Digital Transformation in Canada
Digital Transformation in Canada is a government-wide priority focused on modernizing legacy systems and delivering "user-centric" services. This journey is primarily guided by Canada’s Digital Ambition, a strategy updated for 2024–2025 to focus on four specific outcomes: user-centricity, data-driven decision-making, secure technology, and a digitally savvy workforce.
The "Digital Ambition" Framework
The federal government has transitioned from broad themes to four measurable goals to ensure all departments, from Service Canada to the Canada Revenue Agency, are aligned:
- User-Centric Services: Ensuring that services like the Benefits Delivery Modernization (BDM) program provide a "tell us once" experience for citizens.
- Data as a Foundation: Using data to inform policy and real-time reporting while maintaining strict privacy standards through the Privacy Act.
- Innovation & Security: Implementing Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) to defend against evolving cyber threats and modernizing 40-year-old technology stacks.
- A Savvy Workforce: Upskilling the public service to manage new technologies, particularly generative AI and cloud-native architectures.
2025–2026 Milestones
- Federal AI Strategy (2025–2027): Launched to guide the "responsible adoption" of AI in the public service, focusing on increasing productivity in processing applications and scientific research.
- Digital Identity Program: Continued rollout of a federal digital credential system, integrated with provincial identity products, to allow for secure, password-less sign-ins on Canada.ca.
- AI Infrastructure Investment: A commitment of CAD $2.4 billion in the 2025 budget to scale up computing power and research capacity across the country.