2025-26 Departmental Plan: Raison d’être, mandate and role

Raison d’être

Shared Services Canada (SSC) is responsible for digitally enabling government programs and services by providing secure and reliable digital, network and hosting services that allow public servants to work collaboratively and seamlessly across the Government of Canada to serve Canadians. As a service provider to over 40 government departments and agencies, SSC is focused on moving toward an IT service delivery model that encourages sharing common solutions and platforms across departments in an effort to standardize and consolidate IT solutions while also modernizing and reducing legacy IT. In taking an enterprise approach, SSC is working to provide fast, reliable and secure connections, ensure employees have the digital tools they need, and support partner departments in the development and delivery of their services to Canadians.

The Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement is responsible for SSC.

Additional information can be found in SSC’s Departmental Plan.

2025-26 Mandate and role

Shared Services Canada (SSC) is responsible for digitally enabling government programs and services. It does this by providing secure and reliable networks, hosting solutions, digital communications and IT tools to enable the effective delivery of services to Canadians.

In carrying out its mandate, SSC is supporting the Government of Canada’s Digital Ambition, the GC Enterprise Cyber Security Strategy, and the 2024 Application Hosting Strategy. SSC works in partnership with public 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.

In 2021, the Minister of Public Services and Procurement Canada became the Minister responsible for SSC.