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/ Canadian Government Executive
// October 2016
Special Report
To begin, it’s helpful to think about de-
liverology in terms of the historical con-
text in which it arose. It’s no coincidence
that deliverology gained traction at the
same time the digital revolution was
transforming our expectations of what
everyday people can do. Forty years
ago, the day-to-day work of govern-
ment was shrouded in mystery. That is
largely because the technology used by
government was not found in ordinary
households. And because most taxpay-
ers had no frame of reference, they also
had no informed opinion on how quickly
or cheaply public services might be de-
livered.
The consumerization of technology
has changed all that. Thanks to the rise
of Internet, mobile, cloud and other
technologies, there is no longer any
sense of mystery around service deliv-
ery. Canadians expect excellence to be
delivered quickly, and it is all because
they now know how much technology
can do for them. They know that it is
possible, with just a few clicks, to buy
shoes or find their soulmate or map out
the quickest route to any destination.
(And before long, they will also know
what is possible from advances in arti-
ficial intelligence and machine learning.)
In just a few short years, cost-efficient
Delivering on Deliverology
To make deliverology work,
you have to start with your people
T
he quick definition of deliverol-
ogy is simple: It is a system that
helps governments keep their
promises.
But as straightforward and obvious as
deliverology’s goals might be, govern-
ments struggle to achieve them on their
own. For that reason, deliverology is hav-
ing a profound impact on government
services around the world. To date, more
than 40 countries have committed to the
methodology, and Canada is very clearly
— and publicly — on board. The task now
is to figure out exactly how to make de-
liverology a reality.
We know that deliverology will involve
new technology, certainly. But deliverol-
ogy calls for more than that. It denotes
the flawless introduction of new services,
as well as continuous improvements to
existing ones. Achieving this will take a
comprehensive vision and business anal-
ysis, as well as significant leadership and
project management skills.
In addition, deliverology requires some-
thing that is more of an attitude than a
skill: It relies on the spirit of nimbleness
that is the hallmark of the digital age. It
asks everyone to come to work with an
entrepreneurial drive that supports inno-
vation and excellence.
To put it another way, deliverology de-
mands that everyone deliver. So, how do
we make that happen?
Deliverology has a better chance of success if the mandate is properly
communicated to staff.
BY Lawrence
Franco
President,
Global Knowledge
Canada