There are a number of major initiatives that are underway or planned for the coming year, and beyond. These initiatives represent the AGCO’s support of government priorities and the agency’s commitment to undertake initiatives to achieve the AGCO Strategic Plan and are closely connected to the external factors identified in the earlier environmental scan and risks section.

Modern Regulator

Cannabis Recreational Storefront: The AGCO is committed to supporting the Ontario government as it implements the framework for the legalization of cannabis in alignment with federal government legislation. The AGCO is integrating the retail storefront recreational cannabis line of business into its operations, by enabling online applications through iAGCO, and recruiting and training licensing and compliance staff.

Liquor Modernization: The AGCO will be ready to support any further government direction to modernize the rules for the retail and consumption of beverage alcohol, including permitting the sale of beer and wine at corner stores and big-box stores. 

OLG Modernization: The AGCO continues to work with the OLG to implement the overall modernization strategy. The AGCO will align its efforts and activities with its modern regulatory approach to be risk-based, as well as, outcomes and compliance-focused. 

Horse Racing: This initiative is aimed at modernizing the regulatory rules that govern horse racing in Ontario to ensure they align with the AGCO’s modernized, risk-based, outcomes-based and compliance-focused regulatory direction. The goal is to have a horse racing regulatory framework that is simpler and more flexible, and a key focus going forward will be on continuing the strong engagement and enhancing communications within the sector.

Charitable Gaming Modernization: Working collaboratively with the charitable gaming sector, the AGCO will continue to examine opportunities to support modernization in the sector, including the phased approach to electronic raffles. The AGCO is committed to helping grow and sustain a healthy charitable gaming sector in Ontario, while ensuring that games are offered with honesty, integrity, and in the public interest.

Regulatory Intelligence and Innovation (RII): The AGCO continues to evolve its focus on regulatory intelligence, placing increasing emphasis on the value of data analytics to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of regulatory oversight. RII supports evidence-based policy and program design that will contribute to innovation in our regulatory approaches.

Service Excellence

AGCO 2020: The vision is to deliver integrated, interactive, and intuitive regulation for the liquor, gaming, storefront retail cannabis and horse racing sectors that is world-class. It focusses on serving the public interest by advancing consultative, risk-based approaches to regulation that enhance compliance, increase public confidence and support clients’ businesses.  This initiative incorporates the AGCO’s goal of being an employer of choice that actively support and engage a high performing workforce.  It envisions a nimble culture that maximizes the use of technology and fosters innovation, collaboration, and exceptional service.

iAGCO Online Portal: The ongoing phased implementation of iAGCO will involve integrating storefront recreational cannabis licensing into iAGCO starting in 2018, and bringing additional gaming applications into the online system in late spring, 2019 as well as horse racing transactions

Key principles of the AGCO 2020 Initiative:

  • Integration of Functions – Integrating processes, roles, and functions across lines of business and, where practical, adopting a “line of business agnostic” approach.
  • Enhanced Customer Service - Strengthening the client service model with a more prominent role for Customer Service in managing customer interactions and driving the customer experience in a consistent way across all lines of business.
  • Digital by Default – Moving towards a service delivery model that is digital by default and seeks to maximize opportunities to deliver streamlined, electronic services that, to the extent possible, can be self-managed by licensees and registrants.
  • Meaningful Regional Presence – Continuing to have a regional presence across the province.

People-Centric

Organization Design: This initiative will identify and develop new organizational structures and systems to be more flexible, dynamic and agile in order to support the delivery of AGCO services and strategic priorities, as well as to anticipate and support future internal and external disruption and change.

AGCO NEXT: will continue to focus on internally transforming the AGCO into the organization it needs to be to meet its strategic vision, the rising expectations of citizens and employees, and the rapidly changing opportunities and challenges of the digital age. It’s about listening to the organization, better connecting meaning to work, creating enabling spaces for innovative thought, and emulating internal success stories.