PACP – 2018 Contract – December 2, 2025

Key Messages

• Leading up to 2018, volumes across Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) largely paper-based programs were rapidly growing, client expectations for fast and simple digital services were increasing, and IRCC’s technology infrastructure and operating model were unable to cope.
• These pressures resulted in longer processing times and decreased client satisfaction, limiting IRCC’s ability to support economic growth for Canada and remain competitive on the world stage.
• In August 2018, IRCC awarded through a competitive process the first of two contracts to McKinsey & Co. to provide a transformation strategy and roadmap to help mobilize IRCC’s digital transformation.

Contract 1: Background

• Prior to 2018, demands on Canada’s immigration system were growing rapidly, client expectations for fast and simpler digital services were increasing, and the Department’s legacy systems and operating models were unable to cope.
• This resulted in higher processing times (e.g., visitor visa processing times grew by 50% from 14 days in 2014 to 21 days in 2018) and a deteriorated client experience (e.g., from 2013 to 2017 overall application process ease dropped 14% and satisfaction contacting staff regarding application dropped 43%).
• With volume growth outpacing capacity, this model was no longer sustainable and there was a need to align the innovations and talent of the Department into an integrated service transformation strategy.
• In August 2018, IRCC sought the expertise and support of a third party firm through a competitive process, using an existing Supply Arrangement.
• This led to the first contract with McKinsey & Co. at a total value of $2.9M in 2018 and 2019.

Purpose and Scope of Contract

• IRCC issued an initial contract with a value of $1.6M to McKinsey & Co. to provide an independent, third-party perspective and assess the Department’s operational performance, customer service levels, and current transformation plans, as well as provide a service transformation strategy and roadmap.
• The initial contract was subsequently amended to exercise planned options on December 5, 2018, and January 29, 2019, by an aggregate amount of $1.3M, increasing the total value to $2.9M.
• The additional work was managed with task authorizations and further supported IRCC efforts by refining the prioritization of initiatives and developing a detailed transformation execution model in order to prepare IRCC for the eventual implementation of its service transformation strategy and roadmap.
• The work under this contract concluded in April 2019 with the establishment of IRCC’s transformation strategy and identification of opportunities and recommendations for its implementation.

Overall Outcome

Accelerated IRCC’s Digital Service Transformation

• Had IRCC not engaged the services of the private sector, improvements to service delivery would have continued, but at a significantly slower pace.
• The 2018 engagement with McKinsey & Co. led to the creation of the Chief Transformation Officer function and mobilized transformation teams which supported an organizational change and culture change focused on continuous improvement and adoption of digital services.
• It aligned leadership to be ready to mobilize and execute against the service transformation strategy and roadmap.

Tangible deliverables

McKinsey & Co. completed a diagnostic assessment of IRCC by conducting six site visits, interviewing 25+ leaders and analyzing the Department’s operational performance and transformation plans which created a case for change, identified gaps and areas of opportunity to transform the way IRCC delivers services.

Developed a service transformation strategy, roadmap, and two new operating models: (1) for delivering lean process improvements and (2) for agile delivery of digital solutions.

Aligned leadership to be ready to mobilize and execute against the service transformation strategy and roadmap.

Mobilized Transformation teams and led to the creation of the Chief Transformation Officer function, which supported an organizational change and culture change focused on continuous improvement and adoption of digital services.