Digital Government Strategy (Canada)
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| Digital Government Strategy (Canada) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Digital Government Strategy (Canada) |
| Jurisdiction | Canada |
| Launched | 2016 |
| Key people | Marc Garneau; Bill Morneau; Mary Dawson; David Johnston |
| Responsible agency | Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat; Shared Services Canada |
| Status | Active |
Digital Government Strategy (Canada) The Digital Government Strategy (Canada) is a federal initiative to modernize Government of Canada services, operations, and policy through digital technology, data stewardship, and user-centred design. It coordinates action across departments such as Employment and Social Development Canada, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, and Global Affairs Canada, aligning with international frameworks like the European Union's digital agenda and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's recommendations. The strategy builds on prior reforms linked to the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat and interacts with legislation including the Privacy Act (Canada) and the Access to Information Act.
Background and Objectives
The strategy emerged amid pressures from technological change following milestones such as the rise of Amazon (company), Google LLC, and the maturation of cloud computing providers including Microsoft and Amazon Web Services. It responded to public expectations shaped by services from Service Canada, Canada Revenue Agency, and provincial initiatives like ServiceOntario and BC Services Card. Objectives included improving citizen-facing services exemplified by projects with Employment Insurance claims, modernizing back-office systems in programmes like Old Age Security, and enhancing transparency compatible with the Open Government Partnership. It also sought to align federal priorities with international agreements such as the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Policy Framework and Governance
Governance rests with the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat supported by Shared Services Canada and departmental chief digital officers mirrored after models from the United Kingdom’s Government Digital Service and the Australian Digital Transformation Agency. Policy instruments include directives, such as the Directive on Management of Information Technology, and standards influenced by the ISO family of information security standards and recommendations from the Office of the Auditor General of Canada. Interdepartmental coordination involves entities like the Privy Council Office and legislative oversight from committees of the House of Commons of Canada and the Senate of Canada. Legal alignment requires consultation with the Privacy Commissioner of Canada and engagement with stakeholders including Canadian Internet Registration Authority and civil society groups such as OpenMedia.
Key Initiatives and Implementation
Major initiatives include migration to cloud platforms coordinated by Shared Services Canada, the establishment of a digital identity programme building on lessons from Estonia’s e‑ID pilot projects, and the adoption of agile procurement influenced by practices at United States General Services Administration and Government Digital Service (United Kingdom). Implementation projects span My Service Canada Account modernization, data-sharing pilots with Statistics Canada, and digital transformation in Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Partnerships have involved private-sector firms like IBM and Accenture (company) alongside academic collaborators from University of Toronto and McGill University. Procurement reform referenced cases such as the Phoenix Pay System to justify improved lifecycle management and risk assessment.
Technology and Data Principles
The strategy codifies principles including user-centred design inspired by IDEO practices, open standards aligned with World Wide Web Consortium recommendations, and security baselines reflecting Canadian Centre for Cyber Security guidance. Data governance emphasizes interoperability with taxonomies used by Statistics Canada and commitments to publish datasets through portals akin to the Open Data movement. Emphasis on privacy compliance aligns with rulings from the Federal Court of Canada and recommendations from the Information Commissioner of Canada. Technology stacks prioritize microservices, APIs, and adoption of containerization influenced by Docker, Inc. and orchestration platforms used in projects with GitHub and Kubernetes.
Impact and Evaluation
Evaluations by the Office of the Auditor General of Canada and studies from think tanks such as the Institute for Research on Public Policy and the Conference Board of Canada have assessed improvements in service satisfaction for digital channels like Canada.ca, reductions in legacy infrastructure costs noted by Shared Services Canada, and progress toward open-data goals championed by the Open Government Partnership. Comparative analyses reference international benchmarks from the United Nations E-Government Survey and the OECD Digital Government Index. Metrics include user adoption rates for digital services, security incident statistics reported to the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, and procurement cycle time reductions tracked by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat.
Challenges and Criticisms
Critics point to issues such as procurement failures exemplified by the Phoenix Pay System debacle, concerns about centralization of IT under Shared Services Canada, and debates over the adequacy of privacy protections under the Privacy Act (Canada). Digital divide concerns raised by advocacy groups like Canadians for Tax Fairness and research from the Canadian Internet Registration Authority highlight inequalities affecting Indigenous communities represented by organizations such as the Assembly of First Nations. Security and sovereignty debates involve tensions with foreign cloud providers and policy responses shaped by partnerships with allies including the United States and United Kingdom. Academic critiques from scholars at University of British Columbia and Carleton University have called for stronger legislative frameworks and greater parliamentary scrutiny.