Here are some contributions from the Government of Canada.
From the Government of Canada Business Transformation: A service is a means, administered by a program, of producing an output to address one or more target group needs and contribute to the outcomes of one or more programs. Each service contains the set of processes that are required to produce and deliver one service output. This exercise identifies all services and service outputs that contribute to meeting the targeted needs identified previously. And to give context, the definition of "Program": A Program is an accountable mandate to address recognized needs of eligible target groups and achieve specified outcomes by producing outputs using resources. This exercise identifies all programs that contribute to meeting the targeted needs identified previously. (For more on this initiative see: http://www.cio-dpi.gc.ca/btep-phto/index_e.asp)
"service: A system or activity that is needed or requested Examples: advice, appeal, benefit, claim, consultation, counselling, inspection, loan, refund, registration, etc." Source: GoC Type Scheme (http://www.cio-dpi.gc.ca/im-gi/mwg-gtm/typ-typ/docs/2003/schem/schem_e.asp#terminology )
"function: For the purposes of archival appraisal, records disposition and records and file classification system design, a function means: - any high level purpose, responsibility, task or activity which is assigned to the accountability agenda of an institution by legislation, policy or mandate; - typically common administrative or operational functions of policy development and program and/or delivery of goods or services; - a set or series of activities (broadly speaking a business process) which, when carried out according to a prescribed sequence, will result in an institution or individual producing the expected results in terms of the goods or services it is mandated or delegated to provide." Source: National Archives of Canada - Multi-Institutional Disposition Authorities (http://www.collectionscanada.ca/06/060402_e.html)
For more information on the Government of Canada's service transformation initiative, see http://www.cio-dpi.gc.ca/thm/1/index_e.asp.
Gregory Renaud
Information Management Division / Division de la gestion de l'information
Chief Information Officer Branch / Direction du dirigeant principal de l'information
Treasury Board of Canada, Secretariat / Secrétariat du Conseil du Trésor du Canada
Ottawa, Canada K1A 0R5
telephone / téléphone (613) 946-6280
facsimile / télécopieur (613) 946-9342
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-----Original Message-----
From: John Roberts [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: January 12, 2004 9:07 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: DC-GOV Service description work items
Happy New Year,
At the Seattle meeting of the DC-GOV Working Group, the use of Dublin Core
to describe services was again considered a priority for the work plan.
Two work items address this issue:
1) to collect defintions for service-related terms from various government
initiatives, and consider the possible standardisation of terminology.
2) to work on practice guidelines for DC-based description of services.
To progress these could people please supply information on what is (or
isn't) being done in their juridictions.
1) Do you have any definitions for: service, process, function,
transaction, channel, or any other similar terms? Even if your jurisiction
doesn't have any documented definitions, I would be interested in people's
own working explanations of these terms and the differences between them -
and any others in this space.
2) Do you provide any guidance on describing services? I know Australia nd
New Zealand include advice in their material, but is anyone else doing
anything at the moment, either formally or informally?
Please send information either to the list, or to me and I will compile and
post the results.
Thanks in advance,
John
John Roberts
Co-Chair, DC-GOV
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