Efficient automation and digital-first design: The year ahead with Scott Jones, president of Shared Services Canada
In this ‘Five Minutes With’ series, we interview senior civil servants about their achievements in 2024 and goals for the year ahead. This interview features Scott Jones, president of Shared Services Canada.
What was your organisation’s top achievement in 2024?
Shared Services Canada’s top achievement in 2024 was turning the Application Hosting Strategy into a reality, which marks a significant milestone in the Government of Canada’s ongoing efforts to provide the best digital solution for application hosting, based on cost effectiveness and business value, and which positions Shared Services Canada as the steward and chief operator of the Government of Canada’s cloud operations.
What was the biggest challenge you faced in 2024?
A key challenge in 2024 was moving beyond current technology challenges and focusing on providing what the Government of Canada needs for the future, especially with regard to enterprise needs and providing robust services.
Read more: Final call as deadline approaches to enter the Canadian Public Service Data and AI Challenge
What are your priorities for the year ahead?
My priorities for the year ahead are twofold – one: the implementation of the Delivering Digital Solutions Together strategy, including the need to deliver on our commitments to the rest of government, and two: prioritising efficiency in automation.
What change would you most like to make to how government uses digital, data and technology in 2025?
A change I would like to see is for the government to start redesigning programmes from scratch to be digital from the start, rather than digitising programmes that were built for the paper age. I believe Shared Services Canada should be a leader in these efforts.
What would your dream holiday destination be for a break in 2025?
A cruise to the Galapagos Islands!
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