OTTAWA, October 1, 2020 – As unprecedented measures to fight COVID-19 have industries, governments and businesses adapting to new realities, 2020 also presented Canadians with an opportunity to define our new normal – as individuals, as organizations and as a country.
COVID-19 also accelerated our digital transformation. Digital capabilities are now more than ever, mission critical. And while the pandemic brought economies to a standstill and stretched healthcare systems, it galvanized the collective strength of Canadians. From retooling manufacturing operations to address PPE supply shortages to leveraging video conferencing technologies to physically distance while supporting the mental health of loved ones in long-term care homes, it was Canadians coming together to face the unknown together.
In the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, Canada was forced under extreme urgency to adopt a series of measures to mobilize unprecedented resources in response to keep all of us safe.
Over the course of the last six months from the beginnings of the pandemic, Canada’s CIOs identified pragmatic actions to build digital capacity and digital resilience for a safer, more prosperous, and digital-first country. And in September 2020, the CIO Strategy Council published the first-of-its-kind “National Blueprint for Digital Enablement” to offer public and private sector organizations practical advice to drive strategic leadership and collective action in building a strong, integrated, Canadian made digital ecosystem.
“As co-chair of the Chief Information Officer Strategy Council, I am very pleased to see this Blueprint published. This is the product of discussions and debates with leaders across the country from the public, private and non-profit sectors during a time of national crisis,” said Marc Brouillard, A/CIO of Canada. “The pandemic has served to sharpen our focus on digital delivery and this playbook reinforces the need for continued cross-jurisdictional collaboration as the way forward for Canada. Driving strategic leadership through collective action – enabled through standards development – is key to successfully building digital capacity and digital resiliency in our organizations.”
The Blueprint highlights actionable measures and provides strategic guidance to facilitate secure, trusted access to digital products, services and data, while defending infrastructure and maximizing both economic and social benefits through a strong, integrated ecosystem.
About CIO Strategy Council
The CIO Strategy Council (CIOSC) provides a forum for Canada’s most forward-thinking chief information officers to focus on collectively transforming, shaping, and influencing the Canadian information and technology ecosystem. The Council has deployed a nationally-accredited, agile, and consensus-based standards-setting process that matches the speed of innovation and advancement in ICT. Learn more at ciostrategycouncil.com.
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For more information:
Matthew MacNeil
Director, Standards and Technology
CIO Strategy Council
www.ciostrategycouncil.com