Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm pleased to be here to speak about the role of the chief information officer branch in providing governance and strategic leadership for the transformation of government IT services.
With me today is Jennifer Dawson, deputy chief information officer, who will help me respond to any questions.
The role of the chief information officer branch in the Treasury Board Secretariat is to provide strategic leadership and policy direction for information technology, information management and cyber security.
We do this with guidance from departmental deputy heads and input from chief information officers as well as other stakeholders. The Auditor General, during his review of the information technology of Shared Services, said it is important that SSC have more support in the form of strategic guidance from TBS to help it achieve its mandate.
He recommended that the Treasury Board Secretariat, Chief Information Officer Branch put into effect an IT strategic plan for the Government of Canada.
Mr. Chair, we agree with the recommendation and have committed to completing an IT strategic plan by March 31, 2016.
We've also promised to help departments and agencies implement the plan. Accordingly, we have fully reviewed business and technology trends, as well as industry best practices, to determine what changes are needed as a result of advances in information technology, the experience of other jurisdictions, and recent operational developments within the Government of Canada.
As part of our review, the chief information officer branch has consulted broadly with the government's IT community to understand their service and technology needs.
We have also consulted with our internal policy centres to ensure that the IT strategic plan meets Canadians' expectations for the security of information. Our consultations are now complete, and we are on our way to having the strategic plan completed by the end of the month. Following this, TBS will ensure approval of the plan.
This plan will provide a strategic vision for IT in the Government of Canada. It will give SSC and other departments direction and priorities for enhancing IT management, security and service delivery. It will also help the broader government IT community, as they develop and coordinate their own plans and activities.
Going forward, TBS will help departments and agencies implement a strategic plan by providing communications, guidance, and oversight.
Mr. Chair, as you can see, much work has been done to address the Auditor General's recommendations. We will continue to work with Shared Services Canada to provide governance and strategic leadership to help it achieve its mandate.
Thank you for your time today. I would be pleased to answer any questions from the committee.