Raison d’être

The Minister of Public Services and Procurement is responsible for Shared Services Canada (SSC). This department provides services related to email, data centres, networks and end-user information technology (IT) to organizations specified by the Governor in Council. SSC also provides government-wide secure IT infrastructure services. The Minister responsible for SSC has the authority to procure whatever is required to provide shared IT infrastructure services to departments. Maintaining strong customer relationships and service management is essential to the successful delivery of SSC’s mandate. Additional information can be found in SSC’s Departmental Plan.

Mandate and Role

SSC works to manage and improve the efficiency, reliability and security of the government’s IT infrastructure. A more efficient use of technology will increase productivity across departments and support the vision of a twenty-first-century Public Service, as articulated in Blueprint 2020.

In carrying out its mandate, SSC is supporting the Digital Operations Strategic Plan: 2018-2022 and the Government of Canada Cloud Adoption Strategy, as well as working in partnership with public-sector and private-sector stakeholders, implementing enterprise-wide approaches for managing IT infrastructure services, and employing effective and efficient business management processes.

The Shared Services Canada Act and related Orders-in-Council set out the powers, duties and functions of the Minister responsible for SSC. Amendments to the Act in June 2017 allow the Minister to delegate to other Ministers the power to procure certain items, thereby making it easier for federal departments to buy some of the most frequently purchased IT goods and services. SSC remains responsible for setting up IT contracts, standing offers and supply arrangements, and will continue to ensure only trusted IT equipment and software are used. The Minister responsible for SSC may also, in exceptional circumstances, authorize another Minister to obtain services from within their own department or from a source other than SSC. However, this authorization cannot be used to exempt the entire department from using SSC’s services.

For more information on the Department’s organizational mandate letter commitments, see the Minister’s mandate letter.