Archive for the ‘GTEC’ Category

GTEC 2010

Thursday, July 29th, 2010

Systemscope is pleased to announce our return to GTEC this year on Tuesday, October 5, with three informative workshops from our consultants paired with innovative public servants. New this year is a fast-paced, provocative Ignite style session as well as two other workshops showcasing how public sector leaders are using new approaches and methods to address the persistent challenges within Government Transformation and Performance.

Come visit Systemscope in the Les Saisons Room, 3rd floor, Westin Hotel for the following workshops, and follow @systemscope on Twitter for GTEC updates.

  • Workshop #1: Igniting Government Transformation (10am to 11:15am)
  • Workshop #2: You Can’t Handle The Truth: Management of Performance (1pm to 2:15pm) 
  • Workshop #3: Everything’s Different, But Has Anything Changed?: Realizing Efficiencies Through Organizational Transformation (2:30pm to 3:45pm)

(Le français suit)

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Igniting Government Transformation

(10am to 11:15am)

One of the hottest tickets at this year’s GTEC! – rapid-fire innovative thinking on transformational topics from Systemscope experts and GC client partners.

Ten (10) Ignite presenters will share thought-provoking and challenging stories about various aspects of government transformation – giving you a quick window into a variety of trends that are fueling government transformation. Using 20 slides that advance every 15 seconds, this intense and unique format will keep you glued to the topics – ranging from performance management, collaboration and process excellence to 21st century information management, Web 2.0, service delivery innovation and more.

  • Goodbye Librarians…
  • IM That Only The CIO Can Do
  • Stop Collaborating And Get To Work!
  • Five Myths About Performance… Performance Dashboards That Is
  • SWOT Is Dead. Long Live 12 Windows
  • RACIs – The Rosetta Stone For Your Organization
  • Clocks And Clouds: Process Analysis In the Post-Modern World
  • Biz And Ag: The Story Of Two Pals
  • Open Data: Release The Power Within! (with David Eaves)
  • GC: We’re Going Paperless! … Write That Down (with Ron Surette, DG of Information Technology Branch, Library and Archives Canada)

This session is a must for GC executives, managers and others looking for innovative solutions to their current challenges.

Warning: Not for the faint of heart. There may be provocative and controversial (if not downright blasphemous) content.

You Can’t Handle The Truth: Management of Performance

(1pm to 2:15pm)

The truth is out there. So why is it so hard to find?  Performance measurement and management is often paid lip service in government, but rarely is it done well.  Is it because we are afraid of what we’ll find?  Will the truth affect our budget, our bonus, our credibility?  Is it safer to mask the truth under a thin veil of rhetoric in saying that objectives have been met, supported by simple indicators and a lot of spin? 

As accountability instruments (e.g. Fed AA, MAF, PAA, PMA) continue to grab hold, there’s nowhere to hide.  Want to get credit for something – prove it!  Need to avoid a crisis – manage it!  Want to improve – learn and do it better!  Performance management is more than just tracking and reporting.  It’s critical in the upcoming climate of fiscal restraint, as well as strategic review and administrative review.

Join Gina Smith, A/Executive Director of the IT Project Review and Oversight Division, Treasury Board Secretariat, and Stephen Karam, Systemscope Partner and Practice Lead – Government Service Excellence as they highlight how performance management within the GC will be fundamentally evolving as a result of several influences – from Administrative Review to recent OAG reports through to the need for more effective executive decision support.

Everything’s Different, But Has Anything Changed?: Realizing Efficiencies Through Organizational Transformation

(2:30pm to 3:45pm)

Picture the perfect storm:  Administrative Review, Strategic Review, fiscal restraint and a sweeping organizational transformation.  Throw in the pressure to do more with less and voilà: the latest story of Service Canada, an organization on the cusp of a significant evolution to support the next generation of government service delivery.  However, with pressures as much bottom-up as they are top-down, Service Canada needs to be innovative in how they manage change that impacts all ranks of staff – locally and regionally, in the interest of more effective and efficient service delivery to Canadians.

In the current age of government constraints, the move to higher performance for Service Canada is a story you can’t miss!

Join Victor Abele, DG of Citizen Service Strategy, Denis Barbeau, Systemscope Partner and Practice Lead – Strategic Business Consulting and Stephen Karam, Systemscope Partner and Practice Lead – Government Service Excellence, as they take you through the methods and tools used to engage executives and managers alike, defining a path toward measurable results through an effective organization firing on all cylinders.

You will see that sometimes high performance doesn’t have to be about buying a new car … sometimes, it’s just a matter of tinkering with the existing engine.


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Une transformation gouvernementale explosive

(de 10 h à 11 h 15)

L’un des ateliers les plus attendus de la GTEC! Des idées et concepts sur le thème de la transformation présentés en succession rapide par des experts de Systemscope et ses partenaires clients du GC.

Dix présentateurs Ignite partageront des défis stimulants qui appellent à la  réflexion à propos de divers aspects de la transformation gouvernementale, dans le but de vous offrir un bref aperçu de diverses tendances influençant la transformation gouvernementale. À l’aide de 20 diapositives qui se succèdent aux 15 secondes, ce format de présentation unique et intense saura capter votre attention. Les thèmes varient de la gestion du rendement à la collaboration et l’excellence en matière de processus, en passant par la gestion de l’information au 21e siècle, le Web 2.0, l’innovation en prestation de services, et plus encore.

  • Adieu bibliothécaires…
  • La GI que seul le DPI peut faire
  • Assez la collaboration! Au travail!
  • Cinq mythes au sujet du rendement… des tableaux de bord du rendement, en fait…
  • FFPM est mort. Vivent les 12 fenêtres!
  • Les RACI: la pierre de Rosette de votre organisme
  • Horloges et nuages: l’analyse de procédés dans l’ère postmoderne
  • Biz et Ag : Enfiler des perLEs
  • Libre accès aux données: La possibilité à votre portée! (avec David Eaves)
  • GC: Sans papier! À prendre en note… (avec Ron Surette, DG de Direction de la technologie de l’information, Bibliothèque et Archives Canada)

C’est un rendez-vous pour tous les gestionnaires et cadres du GC et tous ceux qui sont à la recherche de solutions novatrices aux défis auxquels ils sont confrontés.

Notez bien : Petites natures s’abstenir. Le contenu peut être provocant et controversé, voire même blasphématoire.

Vos quatre vérités : la gestion du rendement

(13 h à 14 h 15)

Évidemment, la vérité se trouve à quelque part. Mais pourquoi est-elle si difficile à cerner? Au gouvernement, on entend beaucoup de belles paroles au sujet de la mesure et de la gestion du rendement mais en réalité, il est très rare qu’elles soient bien faites. Est-ce parce qu’on a peur de ce qui pourrait en ressortir? La vérité affectera-t-elle notre budget, notre prime de rendement, notre crédibilité? Est-il plus facile de dissimuler la vérité sous un voile de rhétorique en disant que nos objectifs ont été atteints et d’appuyer ces propos d’indicateurs clés et d’une bonne propagande?

Alors que les instruments de responsabilité (par ex.: Loi fédérale sur la responsabilité, CRG, AAP, EGR) deviennent monnaie courante, on ne pourra plus les éviter. Vous voulez prendre le crédit pour quelque chose? Prouvez-le! Vous devez éviter une crise? Gérez-la! La gestion du rendement est beaucoup plus qu’un contrôle et une surveillance. Elle est critique dans ce climat de restrictions budgétaires, ainsi que dans le cadre d’examens administratifs et stratégiques.

Joignez-vous à Gina Smith, Directeur exécutif/I de la Division de l’examen et de la supervision de projet, Secrétariat du Conseil du Trésor, et à Stephen Karam, associé de Systemscope, directeur du service de l’excellence en matière de prestation de services au gouvernement alors qu’ils expliqueront l’évolution fondamentale de la gestion du rendement au GC, influencée entre autres par des examens administratifs et récents rapports du BVG, vu le besoin d’un soutien décisionnel exécutif plus efficace.

Rien n’est pareil, mais qu’est-ce qui a changé ? : La concrétisation d’efficiences grâce à la transformation organisationnelle

(14 h 30 à 15 h 45)

Imaginez-vous au cœur de la tempête : examen administratif, examen stratégique, réductions budgétaires et transformations organisationnelles à grande échelle. Ajoutez-y la pression de faire beaucoup avec peu et…. voilà… le dernier chapitre de la saga de Service Canada, un organisme au seuil d’une évolution importante dans l’élaboration de la prochaine génération de prestation de services gouvernementaux. Toutefois, avec des pressions qui s’exercent autant de bas en haut que vice-versa, Service Canada se doit d’être novateur au niveau de sa gestion du changement, qui touche à tous les niveaux de son personnel, local et en région, pour atteindre ses objectifs de prestation de services plus efficace aux Canadiens et Canadiennes.

Au beau milieu d’une ère de contraintes organisationnelles, la nouvelle orientation de Service Canada, axée sur une performance de pointe, est une histoire à ne pas manquer.

Joignez-vous à Victor Abele, DG de la stratégie de service aux citoyens, Denis Barbeau, associé de Systemscope, directeur des conseils de gestion stratégique et Stephen Karam, associé de Systemscope, directeur du service de l’excellence en matière de prestation de services au gouvernement, qui vous expliqueront les méthodes et les outils utilisés pour favoriser l’engagement des cadres et des gestionnaires et pour définir le chemin vers un rendement quantifiable au sein d’une entreprise efficiente, qui tourne à plein régime.

Vous verrez que la haute performance n’est pas réservée à l’achat de nouvelles voitures; parfois, il ne s’agit que d’une mise au point du moteur existant!

When Social Media in Government Works…Or Not So Much

Wednesday, November 18th, 2009

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is one of the U.S. government leaders in the creative use of social media tools to support its mission. Jeffrey Levy, EPA’s Director of Web Communications, has made it his mission to share his experiences, including successes, lessons learned, and barriers – both perceived and real. He did so again with more than 60 Canadian public service managers at the Systemscope Executive Breakfast at GTEC in October, 2009.

Denise Eisner of Systemscope’s Government Service Excellence practice sat down with Jeffrey after GTEC to discuss his experiences and impressions.


You met with several federal Canadian department representatives during your brief stay in Canada. What stood out for you in terms of the challenges faced by departments who are planning for or engaging in social media to reach their audiences?

The fact that we all face the same issues: serving our missions, being creative, yet exploring new tools while meeting good governance requirements like records management and accessibility.


Any surprises during those conversations?

I didn’t realize that everything the Canadian government does has to be done in both French and English.  I’m guessing that doesn’t merely double the difficulty, but more like squares it.


In your experience at the EPA, how has social media moved the agency’s agenda forward? How were these activities connected to your overall communications strategy?

So far, social media at EPA is mostly about communications and education.  As we consider our needs, we ask what social media tools would help and choose the ones that will help most and fit within our resources.  For example, last Earth Day, we wanted to deliver daily tips to people, so we used a mix of “traditional” tools like email distribution, social media like creating a podcast series that we put into iTunes and also put the tips into a widget people can put on their own site.

We’re also slowly starting to explore using social media for policy development.  For example, our enforcement office currently has a discussion forum running to hear people’s thoughts about setting enforcement priorities:.

And we have two efforts to build communities around managing watersheds and providing training about green jobs.  The idea is that by helping people do their environmental jobs better, we “produce” environmental protection, even when it’s not EPA staff doing the work.


Canadian departments and agencies have a number of requirements when communicating with the public, particularly in terms of our bilingual policies. Any thoughts on how to best meet these challenges when engaging in social media?

Start small.  That’s really the same advice I give everyone.  It’s very easy to jump into multiple projects and then discover it’s not quite as simple or quick as you thought.  So especially with the dual-language requirement, try things that lend themselves to being done simply.  For example, we put all of our news releases out via RSS on Twitter.  Since Canadian agencies are already publishing news releases in both languages, set up two Twitter accounts to promote them.

The same thing might go for a podcast series, where you record each one twice, but then there’s no ongoing resource use.

In contrast, running two Facebook fan pages really does at least double the complexity, because you have all the issues of encouraging engagement and then reacting, but now in two languages.


At the Systemscope executive breakfast at GTEC in October, you mentioned social media projects that didn’t always go as expected. Can you elaborate on one project and the lessons learned from that experience?

Pick 5 for the Environment is a project where we challenge people to commit to at least 5 of 10 environmental actions.  We went from concept to launch in 19 days.  It included a Facebook fan page and groups on both Flickr and YouTube.  Our hope was that it would take off in all three social media communities, without much input from us. We were wrong.  The fan page has actually gotten some attention, and we have nearly 1300 fans.  But the accompanying Facebook app hasn’t really taken off.  And the Flickr and YouTube groups haven’t generated much interest. So now we’re reassessing, thinking creatively about whether and how to use those outlets.  Most of our energy is going into thinking about how the people who signed up can generate excitement, share their stories, etc.


As part of our web maturity model, Systemscope focuses on helping clients examine roles and competencies that will support their web strategies. What is the skill set that government organizations need to acquire or build to be truly proficient at social media?

Great question.  Can you let me know the answer? :)   There really isn’t a single answer, but here are some of the skills I’m trying to build and encourage within my team: creativity, time management, writing, project management, analysis, and actually using social media tools.  That is, I believe that to use something like Facebook well, you need to use it yourself; reading about features and diving in yourself are two entirely different experiences.  I play Facebook games partly because they’re fun and partly to see what kinds of experiences they create, in hopes we can mimic that in what we offer.  The same thing goes with Twitter, Flickr, and any other site.


What do you like about Canada?

Natural beauty and friendly people.  I’ve had the great fortune of visiting Banff, Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal, and now I’ve had the pleasure of exploring at least a little bit of Ottawa.

Systemscope Interviewed for GTEC TV 2009

Friday, October 9th, 2009

Systemscope’s Stephen Karam, Partner and Principal of Government Service Excellence, and Lindsay Fraser, Principal and Practice Lead of Systemscope’s Information Management Practice, were interviewed for GTEC TV on Tuesday, October 6th during the height of our GTEC sessions.  Watch this short clip where they discuss the merits of GTEC and our unique experiences with the conference this year:

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid42638869001?bclid=41803724001&bctid=43950354001

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