Review of the BizPaL Service — Final Report

4.0 Conclusion

BizPaL continues to be a multi–jurisdictional, government partnership of willing participants. It has extended its reach to nine provinces and territories and 130 local governments as of July 31, 2008. To be considered a truly national service, BizPaL still has to engage the remaining provinces and territories and their major centres of population and promote BizPaL coast-to-coast among the targeted business audience. The participating partners — federal, provincial, territorial and municipal — have undertaken a significant effort within the last two years, particularly in such areas of sector mapping and communications protocols around new launches.

Technological development of BizPaL has not progressed as rapidly as the practices and uses of the web, but funding developments and a better understanding of strategic opportunities and threats are starting to focus the partnership's direction beyond 2011 in ways the original concept of BizPaL only alluded to. Client end–users will need to see a technically robust and functionally up to date tool in order to adopt BizPaL as a valid means of reducing the effort in achieving regulatory compliance.

BizPaL's sustainability is currently assured, assuming no unexpected threats arise. Still, the partnership's growth places pressure on maintaining strategic direction and hence on the governance framework. These stresses can frequently be addressed through simple changes and structural adjustments. Most recommendations of the first review have been addressed with general success. Issues of role definition (rules of engagement) have been tackled but need further attention. More formal project management carries over as an outstanding item from the first review.