Skip to content
This repository has been archived by the owner on Aug 21, 2024. It is now read-only.
Shaun Laughland edited this page May 3, 2021 · 7 revisions

Welcome to the Benefits Finder Wiki!

We are using this space to work in the open and to document work and record of decisions by the product team.

What is the Benefits Finder?

The Benefits Finder is a product being built by the Digital Excellence and Client Data (DECD) unit within Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) which is a department of the Government of Canada. This product is part of a larger project occurring within ESDC to modernize benefits delivery to Canadian citizens and residents aptly called Benefits Delivery Modernization (BDM).

It’s ultimate goal is to get users to benefits they are likely eligible for as quickly as possible while still feeling empowered and informed on the decisions they make.

The Benefit Finder tool may eventually be comprised of many sub-components, such as:

  • Search
  • Benefit Detail Management
  • Self-Assessment Tool
  • Eligibility Engine
  • Benefits Tracker

Initial Development and Design Focus

With the initial development and design of the product, we want to focus on the following key aspects, in order of priority:

  1. Self-Assessment tool - A tool that could be used to perform a "self-assessment" on their situation against the eligibility criteria of services.
  2. Simplified Services Register - A tool that is about simplifying the information about services, enabling and empowering clients to make informed decisions on the services they apply to.
  3. Use of Modern Language - A tool that focuses on describing the services in a way that is easily interpreted by the general public (education factor included). Focusing on outcomes and actions over titles and labels.
  4. Personalization - A tool that dynamically evolves as it learns about the user interacting with it, providing customized views and recommendations relevant to their situation, while keeping the user in full control.

Additional Note: There is a desire to avoid two main things in the product prototype: the word “benefit”, and the use of forms.

Product General Timeline

  • July 2021 - Alpha prototype launch (anonymous users)
  • November 2021 - Simulation, demonstration of end-to-end benefit delivery
  • March 2022 - MVP

What Can I Expect to Find in This Wiki

Project Management Material

Content to identify business level objectives, alignment with other products within BDM.

Design Docs

Documentation identifying the various design elements informing the build

Content Docs

Documentation to build and capture the content we will use in the product.

Research Documentation

Material to identify research done for the product that has informed decisions made.

Record of Decisions

Decisions we have come up with as a team.

Technical Documentation

Outline in detail how a feature on the Benefits Finder product is accomplished. We use these to ensure consistency across our team when working together on a particular feature or tools we are using.