Sharing progress and aligning efforts: A word from the CEO

Chances are you’ve heard this before, but it’s worth repeating: people in Canada deserve services from their government that are accessible, secure, and available end-to-end online, in-person, or over the phone. Since the launch of CDS in 2017, we’ve been focused on improving how government designs and delivers services. While our commitment to this goal has never wavered, our approach has undergone many iterations and improvements in the past 7 years. 

After following along with CDS’s journey for several years, I officially joined the organization as the Chief Executive Officer in November 2023. In the past year, we’ve made some critical changes to align our efforts, scale our impact, and ensure the right teams are in place to deliver lasting, positive change to service delivery in government.   

Today, I’m proud to share three in-depth reports detailing the work our team has been doing in the past year, as well as our forward plans for creating more accessible, secure, and easy to use services for people across Canada. The CDS Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2023-2024, CDS Strategic Vision for 2024-2027, and the CDS Tactical Plan for 2024-2025 represent our commitment to working in the open – sharing our progress, plans, and (even) our setbacks as we work with teams across government to make things better.

As you read about the work we’ve done and our plans for the future, I want to take a moment to thank the team at CDS for their tireless commitment to our mission. Through significant organizational changes, the addition of new teams, and an evolving mandate, I’m immensely proud of how the team continues to put people at the centre of everything we do. From product teams regularly iterating on GC Notify, GC Forms, and GC Design System based on feedback from public servants, to the multidisciplinary team working to make it easier for people in Canada to access government services, the people at CDS are working hard to make lasting changes to how people in Canada interact with government. Behind the scenes, these efforts are supported by talent, operations, policy, and communications teams. These folks ensure our delivery teams have the right people, tools, and information they need to do their jobs. They also share stories, best practices, and lessons learned with teams across government, through CDS’s blog, newsletter, and LinkedIn. 

Like all digital products, CDS is a work in progress. We’re committed to sharing regular updates as we deliver on the commitments set out in our forward plan. Follow us on LinkedIn for updates, and if you’d like to get involved, don’t hesitate to reach out. 

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about the work we’re doing. To close, I’d like to extend an invitation to all public servants in Canada, whether you’re working at the federal, provincial, territorial, or municipal level: the future of public services is in our hands – let’s work together to make things better.