For Immediate Release
September 20, 2016
Shared Services Canada to Engage ICT Sector to Help Strengthen its IT Transformation Plan
Ottawa, ON – Shared Services Canada (SSC) has embarked on a series of consultations that support internal efforts to improve and strengthen its way forward. The Information Technology Association of Canada (ITAC) encourages and supports SSC in receiving industry feedback on the IT Transformation Plan that is designed to outline how the department will carry out its mandate to deliver IT services across the Government of Canada.
The IT Transformation plan is a follow-on to the Strategic IT Plan released by Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) last month, who also tabled its Plan as draft with a request for feedback. Both documents are a result of the review with the Public Accounts Committee conducted on Information Technology Shared Services chapter within the Auditor General’s Fall 2015 Report.
“The IT Transformation Plan by SSC and the recently released Strategic IT Plan by TBS are perfect examples of how this new government is doing things differently”, says ITAC President Robert Watson. “The ICT sector sees IT transformation and modernization strategies being deployed successfully around the world – by consulting with our sector, the Government of Canada can tap into these best practices.”
“It is refreshing to see that ITAC members will be engaged on all of the moving pieces versus the per-project engagements we have seen in the past,” says Kelly Hutchinson, Vice President of Government Relations and Policy at ITAC. “They want to get it right and so we are seeing collaborative engagement from the bureaucrats to the ministerial staff.”
Outside of encouraging membership to respond directly through SSCs online consultation portal, ITAC is also working on leadership roundtables to bring best practices to the forefront. Additionally, ITAC will also consolidate member feedback and present formalized comments to SSC to support the final development of the IT Transformation Plan. ITAC is also doing the same for the Strategic IT Plan in an effort to truly shape and strengthen the government-wide approach to IT transformation and modernization.
The engagement around SSC’s IT Transformation Plan is just one of a series of reviews underway to inform the Government of Canadas way forward for the delivery of modernized IT infrastructure services. About ITAC As Canada’s national ICT business association, ITAC champions the development of a robust, innovative and sustainable digital economy in Canada. More than 36,000 Canadian ICT firms create and supply goods and services that contribute to a more productive, competitive and innovative society. The ICT sector generates one million jobs directly and indirectly and invests $4.9 billion in private sector R&D, more than any other sector in Canada.
For more information, please contact: Christine Leonard, Director of Communications – 1.905.580.2048 or cleonard@itac.ca