The Atlantic Canada On-Line (ACOL) project has been selected as a finalist for the Distinction '98 Award by the Chief Information Officers Council in Ottawa. ACOL has been recognized for its outstanding achievement in improving service delivery at the provincial government level.
"This nomination recognizes the unique partnership between the Atlantic provinces and the private sector in improving the way government does business with its clients," says Minister Mitch Murphy, Minister responsible for Technology and Environment. "By pooling our financial and technological resources, the ACOL partners are able to reduce the cost of providing electronic services to the business community and the public."
ACOL is a new regional electronic service which enables clients to access selected government information databases from their businesses and quickly retrieve, search, update and register information in a secure environment for critical decisions or to comply with legislative requirements.
The first service delivered to clients on Prince Edward Island under the ACOL partnership is the Personal Property Registry. This system, where clients can register and search documents electronically from their home or business, was implemented in April 1998 by the Department of Community Services and Attorney General. Charlie Thompson, Director of Legal and Judicial Services, is very pleased with the results to date. "This electronic commerce application has revolutionized the manner in which clients deal with the department and reduced overall costs to both government and clients," said Thompson. "Comments from clients using the system have been very positive."
Bill Drost, Deputy Minister responsible for Technology and Environment, noted the effort required to achieve this cross-jurisdiction initiative. "The cooperation between all the Atlantic provinces and Unisys Canada Inc. has been outstanding," says Drost. "Together, we are continuing to look for creative and effective new ways for better serving our clients."
ACOL was nominated under the award category, Innovative Service Delivery in the Provinces, recognizing the outstanding achievements in improving service delivery at the provincial government level. The winner of the Distinction '98 Award will be announced at the Government Technology Exhibition (GTEC) conference awards dinner on October 26 in Ottawa.
The Distinction '98 Awards, as part of Technology in Government Week, is the sixth annual celebration of excellence in the management of information and technology in the public sector. It is designed to recognize and award outstanding Information Technology and Management projects in government, and the extraordinary people who make them happen. Des Lecky, CEO of Technology PEI, who led provincial efforts on the ACOL project will be representing Prince Edward Island at the awards.
The Distinction '98 Award is reflective of the way provincial governments are being challenged to improve service delivery while maintaining and even reducing costs. ACOL helps provincial governments in Atlantic Canada meet these challenges by securing private investment and utilizing technology to enable businesses and citizens to electronically access information databases through a single window of service.