Associate ADM(IM) appointed as the first Information System Design Authority

June 29, 2021 - Defence Stories

On 3 May 2021, Christiana Cavazzoni, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister (Information Management) (Assoc ADM(IM)), was appointed as the first Information System Design Authority (ISDA) [PDF-268KB] (accessible only on the National Defence network) for the Department of National Defence (DND) and Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).

This new role supports the Defence Chief Information Officer (CIO) in the delivery of timely, trusted, and secure information by leading the design, development, acquisition, and management of Defence information capabilities. The ISDA ensures all information capabilities are aligned with the Defence Information Strategy [PDF-2.7MB] (accessible only on the National Defence network), Government of Canada digital standards, and Treasury Board requirements.

The ISDA will also share new digital standards and best practices, so they can be consistently applied throughout the life cycle of digital resources. These standards will help guide the direction of future digital investments for DND/CAF.

Finally, the ISDA will represent the Defence CIO on the Government of Canada Enterprise Architecture (EA) Review Board, and will lead the Defence Architecture Review Board in the review and recommendations of Departmental Systems EA.

EA is the practice of aligning domains like information, security, and technology to support DND/CAF’s strategic outcomes. It plays an important role in inter-Departmental and cross-product collaboration, as well as risk mitigation for projects. As such, it is imperative to have strong leadership to help implement EA throughout the Department.

The Director of Enterprise Architecture within the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff organization is the Functional Authority on EA. However, EA is considered a shared responsibility within DND/CAF, and we will work together will all L1s, particularly the Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff (VCDS) and Assistant Deputy Minister (Data, Innovation and Analytics), to ensure success. DND/CAF is leveraging Defence Team expertise in a collaborative way to ensure digital advancements are implemented. The ISDA will offer influential strategic and technological leadership on digital and IT domains, to support the digital ambitions of the department.

Congratulations to Christiana on this appointment! We look forward to the impact you will have on digital transformation within DND/CAF!