14 / Canadian Government Executive // WINTER 2025 Today’s Deputy Minister is the public service equivalent to a corporate CEO—and crucial to driving needed digital advancements in government operations and citizen services. Most, however, assume these responsibilities without much technology experience after moving up the ranks and excelling as policy specialists. To keep pace with both public service and citizen expectations, a Deputy Minister must understand how best to meet citizen and government needs, with the same urgency as a CEO meets customer and business needs. IT driven workplace and service delivery modernization takes years of sustained and focused leadership attention backstopped by a long-term financial commitment. These challenges are further complicated by the political reality of short-term election cycles. While many Deputy Ministers will have gained insight into project management, information technology solutions, procurement and budgeting, very rarely will PERSPECTIVE Sponsored Content By Mark Lambert Senior Managing Director - Canada Health & Public Service Client Group Lead, Accenture they have previously dealt with technology transformation. Technological literacy needs to be treated with the same importance and urgency as financial literacy. Senior government leaders acknowledge that prioritizing IT modernization is challenging. Our aging systems are at increased risk of critical system failures without it. Reactive crisis management can be significantly more difficult and costly than proactive maintenance and upgrades. Crises and issues are an everyday reality, but leaders must be mindful of driving their department’s strategic plan. Deputy Ministers should view technology not as a patchwork of programs and repairs, but as a continuum that enables a more agile, effective and secure approach to work and service delivery. Deputy Ministers must become proficient in the principles and practices of digital reinvention to enable them to adopt digital platforms to streamline services, enhance citizen engagement, and improve the overall efficiency of govBRIDGING THE GAP: Leading Technology Reinvention in the Public Service
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