Thank you. It’s an honour to be here again at GTEC as your keynote speaker.
This event, first created through a partnership between the private and public sectors, is a testament to what we can do through collaboration.
And as I look back over the last year, it’s clear to me that much of the progress we in government have made is a result of working closely with industry leaders.
Our efforts are enabled by the best tools, solutions, and technologies that are available to us, which are in turn, provided by you, our industry leaders. This is the fundamental relationship that we must continue to develop to improve the efficiency of the government and better serve Canadians.
And this is reflected in this year’s theme for GTEC: Agile Government: Open, Collaborative, Mobile.
As you know, our Government has set out an ambitious agenda to standardize, consolidate and transform the way we do business and improve services.
Our Government has been crystal clear; we must modernize the way we do business. This isn’t a call to incrementally better our outdated systems, but to leap frog to the forefront of new technology, bringing better service delivery along with us.
I believe that our IT community, most of you here today, are at the forefront of this change. This community is an integral player in the overall success of government modernization due to the relationship between the IT solutions currently available in the marketplace, and the government’s need for new and innovative business solutions.
We have all witnessed the changes that have happened in the private sector to the organizations who most closely mirror the government`s size and complexity.
In my mind, there is no reason why government can`t follow in their footsteps.
But, before we can capitalize on this potential, we must recognize that organizations within the government must become more outward looking, that is, working with industry, to adopt an enterprise focus.
We must use our collective size to save money, time and resources, ultimately providing Canadians with better services.
This is our Government’s mission statement, and it is for that reason that I gladly take this opportunity each year to address the GTEC community.
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Since my last address, our Government has made significant progress on a handful of initiatives that I believe are important in our continued efforts to adapt and better serve Canadians.
Great work is being done to modernize our back office, which is made up of thousands of duplicative applications that support administrative functions such as human resources, finance, and Web content.
Last year, I stood here and told you about our plan to simplify, standardize and consolidate these applications across government.
To those in the private sector, I don`t need to reiterate how big this opportunity truly is.
Today, I’m pleased to be able to say that in collaboration with industry, we are narrowing in on our set goals.
We have held industry days to seek feedback from companies on our proposed service delivery model, as well as held one-on-one sessions, which have allowed industry to give us feedback and present new information.
This collaborative process between the public and private sector is helping us define our end-state for consolidated HR and financial management systems. And you can rest assured, we are not done consulting.
This example helps to showcase our Government’s commitment to exploring new ways of doing business in partnership with leaders of the most innovative companies in the country.
These interactions help to bolster partnerships, streamline procurement, and ultimately better the way government does business.
As you will hear tomorrow from my colleague Diane Finley, the Minister of Public Works and Government Services, we are working diligently to see results in this area.
A good example of the great work done by the Minister of Public Works is Shared Services Canada’s implementation of a single email solution for the Government of Canada.
We anticipate savings of over $50 million a year, with a consolidated, outsourced solution delivering email to the entire Government of Canada.
Working with industry in a collaborative procurement process will allow us to significantly reduce cost and unnecessary government spending.
It will allow us to take advantage of cutting-edge solutions, offering the government an opportunity to be more efficient, agile and innovative.
The Email Transformation Initiative also proves to be a great example of how the government must start thinking like an enterprise.
We often fall victim to solutions that “divide and conquer” the government. This leads to individual departments paying higher prices for common solutions that should be servicing the government as a whole.
My intention is to have government act more like the enterprise it truly is. Identify common issues, develop a roadmap, and work with the private sector to implement new solutions.
The government, just like any other organization, should not view itself as 'special' or 'different'. We have entered an age where ruthless standardization is expected and government must work with industry to spearhead this change.
The opportunities are present. We must work together mutually to realize the benefits.
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Building on the lessons learned over the past year, we must continue driving transformation across government, which is significantly changing the way public servants manage information.
All future government IT spending must be judged on the tangible benefits it will bring to Canadians. This is the new expectation for governments and Canadians will gauge success only by personally experiencing better service delivery.
Other governments in Canada and around the world have already moved in this direction. And I’m confident that we can achieve the same efficiencies that they have.
I can personally touch upon a handful of initiatives, led by my department and Corinne Charette. Among the most notable is our Open Data Platform.
In the realm of Open Data, our efforts have taken Canada to an international leadership role.
This summer, our Government scored big at the G8 with the adoption of the Open Data Charter, which was signed onto by all G8 member countries. This was a big step forward for the global Open Data movement.
In June, we launched our much-anticipated next-generation Open Data portal, data.gc.ca. This is another example of a collaborative, enterprise-wide solution.
One platform, one portal, powered by data from departments and agencies across government.
The new platform provides unprecedented access to federal data and the right to reuse it.
Data.gc.ca provides that tangible benefit to Canadians that I touched upon earlier in this speech. The portal aggregates information that used to be scattered all across the government’s Internet footprint, and provides it to citizens on a user-friendly platform.
Our citizens deserve better services, and I want to be able to draw a line between new solutions and better service delivery with every new IT initiative the government introduces.
Now, with data.gc.ca, we are just beginning to explore the opportunities this new resource offers to spur innovation, increase productivity and ultimately improve the lives of our citizens.
So I urge everyone in this room, who is looking for a new venture, to go to data.gc.ca and start brainstorming a new app that’s going to deliver a valuable service to Canadians.
With Open Data, new or better services can be explored at the grassroots level. Citizens have the ability to identify an opportunity and work with government to reach a solution. It’s truly changing the way citizens interact with their governments around the world.
For those of you who will be here tomorrow, there will be an Open Data Speed Dating event that will provide the ideal match-making opportunity for Open Data developers. I can promise you this event is worth checking out.
Clearly, it’s an exciting time for members of the IT community in both industry and government.
We are in a period of great transition and opportunity and I want to make it clear that our Government has made it a priority to transform its IT environment, acknowledging that the status quo is no longer sustainable or acceptable.
Now more than ever, the public service needs to be innovative, and think outside the box to challenge the accepted and expected ways of doing things.
We need to be bold. Giving up on an idea because it doesn’t fit within “how the government is supposed to do business” is not a legitimate excuse.
Our primary objective is to ensure value for money and better service delivery for Canadians who expect a 21st century public service.
Now is the time to recognize that the wind is in our sails and departments and industry have the support they need to truly make a difference.
It’s a bright future and I look forward to continue working with you all to make it a reality.
Thank you.
