Ottawa is set to introduce a new federal entity dedicated to leveraging digital technologies to enhance Canadians’ interaction with government services. A statement from the Prime Minister’s Office on Thursday unveiled the establishment of Digital Transformation Canada, with a focus on optimizing the government’s technology development, procurement, and utilization processes, among other key objectives.
The Prime Minister’s Office also revealed the appointment of Patrick Pichette as the CEO of Digital Transformation Canada. Pichette, who served as Google’s chief financial officer from 2008 to 2015 and held executive positions at Bell Canada, McKinsey, and Spring Canada, brings extensive expertise in digital transformation, innovation, and organizational change to the initiative, as stated by Prime Minister Mark Carney.
The newly formed agency aims to implement digital solutions, including artificial intelligence, across government operations to streamline work processes, reduce costs, enhance digital security, and promote Canadian technological advancement on a national scale. Carney emphasized that by modernizing public service delivery, eliminating redundancies, and fostering the growth of local technology enterprises, the economy will be strengthened, leading to improved outcomes for Canadians and positioning Canada as a digital leader.
According to the announcement, the agency will empower public servants with efficient tools to enhance the delivery of government services and allocate federal resources to support the testing, scaling, and commercialization of new technologies by Canadian AI and digital companies. Digital Transformation Canada will operate under the supervision of Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works, and Procurement Joël Lightbound, consolidating Shared Services Canada with select divisions of the Treasury Board Secretariat, Public Services and Procurement Canada, and Employment and Social Development Canada.