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Government Relations and Policy Event Series EDGE Series

EDGE Series

What is EDGE?

Enabling Digital Government for Everyone (EDGE) – focused on thought leadership and practical approaches to help governments with the ‘HOW’ of successfully adopting and deploying enabling technology. Our vision for EDGE is to facilitate more frequent dialogue between government and industry to effect change and ultimately deliver better digital services to everyone.
Technology has emerged as a critical business capability, and most public sector organizations now understand they need to build technology into their business strategy. However, they often struggle to communicate the value of tech to the business and deploy technology in a way that the full scope of potential benefits can be captured.

Format

The EDGE series sessions are always virtual to be able to be accessible for speakers and attendees across Canada and the world. The session is moderated by Michele Lajeunesse, SVP Government Relations and Policy as an informal discussion followed by a Q&A with the audience

Host your own EDGE Webinar

Contact Charlotte Macaulay, Senior Events & Program Development Manager cmacaulay@technationcanada.ca for more information

Past EDGE Events

Creating Tomorrow’s Public Sector Workforce: How Generative AI and Technology are Transforming the Employee Experience
View Recording

Technology can help build a more efficient and productive workforce and allow public sector organizations to refocus employees away from lower value tasks and onto delivering higher-value outcomes for citizens. But this calls for radically reinventing how the public sector attracts, engages, and trains multi-generational talent, while modernizing systems for the digital world to enable databased decision-making.

The public sector organization of tomorrow will harness technologies to create an ongoing two-way dialogue with employees that serves to strengthen the culture and reduce attrition. In this data-driven world where people expect faster services, personalized digital experiences, and information at their fingertips, public service organizations must provide those same benefits to their employees.

 Panelists:

  • Gianluca Cairo, VP, Public Sector Operations and Strategy, Ceridian
  • Daniel Archambault, VP, People and Culture, Canadian Museum of History
  • Jennifer Moreau, Director of Human Resources, Grey County

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Cyber Collaboration by Design: Mitigating Cyber Risks Across Agencies
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The world is entering a new phase of deepening digital dependencies. Driven by emerging technologies and ever more complex and interdependent systems, dramatic shifts in the coming decade will unlock new possibilities for human flourishing and prosperity while also multiplying the systemic risks posed by insecure systems.

Individuals, businesses, communities, and countries continue to be connected by the Internet on shared platforms that enable scaled business solutions and international exchange. But this accelerating global interconnectivity also introduces risks. An attack on one organization, sector, or government can rapidly spill over to other sectors and regions, and the potential cost of attacks will only grow as interdependencies increase.

At their core, the most effective cyber defense programs have a secure and trusted government-industry network, real-time threat intelligence sharing, and joint threat reduction activities. Fundamentally, they are based upon trusted partnerships between industry and government and represent what is possible within Canada to advance domestic cyber defense capabilities.

 Panelists:

  • Rajiv Gupta, Associate Head of the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (the Cyber Centre)
  • Andrew Buckles, Cyber Services Owner, ISA Cybersecurity
  • Andrew Robinson, Canadian Federal Sales Manager, Zscaler

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A More Sustainable Future: Achieving Net Zero Together
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Climate change is the single greatest challenge of our time. With Canada’s climate warming twice as fast as the global average, catastrophic events such as heat waves, wildfires and floods are costing billions and putting communities and people at risk.

The steps needed to reduce climate risk require transition and adaptation plans which are already well underway. To avert the worst impacts of climate change, the Government of Canada has set an ambitious climate target of 40-45% emissions reductions by 2030 and is committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

Public sector organizations in Canada and around the world are responding to sustainability challenges with digital and data solutions, AI, hybrid cloud, and ecosystem partnerships. But it’s not just about the data or the technology. It’s about being a catalyst for change, making the world better one community at a time.

 Panelists:

  • Ron Cormier, Director General at Business and Technology Solutions Sector (BTSS) , Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) / Government of Canada
  • Andrea Johnston, ADM at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)
  • Zlata Huddleston, Partner, Sustainability Practice Lead, IBM

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Traveller Modernization using Biometrics
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Our world never ceases to evolve.  The COVID-19 impacts on international travel were significant, but activities are quickly rebounding.  We continue to see and forecast major increases in the number of people travelling to Canada to visit, live, work and go to school – and – thanks in large part to the convenience and self-service capabilities made possible by technology that we experience in so many aspects of our lives, travellers’ increasingly expect a seamless journey across the border.  These factors are challenging border agencies to rethink what and how they work – in profoundly human terms

Canada’s Border Services Agency’s (CBSA) Traveller Modernization initiative is delivering new solutions to transform the border experience for both travellers and officers without compromising the safety and security of Canada’s border.  CBSA wants to offer travellers a smoother and faster experience, using technology to expedite their journey, while keeping their personal information secure.

While biometrics play a key role in currently facilitating many aspects of travel, the CBSA is exploring how they can be further leveraged to enable Traveller Modernization.  Driven partly by advancing technological capabilities and partly by evolving challenges in identity management, we are seeing increased application of biometrics in other jurisdictions around the world.

Whether you are exploring the opportunities to leverage biometrics in your organization or conceptualizing how the future border implicates you, join us as our sponsor Accenture, together with senior stakeholders from Canada’s Border Services Agency, discuss the Traveller Modernization initiative and explore the approach being taken to leverage biometrics as they work to deliver the border of the future.

 Panelists:

  • Christine Hamilton, Principal Director, Accenture
  • Daniel Bachenheimer Digital Identity Innovations technical lead, Accenture
  • Andrew Lawrence, Director General for Canada Border Services Agency.
  • Justin Ikura, Director, Biometrics and Identity Office at Canada Border Services Agency

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Cloud Economics: Making the Business Case for Cloud
View Recording

Technology has emerged as a critical business capability, and most public sector organizations now understand they need to build technology into their business strategy. However, they often struggle to communicate the value of tech to the business and deploy technology in a way that the full scope of potential benefits can be captured.

Panelists:

  • Michael Amato, Acting Chief Information Officer / Assistant Deputy Minister – Infrastructure Technology Services, Ontario Government
  • Anna Leon, Partner, Technology Advisory Lead for Ontario Government, KPMG
  • Dan Santangelo, Senior Principal Strategist, ServiceNow