Home » AccelerateGOV » AccelerateGOV Agenda 2024

“AccelerateGOV is back for its third year and will bring together public servants from around the world with an interest in digital government transformation.

We have a stellar list of speakers lined up, both Canadian and international, who will be sharing insights and strategies about how we can harness the potential of digital while addressing shared challenges.

I hope you’ll join us in Ottawa on October 21 for this valuable discussion.”

Stephen Burt, Chief Data Officer of Canada

Main stages

Bringing together public service leaders from around the world, AccelerateGOV explores how public servants in all relevant disciplines and roles can best promote digitalization and transformation

 

October 21st

All times provided are local (Ottawa, EST)

 

 

9:00 AM – 9:10 AM

 

Welcome Address

Location: Accelerate Stage

Stephen Burt
Chief Data Officer of Canada

Dominic Rochon
Deputy Minister and Chief Information Officer of Canada

9:10 AM – 9:20 AM

Keynote address

Location: Accelerate Stage

The Honourable Anita Anand
President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Transport, Represents the riding of Oakville

9:20 AM – 9:30 AM

Keynote Address

Location: Accelerate Stage

Ben Piercey
Chief Technology Officer, AffinitiQuest

9:30 AM – 9:40 AM

Keynote address

Location: Accelerate Stage

Cristina Caballé
Vice President and Senior Partner, IBM Global Public Sector

9:45 AM – 9:50 AM

AI in the Government of Canada

Mark Schaan
Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet – Artificial Intelligence, Privy Council Office

9:50 AM – 10:35 AM

How to deploy artificial intelligence in the canadian public service

Location: Accelerate Stage

The development of artificial intelligence is one of the key issues facing government around the world. Governments need to develop at pace guidelines for public servants on how they can use AI – and to make the most of it, they need to consider reviewing and rewiring processes.

This session will hear from those in the Canadian government who are leading the deployment of artificial intelligence in government. It will look at the use cases where AI is being deployed, how it has been developed, and the lessons from its use that other departments and agencies can learn from. This session will focus on the opportunities from deploying AI in government – and how the risks can be overcome.

Speakers:

Elise Legendre
Chief Data Officer, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Laura Gilbert
Chief Analyst, Director of Data Science, 10 Downing Street, United Kingdom

Chrysandre Courchêne
Manager, Responsible Data and AI Centre of Expertise, Canada Border Service Agency

Pierre Bilodeau
Vice President, Standards Council of Canada

Bob Conlin
Technology Managing Director, Canadian Federal Government, IBM

Knowledge partner:

10:35 AM – 11 AM

NETWORKING break

11 AM – 11:45 AM

Joined up and responsive: How to use data to drive better services

Location: Accelerate Stage

Making better use of data can help government deliver more effective, equitable and inclusive programs and services, helping make government more responsive and tailored to users.

This session will look at how government can use data to drive better services, and how to enable the secure, seamless and real-time exchange of data across government departments – and with external partners and trusted institutions – to improve the service experience of Canadians.

This session will look at the progress that has been made on implementing a data strategy for the federal public service. It will look at the key building blocks of the data strategy in bringing together federal, national and international digital and data-related initiative, and will also share inspiring international examples of how governments around the world have been able to use data sharing to drive better services for users.

Speakers:

Gabrielle Fitzgerald
Chief Data Officer, Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Ima Okonny
Assistant Deputy minister and Chief Data Officer, Employment and Social Development Canada

Gayan Peiris
Head of Data and Technology, Chief Digital Office, United Nations Development Programme

Dr Melvin Greer
Fellow and Chief Data Scientist for the Americas, Intel

Michael Langton
Senior Director of Advanced Analytics & AI, North America, Converge Technology Solutions

Knowledge Partners:

Getting your culture fit: How to build a culture that can drive government transformation

Location: Innovate Stage

Transforming government requires developing an innovative culture that incentives public servants to take calculated risks to deliver better services. But civil service cultures around the world are often risk-averse, and public servants are not incentivized to try new ways of delivering services.
This session will look at how governments can build a culture that accepts the need to take risk, from senior leaders taking ownership of risk and leading by example to civil servants at all levels feeling empowered to take risks and suggest new ideas.

This session will share insights across government, drawing on insights from senior leaders responsible for driving cultures of innovation and civil servants driving innovative ways of working in their teams.

Speakers:

Alex Benay
Associate Deputy Minister of Public Services and Procurement, Enterprise Pay Coordination, Public Services and Procurement Canada

Alexandra Mause
Head of Department New Work, Change Management, Project Management Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport, Germany

Aminah Zawedde
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of ICT and NG, Uganda

Erica Ren
Chief Data Officer, Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada

Philip Bland
Global Government Advisor, Qualtrics

Supported by:

11:55 AM – 12:40 PM

Indigenous data sovereignty: From concept to action

Location: Accelerate Stage

The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (UNDA) provides a roadmap for the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and Métis to work together to implement the UN Declaration based on lasting reconciliation, healing, and cooperative relations. Shared Measure #30 of the UNDA Action Plan calls for continued support to “Indigenous Data Sovereignty and Indigenous-led data strategies through legislative, regulatory and policy options”.

This session will delve into the complexities of exploring strategies for reclaiming control over data, respecting cultural protocols, and fostering meaningful partnerships with governments and institutions. Experts will share insights, challenges, and best practices in navigating the intersection of technology, data rights, and Indigenous rights. Participants will gain valuable perspectives on advancing Indigenous data sovereignty and shaping inclusive data policies for the benefit of Indigenous peoples worldwide.

Speakers:

Eric Guimond
Chief Data Officer and Director General, Strategic Research and Data Innovation Branch, Indigenous Services Canada

Jonathan Dewar
CEO, First Nations Information Governance Centre, Canada

Chris Penney
Director, Centre for Indigenous Statistics and Partnerships, Champion for Indigenous Employees, Statistics Canada

Open, accessible, responsive: how digital transformation can help build trust in government

Location: Innovate Stage

Trust is vital to all elements of the work of government, and this is particularly true in the field of digital an transformation. If citizens do not trust government services, they are less likely to use them – and if they don’t use them, the benefits projected for them will not be realized.

This session will look at how government can boost trust and transparency. It will look at how the Government of Canada is working to implement the Trust and Transparency Strategy developed by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, and look at how the Government of Canada – and their peers around the world – can use more open government to boost trust in government.

Speakers:

Christine Bellamy
CEO, Government Digital Service, United Kingdom

Charles Taillefer
Executive Director, Access to Information and Open Government Legislation and Policies, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

Miquel Estapé
Chief Executive Officer, Open Government of Catalonia, Spain and VP at ACGP

Raj Thuppal
Executive Vice President, Shared Services Canada

Wolfgang Ebner
Acting Director General, Digitalisation and E-Government, Federal Chancellery, Austria

Karen Myers
Co-founder,  President and CEO, Blueprint

Knowledge Partner:

12:40 PM – 1:40 PM

Lunch AND NETWORKING Break

12:55-13:30
Diversity in data and AI

Location: Innovate Stage

The use of data and AI are advancing at pace in public services but despite concerns about bias, AI workforces in both the private and public sectors are rarely as diverse as the communities they serve.

This networking session will look at:

  • Why diversity is crucial for the development and deployment of disruptive technologies like AI in public services
  • A snapshot of diversity in public services data and AI workforces today
  • Efforts that are in place to rebalance this and how can this work be accelerated given the pace of AI
  • How public services organisations are working to mitigate bias in AI systems

Speakers:

Christine Bellamy
CEO, Government Digital Service, United Kingdom

Ima Okonny
Assistant Deputy minister and Chief Data Officer, Employment and Social Development Canada

1:40 PM – 2:25 PM

Enabling delivery: Coordinating digital transformation across services and teams

Location: Accelerate Stage

To make the most of the potential for government to use digital to improve services, departments and agencies work together to create interoperable systems and processes.

To this end, the Government of Canada’s Digital Ambition has set an objective to improve horizontal prioritization and portfolio management in order to “deliver citizen-centric digital government services effectively”.

This session will look at how this can be achieved, and the role of centralized policies and frameworks to coordinate change, and how developments like digital credentials and single sign-in systems for government can help deliver transformation.

Speakers:

Brian Epley
Chief Information Officer, Department of Commerce, United States

TAN Eng Pheng
Assistant Chief Executive, Economic and National Development Clusters, GovTech, Singapore

Joyce Dimech
Permanent Secretary, Ministry for the National Heritage, the Arts & Local Government, Malta

Shamsul Izhan Abdul Majid
Chief Technology and Innovation Officer, Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commissions (MCMC)

Ben Piercey
Chief Technology Officer, AffinitiQuest

Knowledge Partner:

CYBER SECURITY FOR ALL: ADDRESSING THE EVOLVING THREATS

Location: Innovate Stage

The threats that governments face are constantly evolving, with the Canadian government warning about the low barriers to entry mean that it is easy for fraudsters to target government services, and that state-sponsored actors also increases the sophistication of the threats that government needs to protect against.

This session will look at how the Canadian government is developing new digital tools to protect and fortify existing systems.

This session will discuss the threats governments face, and how Canada and other administrations are working to address them. It will also look at how governments are using efforts to improve cyber security to catalyze other technology developments.

Speakers:

Po Tea-Duncan
Chief Information Security Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

Martin Bowyer
Deputy Director, Securing Government Services, Central Digital and Data Office, United Kingdom

Paul Selby
Chief Information Security Officer and Deputy CIO for Cybersecurity, Department of Energy, United States

Anssi Karkkainen
Director General of NCSC-FI, (Deputy Director General of Finnish Transport and Communications Agency)

Chris Montgomery
Field CTO, Americas, Commvault

Jonathan Ouellet
Director General of Cyber Defence, Canadian Centre for Cyber Security

Knowledge Partners

2:35 PM – 3:20 PM

Better building blocks: equipping public servants to succeed

Location: Accelerate Stage

In the digital age, it has never been more vital for government to ensure that public servants not only have the skills that they need, but the technology too.

This is true both for the systems that provide citizen-facing services, and those used for the internal services in government. As the former Clerk of the Privy Council Michael Wernick noted on leaving government, “the plumbing and wiring of the public service is very difficult to get attention and investment for”.

So public servants need modern tools and systems – enabling them to realise the potential of data, streamline organisational management, bolster collaboration and cut the time spent on repetitive, low-value tasks.

During this session, panellists will discuss how to secure investment for staff tools, prioritise spending, and give public servants the skills to take advantage of new capabilities, as well as how leaders can best manage teams where officials are working both in the office and remotely.

Speakers:

Meagan Collins
Chief, Enterprise Information Management, Corporate Services Sector, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

Dorothy Eng
Chief Executive Officer, Code for Canada

Innocent Bagamba Muhizi
Chief Executive Officer, Rwanda Information Society Authority, Rwanda

Cordell Schachter
Chief Information Officer, Department of Transport, United States

Karl Andreas Sprenk
Director Digital Skills Coordination, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, Estonia

Tara Holland
Government Data and Analytics, Industry Principal, SAS

Knowledge Partner:

Usable for all: Making government services accessible and frictionless

Location: Innovate Stage

Government services must be designed in a way that ensures they are accessible by all. As government services become digital-by-default, action is needed to ensure that provision is accessible.

The Government of Canada has set out a policy to ensure that government services are accessible, and this session will look at how to ensure that services can be used by as broad a community as possible. The session will look at the development by Accessibility Standards Canada of a new Centre of Expertise for standards and research on accessibility, and the actions that need to be taken to meet the Accessible Canada Act’s seven priority areas of employment; built environment; information and communication technologies; communication; procurement of goods, services, and facilities; design and delivery of programs and services; and transportation.

Speakers:

Martin Boucher
Director of Government Digital Communications, Government Communication Secretariat, Ministry of Executive Council, Government of Québec

Clara Morgan
Director, Office of Public Service Accessibility, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

Stephanie Cadieux
Chief Accessibility Officer of Canada

Dino Zuppa
Acting CEO, Accessibility Standards Canada

Jonathan Finch (invited)
Director, Digital Experience, Office of Management and Budget, United States

3:20 PM – 3:50 PM

NETWORKING Break

3:50 PM – 4 PM

Keynote

Location: Accelerate Stage

Yuriy Matsyk
General Director of the Broadband Internet Access Infrastructure Development Directorate, Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation

4:05 PM – 4:50 PM

The next steps for government transformation

Location: Accelerate Stage

This closing session will bring together public servants to discuss how to make transformation happen in government. It will look at the next steps in the Canadian government’s digital transformation plan, looking at how to reach the key milestones of technology deployment, coordination of internal and external delivery partners, and how to prioritize resources to drive reform.

Speakers:

Paul N. Wagner
Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Digital Service

Scott Jones
President, Shared Services Canada

Dominic Rochon
Deputy Minister and Chief Information Officer of Canada

Stephen Karam
President and Chief Executive Officer, Systemscope

Supported by:

4:50 PM – 5 PM

Summary and thank you

Location: Accelerate Stage

5PM – 6:30 PM

Networking Reception

6:30 PM

Conference Ends

Impact stages

Learn from an incredible line up of public and private sector speakers at our impact stage. Taking the form of a series of 20-minute talks and located in the heart of the exhibition, this additional content stream is a fast-moving, energizing content, allowing you to learn about your solutions, products and expertise directly from private and public sector innovators.

10:30 AM – 10:50 AM

Pioneering a Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence Era

Location: Impact Stage 1

Explore the journey of creating foolproof AI systems. We’ll cover ethical data collection, consent for private data, transparent AI models, robust deployment, human-centric integration, data governance, and continuous improvement. Gain practical insights and examples to advance responsible AI technology. Don’t miss this chance to shape AI’s future.

Speakers;

Celio Oliveira, Lead Data Scientist – Government of Canada

Location: Impact Stage 2

Session TBC

11 AM – 11:20 AM

Transforming Federal Services with Digital Credentials

Location: Impact Stage 1

Join AffinitiQuest to learn more about why Digital Credentials are pivotal for the digital transformation of federal government services. Digital Credentials enhance security, efficiency, and accessibility. They streamline verification, reduce fraud, and facilitate seamless access to services. Ultimately, adopting digital credentials can help governments offer more responsive, user-friendly services that improve public trust and engagement.

Speaker:
Ben Piercey, Chief Technology Officer, AffinitiQuest

Session supported by:

 

From Cyber Threats to Cyber Resilience: Transforming Public Sector Defense Strategies

Location: Impact Stage 2

Hear from an industry expert and public sector veteran who has navigated cyberattacks and emerged with valuable lessons. This session explores the shift from traditional disaster recovery to proactive cyber resilience, highlighting how modern techniques and proven strategies can strengthen defenses, reduce complexity, and empower your workforce.

Speaker: Chris Montgomery, Field CTO, Americas, Commvault

Session Supported by:

11:30 AM – 11:50 AM

GenAI synthetic data for improving efficiency in Public Sector

Location: Impact Stage 1

Public sector organizations aim to enhance efficiency and service delivery while managing workforce shortages and limited resources. Data and AI are key to optimizing resources, boosting effectiveness, and fostering innovation, ultimately improving citizen experiences, and ensuring value for money. But what if we don’t have enough relevant data? Or we have data that can’t be used because it contains personal information?

Speaker:

Arnold Toporowski, Senior Solutions Architect, SAS Institute

Supported by:


 

Obtaining Value in Transformation with a Clean Core Approach

Location: Impact Stage 2

The clean core concept is a mindset and philosophy supported with governance and guiding principles that lay the foundation for a flexible and future ready ERP. It describes modern approaches to design business processes, extensions, integration scenarios and data architectures in a stable, upgrade safe and transparent manner, along with a separate platform to innovate for additional differentiation. A clean core allows faster software deployment as well as easier adoption of both SAP innovations and the regulatory changes to software. It provides new ways to address business needs while avoiding excess technical debt, thus preparing organizations to maximize strategic benefits and limit the cost of transformation.

Speaker:

Korbin Young, Enterprise Architect, Customer Services & Delivery, SAP

Session Supported by:

12 PM – 12:20 PM

Practical AI for Government: Fast to Launch, Easy to Use

Location: Impact Stage 1

Cut through the hype and learn how governments are using process automation technologies like AI and other capabilities to streamline service delivery.

Speaker:

Kyle Thomas, Global Industry Lead – Regulatory Agencies, Appian

Supported by:


Introduction to Dayforce Demo

Location: Impact Stage 2

Overview and Demonstration of the Dayforce HCM platform for employees and employers

Speaker:
Micha Kindraji – Solution Advisor – Dayforce

Session supported by:

12:30 PM – 12:50 PM

Location: Impact Stage 1

Session TBC

A promise of transformation is not enough, why citizen voice needs to evolve

Location: Impact Stage 2

The world is becoming a more complex environment everyday. Government agencies are at the forefront of upholding trust and stability. Traditional methods of consultation do not provide the speed necessary for responding to demand and change. In this session hear how government agencies are changing the way the listen to the public.

Speaker:

Phillip Bland, Qualtrics

 

Session supported by:

1 PM – 1:20 PM

Unlocking the Future: AI Use Cases transforming Government Service Delivery

Location: Impact Stage 1

Explore government AI use cases transforming the next wave of digital service delivery. Join us to discover real world examples of how governments worldwide are leveraging innovations in AI/ML, GenAI and Data Governance to improve service delivery for all. Whether you’re just beginning or already on the path, this session will guide you through the key first steps, challenges, and impact of real implementations in public sector service transformation.

Speakers:

Michael Langton, Senior Director of Advanced Analytics & AI, North America, Converge Technology Solutions
Dr. Melvin Greer, Intel Fellow | Chief Data Scientist | Global Solutions and Services, Intel

Session supported by:


Achieving Peace on Digital Platforms with Citizen Generated Data (CGD)

Location: Impact Stage 2

The session will focus on how peace is crucial to the development of more global smart cities. As municipalities implement more technology from AI to IoT, climate change concerns are inflated with digital threats to democracy. A CGD use case will be presented for preservation of user identity and scaling peace in the digital landscape.  

Speakers: 

Brianna Cook, CEO, IoTeeDom
Musah Inuwa, President, IoTeeDom

Session supported by:

1:30 PM – 1:50 PM

Co-Creating Solutions for Indigenous Communities: A Value Engineering Approach

Location: Impact Stage 2

IBM Client Engineering and ISC Data Science and Innovation team came together to focus on co-creating a solution pilot using the Value Engineering Method. By amassing a multidisciplinary team of experts including business transformation leaders, solution architects, technology engineers, and data scientists from public and private sector, ensuring a comprehensive and collaborative approach starting from conducting design thinking workshops to building Minimum Viable Products (MVPs).  Our objective was to create a demonstrable Generative AI-powered solution pilot that significantly reduces the manual impact of the intake process, and increases the speed and efficiency of the overall application process for both the agents and the communities in need. This solution pilot demonstrated the potential to leverage AI to serve Indigenous communities more effectively and adhered to the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat’s (TBS) Responsible Use of AI and Generative AI guidelines, ensuring ethical implementation of AI applications through data governance, human-in-the-loop processes, and model monitoring.

Speaker:

Beni Vand, Manager for the Data Science and Innovation team, Enterprise Data and Analytics Services, Indigenous Services Canada

Thomas Dubuc,Business Technology Leader, Client Engineering, IBM Canada

Jack Freeborn, Watsonx, Data and AI Lead – Canadian Federal Government, IBM Canada

Session Supported by:

2 PM – 2:20 PM

A New Era of AI: Unleashing AI with Copilot + PC 

Location: Impact Stage 2

Join us for an engaging 20-minute presentation on the NextGen Lenovo AI PCs. Discover how Lenovo’s cutting-edge AI technology, combined with the innovative Copilot feature, is revolutionizing the way we work. 

Learn about the powerful features that enhance productivity, streamline workflows, and provide a seamless user experience. From intelligent performance optimization to advanced security measures, the Lenovo 

AI PCs with Copilot are designed to meet the demands of modern users. Don’t miss this opportunity to see how Lenovo is shaping the future of computing with AI-driven innovation.

Speaker:

Maryann Wrenn – North America Brand Ambassador Lenovo

Session supported by:

2:30 PM – 2:50 PM

Leveraging data for inclusive services: A critical first step before AI

Location: Impact Stage 2

As governments adopt AI innovations to transform service delivery, they must first establish a crucial foundation: understanding the strengths and limitations of their existing data. This session will explore why it is essential for governments to assess their current data and analytics tools to ensure they know exactly who is being served, who is unserved, and the outcomes different groups are experiencing before deploying AI. While AI offers promising tools, its inherent ‘black box’ nature risks amplifying the limitations and biases present in existing data. By comprehensively understanding current data and identifying gaps in equity, access, and effectiveness, public service leaders can ensure AI investments drive better outcomes and reduce the risk of reinforcing disparities.

This discussion will provide practical recommendations for reviewing current data systems and building robust data infrastructure from where governments are today, helping them fully leverage AI technologies in the future while avoiding missteps that could deepen existing inequalities.

Participants will leave with actionable strategies for optimizing data use, improving data governance, and ensuring AI solutions are built on a foundation of well-understood, inclusive data.

Join us for this critical conversation to discover why getting your data strategy right is the key to making AI a force for good in government and society.

Speakers:

Molly Doan: Director of Inclusive Practice, Blueprint
Anne White:  Founder, The Good Governance Project;  Senior Advisor, Blueprint

Session supported by:

3 PM – 3:20 PM

Single Source of Truth – Finance, HR and Payroll in a single system

Location: Impact Stage 2

This session explores Workday’s unified platform for HR, Payroll, and finance functions, delivering a single source of truth for critical Government data. By eliminating disparate systems, Workday simplifies IT landscapes, reduces integration complexities, and minimizes operational risks. Attendees will learn how Workday streamlines workflows, enhances user experience, and provides a single access point for all HR and finance needs. This results in increased productivity, reduced redundant activities, and faster deployment with minimal training requirements. Discover how Workday empowers the Government of Canada, and other Public Sector customers, with improved workforce visibility, cost optimization, and increased operational efficiency.

Speaker:
Mike Auger, Sr. Principal Enterprise Architect

Session supported by:

3:30 PM – 3:50 PM

AI and Citizen Services: Real Transformation or Innovation Theatre?

Location: Impact Stage 2

This session explores AI’s role in transforming citizen services, from knowledge retrieval systems to digital humans. We’ll examine how to ensure these advancements deliver real impact, focusing on practical applications and measurable outcomes that drive meaningful improvements for citizens.

Speaker:

James Scott, CTO, DELL

Session supported by

Round table discussions

As part of the event and additionally to the core agenda, we curated a series of roundtable discussions for senior leaders to explore specific topics with colleagues from across government and the public service. The roundtables provided an opportunity for leaders to exchange their views and experiences and hear from colleagues tackling similar issues.

To apply to join any of these roundtables, please email [email protected].

10:40 – 11:40

Streamlining public service operations using modern technology

The pressures that government face have increased in recent years – and these are unlikely to dissipate in the years to come.

Governments therefore need to be flexible and nimble to responds to unforeseen threats, or unpredictable demand for services. Technology can help unlock a more agile government by creating systems – both for how government works and how public services are delivered – that can respond at speed when needed.

This roundtable session, part of the AccelerateGov conference and help in partnership with knowledgeable partner Workday, will look at how government can make the most of technology to deliver better services.

In this session, we will discuss how technology can make government more efficient to be able to respond to the pressures they face – from the use of artificial intelligence to become more productive, to improving legacy technology used by public servants every day.

Join this conversation to discuss:

  • The impact of legacy technology on public service productivity – and how departments are looking to address it.
  • How getting the building blocks right can unlock technologies such as artificial intelligence.
  • How to boost the skills of public servants to enable them to use technology and be more responsive in their work

Supported by:

12:40 – 13:40

 

Data-driven transformation: Improving government service delivery from cloud to ground

Transforming government operations is hard (like really, REALLY hard) BUT there are strategies to make it more manageable and they all start with data. Making better use of data can improve service levels, enhance security and reliability AND deliver a more citizen-centric experience.

The Government of Canada has made data and data access a priority; The Digital Ambition highlights the need to improve data access to unlock data-enabled digital services while the Canadian Digital Service’s strategic vision has set out a mission to create “effective, efficient, and trustworthy services enabled by data and technology”.

In partnership with knowledge partner Dell, this roundtable will take lessons learned from existing AI deployments across Canada that improve data access and drive efficiencies. It will also discuss how the Canadian Public Service can adopt a digital, data-first mindset to help unlock transformation.

In this session, we will discuss strategies for transforming service delivery both in and outside of government. We will discuss the impact that current data rules and regulations have on creating digitally-enabled services as well as the technological developments government can embrace to unlock better services.

Join this conversation to discuss:

  • How data has been used across government to deliver citizen-centric services.
  • How government can prioritize their transformation efforts to unlock better services.
  • How government can use recent  advances in technology to build new government services focused on solving complex problems.

Supported by:

14:30 – 15:30

How to harness new technologies to deliver your mission at scale

Governments around the world are working to leverage new technologies, in order to deliver better services. But given the rapid pace of change across IT platforms, it can be a challenge to understand, adopt, and build buy-in for new solutions.   

This roundtable session, part of the AccelerateGov conference and held in partnership with knowledge partners AWS and Appian, will bring together senior public servants from across federal departments to discuss best practices for technology skill-building, adoption, and scale-up – drawing on use cases from across Canada, the US, and the UK.

Join this session to discuss:

  • How technology is impacting the way your department delivers its mission.
  • Best practices to ensure that technology teams and business line owners can work collaboratively to achieve common outcomes.
  • How to build skills, knowledge, and leadership capacity across teams and departments, in order to leverage new and emerging technologies.
  • Barriers to procuring technology and achieving IT objectives—and how to overcome them

Supported by:

Public Service Data Challenge Finale

 

1:30 PM – 4:00 PM

The Public Service Data Challenge – Grand Finale

Government has huge data assets, but often fails to make the best use of them. We asked for the ideas of public servants across the workforce on how to improve our data systems and tools – and your help in taking the best ideas forward.

Almost a hundred ideas were submitted and after stages of research and development, nine teams of public service volunteers pitched their ideas to the judges at the Semi-Final: four were selected to move forward, and they are now in the final stages of developing their ideas in advance of the grand finale – please join us and the Judges and Champions to hear the final four pitches, and find out who this year’s winner will be!

Learn more about the final teams and the Public Service Data Challenge Finale here!

Want to get involved in 2026?

AccelerateGOV is part of the Global Government Forum, Global Government Finance and Pendragon International Media portfolio of events.