and cinema advertising. The Consumer Protection Ontario website was accessed by 1.1 million visitors who viewed 2.2 million pages of information.
• Undertaking outreach and education to help consumers protect themselves and businesses to comply with consumer protection legislation, including offering hundreds of public workshops across the province and releasing a Guide to the Consumer Protection Act for Businesses and a Guide to the Consumer Protection Act for Newcomers to Canada.
• Responding to over 30,000 consumer complaints and inquiries.
• Conducting over 266 business compliance inspections and educational field visits.
• Laying 200 charges under the Consumer Protection Act, 2002 and other Acts enforced by the ministry resulting in:
  • 20 months of jail imposed on violators and 672 months of probation for violators;
  • $170,300 in fines against violators
  • $587,167 court-ordered restitution for victims, plus an additional $105,384 restitution through mediation

• Working with ministry partners, confirmed funding for Ontario’s wine and grape industry for the first two years of a five-year strategy that focuses on growing the market at home and abroad for Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA Ontario) wines. Ongoing work with VQA Ontario Ontario to improve Ontario’s appellation of origin system for 100% Ontario premium grape wines. Entering into an innovative Memorandum of Understanding with the Competition Bureau to enhance consumer protection in the marketplace and strengthen compliance with, and enforcement of, the federal Competition Act and the Consumer Protection Act, 2002. The governments of Ontario and Canada will work together to combat false and misleading advertising and deceptive marketing practices, making the digital and traditional marketplaces safer, fairer, and better informed.
• Receiving approval to delegate the Film Classification Act, 2005 to the Ontario Film Authority on October 1, 2015. As of that date, the new Delegated Administrative Authority will be responsible for administering the Act, and for supporting and overseeing the operations of the Ontario Film Review Board.
• Establishing a not-for-profit corporation, the Bereavement Authority of Ontario, to form a new Delegated Administrative Authority that will administer the Funeral Burial and Cremation Services Act, 2002 (targeted for 2015-16 fiscal year).
• Enhancing the ministry’s use of operational data to inform business process improvements, scoping out business technology and information requirements, and initiating a multi-year modernization project to replace the ministry’s business system.
• Leading several Economic Regulatory Deputy Ministers’ Committee projects aimed at reducing compliance costs by working collaboratively across eight ministries on projects related to inspector and investigator training, and leadership training for compliance managers; accelerating the adoption and use of the Single Business Number as a common identifier among regulatory ministries; sharing best practices in risk assessment and risk management; and using communications as a tool to support regulatory compliance.Partnering with Ontario One Call to support the effective implementation and administration of the Ontario Underground Infrastructure Notification System Act, 2012 and its regulation. Partnering with the Technical Standards and Safety Authority to implement the remaining 2008 Propane Safety Review Panel recommendations through regulatory changes to strengthen propane safety by moving from annual to risk-based inspections, and by creating a new requirement for facilities to carry minimum amounts of insurance. At the same time, the ministry reduced burden on business by simplifying compliance with existing training requirements and enabling enhancements to the risk and safety management plan process for small facilities.
• Partnering with the Technical Standards and Safety Authority to launch a review of the boilers and pressure vessels regulation, and completed an initial engagement with stakeholders which will lead to consultation on potential future regulatory models.

2. Information, Privacy and Archives

The ministry promotes good recordkeeping, leads the government’s freedom of information and privacy initiatives and, through the Archives of Ontario, keeps and preserves Ontario’s heritage.

Highlights for 2014-15 included:

• Adding 177,864 entries to the online guide to the archival holdings of the Archives of Ontario (Archives Descriptive Database).
• Enhancing the Archives of Ontario ability to identify and acquire collections of provincial significance from the private sector by taking a strategic approach to guide decisions about acquiring donations from key private sectors that complement the government record and to ensure we are documenting Ontario in all of its diversity.
• Working with The Learning Channel’s biographical television show “Who Do You Think You Are?” to film a segment of the show in the Archives Reading Room and bring increased recognition to the Archives’ role in the search for vital historical documents.
• Curating the onsite exhibit, Dear Sadie—Love, Lives, and Remembrance from Ontario’s First World War, in commemoration of the centenary of the First World War, resulting in over 2,000 visits. A Dear Sadie travelling exhibit, available to Ontario museums and cultural institutions, was also made available starting in July 2014 and is booked into 2016.
• Curating a Remembrance Day exhibit, Eaton’s Goes to War, which tells the story, lists the names and photos of the 2,000+ Eaton’s employees from Toronto who served in the First World War.
• Doubling the Archives reach to students from 1,536 students in 2013-2014 to 3,078 students in 2014-2015 through its onsite and offsite educational workshops. All of the Archives educational resources are linked to the Ontario school curriculum which since its 2013 revision has emphasized interaction with primary sources in teaching history and social studies.
• Refreshing Ontario’s Sporting Past, a popular travelling exhibit featuring the Archives’ sports collection and Ontario’s sports history. The new exhibit is planned to be on display during Pan Am/ParaPan Games at one Games venue as well as at two Ontario Heritage Trust sites.
• Promoting public access to Ontario’s historic documents by:
  • producing promotional brochures featuring the Government of Ontario Art Collection for use at the Lieutenant Governor’s Suite in conjunction with the New Year’s Levee
  • producing souvenir postcards of a portrait of Sir John A. Macdonald from the Art Collection for distribution at events celebrating the 200^th birthday of Sir John A. Macdonald on January 11, 2015
  • having over 100 images from the collections of the Archives of Ontario and the Ministry of Transportation featured at the 100^th Anniversary of the Transportation Association of Canada exhibition held in Montreal
• Attracting 315,000 visitors to the Ontario Archives website. Visitors viewed over 1.7 million pages of information.
• Implementing a four-year records and information management transformation roadmap for the OPS continued in 2014 with the goal of promoting a culture in the OPS where records and information management is second nature and practiced by all staff.
• Releasing an updated 2011 Corporate Policy on Recordkeeping to the OPS. The policy applies to all ministries to all advisory and adjudicative agencies and to any other agency subject to the Management and Use of Information & Information technology Directive. The policy defines and establishes requirements for the creation and management of public records in the OPS.
• Responding to 336 freedom of information (FOI) requests from the public, 92 requests for restricted court records from individuals and/or agents of the individuals and 355 requests for archived records

3. OPS Diversity Office

The ministry’s OPS Diversity Office leads the enterprise-wide strategy to transform the OPS into an inclusive organization that is both diverse and accessible. In collaboration with key enterprise partners, it supports key ministries, program areas, policy owners and other key stakeholders to ensure that inclusion is embedded into all OPS programs, policies and services.

Highlights for 2014-15 included:

• Developing and piloting the Culture for Inclusion Inventory. The program supports managers to engage their staff teams in dialogue and build inclusive leadership practices.
• Developing and piloting the Inclusion Continuum and User’s Guide to bring staff teams into conversation about inclusive culture and develop action plans for individual and team growth in the area of diversity and inclusion.
• Featuring a new topic (Accessibility in the Built Environment) in the award-winning Accessibility@Source campaign, a transformative information and awareness initiative that is helping staff build accessibility considerations into programs, policies and services at the design stage.
• Having the OPS named as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers for 2015, making it the eighth year in a row the OPS has received this award.

4. Ontario Shared Services

Through Ontario Shared Services, the Ministry provides a wide range of human resource and business services to the Ontario government.

Highlights for 2014-15 included:

• Launching an OPS Sexual Harassment Prevention Plan, including a review of the current process to report sexual harassment in the workplace, and identify reforms to better address the needs of complainants.
• Launching a Disability Support Strategy which aims to prevent and enhance employment accommodation and return-to-work outcomes for employees with disabilities, injuries and illnesses.
• Posting 3523 public facing job advertisements that were viewed online more than 38 million times -- 1446 external candidates were hired in 2014-15.
• Making significant progress on the service expansion plan while supporting OPS modernization efforts, the Green Agenda, and Accessibility Standards. Based on trends and increase in demand for the shift from paper to digital, Enterprise Business Services Division has increased client outreach and awareness while consistently innovating and enhancing its service offerings. In addition, there was a 35% increase in our eforms targets with an 11% increase in downloads from the Central Forms Repository to 6.4 million.
• Achieving a Documents Services customer satisfaction rate of 96.5%.
• Funding five demonstration projects focussed on health care technology to address procurement related gaps and barriers to innovation development and adoption in the Broader Public Sector
• Providing training on value-based procurement to over 200 healthcare and procurement professionals
• Developing a suite of innovation readiness self-assessment tools and checklists that assess an organization’s culture of innovation, style of innovation, decision processes and innovation processes.
• Introducing a new streamlined and plain language procurement template, called a Request for Bids, that introduces a logical approach to information lay-out, checklists to reduce likelihood of error and provides forms to simplify vendor responses. The new template supports online bid submission now available through Ontario’s electronic tendering system, BravoSolution. For OPS buyers, these procurement improvements will result in improved bids, reduced disqualifications and speedier bid preparation and evaluation. For vendors, the procurement improvements will reduce their costs to prepare bids, reduce the risk of errors in procurement submissions and gets procurement decisions to them faster.
• Generating significant cost-savings across the public sector through discounts on market pricing and efficiencies gained by having thousands of vendors vetted by Supply Chain Ontario procurement experts. This means our clients do not have to repeatedly go to market for goods and services available through a VOR arrangement. For example, the recent Managed Print Services contract is expected to save $14.2 million over the contract term due to significant cost reductions achieved through the procurement process. Task-based IT Consulting Services is expected to yield savings of $15.75 million over its contract term again through cost reductions.
• Engaging with close to 3,300 vendors in more than 30 “How to Do Business with the Ontario Government’ vendor outreach events.
• Hosting a reverse tradeshow explaining to business how they can do business with Ontario - 35 public sector buyers and 440 vendors attended.
• Responding to approximately 1200 vendors who sought help and support on how to do business with the Ontario Government.

5. ServiceOntario

ServiceOntario is the gateway to government services for individuals and businesses. ServiceOntario manages over 47 million customer interactions annually and delivers approximately 80 services through one identifiable brand across multiple channels (online, contact centre, in-person, mail).

Highlights for 2014-15 included:

• Achieving a 99.9% monthly success rate on the guaranteed services. As of Q3 2014-15, the overall customer satisfaction rate, the percent of customers very satisfied with their most recent ServiceOntario experience, was 79%.
• Launching an integrated marketing campaign to promote ServiceOntario as the only government-authorized source for Ontario government documents such as birth, marriage and death certificates. The campaign included digital (online banners and search,) social media (Facebook and twitter posts), direct mail inserts, info cards, stakeholder outreach and internal communications.
• Launching the Ministry of the Attorney General’s Small Claims E-Filing solution pilot to four provincial courts via ServiceOntario’s ONe-Source Online Portal. Through this service users can: file claims and pay fees through a secure online channel, upload completed forms and create new ones, and receive court-issued documents by email. Following a successful pilot, this service was launched province-wide in March 2015.
• Announcing a new, more secure birth certificate made of polymer. The superior security features of the polymer birth certificate make it harder to forge and easier to verify that the certificate is genuine. The new material is also more durable and resistant to fading and moisture. On April 15, 2015, ServiceOntario began issuing birth certificates with the new material (first-time and replacement certificates).
• Driving more than 6.7 million visitors to the ServiceOntario website. Visitors viewed more than 26 million pages of information on the website.

6. Government Services Integration Cluster

The Government Services Integration Cluster provides strategic advice and cost-effective technology solutions for MGCS and ministry partners in implementing key business objectives, modernizing government services and creating efficiencies in delivery.

Highlights for 2014-15 included:

• Providing drivers with the ability to transact key Driver and Vehicle transactions using mobile devices.
• Transitioning the Private Security Investigative Services licensing service from the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services to ServiceOntario and enhancing registration applications to prepare for additional volumes of applications for licensing of some additional 6000+ security guards required to support the PanAm/ParaPan Games
• Improving access for Ontarians to government services using multi-channel access (telephone, web chat and e-mail) by moving five ministry programs from outdated systems to state of the art technology. In addition to improved customer service, the new technology is key to business transformation initiatives of partner ministries.
• Streamlining the summer employment opportunities system to allow students to submit one application for positions across the province.

Ministry Interim Actual Expenditures 2014-15

* includes statutory appropriations