Information & Ethics committee  To date, no

Information & Ethics committee  I can comment on 5G technology, but not on Huawei.

Information & Ethics committee  The 5G technology is the next generation of telecommunications technology. We need it to share data. Our current networks won't be able to manage the volume of data generated by all the sensors that will be found everywhere, in smart cities, on roads, in automated cars, and so on.

Information & Ethics committee  As Meg Davis said, the data will often be anonymous. Sometimes, the licence plate number will be recorded. There are different ways to do so. In terms of regulations, it won't be any different from the way that we collect information today. It will often depend on who owns the cars and trucks that will be automated on the roads, and on how information will be shared and exchanged.

Information & Ethics committee  Thank you. Mr. Chair, honourable members of the committee, it's our privilege to be here today to discuss the security and privacy of data and information when delivering digital government services. The Information Technology Association of Canada, also known as ITAC, represents some 340 member companies, from the very largest multinationals to the smallest SMEs.

Government Operations committee  There's a perception that industry is constantly trying to milk the public sector for funding. Vendor performance allows you to evaluate based on performance in past projects, and that should be taken into account when you're doing an assessment of a future project. The way we go about it now is that there is no vendor performance evaluation, so the same company that has potentially milked the government six or seven times gets a fair chance at bidding for the next one.

Government Operations committee  In my opinion, the reason why the private sector is so keen on the Agile method is because it has significantly contributed to its success. Our banks, for example, which are very large companies, have found that adopting the Agile processes had a direct effect on the ability to save a lot of money.

Government Operations committee  No. This is what makes things more challenging, even today. In the government, for example, when an operational unit needs something, it submits a request to the technology group, which then goes to procurement officials. They turn to the lawyers to see whether they have the right to proceed with the procurement.

Government Operations committee  It's simplification. At the end of the day, why are we still pumping out 200-plus-page RFPs for something as simple as Wi-Fi? Why can the government not procure Wi-Fi simply by saying we need a public and a private Wi-Fi that meet these 10 requirements? Why can't it be five pages long?

Government Operations committee  I spent 17 years in the bureaucracy, and I've led some major projects. Undoubtedly, we have some of the mechanisms in place. We have interdepartmental meetings. We have central agency meetings. We have to go through the process. The issue, when you get to that table, is the interpretation of the policies and the procedures by everybody around the table.

Government Operations committee  I'll start. I don't disagree with Kirsten in terms of bringing in the right talent, although reports suggest that Canada has some of the most talented people within the public sector, with more than 60% having university or college degrees. We've got a ton of smart people who really want to work.

Government Operations committee  It's a balancing act. If you are transparent and up front about it, you'll say, “We are going to run this pilot at this amount of money with the option of doubling down and running an extended contract.” That's part of the procurement on the front end. If the pilot fails, then I go back out and start over again, but if the pilot runs well, why would I try to go back out and design an RFP when I know who I want to win and I want to continue working with this group?

Government Operations committee  I recently had a conversation with a bunch of members about having the right person or the right solution in place, and when the contract runs out, the government will go back and RFP it again. In certain circumstances there's an opportunity to roll over and add another two years.

Government Operations committee  I think you're starting to see it. There have been a couple of blockchain pilots at the federal level that are either awarded or under way. You're starting to see the application of new technologies to federal frameworks. From a purely procurement standpoint, how are we going about engaging those?

Government Operations committee  However, we are seeing departments and PSPC working on contracting for pilots, contracting for experimentation, and starting to do it. We are seeing it.