Connected services 101
Learn how B.C. is bringing government together around people’s lives, so services work as one system, not separate programs.
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Government, built around your life
Life doesn’t happen in departments. Having a baby, moving to a new city or starting a business each touches many parts of government at once. Connected services bring those pieces together so support works as one experience, organized around you.
A connected service responds to an event in your life in step with the other services you need. You identify yourself once and support follows, consistent and timely. For the people who deliver these services, it means more time spent on the meaningful, human parts of the work: the conversations, judgement calls and problem-solving that make the biggest difference for people.
Life and business events
We use “life and business events” to describe the moments and transitions that bring people and businesses into contact with government, from becoming a parent to returning to school, moving to a new place or growing a business. These are the points where a single event can span many ministries, and where bringing services together makes the biggest difference.
Planning around life and business events
We’re focusing first on the events where connected services can make the biggest difference. We worked closely with ministries, learned from international leaders like New Zealand, Singapore and Estonia, and studied how people experience government today and where connecting services would help most.
We then prioritized based on three things:
- How many people an event affects
- How ready the programs are to connect
- The potential to save time and cost
This work surfaced an initial set of 14 high-impact life and business events to focus on first. In alphabetical order, they include:
- Becoming a parent or guardian
- Being involved in a crime or justice process
- Buying a home
- Caregiving for an aging parent
- Changing a name or identity
- Experiencing a natural disaster or emergency
- Handling end-of-life arrangements
- Having a serious injury or living with a disability
- Losing or looking for a job
- Moving or immigrating to a new place
- Needing approvals to use land or resources for a project
- Returning to school or post-secondary
- Seeking health care
- Starting or expanding a business
Together, these are among the most common reasons people in B.C. interact directly with government. They’re where we’re starting, and more events will connect over time as we learn, build and grow the model.
What changes for people in B.C.
Connected services are built around four shifts in how people experience government.
- Tell us once: People share their information one time. Government reuses it across the services they qualify for
- Any door is the right door: People can start online, by phone or in person and reach the same place, whichever way works for them
- Stay in control: People can see what has been shared, with whom and when. Their information stays protected, and they can say no
- Services find you: When someone becomes eligible for support, they hear about it. For example, as a person nears 65, government can let them know what benefits they may qualify for
How you might experience a connected service
The easiest way to understand connected services is to consider them in action.
Self serve online
Mike wants to change his name. He logs in securely to a B.C. government portal and gives permission to share details like his birth date, Personal Health Number and Social Insurance Number with the teams handling the change. He only enters the information once.
In person at Service BC
Sam recently moved. They update their address once at a Service BC counter, and it flows automatically to the other services that need it, like BC Hydro.
As a business owner
Jo’s permit to start a small business was just approved. Online, she requests a business name, creates a PST account and registers as a WorkSafeBC employer, without repeating the business’s information each time.
Creating connected services is a whole-of-government approach. Learn about Connected Services BC (CSBC), the organization leading the work.
A focus on trust, privacy and security
Protecting the privacy and security of people’s information is a top priority. Connected Services BC’s model rests on a few principles:
- Strong B.C. privacy laws already protect personal and business information, and connected services operate within them
- Information is shared only with awareness and consent, and only to support a better service experience
- Digital options are voluntary. They add to in-person and phone service, they do not replace it
- Trust runs both ways. People can be confident they are dealing with government, and government can be confident a person is who they say they are
- Identity is a provincial responsibility. B.C. governs its own digital credentials and controls what information is shared and when
How secure data sharing works
Connected services depend on systems being able to share information securely and consistently. This helps government programs work together and use information the same way. The information always moves between systems with authority and consent while following B.C.’s privacy laws, so people stay in control of what’s shared.
Examples from around the world
The connected services model and life event framing is used by people-centered governments around the world. Here is what has been working elsewhere:
- Ireland groups about 190 services by life event, supported by a digital wallet, a life events portal and a strong governance and monitoring framework
- Finland organizes life events into nine categories. People receive messages and decisions from different authorities in one central inbox, and can view and correct personal information held in public registers
- Singapore offers an online portal and the LifeSG app, with access to more than 100 services, benefit reviews and reminders across life moments from birth to bereavement
- New South Wales organizes life events into eight categories and brings information, advice and support together on one website
Looking ahead to 2030
B.C. is building services that are trusted, equitable and connected for people and businesses across the province.
Trusted
Safe, secure, privacy-protected online services people can trust.
Equitable
Services work for everyone, regardless of channel, language or complexity.
Connected
Systems do the heavy lifting for people.
By 2028, we aim for a more user-focused, efficient and sustainable delivery model to be in place. This will support our 2030 goal of having every high-impact life or business event in B.C. available as a trusted, equitable and connected service experience.
Content by
CSBC Enablement Branch