Employment Insurance Client Experience Transformation Survey - Methodology Report - Summary

I. Executive Summary

Research Purpose and Objectives

The Benefits Delivery Modernization (BDM) Programme is a large-scale transformation programme designed to deliver an improved client experience for the Employment Insurance (EI), Old Age Security (OAS), Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and other benefits through a modern technology platform streamlining benefits processing, client centric digital services, and enhanced service management capabilities. Central to the success of BDM is user research with Service Canada clients, enabling a deeper understand the pain points in the client experience, the ability to validate design hypotheses, and co-create and test potential solutions.

In October 2023, a mixed-method study with people who considered or otherwise engaged with the EI program in the last 24 months. The purpose of the Client Experience Transformation (CXT) survey was to better understand the EI journey, with a particular focus on experiences of vulnerable and under-served individuals.

Building on past research efforts within BDM, the CXT survey sought to explore the end-to-end EI experience; for example, how individuals become aware of EI and their eligibility, how they apply for benefits, how they seek out help, and how they feel about the overall service experience. The survey also explored barriers to access within the client experience, which enabled researchers to identify several opportunity areas for future transformation.

This report presents the methodology for the conduct of the online survey designed by Service Canada’s BDM on EI team, with data collection conducted by the Angus Reid Group (ARG) Inc.

Description of Methodology

The CXT survey data collection was conducted by the Angus Reid Group (ARG) Inc. using an online survey from October 4th to October 31st, 2023. The survey was completed by a total of 358 respondents.

Initial outreach through Angus Reid’s online platform consisted of a national online panel survey of people who considered or otherwise engaged with the EI program in the last 24 months, including those who applied for EI, were eligible and not eligible, and those who did not apply.

Since the incidence rate was low following the initial outreach, ARG conducted a series of additional outreach efforts, increasing participation amongst vulnerable client segments. This targeted “boost” sample included Indigenous people, people with disabilities, newcomers, and self-employed individuals. The boost sample served to capture the experiences of communities who have been historically under-served and to create a channel for recruitment of qualitative interviews. Of the total 358 survey respondents, 50% represented one or more of the targeted vulnerable client segments (or “boost” sample).

Application of Results

The results from the CXT survey will be used to inform future product and service design strategy within the BDM programme. The survey, which consisted of 358 respondents, also helped to drive the qualitative research methodological approach (one-on-one interviews with underserved client groups). The findings from the CXT survey and qualitative research activities highlighted areas of optimization and transformation for improving EI client experience.

Limitations of Findings

Given that the online survey methodology entailed a non-probability sampling, and the specific demographic proportions of the universe of the target audience are unknown, the data collected cannot be extrapolated to the broader population. Results should be understood as indicative to inform researchers’ understanding of the EI experience in a more qualitative manner.

Contract value of the POR study