Connecting Canadians:
Public Service in the Information Age

Technology in Government Week

Notes for an Address by
Jocelyne Bourgon
Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet

Ottawa, Ontario
October 20, 1997

INTRODUCTION

-- Thank you for the invitation to be with you today.

-- This annual conference is always an important event, because it brings together professionals of information technology and information management from all levels of government, the private sector and from many countries around the world.

-- It brings together experts and users equally committed to the use of information technology for improving services to the public.

-- We all want to make the most of this unique opportunity.

-- We want to learn, to exchange and to challenge each other to set ambitious goals for ourselves.

-- The theme of this year's conference is Serving Canadians Better: Building for the 21st Century.

-- This theme could not be more timely. It is at the heart of the role of all governments on the eve of the millennium. It was the central focus of the Speech from the Throne presented by the Government of Canada on September 23, 1997.

-- In the hope of making a useful contribution to your discussions and deliberations, I would like to:

• (1) sketch some of the challenges ahead of us;

  (2) draw some implications for the role of Government in the future; and finally, make some personal observations about a career in information technology and information management in the public service.

Part I: Preparing for the 21st Century - The Challenge

-- In less than 3 years -- 802 days from now -- Canadians will be celebrating the beginning of year 2000.

-- The Speech from the Throne has set the course and the priorities that the Government of Canada will be pursuing to prepare Canada and Canadians for the 21st Century.

• it will invest in education, knowledge and innovation;

  it will invest in good health and quality care;

  it will expand opportunities for young Canadians; and

  it will help prepare children to learn and succeed in a modern and complex society.

-- What is the common link between these priorities? They are strategic investments in people.

-- Taken together they provide the essential elements to prepare Canada and Canadians for a knowledge-based society.

-- The challenge ahead of us is well described in the Speech from the Throne. Allow me to quote from it:

• ... "Canada is well-positioned to be a world leader in the global knowledge-based economy of the 21st century. We have the talent, we have the resources, we have the technology and we have the institutions."

  "We will make the information and knowledge infrastructure accessible to all Canadians by the year 2000, thereby making Canada the most connected nation in the world".

  "A connected nation is more than wires, cables and computers. It is a nation in which citizens have access to the skills and knowledge they need. It is (...) a nation whose people are connected to each other."

-- This is the challenge for all of us in this room. Success will require a truly pan-Canadian effort, it will require everyone's contribution.

-- The question before us is how can we best make a contribution toward this goal... whether we are from the private sector... the public sector... or governments? How can we best work together?

-- To develop a concerted plan of action, we need to ask what does it mean "to become the most connected nation in the world"? What is the meaning of connectedness?

1. Connecting citizens:

-- Hundreds of years ago, connecting citizens meant coming together in the village square... to exchange information... to debate and make decisions of collective interest... That's how democracy was born.

-- As society became more complex and because of the limitations imposed by distance, representative democracy emerged as the most viable model to ensure a permanent link and a proper oversight by citizens over political institutions.

-- On the verge of the 21st century, technology is allowing us to imagine new ways of connecting citizens, of eliminating the disadvantage of physical distance -- and of giving a fuller, richer meaning to democracy and citizenship. We can foresee:

• people sharing a community of interest, coming together to pursue common goals;  
• linguistic minorities overcoming physical isolation and building stronger alliances to protect and promote their culture;
• Aboriginal nations reaching native people on reserves or in urban centres; and
• Citizens across Canada and abroad sharing the treasures of the National Gallery or the Museum of Civilization located in Ottawa.

-- The basic infrastructures needed to connect Canadian citizens are already in place. The challenge will be to provide universal access and equal opportunities of access for all Canadians.

2. Connecting Communities:

-- Information technology can help us ensure that all the institutional knowledge in the hands of the 3 levels of government is put to the service of our communities. Canadians have already paid for this information, it is rightfully theirs.

-- To achieve this goal we will need to address the legitimate concerns of Canadians about privacy, to provide adequate protection for commercial information and to address security issues. I do not underestimate the difficulties, but it is possible to properly balance the need for openness and access with the need for confidentiality and protection.

-- The potential benefits are worth the efforts. Information technology could break down the barriers imposed by distance, change the relationship between rural and urban areas of Canada and allow community groups to take charge of their own development. For instance:

• Connecting all schools, every library and learning institution would help make life-long learning a reality in Canada. This is an essential element for a well performing knowledge-based society;
• Students wherever they live could conduct research in libraries all over the world and participate in schools and universities far from home, thus bringing to all what used to be the purview of a few;
• Patients in towns and villages could receive medical attention once available only in metropolitan centres; and
• Voluntary sector organizations could find new willing hands and strengthen our community capacity for self help and mutual help.

-- We are making connectedness happen in Canada --- Schoolnet and the Community Access Program are two prominent examples. The governments of Canada and PEI have entered into a Knowledge Economy Partnership. The governments of Canada and New Brunswick have signed a memorandum of understanding to make information from both governments available at more than 200 access points in the province. The challenge will be to develop a concerted approach among all governments, federal, provincial and municipal, to do likewise across the country.

3. Connecting Businesses

-- Information technology has created many new opportunities for businesses. It holds special promise for small and medium size businesses. For the first time local businesses are freed from the limitations of place and the exclusionary economics of global marketing. A lot could be said about the potential of IT for businesses; I will limit my comments to electronic commerce.

-- To reap the benefits of a knowledge based economy, it is important to eliminate the barriers to commerce on the information highway. This is especially important in the case of small businesses which often face significant challenges in adapting to information technology.

-- The challenge will be to provide some measure of certainty in the marketplace by ensuring that the legal, policy and regulatory framework for electronic commerce is in place.

-- By creating the best environment for electronic commerce, Canada will have a considerable competitive advantage in the global competition for talents and investments.

-- It will require a concerted effort by the Departments of Justice, Industry, Revenue, Heritage and the Treasury Board.

-- Let me summarize the first part of my remarks:

• The challenge is to make Canada "the most connected nation in the world". It is a very exciting challenge; one that holds many promises for the future.
• To be successful will require a truly pan-Canadian effort and everyone's contribution.
• If we rise to the challenge, our work:

• will help prepare Canada for the future; will empower citizens; will create       opportunities for businesses; and will provide Canada with new comparative advantage among nations.

Part II: What does it mean for governments?

-- Governments have long understood, though sometimes imperfectly, the importance of information technology to build a strong knowledge-based society.

-- At first, governments have used information technologies to improve productivity and efficiency --- (tax processing, payroll and accounting systems).

-- Then, IT became an essential tool in our quest to improve services to Canadians. The role of governments is not limited to bricks and mortar or to issuing checks. It is increasingly to provide information --- , useful and timely information provided in a user-friendly way.

-- We are now entering a new phase where technology will increasingly be used by governments to support the acquisition of knowledge and the process of innovation. This is of a different order of complexity altogether. It will require a profound change of culture in governments. It will also change the relationship between governments and citizens.

-- Before focussing on the changes to come let's acknowledge the progress to date, since it provides the foundation from which we will build as we enter the new phase.

(1) Governments have created networks allowing them to be present, relevant and adapted to local needs.

• For instance, Human Resources Development Canada delivers services electronically at about 5,000 kiosks. Their network alone is comparable to that of Canada's largest financial institution.
• "Ropin' the Web" - the Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development's website, provides high quality agricultural information and direct communication with departmental specialists.

(2) Citizens and businesses can transact electronically with governments.

• 100 million payments are made electronically every year, representing half the payments made by the Receiver General.
• 8 million electronic clearances of customs annually.

(3) Governments have become more accessible.

• There is on average 2.5 million hits per month on the Canada site on the Internet --- 21 million hits since the beginning of 1997.
• 200,000 hits per day on Strategis which contains 20,000 electronic documents relevant to businesses.

(4) Government departments and public servants are better coordinated.

• PWGSC has created a government-wide e-mail infrastructure allowing 160,000 public servants nation-wide to exchange information electronically.
• The Regional Municipality of Peel has implemented a secure high-speed network to support social services, public safety and recreational interests in the region.

-- There is no denying --- We have come a long way and a lot has been accomplished over the last 10 years --- but looking ahead, what we can accomplish over the next five years is even more impressive.

-- First, government departments and agencies should move from being independent providers of service toward an integrated approach to service delivery.

-- We still have a lot of progress to make for the Government of Canada to project a common image -- for departments to share and operate from common infrastructures --- for the Government of Canada to provide single windows centered around citizens and citizen needs.

-- This is an essential step for governments to move from the role of provider of information to the more complex role of contributing to the acquisition of knowledge.

-- In many ways, provincial governments are further ahead; we could all learn from their experience:

• the Government of Manitoba has established "Service First" and "Better Systems". The goal of Better Systems is to create a single window to government.
• the Government of Saskatchewan is in the process of developing a Health Information Network that will see all health services contact points in the province connected.
• the Government of New Brunswick is implementing a high speed network connecting all government offices across the province.
• the Government of British Columbia has used the BC Electronic Highway Accord to rethink the way in which it will deliver services to British Columbians.
• the Government of the Northwest Territories is leading the way in system sharing by working with the Government of Alberta in the development of a revised version of the Alberta Child Welfare Information System.

-- Second, during the coming years, we will be called upon to redefine the relationship between governments and citizens. The most important breakthrough would be the coming together of municipal, territorial, provincial and federal governments... respectful of their individual responsibilities but united in their effort to serve Canadians.

-- Last year, I issued a challenge at the close of the Gala Dinner -- the challenge was that, at this year conference, all level of governments be properly represented.

-- This year, 8 sessions are specifically targeting the issues of partnership and interdependence. There are 166 provincial and territorial delegates registered, there are 17 delegates from municipalities. There are over a dozen nominations for innovation awards from the provinces, territories and municipalities.

-- Municipal governments are the closest to the daily preoccupation of citizens and therefore their participation would be key to the success of this effort.

-- We are making progress! There is so much we could do together. A single window for all government services can be a reality in Canada -- that is the challenge.

-- Third, governments should show leadership to ease the transition toward a knowledge-based society.

-- This is the role that the Information Highway Advisory Council (IHAC) has described as "Government as a Model User". Governments are the owner and the operator of many information systems. They are the users of many more. Government can also play a leadership role that could help accelerate the transformation of the Canadian society, set an example and help Canadians to adjust to the use of information technology.

-- It is not easy to be leader, it requires that governments continuously adjust their role to focus on the areas of highest need.

-- Let me explain, for the public interest to be well served, governments do not need to do it all. As the Canadians society becomes more mature, others are able and willing to take on more responsibilities. There must be an orderly process of transfer of responsibilities from the public sector to the private sector so that at all times governments focus their scarce resources and the energy of their employees in those functions that can only, or can best, be provided by the public sector.

-- For instance, today the private sector is providing us with the basic IT infrastructure across the country --- maybe not in every community but the capacity is there. We must build on it.

-- Similarly, the private sector is providing us with many off - the - shelf software and commercial systems relevant to government needs. We should exploit this potential. No one has the time nor the resources to reinvent the wheel.

-- For Canada to become the most connected nation in the world by year 2000 and to become a strong knowledge-based society, we need a strong private - public partnership. As the private sector takes on more responsibilities, we in governments must refocus our work on higher areas of needs, in areas of greater complexity or of higher value added.

-- Which leads me to my last topic.

-- Is there a future for IM/IT in the government or should the field be abandoned to the private sector? Will it be possible to pursue a rich and rewarding career in this field in the public sector? Will it be possible to attract but even more importantly to retain young bright professionals?

-- In today's world the IM/IT functions are not severable from others. In government, it is part of the development process; the design of policy and programs; the delivery of service.

-- The IM/IT function cannot be privatized. The issue is what is the best way to share responsibility between the public and the private sectors.

-- Let me venture a personal opinion. An IM career in the public sector should be different than one in the private sector. If it was the same, I would worry about the future because the public sector is unlikely to match the salary conditions available in the private sector.

-- I believe that, an IM career in the public sector is different and will be increasingly different in the coming years. IM professionals in government:

• must understand the public sector and public sector values;
• must know how to get things done in government;
• must know about our many legal requirements -- from laws of specific applications like the Income Tax Act to laws of general application like the Privacy Act or the Official Languages Act;
• must be verse in their specialty in order to broker the best of the private sector to meet public sector needs. They must build partnerships and strategic alliances.

-- This kind of knowledge can only be acquired through experience. It must be grown. It cannot be bought at market price.

-- The attractiveness of an IM career in government must be built around:

• the diversity of experience the breadth of the challenge;
• the potential to make a difference in the life of Canadians;
• the excitement of contributing to making Canada a better place.

-- I worry about the number of experienced professionals we are loosing each year. If the reforms needed to modernize the public service, and in particular the IM functions, are not introduced in a timely way, we should all worry about the consequences.

-- We have many reasons to remain optimistic, one of them is the person who will follow shortly on this podium. The Chief Information Officer, Paul Rummell, has made the renewal of the information community in government his top priority. He has been working in collaboration with the Treasury Board and every department, at developing a plan of action ranging from recruitment, training, outsourcing and the Year 2000 computer problem. We will hear from him shortly. He will need and can be assured of our full support.

CONCLUSION

-- Tonight at the Awards Dinner, as we honour the winners, let their work inspire us to greater heights.

-- We are only at the beginning of creating a truly connected country. The complexity of our task is sometimes overwhelming. But we have the commitment, the skills and the ingenuity to make it happen. It holds great promise for the future, including the promise of a challenging and rewarding career for those who serve in the public sector.

-- This conference couldn't come at a better time. Each year this intensive IT environment brings together a critical mass of technologies, people and ideas. And each year, a tremendous energy flows out as we come back to the task, refreshed, re-energized and eager to push ahead.

-- I look forward to our discussions, our exchanges, and our celebrations tonight. I also look forward to our meeting next year to celebrate our achievement toward making Canada the most connected nation in the world.