CRA unveils external advisory panel to rethink service offerings

Public consultations, 'design jams' expected in coming year

CRA unveils external advisory panel to rethink service offerings
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) national headquarters are pictured in Ottawa, on March 13, 2017. REUTERS/Chris Wattie

An external advisory panel has been established to help the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) better understand the needs and expectations of Canadians.

The panel is comprised of senior leaders and experts from the public, private and not-for-profit sectors who will provide the CRA with advice on emerging trends and practices in service design and delivery, as well as on client expectations related to services.

Members include: Hillary Hartley, deputy minister of consumer services and Ontario’s chief digital officer; Serge Lamontagne, Montreal city manager; Marie-Josée Lamothe, McGill business professor; Elizabeth Mulholland, CEO of Prosper Canada; Sean Mullin, executive director of Ryerson University’s Brookfield Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship; Brenda Rideout, strategy and digital adviser; and Dr. Stephen Tax, business professor at the University of Victoria.

Over the coming year, the CRA will also conduct public consultations and “design jams” to complement its efforts to deliver services that meet the needs of Canadians.

The panel’s formation comes after Mireille Laroche was also appointed chief service officer of the CRA in October.

“With the appointment of the CRA’s first chief service officer, our government committed to consulting Canadians on the CRA’s service transformation,” said National Revenue Minister Diane Lebouthillier.

The inauguration of an external advisory panel on service is a major part of that commitment. Panel members bring a wealth of wisdom and experience from the public, private and non-for-profit sectors, and their advice will help the CRA put Canadians at the centre of everything it does and improve its service offerings.”

The CRA administers over $498 billion in taxes on behalf of governments across Canada. With a $206-million investment announced through Budget 2018, the CRA is expected to make further improvements to its services going forward.

 

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