Government Operations committee  The plan is to reduce our exposure on aging networks. Our method is to work with departments, with the CIO of Canada, to look at the ones at risk first, to take care of what is at risk of impacting government programs first. There is no plan to go to one single network. It would be putting all of our eggs into one very vulnerable basket.

Government Operations committee  We have done what we call a strategic framework, which is called the business rationale. We are not committing upfront any liability of the Government of Canada for this. What we have done so far, which has been distributed to this committee and to the public accounts committee, is the framework on how we're going to proceed and the benefit that will lead to the completion of scanning the market so we will know the price of the market.

Government Operations committee  Definitely, and with permission, I will use two examples. The first example is GENS. I want to be very clear: GENS will not commit $1 billion of government funds up front, where we go to Treasury Board to receive authorization to spend it right away. GENS is going to start small, with HRSDC.

Government Operations committee  Yes.

Government Operations committee  The determining factors are these: they're at the end of the life cycle of their network, and maybe there is no replacement vehicle in place; the cost of operation for their network will be x dollars; and their security exposure will be x percent. Once they analyze all those parameters, they come see to me at Public Works and Government Services Canada, and I will say that we have a series of procurement vehicles in place that can help them mitigate that and converge the networks.

Government Operations committee  Thank you. My role as chief executive officer at Public Works and Government Services Canada is also the role of service manager. My role with an initiative such as Government Enterprise Network Services is that when departments have confirmed that it makes sense, the price is good, the quality is worth it, and they come to u...I ensure that I keep the industry compliant in terms of quality, delivery performance, and actual agility in deploying the service.

Government Operations committee  As I mentioned a little earlier in my presentation, the dialogue with the private sector, with small and medium enterprises, has started. We are aware that small and medium enterprises are the infrastructure and the backbone of our economy in a number of provinces. We have received pages and pages of very worthwhile comments.

Government Operations committee  The response has been generally positive. We have had a lot of response from the industry. Themes and trends have been conveyed to us very clearly. So we had extremely clear themes and trends that came from the consultation. First of all, the actual consultation highlighted that the telecommunication industry is not a highly fragmented industry.

Government Operations committee  Thank you for your question. Yes, undoubtedly. The importance of learning in these large projects is to have a good repertory so it can be referred to at any time. Madam Fraser has really focused on four elements. First, have good governance. If we look at what we're doing now with Madame Charette and her multi-project management framework, we now involve multiple departments with good governance.

Government Operations committee  Thank you, Ms. Bourgeois. We have done consultations and surveyed the industry to give ourselves demarcation lines regarding the benefits and potential savings if the networks are consolidated. I think we all agree that we are all on the same wavelength, that 124 networks in the Canadian public service is a lot, and that in the long term the costs are excessive.

Government Operations committee  Thank you. The Government of Canada is powered more and more by IT. For four years in a row we have been number one in online service delivery. Our government service is something to be really proud of. We have more and more information technology delivering government services.

Government Operations committee  Yes. Where business requirements and operational reasons are clear, we are not eliminating the other contracts that are also providing data communications services. We are not putting all our eggs in one basket.

Government Operations committee  Before obtaining the position of Chief Executive Officer, I was Chief Operating Officer at the Department of Public Works. So I was in charge of computer infrastructure operations for our department, Public Works and Government Services Canada. Just before that, Ms. Bourgeois, I was in charge of large projects in connection with the year 2000 conversion for that department.

Government Operations committee  I played a role in Secure Channel.

Government Operations committee  My role was as director of the implementation project, so it involved putting the project in place, with a project management approach and discipline, based on the needs expressed to me by the Treasury Board of Canada and our partner departments.