Digital Government Community Awards 2023: Awards for 2023

Excellence in Building Services for the Users

This award recognizes an individual or group for outstanding achievement in delivering better internal or external service in collaboration with and for users.

Criteria

• Involves users who have a specific need and problem to solve
• Engages users in the design process for client-facing services through online or in-person collaboration tools, facilitated workshops or other outreach activities
• Develops a prototype and conducts ongoing testing with users, which guides the design and further develops the service
• Validates, through frequent direct interactions with users, the alignment between users’ needs and the new service (a feedback loop of user information feeds continuous improvements)
• Adjusts the service’s workflow, processes and policies to help design similar user-focused services

Excellence in Diversity, Accessibility, Equity and Inclusion

This award recognizes an individual or group for outstanding achievements with a direct and significant impact in advancing diversity, accessibility, equity and inclusion in the Government of Canada community (including users).

Criteria

• Builds quality from the start so that previously implemented components do not need to be reworked for quality issues
• Is a constant part of iterating and improving frequently, and designs with users throughout the service design process
• Identifies a wide variety of users with a wide variety of needs to ensure that quality standards are met or exceeded when designing with others
• Works to increase transparency and intersectionality in order to address the potential biases of computational and human decisions
• Reviews and implements legislative changes, regulations and policies that address cultural, linguistic, geographical, accessibility, technological and socio-economic issues

Excellence in Innovation

This award recognizes an individual or group for outstanding achievement in creating a culture of openness and experimentation to foster innovation.

Criteria

• Takes a tolerant approach, which may involve both technical changes (for example, different testing methodologies, product that is built to be highly testable) and cultural changes (for example, a shift away from a culture of blame to a culture of learning from failure)
• Embeds intelligent risk taking and iteration delivery in the fibre of the organization as a strategic capability that must be built and continually fostered (such as an innovation roadmap that supports the culture change)
• Spreads risk across a longer time frame and multiple iterations of product delivery, which creates opportunities to adjust product features if initial assumptions prove incorrect or as strategic opportunities arise
• Shares openly throughout the service, product or solution so that lessons learned can be shared with others through a sharing culture (including blameless post-mortems, fail and tell, and so on)

Excellence in Product Management

This award recognizes a group that has shifted its approach from project management to product management. The team is responsive to user feedback and to changing market conditions. It encourages fluidity and mid-course adjustment and does not tie all budgeting and staffing decisions to an initial project plan.

Criteria

• Is a cross-functional team that works with stakeholders to create a shared vision
• Uses research and design principles to identify the underlying problem
• Navigates complex demands from multiple stakeholders
• Uses an iterative design approach to test prototypes or drafts, gathers and incorporates feedback
• Uses agile practices to inspect and reprioritize work
• Works in the open and shares lessons learned, work in progress, code and research with other workstreams and organizations
• Delivers, in both official languages, an accessible product or solution that meets the need or solves the problem

Anja van Beek Throop Hidden Gem

This award recognizes achievement by an individual in an administrative role who has demonstrated notable contributions to their team’s success. This individual is nominated by their team.

Criteria

• Takes a systemic view of an initiative or product, provides value-added advice, and anticipates gaps
• Takes responsibility for the administrative underpinnings in a dedicated, professional manner
• Is always looking for opportunities to assist both management and staff, often on top of their regular duties
• Understands the group’s dynamics and adapts to each member’s needs
• Takes initiative to help the team in problem-solving, and often works behind the scenes to ensure a productive and happy workplace

Excellence in Data and Information Stewardship

This award recognizes an individual or group for outstanding achievement in data and information stewardship through collection, management and use of data for business outcomes.

Criteria

• Improves service design, delivery, and data and information quality for enhanced decision-making and government transparency
• Applies the Government of Canada Digital Standards: Playbook to processes, policies, and workflows used in decision-making, operations and service delivery
• Institutes integrated data, information and technology methods and practices aimed at unifying the delivery view of information, data and technology services
• Implements innovative ways to grab attention and raise awareness of soft skills designed to empower staff to work digitally
• Develops an outstanding or unique approach to furthering artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotic processing automation to enhance business outcomes

Judy Booth Award for Excellence in ATIP

This award recognizes an individual for outstanding achievement in improving service delivery, transparency and collaboration related to access to information and privacy (ATIP) requests in the Government of Canada.

Criteria

• Supports the continued growth and improvement of colleagues in the ATIP community
• Demonstrates a passion for service delivery in ATIP requests
• Innovates to improve a digital or in-person ATIP service
• Improves service delivery, transparency and collaboration related to ATIP requests in the Government of Canada

Outstanding Digital Leadership (in a small and a large organization)

For this award, the Chief Information Officer of Canada recognizes individuals in a small organization and in a large organization for outstanding achievement in:

• developing creative approaches to securing strategic alliances with key internal and external partners
• empowering staff to support the digital vision
• highlighting and achieving results toward realizing the Government of Canada’s Digital Ambition

Criteria

• Breaks down seemingly impossible, complex tasks into simple, workable solutions that a self-organized team can implement
• Builds an environment where people take ownership and accountability by experimenting and innovating
• Ensures that staff have access to the tools, training and technologies they need
• Energizes teams and inspires them to work together toward an inclusive vision
• Is adaptable and handles pressure and constant change well to make decisions with ability and agility