Digital transformation of the workplace is no longer a futuristic fantasy

The digital transformation of the workplace and the structural configuration of the Canadian federal bureaucracy is no longer a futuristic fantasy. A redefined government-citizenship relationship has never looked so promising.

​The Pacific Innovation Fair co-hosted by the British Columbia Federal Council (BCFC) and the University of British Columbia (UBC) showcased innovative and transformative initiatives occurring at all levels of government including federal, provincial, municipal and First Nations. Discussion topics included: innovative service delivery; collaborative working; healthy workplace creation; First Nation reconciliation; institutional reform, and; enabling tools and approaches.

​Take away thinking points included:

• The digital transformation of the workplace and the structural configuration of the Canadian federal bureaucracy is no longer a futuristic fantasy. The proliferation of encrypted communications on mobile platforms provides the opportunity to pivot away from a one-size-fits-all approach to a “mass customization” business model. But with no fixed model for innovation labs in Canada, policymakers will have to clearly differentiate policy “innovation” from policy “improvement. 

• The rapid proliferation of government policy labs is driven by a growing demand for strategic agility, organizational learning, and a “diplomacy of knowledge” at all levels of government. Designing collaborative innovation platforms that harness the “wisdom of the crowd” involves more than a sharing of “best practices.” It requires a robust managerial foresight capacity and a strategic culture that not only tolerates, but actively promotes, decentralized decision-making.

• Governments are waking up to the limitations of prescribed planning methodologies, but it is critical for decision-makers to enable multi-scalar processes and to mentor multi-lingual individuals that serve as conduits to external knowledge-sharing systems. “Influencers” or highly connected individuals with access to more than one network can significantly shape the timing, volume, velocity, direction, and quality of knowledge that is either shared with (or withheld from) other knowledge seekers. That is why the sudden or unexpected departure of networked individuals poses a significant long-term risk.

​​​​The respect that Canada enjoys internationally stems largely from the integrity of its public institutions and social policies. The ability to innovate, think creatively, combine new ideas and leverage those insights to create new sources of social and economic value will determine the future of public service delivery in Canada. 

Grant Ducksworth

Grant Duckworth is the founder of Vancouver Strategic & Integrated Research (VSIR), a management consultancy specializing in knowledge mobilization and strategic intelligence. Grant joins IPAC after 17 years with the Government of Canada providing strategic advice and intelligence analysis to senior executives on complex  migration, border security, and foresight issues. He has studied at five different Canadian universities including the University of British Columbia (UBC), where received an MA in (Human) Geography.  ​

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