Everyone seems to be talking about the global threat of authoritarianism to democratic governance. The reason, we are told, is because too many citizens no longer see government as relevant to their lives.

Ever wonder why your government can’t deliver the same level of
service in renewing your passport as Amazon offers you in buying a
book?

The digital revolution of the early 21 st century is ripe with opportunities for government to enable citizens, industry, and public service in ways that previously were neither possible nor even imaginable.

Today we carry government in our pocket, and we tap it every time we
check the weather forecast or get directions on our smart phone. Digital disruption requires putting people at the centre. When you do,
you are part of the paradigm shift to "digital.” Dazzled by digital as an investment banker during the dot.com boom, Scott was befuddled as Paul Martin’s Public Works minister when asked to approve unnecessarily complex, multi-million-dollar government IT projects that seemed unrelated to user needs.

A decade later, named Treasury Board President by the Honourable Justin Trudeau in 2015, he was disappointed by how little had changed in the murky world of government IT planning and procurement. There’s got to be a better way.

Scott Brison leads the Government of Canada Service Strategy, strategic IT/IM policy, drives the government’s focus on results, ensures the efficient functioning of the federal government through government expenditure management, and is the employer of the Public Service. He’s not a technologist but has championed a more robust Government of Canada CIO and creation of the new Canadian Digital Service, while promoting a Public Service ethos of experimentation. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx