Government Operations Committee on May 5th, 2016

[The Chair, Conservative, Tom Lukiwski]

Thank you very much.

We'll go back to a seven-minute round again.

Monsieur Ayoub, you're up.

[Ramez Ayoub, Liberal, Thérèse-De Blainville, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Parker, I would like us to discuss the Workplace Technology Devices Initiative.

There was a project in 2013. I would like you to tell us a bit about the nature of that project and how it has developed until now, in 2016. What is the status of this project to streamline and centralize technology devices? And since that is a fairly broad term, I would also like you to tell us what you mean by “technology devices”. Have savings been realized up till now? What is the status of the plan? I see that its implementation may go on until 2019, and perhaps beyond that.

You can begin with those questions. Based on your answers, I may ask you for more detail on some points.

[Ron Parker]

Regarding the technology devices, we rationalized their purchase.

[Ramez Ayoub, Liberal, Thérèse-De Blainville, QC]

What do you mean by “technology devices”?

[Ron Parker]

This includes laptop computers, that sort of device. Up till now, we had not rationalized the management of these devices and we have changed nothing with regard to their support.

[Ramez Ayoub, Liberal, Thérèse-De Blainville, QC]

I am looking at your planning for the 2013-2019 period. How is that planning going in connection with the transformation? We know that a technological device like a portable computer has a very limited shelf life, perhaps three years and even less. You are referring to a certain figure and I see 90 departments and organizations. What is your plan at this time? Have you reached 30% or 50% in the rationalization and renewal? In addition, there is software to be considered, and the support you spoke about.

[Ron Parker]

Yes, but the management of these devices is currently the departments' responsibility. Shared Services Canada is not responsible for their management. We provide equipment and make purchases for the departments. The departments really decide what they need among available devices. Our objective is to have a variety of secure devices among which the departments can choose.

[Ramez Ayoub, Liberal, Thérèse-De Blainville, QC]

Fine.

The purpose of all of this I presume is to save money. You are not centralizing these purchases just for the fun of it.

[Ron Parker]

Correct.

[Ramez Ayoub, Liberal, Thérèse-De Blainville, QC]

And how are we doing with those savings?

[Ron Parker]

Thanks to this purchasing power, we have realized a lot of savings. I don't have the information with me on these savings but if you would like me to I could give you some idea of that after the meeting.

[Ramez Ayoub, Liberal, Thérèse-De Blainville, QC]

Yes, I would appreciate that. It would be interesting.

Why did you choose a six-year period to make these changes? If I understand correctly, the centralization has already taken place. However, this is supposed to be done over a six-year period. Why did you reserve the 2013-2019 period if this is already in place?

[Ron Parker]

What document are you referring to, Mr. Ayoub?

[Ramez Ayoub, Liberal, Thérèse-De Blainville, QC]

I am looking at the summary of the report.

With regard to federal government procurement of technology devices, there was a plan to save $8 or $9 million. The plan went from 2013 to 2019. That is why I am trying to see where you are at with this planning.

[Ron Parker]

Do you have information on that?

I am going to ask my colleague. We could probably get back to these questions later, Mr. Ayoub. I am not sure about the answer.

[Ramez Ayoub, Liberal, Thérèse-De Blainville, QC]

Very well. Thank you.

I apologize for being late earlier. I was trying to be in two places at once, but that's impossible. Consequently, I don't know if the committee discussed an interesting part of the report. I am referring to telecommunications and the centralizing of them. I expect that you are putting out Canada-wide calls for tender with companies like Telus, Bell Canada and others?

Are these very long term contracts, so as to realize savings as quickly as possible? If not, are there options in the contracts from one year to the next to renew the devices, while staying up to date technologically and financially? We now that Telus or Bell Canada changed their costs quite significantly. That can make all the difference between a plan that was entered into five years ago and a current one. Where are you at on this?

[Ron Parker]

There is a combination of factors to be considered.

If we talk about telecommunications, the duration of contracts for the networks is quite long, but not for cell services. As you say, these contracts often have options to which we may or may not have access. It varies according to the type of telecommunications service.

[Ramez Ayoub, Liberal, Thérèse-De Blainville, QC]

We had a cell phone service provider. The costs were somewhat high as compared to what one can find on the market. Perhaps it had to do with the duration of the contract.

[The Chair, Conservative, Tom Lukiwski]

Thank you, Ramez.

Perhaps, Mr. Parker, you can keep that answer top of mind, and perhaps in the next round you can finish the answer.

Now we'll go over to Monsieur Blaney.

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

I would like to share with our colleagues that I feel it will be important this fall, although we may undertake a longer study, to take one or two meetings to have these gentlemen back. We can then share the update on what I would call their road map and refreshing of the strategy. Ms. Ratansi mentioned at the opening that she was hoping to see a strategic plan. I would certainly seek the approval of our colleagues to have them back this fall.

I would now like to talk about an issue my team in the public service and the department worked on very hard, which is cybersecurity. I am happy to see in your presentation that funds have been set aside for that. I know these figures.

Over the past few months, the government has been subjected to cyberattacks. What measures are you putting in place to improve the capacity of federal computer infrastructures to withstand cyberattacks?

[Ron Parker]

There are several important aspects to consider.

The Communications Security Establishment or CSE advises departments to join the Shared Services Canada infrastructure, because it has all kinds of important equipment to ensure cybersecurity.

Together with the centre, our objective is to integrate security measures into the systems right at the source, that is to say in emails, networks and the data centres. That is a very important aspect.

There are other measures as well. You spoke about initiatives in our budget. They are very important to protect the network perimeter and the perimeter of other important security services.

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

Thank you.

I liked the expression “building a cyberdome”. Sometimes there is physical protection.

How much time do I have left, Mr. Chairman?

[The Chair, Conservative, Tom Lukiwski]

You have two more minutes.

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

Thank you.

I want to get back to the Auditor General's report, because I think this is of the utmost importance both for the department and for taxpayers.

Again, there were some not very encouraging words from the Auditor General, who said something like Shared Services Canada has a sloppy disregard for both the quality and quantity of services it provides to 43 departments.

I was reassured when you answered Ms. Shanahan's question that it was not necessarily a matter of budget, but probably more a matter of culture within this new organization.

Can you, as the head of this organization, provide us with an update on follow-up to the recommendation of the Auditor General, but most profoundly, I would say, on the change in the mentality of this wide organization in terms of providing a high-level standard of services to departments, to its clients?

[Ron Parker]

At the outset, I'd just like to say that service delivery is built into the DNA of the staff in Shared Services Canada. They really want to deliver the best service. I think the issue has been the lack of systematic processes, ways of working to enable employees to deliver those services in an effective manner.

Following on the Auditor General's report, we completed a service policy. That's done; it's issued to the customers. We're planning and launching a renewal of all of the service management processes within Shared Services Canada, and we're acquiring new tools to enable employees to be able to deal efficiently with all of the service requests that come into Shared Services, to give them visibility, to have the priorities, to deal with the business intake side and the processing, and to monitor how we're doing. This will be an important step forward for the organization to be able to do that and move out of a varied set of manual processes. It's absolutely critical to improving service.