Published plans and annual reports 2019-2020: Ministry of Government and Consumer Services

Ministry overview

Mandate

The Ministry of Government and Consumer Services (MGCS) provides value to the Ontario Public Service (OPS), residents, and businesses of Ontario. It has key roles as a designer and provider of enterprise services, transformation enabler, and modern regulator. The ministry is committed to leadership in delivering people-centred approaches and driving cost savings.

MGCS has a broad mandate to support the government with efficient and effective enterprise business services and solutions, to strengthen consumer protection and public safety, and to provide vital programs, services, and products to individuals and businesses.

About the ministry

MGCS explores and innovates for the future while designing and delivering vital programs, services and products that help transform government and serve Ontarians better. Improving digital service delivery is at the heart of the ministry’s approach, as a way to increase value for investments and enable simpler, faster, better services for the people and businesses of Ontario.

Ontario Shared Services provides centralized internal shared services for all ministries, employees and select agencies. This includes procurement, finance, transfer payment administration, human resources, pay and benefits, and enterprise business services through multiple channels, including digital.

The Enterprise Information Technology Services Program provides leadership in establishing modern information and information technology (I&IT) to meet the needs of Ontarians and the OPS. This includes developing and implementing IT strategy, ensuring security of systems and data, and the implementation of common infrastructure, governance and accountability. It also includes the delivery of OPS-wide common services such as hosting services, service management and network capabilities.

Government Infrastructure Projects is responsible for managing a large portion of Ontario’s public real estate portfolio, which is one of the largest public-sector real estate portfolios in Canada. It is responsible for developing policy, legislation and programs related to public and forfeited real estate, and contributing to the delivery of world-class public services. This includes implementing real estate strategies, portfolio planning, acquisition and disposal of properties, space management, capital planning, and leasehold improvements. The program oversees the realty portion of Infrastructure Ontario.

Information, Privacy and Archives acts as the steward of the records of the Province of Ontario, providing enterprise strategic and policy advice and guidance to ministries, agencies and the broader public sector on records and information management, access to information, and privacy protection. It collects, preserves, promotes, and facilitates access to the province's documentary memory for current and future generations.

The Government Services Integration Cluster provides strategic advice and cost-effective technology solutions for the Ministries of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade; Seniors and Accessibility; Government and Consumer Services; Infrastructure; Francophone Affairs; and the Energy portfolio within the Ministry of Energy, Northern Development and Mines. GSIC supports and enables the information technology necessary for its supported ministries and agencies to operate, modernize, and transform their businesses.

ServiceOntario is the gateway to government services for individuals and businesses. It offers health card; driver and vehicle services; outdoor licensing (hunting, fishing); vital events; land and personal property registry; and, business registration services. It helps Ontarians through multiple channels including in-person, phone, mail and online.

Consumer Services is dedicated to policies, programs and services that respond to the needs of the people and businesses of Ontario. As a modern regulator, Consumer Services provides consumer protection, public safety and business law services. As the government leader for digital transformation, Consumer Services designs and delivers online services and information, and establishes digital standards and policies.

MGCS primary goals

MGCS has five primary goals to fulfill the ministry’s mandate and achieve government priorities:

• people and culture: fostering talent, leveraging our skills and knowledge, and assigning accountability to show quick, iterative progress on delivering commitments
• driving efficiencies: making services and back office functions more efficient and driving cost savings to support a balanced budget for Ontario
• service delivery excellence: driving operational excellence and continuous improvement in service delivery, and transforming and streamlining delivery models across government with private sector partners
• digital transformation: transforming through a digital first approach to lower the cost of delivery and make services simpler, faster and better for people, businesses and OPS employees
• supporting businesses: simplifying Ontario’s regulatory framework and reducing the administrative burden on businesses to make it easier to engage with all of government

Some of the ways these goals are translating to action include:

Through Ontario Shared Services (OSS), MGCS serves as the government’s enterprise service provider, driving efficiencies across the entire OPS. Providing key services including payroll, procurement, financial processing, transfer payment administration, human resources and financial processing allows ministries and select agencies to focus their resources on services to the public.

MGCS also plays a central role in implementing the recommendations set out in the Ernst & Young report “Managing Transformation – A Modernization Plan for Ontario.” For example, the line-by-line review revealed significant opportunities for efficiencies and cost savings through modernizing public sector procurement. Together with Treasury Board Secretariat, OSS will centralize procurement across ministries, provincial agencies and the broader public sector which will drive potential savings of $1 billion each year, address inefficiencies and duplications that vendors face, and make it easier and faster for companies of all sizes to do business with the government.

OSS also continues to implement its transformational strategy to become a more dynamic and agile organization that drives and enables government-wide transformation. By strengthening its internal capacity to deliver end-to-end services, MGCS continues to position itself to deliver on significant enterprise savings and support the implementation of government priorities. For example, the ministry will support the consolidation of transfer payments in multiple sectors announced in the 2019 Ontario Budget, by acting as an enterprise enabler and expanding the mandate of Grants Ontario to include all transfer payment agencies and recurring programs.

As of 2018-19, the government achieved I&IT savings of over $66 million annually through negotiated reductions in contract rates, collaborating with the broader public sector, and improving the management of applications and infrastructure.

The ministry has continued to work with partners across the OPS to accelerate the adoption of best practices as part of the OPS I&IT Strategy (2016-2020). This includes the use of new delivery methods to digitize, automate and modernize public services across Ontario such as automating issuance of fishing and wildlife licenses, more online services for employers, and more accessible traveller information.

The ministry also worked with partners to explore and train on promising new technologies and continued to roll-out collaborative tools for staff across the OPS.

The cyber security function was strengthened and mandated to build cyber resilience across the OPS. The province brought onboard its first Chief Information Security Officer to lead the transformation of cyber security capabilities in the OPS and to complement the role of the Provincial Security Advisor.

The ministry is responsible for all realty-related policy initiatives to support the delivery of public services and assist government and other ministries with achieving their mandates and priorities. The ministry works with Infrastructure Ontario to manage its realty portfolio to support government program delivery.

Effective management of MGCS-controlled realty assets is more important than ever. MGCS is poised to deliver tangible results through its focus on three interconnected strategies: (1) Revenue Generation, such as the continued sale of surplus properties; (2) Asset Optimization, such as better use of office space; and (3) Operating Efficiencies, such as centralized operational decision-making.

These three interconnected strategies would be operationalized through five key initiatives:

1. reconstruct the Macdonald Block Complex
2. streamline the property disposition process
3. better optimize the government’s use of office space
4. introduce a coordinated, enterprise-wide Office Realty Management Model
5. optimization of government land

The outcomes of these initiatives will ensure that the government realty portfolio is better managed, reduces red tape, and saves taxpayers money.

The ministry continues to provide leadership and support to the rest of the public service in best practices related to information management, recordkeeping, freedom of information and privacy protection. Through the Archives of Ontario, the ministry is responsible for managing, preserving and providing access to the province’s cultural and documentary heritage.

MGCS continues to help improve existing online services by introducing tools to improve online services. For example, the existing Email Reminders service, which allows Ontarians to subscribe to receive several renewal notifications by email, is being transformed into an enterprise service commencing with the beta launch in early April for Driver’s licence and licence plate sticker. The digital enterprise notification service will enable other digital renewal reminders to be added in the future such as Ontario Health Card and Ontario Photo Card.

ServiceOntario continues with the collection of the Provincial Offences Act defaulted fines for Ontarians and municipalities by providing access to services through online and in-person centres.

ServiceOntario is improving the way the Office of the Registrar General manages service delivery and program information. This would also support ongoing transition to digital government while maintaining program integrity.

MGCS introduced changes to allow a birth to be registered with a single name, and to allow a name to be changed to a single name, if it is in accordance with the person’s traditional culture. This is an important part of Ontario’s response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action following the wrongs of Canada’s residential school system.

Recently, MGCS and its partner, Teranet Inc., launched a web-based version of Teraview, the program for land professionals that provides access to the province’s electronic land registration system. The ministry and Teranet launched Phases 1 and 2 of OnLand, a web-based application that acts as a “virtual land registry office” and enables users to view, email, print, courier, and save search results for properties located anywhere across the province. Both Teraview and OnLand are accessible and meet French Language Service Act requirements.

MGCS continues to strengthen consumer protection and public safety by modernizing its legislation and regulations, while reducing burden on business. It does this by developing effective measurements of its policy, and creating/reforming legislation and regulation respecting administrative authorities. The government is committed to transforming and modernizing public services by finding new and smarter ways to improve outcomes for Ontarians and meet Ontario’s fiscal targets. MGCS will continue to focus on strategies to transform government and build better public services for the future of Ontario.

An example of this is the launch of consultations to review the Real Estate and Business Brokers Act. This legislation governs real estate and business brokerages, brokers and salespersons, setting the rules for how they conduct business and interact with consumers. It has been almost two decades since the last comprehensive review of the act. The market has dramatically changed since then, and the ministry sought input from the public, including homeowners, renters and real estate professionals on modernizing the act to better reflect today’s market, reduce red tape for business and strengthen consumer protection.

Another example of reducing the burden on businesses is the legislative amendments that repeal the Wireless Services Agreements Act. Repealing will reduce the regulatory burden on businesses by eliminating the overlap of the provincial act with the federal Wireless Code. Consumers will continue to be served by taking their concerns directly to the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-Television Services (the federal Complaints Commission).

The government is committed to transforming the Tarion Warranty Corporation and strengthening protection for consumers when making one of the biggest purchases in their lives – a new home. The government is therefore taking action by:

• establishing a separate regulator from Tarion for new home builders and vendors to address conflicts of interest
• exploring the feasibility of a multi-provider insurance model for new home warranties and protections in Ontario
• introducing legislative amendments that, if passed, will enable the government to make Tarion more transparent and accountable, and
• introducing new initiatives to better inform and protect purchasers of cancelled condominium projects

MGCS amended the Boilers and Pressure Vessels regulation under the Technical Standards and Safety Act which enhance public safety and operational effectiveness. These amendments provide the Technical Standards and Safety Authority with stronger oversight of insurers, help resolve operational issues with the program, and clarify inspection requirements for pressure devices.

In addition, MGCS continues to support a dynamic business climate in Ontario. The Upholstered and Stuffed Articles regulation, under the Technical Standards and Safety Act was revoked. This change reduced regulatory burden on businesses and removed duplication with federal product safety requirements. Upholstered and stuffed articles sold in Ontario will continue to be subject to applicable federal legislation, including the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act and the Textile Labelling Act.

The government introduced Bill 66, Restoring Ontario’s Competitiveness Act which received Royal Assent on April 3, 2019. The act gives the minister authority to approve alternate rules for compliance. The ministry would use the alternate rules in the operating engineers regulation to reduce burden on business by adopting a risk-informed framework, providing options for business to achieve compliance and simplifying rules for business and workers.

The ministry has worked with jurisdictions across Canada to streamline registration and mutually recognize Canadian Registration Numbers for pressure equipment (boilers and pressure vessels) nationally. This initiative will remove redundant and expensive reviews by individual jurisdictions.

The ministry has led the government’s commitment to modernizing the province’s business law framework to meet the changing needs of business. In doing so, the government established the Business Law Modernization and Burden Reduction Council to provide feedback and recommendations on modernizing Ontario’s corporate and commercial legislation.

MGCS amended the Ontario Electrical Safety Code regulation under the Electricity Act, 1998 following an update to the Canadian Electrical code in 2018. The amended regulation will come into effect on May 16, 2019 to correspond with the beginning of the construction season in Ontario.

The ministry will continue to improve and deliver on service excellence in consumer protection by collaborating with other regulators and jurisdictions. It will develop dynamic enforcement tools and approaches that better serve the changing marketplace. Other methods will include strategic education and outreach, dispute resolution, licensing, regulation and oversight of targeted sectors under consumer protection statutes, and leveraging data and marketplace trends to inform risk-based compliance and enforcement activities to protect the public interest while reducing burden on business.

For example, the ministry formed a strategic partnership with Pro Bono Ontario, a non-profit organization that provides Ontarians with the services of volunteer lawyers. The partnership seeks to fill a gap when mediation is unable to resolve the complaint or is about an issue that falls outside the ministry's program. Consumers who are referred by the ministry to Pro Bono Ontario may receive enhanced legal services, right up to full representation in court, if necessary. The ministry invested $20,000 into the partnership. As of February 2019, more than 800 consumers have been referred and over $400,000 has been recovered through awards, refunds and cancelled contracts.

To achieve the ministry’s vision of simpler, faster and better services, the Ontario Digital Service (ODS) is helping to create a digitally-enabled government that equips all Ontarians to succeed in the digital age. By reimagining how government uses technology and responds to technological change more broadly, the ODS is working to realize the transformative potential of the digital age for Ontario.

In 2018, ODS was expanded to include the Open Government Office and the Lean and Continuous Improvement Office. These programs bring new and highly complementary methods and expertise to the ODS, and significantly expand its capacity for advancing transformative change within government.

In early 2019, the ODS launched four strategic initiatives. It expects them to deliver on government priorities once implemented:

• a digital first approach for transactional services that will increase their quality and usability while reducing overall cost to government. This initiative will remove barriers to online service delivery, reform internal governance, and embed user-centred methods in the service design process
• a commitment to transform the top 10 ServiceOntario transactions (by volume) by promoting a better online experience. Through this initiative, MGCS has set a target of 65% online adoption by 2023-24 and saving up to $33.5M over five years. MGCS will achieve this target by promoting consistency and convenience of the online service experience
• a commitment to develop and implement a data strategy for Ontario that promotes better, smarter government, ensures confidence in the data-driven economy, and creates economic benefits for Ontario
• launching the Lean and Continuous Improvement Office, in response to recommendations of the 2018 line-by-line review of government spending, to champion the application of Lean management practices throughout the OPS. The Lean Office will build capacity for Lean practices and culture, tackle projects including systems-change within MGCS and across ministries

The ODS is also helping to make Ontario open for business. Through its overall program of reforms, the ODS is cutting internal red tape, reducing administrative burden on business, and growing the economy by stimulating the adoption and growth of data-driven business models. The ODS is helping ministries that serve businesses across Ontario to improve the efficiency and usability of their services.

The ODS will work to improve access to data, information and opportunities for people to participate in decisions that affect them. By increasingly leveraging technology to promote openness and transparency, the ODS will help to restore accountability and trust in government.

Key performance indicators

MGCS has several important key performance indicators to measure ministry priorities such as customer satisfaction rates and service standards, which are reflected in the charts found under the Ministry Programs section. MGCS is committed to continuous improvement by enhancing its Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and program-level measures on an ongoing basis to assess performance and drive results.

The ministry continues to review and seek to improve its current performance measures and overall results management framework.

Ministry contribution to priority outcomes

The ministry is committed to making service and program improvements. These include:

• further improving ServiceOntario’s online/digital offerings and services to provide an easier-to-use and more efficient process. These will include:
  • enhancing driver and vehicle services
  • expanding eligibility for health card renewals and potentially adding Child Health Card renewals
  • enhancing digital renewal reminders
  • supporting enhanced service delivery of designated services
  • modernizing vital events legislation to update language, reflect changes in laws, and create authority for improved processes and program requirements
  • in partnership with the Province of British Columbia, explore new ways of making business-registry information accessible to the public, by leveraging modern technology
  • continuing the modernization of the Ontario Business Information System to improve business-registration services to provide electronic service delivery
  • continuing the Business Number Expansion initiative to ensure that all business-facing ministry programs collect and use the Business Number by March 2020, in an effort to simplify government to business interactions
• partnering with Corporations Canada to lead a national digital approach for extra-provincial business registration with a focus on simplifying the user experience, while reducing red tape for Canadian businesses:
  • this Multi-jurisdictional Registry Access Service (MRAS) connects registries allowing information to be confidentially shared among jurisdictions and make registration more seamless and efficient. The service also increases access to core business information to enable suppliers, buyers, creditors, consumers and other members of the public and private sector to verify and identify businesses
  • a beta search of Canada’s business registries (beta.CanadasBusinessRegistries.ca) was released in June 2018 and MGCS is on track to release a beta production system (for registration and reporting) by January 2020. This beta search release captures information on more than 90% of Canadian corporations and enables the public to search corporations in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Corporations Canada
• supporting the implementation of Bill 66, Restoring Ontario's Competitiveness Act, which:
  • amends the Technical Standards and Safety Act so that it:
    • no longer applies to upholstered or stuffed articles, and
    • provides the Minister with authority to approve alternate rules for compliance. The ministry will use the alternate rules in the operating engineers regulation to reduce burden on business by adopting a risk-informed framework, providing options for business and simplifying rules for businesses and workers
  • repeals the Wireless Services Agreements Act and revokes the two regulations under it
• supporting the Technical Standards and Safety Authority in its wind-down of the upholstered and stuffed articles program since the regulation was revoked
• implementing the recommendations from the Auditor General of Ontario’s value-for-money audit of the Technical Standards and Safety Authority and the ministry’s oversight of the Authority
• continuing to work with jurisdictions across Canada to streamline registration and recognize Canadian Registration Numbers for pressure equipment (boilers and pressure vessels) nationally. This initiative will remove redundant and expensive reviews by individual jurisdictions with a new system expected to be operational in 2020. Bringing forward proposed regulatory amendments to reduce regulatory burden on wineries by providing increased flexibility in wine production and allow for better management of inventory
• subject to the passage of Bill 100, Protecting What Matters Most Act (Budget Measure), 2019 implementing legislative amendments that will enable the government to require Tarion Warranty Corporation to make executive and board compensation publicly available and move to a more balanced skills-based board composition
• working with the Tarion Warranty Corporation and the Home Construction Regulatory Authority to build a new administrative authority to act as the independent regulator of new home builders and vendors
• continuing to review and consider further improvements to the Condominium Act
• developing regulations to support the implementation of business law amendments, seeking further input from the new Business Law Modernization and Burden Reduction Council and consulting on additional business law reforms to help build confidence among the business community and strengthen Ontario’s competitive advantage
• undertaking a review of the Real Estate and Business Brokers Act to modernize the act to better reflect today’s market, reduce red tape for business and strengthen consumer protection
• implementing changes to the Ticket Sales Act that improve consumer choice and protection
• the ministry will continue to lower the cost of I&IT through a series of initiatives related to the efficient use of IT services and technology that adopt a more structured and effective asset management lifecycle and better manage spending
• IT will continue to build on its digital first mandate by accelerating the use of cloud services in the OPS and broader public sector
• to support this commitment, I&IT has implemented initiatives to generate annual savings of $100 million by 2020-21, of which annual savings of $66 million have already been achieved
• increasing digitization of, and online access, to the Archives of Ontario’s collections
• developing a framework for data integration across government to enable better use of data for decision-making
• continue to transform record keeping, access and privacy practices in support of digital first government
• continue to provide best practice recordkeeping, access and privacy advice and guidance to enable ministries to deliver on transformational commitments
• continuing to implement the final phase of the Integrated Financial Information System Business Intelligence Modernization project, which will enhance the enterprise Business Intelligence (BI) and Analytics service with additional capabilities in geospatial analytics, predictive analytics, data mining, text mining, and statistical analysis that can be leveraged across the OPS. The new BI and Analytics capabilities support OPS strategic priorities such as evidence-based decision making and public service transformation and are in alignment with the Managing Transformation, a Modernization Action Plan for Ontario Report by Ernst and Young: Provide decision-makers with the right information at the right time

Ministry programs

Ontario Shared Services

Ontario Shared Services (OSS) is an enterprise service organization and transformation enabler that provides Ontario government ministries, employees and select agencies with over 50 services related to procurement, finance, transfer payment administration, human resources, pay and benefits, transfer payment processing/administration, and a range of enterprise business services. It serves roughly 66,000 OPS employees and does business with approximately 52,000 vendors each year.

In partnership with I&IT, OSS ensures the provincial government receives the best value for its procurement dollars through fair, open and transparent procurement strategies and practices.

Government infrastructure

The ministry continues to set the government’s policy direction for one of the largest public sector real estate portfolios in Canada:

• the General Real Estate Portfolio contains 4,664 buildings and approximately 121,000 acres of land directly managed by Infrastructure Ontario. It acquires, manages and disposes of realty assets, and oversees its realty delivery agent, the Ontario Infrastructure and Lands Corporation (Infrastructure Ontario) in support of the government’s policy and program delivery
• under the Forfeited Corporate Property Act, the Forfeited Corporate Property program works to return properties that the Crown receives from dissolved corporations back in to productive use. Returning properties to productive use protects the Province from any risks or liabilities associated with forfeited corporate properties
• the Transmission Corridor Program oversees approximately 42,000 acres of hydro corridor land. By facilitating public access and use of these corridor lands, the ministry generates revenue through secondary land use
• together with Infrastructure Ontario, MGCS provides expert real estate advice and services to the Ontario Public Service, including the broader public sector
• in order to manage its realty assets in the most efficient and effective manner, the ministry is focusing on a long-term strategy that will emphasize the management, redeployment and sale or transfer of properties

The ministry is also responsible for the Queen’s Park Reconstruction Project (QPRP). The QPRP is an eight-year initiative that involves the rehabilitation of the Whitney Block and the extensive reconstruction of the Macdonald Block Complex. The 47-year-old complex has never undergone a major renovation and the building’s core systems – including electrical, water, cooling and heating – have reached the end of their useful life and must now be replaced.

Information, Privacy and Archives

The Information, Privacy and Archives (IPA) division promotes good recordkeeping practices across the public sector. It provides strategic leadership for access to information, privacy protection and a wide range of information management-related activities. This includes planning, policy and standards development. IPA fosters government accountability and transparency by promoting good recordkeeping, freedom of information and privacy protection by public-sector bodies.

Within IPA, the Archives of Ontario collects, manages and preserves the records of Ontario and provides the public access to original records of enduring value. It is a vital resource for studying and interpreting the history of the province. It preserves Ontario's documentary heritage for the benefit of current and future generations.

ServiceOntario

ServiceOntario is the gateway to government services for individuals and businesses and provides everything from health cards and drivers’ licences to a range of business services. It provides Ontarians with fast, friendly and easy access to a range of government services and information. This includes giving Ontarians choice in how they interact with government.

Until June 2018, ServiceOntario surveyed customer satisfaction throughout the year for each of its service delivery channels: online, in-person and by telephone. The ServiceOntario performance indicator reflected the percentage of customers who indicated a four or five rating for their overall satisfaction. Overall satisfaction, which is an average of the satisfaction scores of each of the channels, could not be calculated in 2018-19 because in-person and telephone surveys were not administered each quarter throughout the year.

*Data unavailable

Key ServiceOntario service standards measure the percentage of transactions delivered within established timeframes and the effectiveness of service delivery processes. ServiceOntario met or exceeded the majority of its service standards in 2018-19.

Fiscal 2018-19

As the graph below displays, all money-back service guarantees were met 99.9% of the time. 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. The goal for 2019-20 is to maintain a service standard achievement rate above 99% through strict process control and continuous improvement.

Consumer Protection Ontario

Consumer Protection Ontario (CPO) informs Ontarians about their rights and how to protect their money under the ministry’s various consumer protection statutes and regulations, including the Consumer Protection Act. Under the ministry’s education and public-information initiatives, CPO is a recognized and trusted resource for consumers and businesses providing them with essential tools and knowledge and plays a leadership role in supporting a fair, safe and informed marketplace. Direct services to the public include educating consumers and businesses about their rights and responsibilities, mediating consumer complaints and protecting the public interest by taking appropriate compliance and enforcement action against non-compliant businesses. The ministry also regulates and licenses businesses in a number of key sectors, including payday loans, collection agencies and consumer reporting agencies.

Services are also offered indirectly through arm’s-length administrative authorities in the areas of consumer protection and public safety. CPO is also responsible for the policy of a number of consumer protection, public safety and business law statutes.

Ontario Digital Service

The Ontario Digital Service (ODS) is committed to creating modern, digitally-enabled government that equips all Ontarians to thrive in the digital age. The ODS is improving the quality and offering of digital government services by transforming internal processes, setting new standards and equipping the OPS to use internet-era methods.

Using agile software development, user-centered design, and Lean methods, the ODS is promoting modern ways of working throughout the public service. By promoting access to information, data and opportunities to participate in decision-making, the ODS is helping to restore accountability and trust in government. Further, the ODS is helping government to respond to and create positive outcomes for Ontario in an era of technological change.

Ministry organization chart

Organizational chart for the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services (as of May 17, 2019):

• Minister of Government and Consumer Services – Bill Walker
  • Advertising Review Board
  • 12 Administrative Authorities
  • Deputy Minister of Goverment and Consumer Services - Kevin French
    • Director: Operations - Justin Peffer (A)
    • Legal Director - Fateh Salim
    • Communications Director - Laurie Menard
    • ADM and CAO Corporate Services - Clare McMillan
    • CIO Government Services Integration Cluster (GSIC) - Renee Laforet (A)
    • Director: Strategy and Results Management Office - Ben Valido
    • Associate DM Ontario Shared Services - Heidi Francis
      • ADM HR Service Delivery- Lisa Sherin
      • ADM Pay and Benefits Services - Kristen Delorme
      • ADM Enterprise Business Services - Bev Hawton
      • ADM Supply Chain Ontario - Doug Kent
      • ADM Enterprise Financial Services - Noah Morris
    • Corporate Chief Information Officer Information and Information Technology - Rocco Passero (A)
      • Enterprise Chief Information Officer Infrastructure Technology Services - Suzanne Harrison (A)
      • Chief Information Security Officer Cyber Security - Mohammad Qureshi
      • Chief Technology Officer Technology - Vacant
    • ADM Realty - Bruce Singbush
    • ADM Office Optimization - Vacant
    • Chief Privacy Officer and Archivist of Ontario: Information, Privacy and Archives - John Roberts
  • Chief Digital Officer and Deputy Minister of Consumer Services - Hillary Hartley
    • Executive Assistant - Katy Lalonde (A)
    • Associate DM ServiceOntario - Jim Cassimatis (A)
      • ADM Customer Care - Cameron Sinclair
      • ADM Central Services - Robert Mathew
      • ADM Operational Support - David Ward
    • ADM Digital - Michael Maddock
    • ADM Lean Delivery Office - Rachel Kampus
    • ADM Platforms - Rob Devries (A)
    • ADM Consumer Services Operations - Barbara Duckitt (A)
    • ADM Policy Planning & Oversight - Michèle Sanborn (A)

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
• Bailiffs Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. B.2
• Boundaries Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. B.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
• Condominium Management Services Act, 2015, S.O. 2015, c. 28, Sched. 2
• Consumer Protection Act, 2002, S.O. 2002, c. 30, Sched. A
• Consumer Reporting Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. C.33
• Co-operative Corporations Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. C.35, in respect of incorporation-related functions
• 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 Parts VIII and IX.1
• 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 1.0.19 and clause 38 (1) (a.3)
• Forfeited Corporate Property Act, 2015, S.O. 2015, c. 38, Sched. 7
• 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
• Home Inspection Act, 2017, S.O. 2017, c. 5, Sched. 1 (not yet in force)
• 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
• Ministry of Infrastructure Act, 2011, S.O. 2011, c. 9, Sched. 27, in respect of Government property, including acquisition, and in respect of clause 7(1)(e), clause 7(1)(g), and subsection 7(5), the administration of the Act is shared between the Minister of Government and Consumer Services and the Minister of Infrastructure
• Motor Vehicle Accident Claims Act, R.S.O. 1990, c.M.41
• 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
• New Home Construction Licensing Act, 2017, S.O. 2017, c. 33, Sched. 1 (not in force)
• Not-for-Profit Corporations Act, 2010, S.O. 2010, c. 15 (not yet in force)
• Official Notices Publication Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. O.3
• Ontario Infrastructure and Lands Corporation Act, 2011, S.O. 2011, in respect of the Ontario Infrastructure and Lands Corporation's powers and responsibilities regarding Government property, except subsection 4(1)(2)(ii)
• Ontario New Home Warranties Plan Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. O.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
• Protection for Owners and Purchasers of New Homes Act, 2017, S.O. 2017, c. 33, Sched. 2 (not in force)
• 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
• Skydome Act (Bus Parking), 2002, S.O. 2002, c. 8, Sched. K
• Technical Standards and Safety Act, 2000, S.O. 2000, c. 16
• Ticket Sales Act, 2017, S.O. 2017, c. 33, Sched. 3, in respect of enforcement, except section 4
• 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. V.4
• Wine Content and Labelling Act, 2000, S.O. 2000, c. 26, Sched. P
• Wireless Services Agreements Act, 2013, S.O. 2013, c. 8 (this Act will be repealed 6 months from the date Bill 66 received Royal Assent on April 3, 2019)

Agencies, boards and commissions (ABCs)

The Advertising Review Board (ARB) was established in 1985 with its mandate set out in the Procurement Directive on Advertising, Public and Media Relations, and Creative Communications Services. It is a designated mandatory central common service for the OPS ensuring the fair and transparent procurement of advertising, public/media relations, communications consulting, 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

Administrative authorities

The ministry’s administrative authorities are governed by several pieces of legislation. The Safety and Consumer Statutes Administration Act (SCSAA) provides a framework for the delegation of the administration of legislation with respect to electrical safety; regulation of motor vehicle dealers and salespersons; travel sales by travel agents and wholesalers; film classification/approval and licensing of film distributors, exhibitors and retailers; regulation of certain bereavement services (funeral, cemetery, crematorium, and transfer services); as well as the regulation of real estate salespersons, brokers and brokerages. There are also individual statutes that apply an administrative authority’s oversight framework to technical standards, new home warranties, condominium management, the condominium sector, and appellations of Ontario-made wine.

Individual statutes and the SCSAA establish the accountability and governance framework that applies between the ministry and the not-for-profit corporations that administer legislation in specific consumer protection or public safety areas.

The ministry monitors administrative authorities’ service delivery and is responsible for the legislation and regulations. The administrative authorities typically deliver services such as licensing, inspections, complaint handling and enforcement.

The Bereavement Authority of Ontario (BAO) administers most provisions under the Funeral, Burial and Cremation Services Act, 2002 (FBCSA). The BAO is responsible for licensing and regulating (e.g., conducting inspections and investigations) related to operators of cemeteries, crematoriums, and transfer services; salespersons for those operators; funeral directors; funeral establishment operators; and funeral preplanners. The BAO is also responsible for the management of a Funeral Services Compensation Fund that compensates persons who suffer a financial loss due to a failure on the part of certain licensees under the FBCSA to comply with that act, its regulations, or the terms of an agreement made under that act.

The Condominium Authority of Ontario (CAO) is responsible for administering delegated provisions under the Condominium Act. The CAO provides easy-to-use information to help owners and residents understand their rights and responsibilities, mandatory training for condo directors, resources to help condo owners and residents resolve common issues associated with condo living and provides a public database of key information about every condominium in Ontario. In addition, the CAO oversees and operates the Condominium Authority Tribunal, a unique online dispute resolution system to help resolve prescribed disputes under the Condominium Act.

The Condominium Management Regulatory Authority of Ontario (CMRAO) administers the Condominium Management Services Act. This includes administering licensing for all condo managers and condo management providers, maintaining a list of all licensees in the province, dealing with complaints, administering the discipline committee and appeals committee and enforcement.

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 Film Authority (OFA) is responsible for administering the Film Classification Act. The OFA is responsible for licensing and regulating distributors, exhibitors and retailers of certain films, and overseeing the Ontario Film Review Board. Film classification information helps consumers to make informed viewing decisions for themselves and their families.

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

The Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) administers the Real Estate and Business Brokers Act, 2002 which regulates the conduct of real estate and business brokerages, brokers and salespersons. RECO registers 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, looks into complaints, and carries out enforcement action with respect to violations of the Act.

The Tarion Warranty Corporation administers the Ontario New Home Warranties Plan Act, which provides warranty coverage and other protections to new home buyers and owners. 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) administers the Technical Standards and Safety Act. This includes enforcement of public safety standards in industry sectors such as amusement devices, boilers and pressure vessels, elevating devices, natural gas, petroleum and propane fuels and equipment and operating engineers.

The Travel Industry Council of Ontario administers the Travel Industry Act. 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. Customers with eligible claims for travel services paid, to or through a registered travel agent, but not provided, may be reimbursed from the Fund up to certain amounts.

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

Ontario One Call (also known as One Call) is a statutory corporation that administers the Ontario Underground Infrastructure Notification System Act which requires owners of underground infrastructure to be members of Ontario One Call and to provide the location of the infrastructure to excavators when requested. Ontario One Call operates a locate request routing service and enforces compliance by its members, which include gas, electrical and telecommunications utilities, and municipalities.

Detailed financial information

Table 1: Ministry planned expenditures 2019-20 ($M)

* Total operating and capital expenses (excludes statutory appropriations, consolidation and other adjustments and assets)

Ministry operating and capital (excludes statutory appropriations, consolidation adjustment and assets)

Ministry of Government and Consumer Services

Table 2: Combined operating and capital summary by vote

*Estimates, Interim Actuals, and Actuals for prior fiscal years are re-stated to reflect any changes in ministry organization and/or program structure. Interim Actuals reflect the numbers presented in the 2019 Ontario Budget.

Historic trend table

*Estimates and Actuals for prior fiscal years are re-stated to reflect any changes in ministry organization and/or program structure.

MGCS is transforming services in a way that puts the people at the centre of everything we do. MGCS is committed to helping the government fulfill its promise to find efficiencies and reduce burden for consumers.

For additional financial information, see:

• expenditure estimates
• public accounts of Ontario 2016-2017
• 2019 Ontario budget

Highlights of 2018-19 results

MGCS is helping the government by transforming services in a way that puts the people at the centre of everything it does. Some of these achievements include:

• the Queen’s Park Reconstruction Project which has successfully moved on to the final stage of Phase I (Preparation and Move Out). Occupants of the Macdonald Block Complex have begun to move to temporary office locations in the downtown area. The moves, which are occurring in phases, are expected to be complete in spring 2019. Award of the contract to the successful proponent is expected to take place in June 2019
• developing Data Integration legislation to enable privacy protective integration of data across programs to support analysis, planning and evaluation of program and services
• proposing legislative amendments to the Ticket Sales Act, 2017 that will provide greater transparency, reduce burden and strengthen protections for Ontarians when they purchase tickets to music, sports or theatrical events
• in partnership with ministries across government, introducing the Simpler, Better, Faster Services Act to promote a digital-first approach to public service delivery across Ontario’s public sector
• identifying actions that will save up to $8 million a year by removing multiple, redundant and unused voice services. These actions include providing employees, where appropriate, with either a desktop or mobile phone, cancelling phone lines that are not essential to supporting business requirements, eliminating voicemail for desktop phones for employees who do not require it for business purposes, and replacing old and obsolete mobile phones at no cost. These changes reflect the government’s commitment to ensuring services and processes meet business needs while being cost effective
• streamlining processes to sell buildings and properties that are no longer needed to deliver government programs, generate revenue and save taxpayers’ dollars. The government is achieving these goals by optimizing its real estate portfolio by making better use of office space, introducing a coordinated office realty management model and improving the property sale processes. The government will continue to maximize revenue and ensure fair value by divesting surplus government property to ensure that the Province does not continue to be responsible for operating costs and associated liabilities
• increased online driver’s licence renewals 25% by offering the Integrated Online Health Card/Driver’s Licence renewal service. To date, over 71% of the over 500,000 renewals have included both a driver’s licence and health card renewal, promoting a seamless integrated renewal experience

2018-19 annual report

2018-19 results

People and culture:

• leveraged e-learning tools to provide OPS clients and OSS payroll administrators with the information they need, when they need it, to effectively and efficiently ensure program delivery
• in collaboration with Treasury Board Secretariat, launched and communicated the results of the inaugural HR Community Client Satisfaction and Experience survey. Responses were received from approximately 2,300 OPS managers and directors which indicated overall 75% satisfaction rate for “HR professionals being trusted advisors” and also provided targeted indicators for future performance improvements
• developed, tested and finalized a new job evaluation plan for approximately 650 engineer positions; drafted and reviewed job descriptions
• led work and represented the employer on joint union/management committees related to the development of pay equity maintenance and job evaluation plan for Ontario Public Service Employees Union Unified bargaining unit
• guided by the OPS Mental Health Framework, engaged partners and delivered initiatives to foster a workplace that values, protects and supports employee mental health well-being
• enabled the hiring of more than 5,300 summer students for ministries and certain agencies in locations across the province
• implementation of the Police Record Checks Reform Act when it came into force on November 1, 2018

Driving efficiencies:

• an additional 73 new programs came onto Grants Ontario, with over $1.77 billion in funds which will drive operational excellence and efficiency, and significantly reduce administrative costs. Service was further improved by adopting chatbot technology to provide 24/7 technical support to more than 10,000 transfer payment agencies
• implemented initiatives to generate total annual savings of $100 million by 2020-21. Annual savings of $66 million have already been achieved
• worked with Ministry of Finance and the Financial Services Commission of Ontario to successfully integrate the Motor Vehicle Accident Claims Fund into the ministry
• implemented a streamlined Delegation of Financial Management Authority framework for procurement and expense claim transactions providing a foundation for future standardization and workflow automation for other financial transactions
• implemented strategies to increase the adoption of electronic funds transfers across all ministries and easier invoice processing
• continued to improve financial data quality by capturing a Single Business Number for 96% of vendors doing business with the Ontario Government
• implemented the first of three phases in the Integrated Financial Information System (IFIS) Business Intelligence modernization project that provides a modern, powerful, secure business intelligence and data analytics platform that can be leveraged for evidence-based decision making through improved reporting and analysis, data visualizations, data analytics and integration with multiple data sources
• the ministry is working on ways to more efficiently manage and dispose of surplus government property that reduce red tape, generate revenue and save taxpayers money. To date this work has reduced the regulatory burden on the disposition process and removed approximately 150 days of administrative time. The ministry committed to the divestment of 243 properties by 2022 which are expected to generate between $105 million and $135 million in revenue; result in annual cost/liability reduction of almost $10 million; and, return approximately 14,600 acres to productive use
• the ministry updated the policy framework to mandate the use of an office space standard applicable to all ministries and provincial agencies. The changes implement an office space standard combining a minimum employee to workspace sharing ratio of 1.3 to 1 and a maximum of 180 rentable square feet per workspace
• as a result of surplus property sales, the ministry made approximately $113.3 million in net revenue from surplus property sales for re-investment in priority government programs. It also saved over $1.9 million in operating and maintenance costs
• Ontario owns approximately 1,200 acres of developable land in Seaton, a planned community in the City of Pickering. Within the last year, a transaction has been completed which generated approximately $2.5 million and an agreement of purchase and sale is being developed for an additional area which is being marketed for sale on the open market. In addition, the province continues to meet its commitments to provide community use and infrastructure development opportunities for the Seaton community
• the Forfeited Corporate Property program has returned 32 properties back into productive use since April 2018, bringing in $1.6 million in revenue. The program continues to work to reduce the number of forfeited corporate across the province
• the province’s liability has been reduced by approximately $40 million through the Contaminated Sites Program. The clean up of contaminated sites protects the environment and reduces the liability to the province
• the Transmission Corridor Program generated approximately $19 million in revenue from secondary land use. After deducting operating expenses, approximately $4 million was remitted to the Ontario Electricity Financial Corporation to pay down the hydro stranded debt
• the Queen’s Park Reconstruction Project has successfully moved on to the final stage of Phase I (Preparation and Move Out). Occupants of the Macdonald Block Complex have begun to move to temporary office locations in the downtown area. The moves, which are occurring in phases, are expected to be complete in spring 2019. Award of the contract to the successful proponent is expected to take place in June 2019
• undertook a lean six sigma review starting in September 2018 of the end-to-end business process for OPS job classification services to identify efficiencies and improve outcomes for clients. The ministry is currently reviewing recommendations for implementation
• transformed the recruitment model for staffing non-executive positions across the OPS by creating a best practice approach to hiring that emphasizes public service expertise, efficiencies and customer experience. Launched on April 1, 2019, the new talent acquisition framework delivers on the government's modernization action plan by optimizing hiring processes and designing services with the customer (manager and job applicant) at the centre
• provided a new, efficient way for OPS managers and staff to access HR services and information by adding the OSS Contact Centre as an additional service channel. As of April 1, 2019, OPS clients may now: call the OSS Contact Centre for routine inquiries; obtain information online, or directly contact an advisor for more complex matters. Channeling client service to the contact centre enables faster resolution of routine inquiries. Early statistics received during the first two weeks of implementation show a high degree of uptake of these new service channels, which is expected to continue and increase with greater awareness
• undertook a review of the end-to-end business process for job classification to identify improvements and associated short, medium- and long-term change objectives/plans
• continued to modernize collaboration and productivity tools through the implementation of Office 365 across the OPS and TechLounge at 315 Front Street. The enhanced features of Office 365 will provide employees with new ways to engage each other, collaborate, and share information. TechLounge enables faster, first-point of contact resolution of IT questions

Service delivery excellence:

• Archives of Ontario launched a new interactive and collaborative exhibition, ANIMALIA: Animals in the Archives, in December 2018. It explores people’s changing relationships with animals and how they have left their mark on Ontario’s history. As of February 2019, over 1,500 people have visited the exhibition in person, including 326 students participating in 14 Archives of Ontario educational programming workshops
• participated in the Great Moon Gathering in Timmins, an event organized for educators by Omushkego Education of the Mushkegowuk Council. The Archives of Ontario displayed the original Treaty No. 9 document from its collection and provided onsite access to additional community-related records. Over 120 people visited the Treaty in person and more than 160 people interacted with the photographs and films
• delivered more than 51 million ServiceOntario service interactions through its network of centres, online, by phone and mail
• met money back guarantees for services 99.9% of the time
• increased online driver’s licence renewals 25% by offering the Integrated Online Health Card / Driver’s Licence renewal service. To date, over 71% of the over 500,000 renewals have included both a driver’s licence and health card renewal, promoting a seamless integrated renewal experience
• introduced “a birth certificate with parental information” that aligns Ontario with other Canadian jurisdictions providing an option to have parental information on the certificate while protecting other information
• updated the online Newborn Registration Service to recognize families of all shapes and sizes and those who used assisted reproduction
• provided new choices for individuals to change the sex designation on their Ontario birth registration to an X (non-binary) in accordance with their gender. People can also now apply for a birth certificate that does not display their sex
• made it easier to save time by booking an appointment at a ServiceOntario centre with a redesigned online appointment booking service. This service is available for first-time applications and renewals of Health Cards, Enhanced Driver’s Licences, Ontario Photo Cards and Accessible Parking Permits
• continued the success of the online birth registration system. Expanded the 4-in-1 Newborn Bundle to a 5-in-1 Newborn Bundle to include a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) referral option
• Official Documents Services continues to provide excellent service delivery to the public with a 15% increase in transaction volume in the first three quarters of the year and met 100% of service standards, with an average client satisfaction rating of more than 96%
• managed $5.9 billion in payroll and benefits administration for 66,000 Ontario government employees. Also made more than $3.4 billion in payments to more than 1,500 third parties such as Canada Revenue Agency, pension administrators, insurance carriers, and bargaining agents
• processed more than 1.47 million financial transactions valued at $127 billion for the OPS in the enterprise Integrated Financial Information System (IFIS) to support financial management, transaction processing, and financial planning and reporting
• developed and implemented a new enterprise-wide Translation Services Vendor of Record, ensuring greater consistency, efficiency and a continued high quality of work in translation services for ministry clients
• conducted proactive inspections in sectors that pose risks to consumer protection, including payday loan lenders and collection agencies. In addition, inspections were undertaken in the auto body repair facilities, and home renovation sector to help tackle the underground economy
• supported the government with the delivery of recordkeeping, access and privacy training
• provided best practice access and privacy advice and guidance to ministries and the Broader Public Sector organizations to enable business transformation
• continued to deliver permits for the Ministry of Transportation’s QEW High-Occupancy Toll (HOT) Lanes. In fall 2018, the HOT Lanes service received a total of 1,167 applications. Of these, 804 permits were issued with 562 of these permits being renewals
• assumed responsibility for the incorporation processes and procedures relating to co-operative corporations after responsibility for the program was transferred to MGCS from the Ministry of Finance and the Financial Services Commission of Ontario
• created the first Chief Information Security Officer position in the OPS to lead the transformation of cyber security capabilities and complement and work with the Office of the Provincial Security Advisor
• transformed the Cyber Security Risk Management Services to align with agile project delivery models, enhanced the OPS’s Monitoring and Incident response program, further enhanced the cyber security education and awareness program across the Ontario Public Service and piloted a Cyber Security Centre of Excellence in partnership with MOHLTC
• the ministry has made further improvements to its online consumer complaint form, making it easier for consumers to understand the complaint submission process and submit a complaint
• in 2018, Consumer Protection Ontario:
  • received 24,650 consumer complaints, incidents and inquiries
  • conducted more than 316 inspection visits
  • laid 362 charges under the Consumer Protection Act and other enforced acts
  • obtained 170 convictions, resulting in:
    • 324 months of probation time for violators
    • more than $106,000 court-ordered restitution for victims and fines against violators
  • negotiated over $841,400 in refunds to consumers via mediation
  • saved $370,600 for consumers via cancelled/rescinded contracts
• ensured effective records and information management practices by executing a records transfer agreement between the ministry, the Information, Privacy and Archives Division and the Ontario Film Authority
• a Lean Delivery Office has been established to strengthen the capacity of the public service to employ Lean methods to identify and reduce waste, increase customer satisfaction, and improve the delivery of programs and services

Digital transformation:

• assisted the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services to improve the digital customer journey for OPS benefits. The focus of the 18-month digital strategy, finalized in late 2017, was to make it easier for applicants and recipients to find relevant benefits information online
• partnered with Ontario College of Art and Design to redesign the OPS service and order desk. The partnership focused on a user-centered design approach to create a simpler, more modern and flexible digital solution for OPS staff
• the ODS has continued to deliver and support transformative change, while embarking on new, long-term strategic initiatives:
  • equipping Ontario’s people and businesses to succeed in the digital age
  • launched province-wide public consultations to develop a Data Strategy for Ontario
  • in partnership with the Brookfield Institute & the Policy Innovation Platform in Cabinet Office, held workshops culminating in a report on the Budget Talks initiative, and the future possibilities for online participatory budgeting in Ontario
  • continued to support the Brookfield Institute’s two-year digital literacy pilot project, testing a new curriculum model, providing digital skills training to more than 1,000 youth, and publishing a research series on inclusive growth in the digital age
• creating open, efficient and digitally-enabled government for the 21st century
  • in partnership with ministries across government, launched the Digital First initiative, enabled by the introduction of legislation to reduce barriers to online service delivery
  • working with Supply Chain Ontario, launched the Digital Vendor of Record (VOR), a new procurement vehicle for the acquisition of user research and design services. The Digital VOR makes it easier for ministries to do business with over 20 leading digital suppliers
  • launched an internal data portal, CollabON, to promote secure data sharing and evidence-based policy-making within government
  • continued to build awareness, refine and support Ontario’s Open Data Catalogue (Ontario.ca/OpenData), including the establishment of partnerships with five universities and supporting the Canadian Open Data Summit. Increased content available by 15%, with a 5% year-over-year increase in downloads, serving a cumulative total of 880,000 data downloads since launch
  • in partnership with leading academics in public administration, held a series of roundtables with public service leaders to advance scholar-practitioner collaboration on digital government reforms
• building high-quality, user-centered products and platforms
  • through the User Research Lab in Toronto and the Communitech Lab in Kitchener-Waterloo, trained over 150 OPS staff across at least 14 ministries in user research, service design and rapid prototyping methods to help ministries understand and better serve user needs
  • hosted over 230 user research sessions with end users both internal and external to the OPS
  • continued to enhance the drug coverage tool at Ontario.ca/RxChecker, through user research and testing
  • continued development of the newly redesigned Environmental Registry of Ontario, supporting high priority policy consultations, including the province’s Environmental Plan
• extended the availability of Ontario’s digitized documentary heritage online by releasing over 465,000 images of five years of death and marriage records as well as 78 years of historical Ontario budget documents
• began accepting online birth information for customers wanting to register their child’s birth with a Single Name, in accordance with their traditional culture. This was in response to one of the calls to action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
• in conjunction with Teranet Inc., launched a web-based version of Teraview, the program for land professionals that provides access to the province’s electronic land registration system. The web-based program includes usability, design and system performance enhancements
• launched Phases 1 and 2 of OnLand with Teranet, a web-based application that acts as a “virtual land registry office” and enables users to view, email, print, courier, and save search results for properties located anywhere across the province

Supporting businesses:

• continued work on the implementation of an improved delivery model for business registration services and modernization of the Ontario Business Information System with a target launch date of early 2020
• continued leadership in respect of the development of the Multi-jurisdictional Registry Access Service (MRAS), a single shared interoperability solution that connects jurisdictional registries. MRAS allows registries to exchange data confidentially and efficiently and simplifies the exchange of data between jurisdictional registries. This provides greater convenience for businesses seeking to operate in multiple jurisdictions
• continued to improve data integrity and the service experience for businesses and ensure all Ontario government business-facing programs will be able to collect and use the Business Number to simplify government-to-business interactions
• legislative amendments have been passed that will repeal the Wireless Services Agreements Act. Repealing will reduce the regulatory burden on businesses by eliminating the overlap of the provincial Wireless Services Agreements Act with the federal Wireless Code. Consumers will continue to be served by taking their concerns directly to the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-Television (the federal Complaints Commission)
• legislative amendments to the Ticket Sales Act, 2017 have been proposed that will provide greater transparency, reduce burden and strengthen protections for Ontarians when they purchase tickets to music, sports or theatrical events
• helped to make Ontario Open for Business through four journey mapping sessions with key Ontario businesses, to help better understand challenges and pain points experienced by businesses when interacting with government

Table 3: Ministry Interim Actual Expenditures 2018-19

* Interim actuals reflect the numbers presented in the 2019 Ontario Budget
** Ontario Public Service Full-Time Equivalent positions