Information Technology Infrastructure Roundtable

 

Introduction

• In November 2012, Shared Services Canada (SSC) established the Information Technology Infrastructure Roundtable (ITIR) to bring together representatives from government and 12 national and regional information and communication technology (ICT) sector organizations, representing small, medium-sized and large Canadian companies (see the full ITIR membership list at Annex A).
  
• The goal of the ITIR is to conduct early, open and ongoing consultation with the industry to validate approaches on complex issues related to SSC’s overall plan to transform the Government’s information technology (IT) infrastructure, and to identify industry best practices (see Forward Agenda at Annex B).
  
• Chaired by the President of SSC, with the Chief Operating Officer as Vice Chair, the ITIR is supported by two advisory committees (Architecture Framework and Procurement Benchmarks) that address specific areas where SSC requires the ICT sector’s input and expertise.

Strategic context: challenges and opportunities

• SSC is committed to realizing cost savings for the Government of Canada. The ITIR allows SSC to engage with industry leaders to generate discussion and feedback as it moves forward with procurement contracts. It also acts as an avenue for SSC to promote its mandate and innovative ideas in regard to the future state of the government’s IT transformation and enterprise solutions.
  
• Since the inception of the ITIR and its advisory committees, industry participants regularly provide positive feedback on SSC’s level of engagement with the ICT sector. They have indicated that they are supportive of the Government of Canada’s transformation plan and understand the related complexity and challenges.
  
• Participants continue to express concerns in the following areas: the consolidation of contracts, the bundling of products and services, challenges on recognizing innovation, and the general complexity and cost of doing business with the government.

Strategic direction

• SSC ensures that industry participants have the opportunity to provide their input on future topics and themes.
  
• Since the President of SSC acts as the Chair for the ITIR, SSC is also able to use this venue to promote its vision, provide strategic updates and present on key topics to the members.

Next steps

• The ITIR meets on a quarterly basis. In the interest of openness and transparency, all ITIR meeting materials, including lists of participants and summaries of discussion, are posted on SSC’s website.
  
• The next ITIR meeting is being proposed for December 7, 2015, located in the National Capital Region. The proposed themes include SSC’s Way Forward and Transformation Plan, Procurement and Innovation.

Key messages

• Through the ITIR, SSC draws on the immense expertise within the private sector.
  
• SSC’s partnership with the IT industry is critical for developing innovative and cost-effective solutions as the government moves its IT transformation agenda forward.
  
• SSC recognizes that the business community, including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), has a key role to play in providing technology solutions. Input from the industry is essential to buy smarter and get better value for Canadian taxpayers.
  
• SSC acknowledges the added value that SMEs bring to the table, especially where innovation is concerned, and is engaging the IT industry at all levels to determine the best ways of harnessing the benefits that a diversity of suppliers can offer.
  
• SSC is committed to excellence in service delivery and looks to learn about best practices from industry leaders that have already gone the shared services route.
  
• Private-sector technology leaders are helping SSC deliver the savings, reliability and security for the services the government delivers to Canadians.

Content Responsibility
Program Lead: Patrice Breton, Director General, Procurement and Vendor Relations, Corporate Services
Responsible SADM/ADM: Elizabeth Tromp, A/SADM Corporate Services, and Chief Financial Officer

Annex A

Information Technology Infrastructure Roundtable Membership

Government Representatives

Ron Parker, President, Shared Services Canada (Chair)
John A. Glowacki Jr., Chief Operating Officer, Shared Services Canada (Vice Chair)
John Messina, Chief Information Officer of the Government of Canada, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
Corinne Charette, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Spectrum, Information Technologies and Telecommunications, Industry Canada
Peter Bruce, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategy, Shared Services Canada (Chair of the Architecture Framework Advisory Committee)
Elizabeth Tromp, Acting Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Services, and Chief Financial Officer, Shared Services Canada (Chair of the Procurement Benchmarks Advisory Committee)

Industry Representatives

Alberta Innovates – Technology Futures
Stephen Lougheed, President and Chief Executive Officer
BC Technology Industry Association (BCTIA)
Bill Tam, President and Chief Executive Officer
Canadian Business Information Technology Network (CABiNET)
Jeff Lynt, Chair
Canadian Information Technology Providers Association (CITPA)
Herman Yeh, President
Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance (CATA)
John Reid, President and Chief Executive Officer
CANARIE
Jim Ghadbane, President and Chief Executive Officer
Communitech
Iain Klugman, President and Chief Executive Officer
Information Technology Association of Canada (ITAC)
Karna Gupta, President and Chief Executive Officer
Invest Ottawa
Bruce Lazenby, President and Chief Executive Officer
Quebec Technology Association (AQT)
Nicole Martel, Chief Executive Officer
Venn Innovation Inc.
Doug Robertson, President and Chief Executive Officer

ITIR Advisors

Bette-Jo Hughes, Chief Information Officer, Government of British Columbia
Gary Davenport, President, CIO Association of Canada (CIOCAN)

Annex B

Information Technology Infrastructure Roundtable
Forward Agenda

December 7, 2015 (National Capital Region [NCR])
Theme: SSC Way Forward / Transformation Plan

• Plans and Priorities for SSC over the next five years
• SSC Way Forward
• Update on Cyber and IT Security (SSC ADM)

Theme: Procurement and Innovation

• Procurement Authorities
• Update on the Advisory Committees
  • Procurement Benchmarks Advisory Committee
  • Architecture Framework Advisory Committee

March 2016 (Edmonton, Alberta) TBC
Theme: Procurement and Innovation

• Electronic Procurement and Payment System
• Presentation on Category Management – Second Discussion
• Benchmarking / Industry Best Practices
• Terms and Conditions

Theme: SSC Way Forward / Transformation Plan

• Presentation on Service Management and Data Centres (SSC SADM)

Theme: Government of Canada Integrated IT Planning

• Presentation of the IT Plan for the Government of Canada (joint Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat – SSC) (2nd discussion)

June 2016 (NCR) TBC
Theme: SSC Way Forward

• Presentation on Networks and End Users (SSC ADM)

Theme: Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME)

• A large service provider talks to the ITIR members about how they support SMEs when they are providing products and services to government

September 2016 (Moncton, New Brunswick) TBC
Theme: SSC Way Forward

• Presentation on SSC Strategy (SSC SADM)