Government of Canada Information Technology Strategic Plan 2016-2020

Develop IT service portfolios and catalogues Actions underway

An IT service portfolio describes services in terms of business value, including:

• A list of services
• A description of how they are bundled or packaged
• The benefits they deliver

An IT service catalogue is a list of available technology resources and offerings within an organization. It is a tactical, operational tool that is intended to make it easier for clients to request IT services on a day-to-day basis.

SSC and PSPC will develop IT service portfolios and service catalogues that clearly articulate enterprise service expectations for the services they provide, including:

• Roles and responsibilities
• Service targets
• Associated reporting commitments

SSC and PSPC will price their services to facilitate the introduction of:

• Chargeback models
• Price comparisons of external service providers
• The adoption of cloud services

With respect to IT security, SSC will establish expectations and provide the necessary information to partners for the IT infrastructure that it manages.

Report on key areas of IT system health performance Actions underway

Key performance indicators that focus on operational excellence and delivery are critical tools in managing the delivery of IT services. Departments and agencies will put in place metrics for monitoring client satisfaction and key areas of IT system performance (e.g., security, availability, reliability and capacity).

For the services they provide, SSC and PSPC will:

• Set enterprise-wide service-level expectations in collaboration with departments and agencies
• Report to departments and agencies on performance based on these expectations
• Engage their clients to resolve issues if service levels fall below targets

Implement enterprise IT service management tools Future actions

IT service management (ITSM) refers to an organization’s planning, delivery, operations and control of IT services offered to clients. Departments and agencies traditionally have implemented their own ITSM tools. These tools are expensive to implement and maintain, and the diversity of tools affects overall ITSM efficiencies. Moreover, service request and trouble tickets do not flow easily within and between organizations.

SSC will put in place enterprise ITSM tools and make them available to all departments and agencies. This will bring consistency to the practice of ITSM and, more importantly, reduce the cost and delays of fulfilling service requests.

Complete data centre consolidation and modernization Actions underway

The Government of Canada operates over 500 aging data centres that support mission-critical and non-mission-critical business functions. Consolidating these data centres into fewer modern and secure data centre services is the most cost-effective way to address the government’s “rust out” issue. These enterprise data centres will be designed with the ability for backup and retention, as part of disaster recovery plans and in support of business continuity.

SSC will enable the migration of departmental legacy applications to segregated partner-specific locations (called enclaves) within the new enterprise data centres. This migration will accelerate the closure of aging data centres, enhance data security and minimize the financial and business impact to organizations.

To ease the demand for data centre capacity, departments will reduce the number of back office applications to be migrated. The extent to which the government leverages external cloud service providers could also reduce the requirement for data centre capacity.

Successfully consolidating data centres depends on departments’ readiness to prepare their applications for migration within prescribed timeframes. Departments and agencies will work with SSC and other government and external partners to ensure that:

• Mission-critical and other applications are in appropriate environments
• These applications are supported with appropriate technologies and procedures to ensure their availability

Complete network consolidation Actions underway

To streamline and modernize the government’s network infrastructure and services, SSC will eliminate unused phone lines and migrate departments from outdated and costly legacy phone systems to wireless devices and VoIP service.

SSC will also work with departments and agencies to:

• Consolidate the 50 existing SSC partner wide-area networks into a single enterprise network
• Establish shared network infrastructure in office buildings that house multiple departments
• Secure and reduce the number of connections to the Internet

Complete government email consolidation Actions underway

Departments and agencies have traditionally operated their own email systems, leading to business and cost inefficiencies. Departments and agencies will reduce the size of employees’ mailboxes. SSC and departments and agencies will work to complete the task of consolidating email services to a common system.

Adopt cloud computing services Actions underway

TBS will publish the Government of Canada’s Cloud Adoption Strategy to guide the adoption of cloud computing services in a cost effective and secure manner. Departments and agencies will choose cloud computing services from a number of options that will include extensions to existing legacy solutions and private and public cloud offerings. In making these choices, departments and agencies will need to consider:

• Privacy
• Security
• Compliance
• Data residency and sovereignty
• Vendor lock-in considerations
• Commercial risk
• Latency and performance
• Data transfer
• Integration

Departments and agencies will consider solutions that employ Software as a Service (SaaS) before Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS).

To ensure Canada’s sovereign control over its data, departments and agencies will adopt the policy that all sensitive or protected data under government control will be stored on servers that reside in Canada. Departments and agencies will evaluate risks based on an assessment of data sensitivity, and apply the appropriate security controls for cloud services.

Establish a cloud service broker Actions underway

A cloud service broker (CSB) functions as a bridge between organizations and cloud providers. Using a CSB makes cloud services less expensive, easier, safer and more productive for organizations to navigate, integrate, consume and extend cloud services, particularly when services span multiple and diverse providers.

A CSB’s key functions are procurement, billing, security accreditation, networking, credential and identity federation, application integration, customer support, and vendor service-level agreements (pertaining to management and skills).

SSC will create and operate a “light-touch” CSB role that includes all these functions, including access to SaaS, PaaS, IaaS and marketplace (online storefront) services.

Offer public cloud services Actions underway

A public cloud refers to a cloud environment shared by multiple tenants that are isolated from each other. SSC will direct its efforts toward acquiring and brokering multiple enterprise-grade public cloud services. Several of these will have a presence in Canada with the capability to store and process protected data. Public cloud services will be the priority choice for departments and agencies when choosing a cloud deployment model.

Offer private cloud services Future actions

A private cloud has the attributes of a public cloud, except that the services are for use by a single enterprise, in this case the Government of Canada. The cloud’s hardware, storage and networks are dedicated to a single client and typically require capital investment.

Private clouds can be implemented as pre-engineered commercial offerings or as tailored solutions engineered and assembled by staff. SSC will direct its efforts toward acquiring the former, with the latter being implemented when unique requirements arise. Departments and agencies will use private clouds where needs cannot be met by public clouds.

Figure 02 - Text version

Image outlining the relationships between cloud services, broker and legacy.

Broker links to Public Clouds, GC Private Cloud, and Legacy

Build a platform for enterprise interoperability Actions underway

Enterprise interoperability fosters openness and collaboration. To strengthen digital business and promote integrated business services among enterprise systems, TBS, PSPC, and SSC will create a set of modern integration tools called the GC Interoperability Platform. This platform will act as an information broker, enabling the exchange of data and information between back-office enterprise systems and organizational applications.

The platform will feature a service bus and a message fabric, built and operated by PSPC and SSC. The service bus will connect enterprise applications for integrated business needs and the message fabric provides the messaging infrastructure that connects and enables communication between components. The two features will combine to provide a dedicated, secure and high-speed information access layer, allowing organizations to easily share data.

Government application programming interfaces (GAPIs), a single language used across siloed business systems, will allow for interoperable business by using common information exchange standards. TBS will lead the creation of common and approved GAPIs from “single sources of the truth” to support information sharing within government. TBS will also establish governance for enterprise interoperability and information sharing.

Introduce a government mobile applications store Future actions

Canadians and business want to use mobile applications to interact with government data and obtain government services. TBS will lead the creation of mobile application stores that enable digital distribution of easy-to-use and trusted mobile applications.

Introduce a government API store Future actions

An application programming interface (API) is a set of routines, protocols and tools for building software applications. An API specifies how software components should interact and how APIs are to be used in programming user interfaces. APIs are increasingly becoming the way to facilitate sharing of government data and information. TBS will lead the creation of an API store to support information sharing with Canadians, business and other entities external to government.

Implement a platform for external collaboration Future actions

Technology makes it easier for citizens, academia, scientists, businesses and government to share ideas and information and to collaborate with one another. TBS will lead the establishment of an external collaboration service provider to host departments and to provide them with a dedicated workspace and computing storage for unclassified and transitory data. Cloud pilot projects will test-drive requirements and determine the most suitable platform to meet government business, information and security needs.

TBS, in collaboration with departments, agencies, PSPC and SSC, will provide departments and agencies with a secure platform to share opinions, information and analyses, and to collaborate with external partners, academia, businesses, other governments and citizens.

While meeting the government’s requirements for security classification, disposition and recordkeeping, the platform will support an array of functions such as document sharing, co-authoring, tasks, meetings and discussions.

Advance analytics capabilities Future actions

Business intelligence involves creating, aggregating, analyzing and visualizing data to inform and facilitate business management and strategy. Analytics is about asking questions and refers to all the ways in which data can be broken down, compared and examined for trends. “Big data” is the technology that stores and processes data and information in datasets that are so large or complex that traditional data processing applications can’t perform analysis. Big data can make available almost limitless amounts of information, improving data-driven decision-making and expanding open data initiatives.

TBS, working with departments and agencies, will lead the development of enterprise data analytics requirements. SSC, under TBS leadership and direction, will work with departments and agencies to implement an enterprise analytics platform that takes advantage of big data and market innovation to foster better analytics and promote collaboration.

Secure the government’s network perimeter Future actions

Though the Internet is a game-changer for the ease with which public service employees can access and share information, it also brings considerable risk. Malicious software (malware) can be unknowingly downloaded from websites or through email and seriously compromise IT systems and disrupt government operations.

To protect the government’s network, world-class monitoring services and defensive measures have been implemented at the government’s network perimeter through SSC-managed gateways. The completion of network consolidation projects will ensure that all SSC partners use these gateways. There remain, however, organizations that continue to use non-SSC networks to access the Internet.

To address risks to the network, the Government of Canada is standardizing protection and creating a secure, government-wide network perimeter. Departments and agencies that do not currently use SSC Internet services will be migrated to the SSC-managed enterprise network and will use SSC Internet services exclusively.

TBS, CSE and SSC will establish additional Trusted Interconnection Points (GC-TIPs) between the government network and external partners to provide standardized and secure connectivity with external partners, the Internet, and to act as a gateway to cloud computing services.

These actions will reduce the risk of rogue, ad hoc or unauthorized Internet connections to and from government networks. They will also enhance the government’s ability to defensively monitor data entering or exiting the government perimeter, and so ensure maximum protection of government information assets.

Implement endpoint security profiles Future actions

Malicious parties frequently seek out exposed or misconfigured Internet-facing services or equipment to gain access to IT systems or information. Endpoint devices such as laptop computers, tablets and servers provide a doorway for these kinds of threats. Malware, rootkits and phishing can lead to the loss and compromise of government data, including personal information. Operating systems and applications that use default configuration settings typically include unnecessary components, services and options. These default settings are well known and easily discovered using automated tools.

In the enterprise context, weaknesses and misconfigurations in an organization’s systems could be exploited and used to attack other organizations’ systems. Making the government’s endpoint devices more resistant to attacks is key to securing the government enterprise.

Recognizing the risk posed by misconfigured endpoint devices, SSC, in consultation with TBS and CSE, will develop endpoint device profiles. These standardized profiles will be based on security best practices, and will represent securely configured operating systems and applications. The profiles will be validated and refreshed regularly to update their security configuration. Additional security controls, such as host-based intrusion prevention and application whitelisting – a computer administrative practice used to prevent unauthorized programs from running – will be implemented to further ensure the integrity of systems and information.

Implement an enterprise approach to vulnerability and patch management Future actions

The government must ensure that vulnerabilities are identified and remediated quickly to minimize the risk of future intrusion and potential loss. TBS and SSC will implement an enterprise-wide vulnerability and patch management capability to systematically detect and remediate vulnerabilities. Departments and agencies will implement these tools and processes, meet standard timelines for remediation, and ensure quick response times for emergency or critical patch deployment.

Manage and control administrative privileges Future actions

Organizations also need to manage internal risks to the security of their IT. Privileged accounts (such as local or domain administrators and other accounts with elevated access) are the most powerful accounts in any organization and are also the most targeted by malicious parties that wish to compromise government information.

TBS, SSC and departments and agencies will work together to minimize the misuse of any account with elevated privileges, either malicious or accidental. Tools and processes will be implemented to ensure the proper management, control and monitoring of such accounts. These will include establishing strong authentication mechanisms for all privileged accounts.

Departments and agencies will also implement measures to manage and control the life cycle of and access to privileged accounts, including:

• Audits and reviews to confirm validity of privileges
• Continuous monitoring to look for uncharacteristic behaviour

Protect web transactions to and from external-facing websites Actions underway

As more Canadians interface electronically with the Government of Canada, the amount of sensitive information transferred to and from government websites will increase. To maintain maximum trust in these online transactions, the government must protect them.

TBS will establish an “HTTPS everywhere” standard that will require departments and agencies to use the HTTPS protocol for all external-facing websites and cloud services. This protocol, along with approved encryption algorithms, will ensure the secure transmission of data online and the delivery of secure web services.

Implement an improved cyber authentication service Future actions

Currently, Canadians and others external to the government can securely access government services online using a trusted credential. The credential (i.e., a username and password) is either issued by the Government of Canada’s GCKey service or by a private sector organization that has partnered with SecureKey Technologies to enable their customers to use their online credentials (such as card numbers or user names and passwords) to access Government of Canada services.

This mandatory solution for all online government applications offered to the public is cost-effective, secure and convenient for users. Still, improvements to the existing cyber authentication service are needed to support new initiatives such as Canada’s Digital Interchange. Building on the existing solution and maintaining a pan-Canadian approach, TBS and SSC will develop a renewed cyber authentication service. This service will meet current business needs yet support enhanced functionality required for future federated identity and digital service delivery initiatives.

Implement a trusted digital identity for people accessing internal government networks and systems Actions underway

TBS will complete an enterprise-wide approach to internal identity, credential and access management to:

• Reduce costs
• Promote interoperability
• Improve end-user experience (by reducing the need for multiple user IDs and passwords)

Under TBS leadership, SSC will implement common internal identity and credential processes and technologies tailored to the level of assurance required for a particular business process. For example, a unique digital identity will be needed to authenticate employees, contractors, trusted guests or any other authorized users accessing internal government networks and systems.

Departments and agencies will migrate applications to this new enterprise service when their applications are upgraded as part of regular asset life cycle maintenance.

Implement a secure communication service for classified information Future actions

Every day, departments and agencies create, store and process classified information. Failure to protect this information could lead to:

• National security risks
• Economic losses
• Loss of government credibility

Although several special environments allow some organizations to safely share classified information, there is no common solution available government-wide.

SSC, under the strategic direction of TBS and supported by CSE, will implement a single, common and integrated enterprise-wide secret-level network to enable classified data to be securely transmitted, stored and processed across departments and agencies. Classified voice and mobile capabilities will also be implemented for users who need to regularly discuss classified information.

Implement enterprise data loss prevention Future actions

With its responsibility for maintaining large amounts of sensitive data, the government needs to minimize the risk of unauthorized disclosure. TBS will establish a framework to support an enterprise approach to data loss prevention. Preventing the unauthorized transfer or release of sensitive information involves first identifying sensitive data. Unauthorized data flows and operations will be monitored, detected and blocked. SSC, with departments and agencies, will implement the framework.

Enable comprehensive understanding of endpoint devices Future actions

It is critical to be able to proactively and accurately determine the status of all endpoint devices, what is running on them and who is accessing them. In this way, endpoint devices that pose a risk to the enterprise can be identified, allowing the government to become more effective when responding to threats and attacks.

Under TBS leadership, SSC, and departments and agencies will acquire and implement tools and processes to enable a real-time, enterprise view of the current status and configuration of government endpoint devices. This includes information on:

• Hardware and software versions
• Operating system versions
• Patch installations

Enhance awareness of enterprise cyber threat and risk environment Future actions

Departments and agencies are accountable for managing cyber risks to their particular program areas. However, as the government adopts an enterprise approach and programs and services become more integrated, it will be imperative that cyber risks are also managed at the enterprise level.

Key to effective enterprise risk management is understanding the changing cyber-threat landscape (e.g., who is trying to exploit government networks and systems, by what means, and for what purpose).

TBS will establish a centralized capability to continuously monitor and analyze the enterprise cyber-risk landscape. This monitoring will pull together data from multiple sources, e.g. threat assessments, risk registers, investment plans, audit results, critical asset listings, etc., to feed a consolidated enterprise view of cyber risks. One of the key data sources will be the GC Enterprise Threat Assessment, which CSE will refresh on an ongoing basis to keep pace with evolving internal and external cyber-threat environments.

The continuous monitoring of the cyber-threat and -risk landscape will inform decision-making and influence how corrective actions are prioritized across the enterprise to ensure maximum protection of government assets.

Establish enterprise IT governance Actions underway

Adopting an enterprise approach requires sound governance structures that support clear and informed decision-making. The Deputy Minister and Assistant Deputy Minister Committees on Enterprise Priorities and Planning (CEPP) will be the governance and oversight bodies for all government IT investments.

CEPP will encourage departments and agencies to move toward enterprise IT solutions for consolidated services. CEPP will establish the “rules of engagement” for adopting enterprise IT solutions and services, including the process for addressing exceptions. As such, CEPP will approve all implementation plans for enterprise services.

CEPP will manage demand from departments and agencies for SSC IT infrastructure services, and guide how SSC provides those supply-side services. SSC will report to CEPP on its progress with transformation efforts. Through principles-based prioritization and a risk-based approach to balancing demand and supply, CEPP will align IT and IT-enabled initiatives with enterprise business priorities.

In addition, CEPP will provide direction for and oversee the implementation of the Government of Canada IT Strategic Plan. The Committees’ Terms of Reference, including mandates, authorities and accountabilities, have been updated accordingly.

All the business needs of government will be managed according to IT governance principles. Under CEPP leadership, TBS will:

• Clearly define the key roles of business owner, service provider and client
• Clarify how existing governance structures will be integrated with the IT governance structure
• Determine an appropriate decision-making process
• See that departments and agencies avoid duplication or unnecessary overlap

Develop methods to prioritize investments in legacy and transformation initiatives Actions underway

SSC and PSPC will develop and define methods with which to measure the progress of transformation initiatives, aligning them with key benefits. Progress must be reported clearly and reliably.

SSC, supported by TBS and departments and agencies, and under the oversight and direction of CEPP, will develop a methodology to prioritize and allocate funding for investments in legacy and transformation initiatives. SSC will also develop a clear process to address funding deficiencies. Methodologies and processes will be refined periodically to ensure accurate determination and reporting of savings. CEPP endorses a principles-based approach to guide departmental investment strategies ensuring they reflect business and enterprise priorities. New or significant changes to IT and IT-enabled projects will be subject to consultation with TBS and approval by CEPP.

Document roles and responsibilities for IT and IT security Future actions

Departments and agencies have a role in managing and delivering IT, as described in Appendix D. TBS will work to elaborate and document the roles and responsibilities of departments and agencies, SSC, PSPC and central agencies for delivering IT services and implementing the government’s IT strategic plan so that they are clearly defined, communicated and executed. TBS will also continue to provide clear direction to departments and agencies on IT security roles and responsibilities. These include security-control objectives and other security-related requirements.

Evolve IT management practices, processes and tools Actions underway

CIOs should plan and execute departmental IT plans in a way that aligns with the government’s IT strategic plan and overall enterprise modernization priorities. Important tools to support them include:

• Investment plans
• Architectural reviews
• Application Portfolio Management
• Expenditure Reporting
• Performance Reporting

Optimizing IT investments to meet business outcomes will propel the evolution of IT management processes and tools. TBS policy and guidance will allow departments and agencies to:

• Manage IT consistently and with greater maturity
• Better understand IT at the enterprise level
• Benchmark themselves against similar organizations
• Monitor and track progress against government priorities
• Set future priorities

TBS will also provide policy guidance to assist departments and agencies:

• Develop sound project cost estimates
• Implement good project management practices in the area of complex IT projects

Develop enterprise architectures for business and information Actions underway

Describing the enterprise allows us to understand how government processes work. Enterprise architectures show where there are similarities and differences in business units, programs and departmental boundaries.

IT enterprise architectures show:

• What IT systems are in use
• How IT systems interact
• How mission-critical business applications are deployed across the government’s IT infrastructure

Understanding enterprise architecture enables effective decision-making about IT investments, costs and risks. It allows us to optimize performance and deliver on government priorities in the digital era.

Working with functional communities, TBS will lead the development of an enterprise architecture framework.

Adopt agile approaches to implementing IT solutions Actions underway

Departments and agencies will take advantage of existing multi-departmental contracts when investing in solutions to meet common needs. In cases where multi-departmental contracts or tools do not meet identified business requirements, departments and agencies will contact TBS to discuss other options. Departments and agencies are required to keep TBS up to date on their investments and plans.

Where a customized or in-house solution is the only choice, application development teams should adopt modern agile approaches that deliver greater speed and agility. They must also take into account the increasingly complex IT ecosystem of interdependent software architecture, infrastructure and processes.

Departments and agencies will promote a learning culture that allows IT solutions architects and developers to:

• Understand and adopt iterative development approaches, automate release schedules and embrace a layered testing strategy, including automated testing
• Increase engagement with business colleagues to advance iterative approaches
• Adopt an approach that considers a service-oriented architecture (SOA) and application programming interface (API) first, rather than monolithic constructs

Lead innovation Future actions

The role of CIOs is evolving from service provider to full strategic business partner. These leaders are innovation agents, business enablers, and catalysts for enterprise transformation. Departmental CIOs will be strategic business partners who bring IT innovations to the table to address the organization’s business needs.

Adopt modern and flexible business models Future actions

To achieve a better balance between demand and capacity, SSC and PSPC will fully adopt cost-recovery business models for all IT services. As an enterprise, departments and agencies will achieve better business value by sharing IT resources, capacity and capabilities.

Ensure IT infrastructure sustainability Future actions

A sustainable funding model must take into account the regular renewal cycle of IT infrastructure assets with the appropriate level of investment. TBS and SSC will explore alternative financial models to address IT renewal.

Rationalize investments Future actions

In keeping with CEPP investment principles, spending on new or significant changes to certain IT and IT-enabled projects will be subject to consultation with TBS and approval by CEPP. This includes spending on systems for common business domains such as:

• Case management
• Information management
• Human resources management
• Financial management
• Other back office administrative processes
• Identity and credential solutions
• IT infrastructure and associated solutions

Departments and agencies will take an enterprise approach to managing their portfolio of applications to determine opportunities for common, government-wide solutions, as well as retire aging and at-risk applications. Those applications that remain in use, supporting mission-critical business functions, are to be kept evergreen until they can be replaced by modern solutions.

Modernize workplace technology devices Actions underway

Workplace technology devices are essential for a modern workplace and a collaborative, mobile workforce, consistent with the Blueprint 2020 vision. TBS will work closely with departments and agencies to ensure that workplace technology devices meet the Blueprint 2020 vision.

TBS will establish enterprise standards and processes for life cycle management and set direction to guide future workplace technology devices standards and configurations.

SSC will continue to consolidate contracts and procurement activities to improve security, reduce costs and improve service to Canadians. SSC will procure workplace technology devices, and work with TBS, and departments and agencies to standardize devices.

Departments and agencies are responsible for support and maintenance of workplace technology devices. They will explore support models such as self-service and regional clusters, to reduce costs while promoting consistent user experience and service expectations.

Support a mobile workforce Actions underway

The Government of Canada is committed to and encourages an open and collaborative work environment where mobile devices are used. Departments and agencies will balance the cost of these devices, and their support, against the business value achieved.

Provide Wi-Fi access Actions underway

Access to wireless data networks is critical for employee productivity. The broader deployment of Wi-Fi may also reduce costs by displacing the need to provide wireline infrastructure, which is expensive to install and maintain.

TBS and SSC will put in place the necessary services and policies to support Wi-Fi usage. Departments and agencies will implement Wi-Fi access to data networks for all employees within common areas and their workspaces, where the job requires mobility. Departments and agencies will migrate to Wi-Fi-capable devices and support Wi-Fi access to local area networks for registered users, as well as Wi-Fi guest-network access where security requirements are appropriate.

Provide desktop videoconferencing to employees Actions underway

Increased access to videoconferencing supports the collaborative operations of virtual teams across organizations, time zones and regions. Departments and agencies will complete the re-engineering of their in-house videoconferencing facilities to enable full interconnectivity across the government. Where appropriate, and where the user profile supports such functionality, SSC will also create the network and bandwidth capacity needed to support videoconferencing at desktops.

Implement managed print services Actions underway

The Government of Canada will continue to improve the sustainability of workplace operations by completing the implementation of the Office of Greening Government Operations’ strategy for printing. Departments and agencies will achieve an 8:1 average ratio of office employees to printing units. Departments and agencies will also use SSC’s managed print services to facilitate improvements to their organizations’ environmental efficiencies in imaging, specifically, reduced energy costs and paper consumption and proper disposal of electronic equipment.

Promote digital literacy and collaboration Future actions

Digital literacy goes beyond basic computer skills. And it’s essential to make the most of investments already made in IT infrastructure, devices and tools and to ensure that IT helps workforce productivity rather than detracts from it.

Public service employees should be able to use GCTools such as GCpedia, GCconnex and GCintranet channels to share information and to build the professional networks needed to respond to shifting priorities and problems. Collaborating digitally involves “working out loud,” where others can see, benefit from and help improve how employees work.

To promote a culture of openness and collaboration, departments and agencies will nurture these skills throughout public service by:

• Adopting and using GCTools for everyday work
• Deploying targeted and general learning and community outreach activities
• Promoting the use of self-directed learning tools and materials

Senior leaders’ adoption of GCTools will be critical to successfully integrating digital collaboration into their organizations and to demonstrating the full benefits of these collaborative tools. Leaders will adopt an “open first” attitude toward content creation and encourage their employees to participate in shared-knowledge and collaborative digital spaces, other than where security requirements prohibit this.

Advance digital collaboration Actions underway

GCTools such as GCpedia, GCconnex and the GCintranet channels enable collaboration across the government. Employees are able to access and share information and work across departments, agencies and geographic boundaries, resulting in better service to Canadians.

GCTools that support government requirements on accessibility and official languages will be further developed and integrated into other applications. This will allow employees to easily connect with the colleagues and information they need to work effectively. GCTools will connect to a digital workspace that provides simplified access to other activities such as staffing, learning and professional development.

TBS will make adopting GCTools part of standard practices for employee onboarding throughout government. Departments will then be in a better position to adopt and use GCTools through the Ambassadors Network and in formal training and ongoing communications. The Ambassadors Network consists of volunteers from various departments or regions that provide support to teams on the use of GCpedia and GCconnex to enhance their work.

Departments and agencies will decommission standalone collaborative platforms unless they are linked to core local business requirements. Email communication will be reduced in favour of open discussions or in favour of instant messaging, where transitory communications can occur without bogging down government systems.