{"id":269848,"date":"2021-11-04T10:31:32","date_gmt":"2021-11-04T14:31:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/issues\/speaking-tech-to-power\/"},"modified":"2025-10-07T23:43:29","modified_gmt":"2025-10-08T03:43:29","slug":"speaking-tech-to-power","status":"publish","type":"issues","link":"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/fr\/2021\/11\/speaking-tech-to-power\/","title":{"rendered":"Speaking tech to power"},"content":{"rendered":"

OTTAWA \u2013 The Trudeau government\u2019s decision to drop<\/a> a digital government minister from the cabinet lineup comes when many argue just about everything on its agenda requires some kind of digital transformation to fix or implement.<\/p>\n

Digital technology is central to tackling any policy issue whether it\u2019s fighting the rest of the pandemic and rebuilding a shaken economy, climate change, child care, housing and Indigenous services. Digital tools are used to gather and mine data to develop policies, implement them and deliver services Canadians can use.<\/p>\n

In fact, FWD50, an Ottawa conference of the world\u2019s leading digital experts<\/a> is virtually meeting this week to discuss using technology \u201cto make society better for all.\u201d They argue technology is policy. Can\u2019t have one without the other.<\/p>\n

The pandemic that forced thousands of bureaucrats to work remotely created a level of basic digital literacy so quickly that the Treasury Board is now rethinking policies around the future of work and modernizing technology.<\/p>\n

So why is the government separating them with two ministers, one responsible for policy and the other in charge of technology?<\/p>\n

Joyce Murray, Canada\u2019s fourth digital government minister, was shuffled to Fisheries and Oceans with no one appointed to replace her. Her job appears to have been carved up between Treasury Board President Mona Fortier and Public Services and Procurement Minister Filomena Tassi.<\/p>\n

The loss of digital cabinet clout is being criticized as a significant setback. It takes away much-needed political leadership, a single voice at the cabinet table and a focus to navigate a responsibility that is already fractured among too many players.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re now living in a world where every policy issue is a digital issue,\u201d said Ryan Androsoff, director of digital leadership programs at the Institute in Governance.<\/p>\n

\u201cGovernment can have the greatest policy ideas in the world, but if they can\u2019t execute on them, it gets them nowhere,\u201d he said. \u201cToday, good delivery and execution inevitably means digital. It\u2019s tough to imagine any area of government activity that won\u2019t have some kind of technological underpinning to how policy is delivered and implemented.\u201d<\/p>\n

The pandemic upended the federal workplace. What comes next?<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

The decision came out of the blue for the technology industry, setting off concerns that the government is backing off from its digital strategy as progress toward a co-ordinated approach was being made. The government spends more than $7 billion a year on technology.<\/p>\n

\u201cA digital minister at least brought it to the forefront,\u201d said Michele Lajeunesse, senior vice-president of government relations and policy at industry association TECHNATION<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt showed government recognized a need to focus on its digital transformation… and I would say it progressed somewhat. The fear is this is taking a potentially major step back, and if the decision is to split it between TBS and PSPC (Public Services and Procurement Canada) will we be better off? We don\u2019t think so.\u201d<\/p>\n

It also comes when the world is scrambling for tech talent in the face of a global shortage.<\/p>\n

Countries like the U.S. and U.K. are bolstering the role of tech to better manage remote work, attract more tech workers and make sure citizens have easy online access to government services.<\/p>\n

The head of the U.S. General Services Administration<\/a> recently summed up the shift: \u201cIt\u2019s super clear that bad delivery sinks good policy. To be able to deliver anything, we have to have the tech talent in the room at the beginning of the discussion, not bolted on at the end.\u201d<\/p>\n

Digital experts<\/a> boil digital transformation down to technology, data, process and organizational change \u2013 and people with the skills in each are the lynchpins to make it work.<\/p>\n

Murray, who was also the first standalone digital minister, launched a digital strategy with four overarching goals that the government isn\u2019t close to achieving:<\/p>\n