Canadian Government Executive - Volume 24 - Issue 07

14 / Canadian Government Executive // February/March 2019 ward ideas that manage disruption such that innovators aren’t handcuffed, and the tech savvy can ride the crest of change. But their proposals also ensure that those not so well-placed to benefit from the new economy aren’t left behind. Some papers propose strategies to en- sure that Canada gets the most out of the digital economy. • Teresa Scassa writes about the value of data – the new oil, or perhaps the new plastics – and the values needed to man- age them, and she suggests a national data strategy to grapple with the trade-offs. • Shannon Macdonald writes about how the digital environment can transform Canada’s publicly financed healthcare system and make it a “playground for in- vention”. • Lori Turnbull suggests ways to combat the prevalence of cyberattacks and fake news made easy by digital platforms, and ways to maximize the benefits of in- terchange between public and private- sector employees. • Wendy Cukier suggests strategies to re- duce the urban/rural divide and build the broadband infrastructure needed for citizens outside urban centres to prosper in an innovative, modern digital world. • Brian Topp proposes a sweeping strat- egy to reconfigure Canada’s balkanized electricity system. • Glen Hodgson writes about the key im- plications and necessary responses to climate change from the perspective of a northern economy. • Drew Fagan suggests ways that Cana- da’s infrastructure spending can be made more effective through data and technol- ogy-driven planning and construction. Other papers focus on improving Cana- da’s capacity to prepare citizens for the digital economy. • Jon Shell proposes a multinational ef- fort of unprecedented scale to link peo- ple with training and job opportunities. • Sunil Johal and Wendy Cukier write about achievable strategies to provide portable benefits to those working in the gig economy. The Public Policy Forum hopes that these papers are of broad interest, but particular- ly to those charged with the difficult task of planning smart public policy: the elected officials and public servants making Can- ada battle-ready for what’s just around the corner or out on the horizon. Public policy is difficult to execute at the best of times, but it is hugely difficult in times of sweep- ing change. We wish them the best of luck. The rest of the articles in this series will be available on CanadianGovernment Executive.ca over the next coming weeks. Be sure to check regularly to keep up with this insightful series on disruption. About PPF The Public Policy Forum builds bridges among diverse participants in the policy- making process and gives them a platform to examine issues, offer new perspectives and feed fresh ideas into policy discus- sions. We believe good policy is critical to making a better Canada – a country that’s cohesive, prosperous and secure. PPF is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit organization and a registered charity. Our members include a broad base of private, public and non-profit organiza- tions who share insight on policy challeng- es and developments. Edward Greenspon is President and CEO of the Public Policy Forum. He has worked at the intersection of journal- ism and public policy for more than 30 years. Before joining PPF, Ed was a journalist with The Globe and Mail, Bloomberg News and newspapers in Western Canada. He is also the author of two books on Canadian politics, policy and public opinion. Drew Fagan is a PPF Fellow who worked for many years in the public service in senior executive positions at the federal and provincial level. For the government of Ontario, Drew was Deputy Minister for the 2015 Pan/Para- pan American Games, Deputy Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, and Deputy Minister of Infrastructure. Disruption Simply put, there are three ways to deal with what has come to be known as disruption: let it do its own thing and adjust accordingly; implement policies intended to hold back the tide; or use policy levers to manage change for competitive advantage and harm-mitigation.