Service Delivery Archives - Amanda Bernardo

New digital competencies have officially launched across the Government of Canada

admin — Mon, 21 Jul 2025 15:00:57 +0000

New digital competencies have officially launched across the Government of Canada … and they’re 𝗻𝗼𝘁 just for IT teams.

These six competencies are for all public servants. Why? Because digital transformation isn’t just about adopting new tools — it’s about shifting how we think, work, and deliver value.

One that stood out to me?

Continuous improvement
“Improve work with ongoing collaboration and feedback and learn to solve problems and deliver value efficiently.”

This isn’t just a buzzword. It’s the foundation of meaningful change (my specialty ).

Whether you’re redesigning a service, streamlining a process, or simply improving the way your team works, continuous improvement demands a human-centered lens. It requires us to ask the right questions, stay close to the user experience, and embrace iteration as a path to progress.

That’s where change management and design thinking go hand in hand (shout out to my amazing team doing this work).

When we embed continuous improvement into our culture:
Feedback isn’t a checkpoint — it’s a constant
Resistance to change becomes readiness for growth
Solutions are built with, not just for, the people we serve

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. 𝐈𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐞𝐭, 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬.

These new digital competencies are a reminder that transformation starts with us — in how we lead, how we collaborate, and how we continuously improve.

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How to rethink operational effectiveness and areas for improvement

admin — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 19:14:15 +0000

With potential operational reviews on the horizon, there’s an opportunity to rethink how government departments assess effectiveness and identify areas for improvement. Traditional approaches to these reviews often focus on efficiency—cutting costs, streamlining processes, and finding quick fixes. But what if we took a different approach? One that puts people at the center of how services are designed and delivered?

This is where service design can play an important role. By mapping out the full picture—how employees, clients, and stakeholders experience government services—we can move beyond surface-level optimizations and uncover deeper systemic challenges. Service design allows us to visualize workflows, highlight pain points, and co-create solutions that aren’t just efficient but also effective and user-centric.

Instead of making changes in isolation, service design engages the people who use and deliver services to understand what’s working, what’s not, and where real opportunities for improvement exist. In this way, we can test and refine solutions before they’re implemented, reducing risk and ensuring that changes actually meet the needs of those they impact.

At a time when government departments are being asked to do more with less, this approach ensures that operational changes aren’t just about cutting but about creating better, more sustainable ways of working. It’s about embedding change management principles, fostering collaboration, and ensuring that innovation leads to real, measurable improvements.

If we focus solely on cuts and quick fixes, we risk creating short-term efficiencies at the expense of long-term effectiveness. Reducing resources without fully understanding service impacts can lead to bottlenecks, lower service quality, and frustrated employees and clients. Quick fixes often address symptoms rather than root causes, leading to recurring issues that drain time and resources later. Worse, rushed changes can erode trust, making it harder to implement meaningful improvements in the future.

Real transformation requires a deeper look—not just at what can be cut, but at what needs to be redesigned to work better.

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Innovative technologies meet innovative culture

admin — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 19:01:35 +0000

Innovation in the context of government and digital transformation refers to the adoption of new technologies, processes, and approaches to improve the efficiency, accessibility, and responsiveness of public services. As the world becomes increasingly digital, Canadians expect their government to provide seamless, user-friendly services that are as efficient as those in the private sector. Innovation is essential to meet this growing demand, enabling government to deliver services that are more personalized, faster, and more accessible, while also ensuring security and inclusivity.

By staying ahead of technological advancements, governments can improve the overall citizen experience, foster trust, and ensure that its services remain relevant and effective in an increasingly connected and digital society. If governments fail to innovate and stay ahead, they risk becoming inefficient, outdated, and unable to meet the evolving needs of its citizens. Public services could become slow, inaccessible, and cumbersome, leading to frustration among Canadians who expect fast, seamless digital interactions. A lack of innovation can also lead to increased security vulnerabilities, as outdated systems become more prone to cyber threats. Ultimately, a failure to innovate can erode public trust and undermine the government’s ability to deliver essential services effectively.

For these reasons, and certainly others, digital transformation remains at the forefront of organizational change. Within the Canadian federal public service, Shared Services Canada (SSC) is helping to lead this digital transformation by empowering departments and agencies to innovate. At its inaugural Innovation Fair today, SSC highlighted the crucial role technology plays in reshaping government services. Across 30 booths, public servants were able to learn about digital tools like Robotic Process Automation, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and advanced cloud technologies.

Beyond these technologies, however, we must also consider how we must innovate our organization cultures in order for such transformation to be enabled and sustained long-term.

The balance: technology and culture

Adopting new technologies without transforming organizational culture is like upgrading a car engine but keeping outdated controls. While innovative technologies can drive efficiency, collaboration, and accessibility, fostering a culture that supports and adapts to this change is equally important.

From AI in the workplace to 3D modelling and bots as virtual assistants, SSC’s Innovation Fair showcased how federal departments are enhancing services for Canadians. But as government departments adopt these technologies, leaders must recognize that their success hinges not only on the tools themselves but also on the environment in which these tools are implemented. A forward-thinking, adaptive organizational culture is crucial to maximize the benefits of digital innovation.

But how to do we foster an innovative culture?

Innovative technology thrives in environments where ideas flow freely, and employees feel empowered to share their insights. SSC’s Innovation Lounge, a space dedicated to discussions and networking at the Innovation Fair, offers a glimpse into this approach. By fostering collaboration across departments, public sector organizations can ensure that innovative solutions are co-created, benefiting from diverse perspectives and expertise.

Digital transformation also requires ongoing education and upskilling. Organizations should invest in training programs to ensure their workforce is well-versed in using new technologies, like AI. SSC’s own digital skilling program does just that. “Beginning with an initial focus on cloud computing, SSC’s digital skilling offerings have since evolved to include areas such as cyber security, artificial intelligence, robotic process automation and data analytics. Through this program, SSC employees are able to gain the necessary knowledge, skills, and practical hands-on experience from industry experts, enabling service delivery improvements to partner departments and promoting innovation with modern digital solutions.(1)“

Beyond technical training, cultural initiatives that emphasize adaptability, resilience, and curiosity are also essential. For example, embracing a “fail fast, learn faster” mentality can encourage experimentation without fear of repercussions, allowing teams to innovate more effectively. As work demands often take priority, related to this we must also carve out the time to allow our teams to learn and innovate as a similar priority.

As the government moves forward with digital adoption, it’s vital to ensure no one is left behind. SSC’s focus on Accessibility, Accommodation, and Adaptive Computer Technology exemplifies how technology and culture must intersect to create inclusive solutions. By embedding inclusivity into the fabric of their culture, organizations can ensure that innovation benefits everyone, including marginalized groups and individuals with disabilities.

Technological advancements are not static, and neither should an organization’s culture. Public sector entities must cultivate an agile mindset, where teams are ready to pivot when new technologies or needs arise. This requires building flexibility into decision-making processes and ensuring that employees at all levels can contribute to shaping the organization’s direction.

For public sector organizations to truly embrace both technological and cultural innovation, the right leadership is crucial. The leaders of tomorrow’s government departments and agencies must be visionary, inclusive, and adaptable.

Here are some qualities that leaders must embody:

- - Leaders need to see beyond immediate needs and understand how emerging technologies can shape the future of public service. They must inspire their teams to think creatively and embrace new possibilities, much like how SSC’s Innovation Fair encourages participants to engage with futuristic tools.
  - Leaders must promote an inclusive work environment that leverages the diverse perspectives and experiences of their workforce. This ensures that the innovations developed, such as those in the areas of accessibility and adaptive technologies, are meaningful and beneficial to all citizens.
  - To successfully blend innovative technology with culture, leaders must champion change. This involves not only advocating for digital tools but also modeling behaviors that encourage flexibility, learning, and collaboration across their teams.
  - As seen at SSC’s Innovation Fair, partnerships across departments are key to driving digital transformation. Leaders must facilitate these connections, fostering an environment where cross-departmental collaboration is the norm, not the exception.

As public sector organizations like SSC continue to push the boundaries of what technology can do, they must not overlook the importance of a supportive, innovative culture. The integration of cutting-edge tools and inclusive, forward-thinking cultural practices will enable government departments and agencies to meet the evolving needs of Canadians.

The future of public service depends not just on the technology at hand but on the people, values, and culture that surround its use.

By embracing both, organizations will be better equipped to deliver effective, citizen-centric services for years to come.

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Government services are being challenged

admin — Thu, 28 Sep 2023 23:39:00 +0000

This year has emphasized the importance of citizens’ services with a newly named Minister and newly created sub-committee on service delivery. Government services are being challenged to be delivered in a more efficient, timely, and accessible manner for Canadians.

But how do we achieve that?

Change management and service design can help

As the current Director of teams in change management and service design, I see first hand how both disciplines are able to improve the way in which government services are delivered. More importantly, I see how integrating these disciplines from the onset can improve the overall planning, implementation and sustainability of these services by aligning them to a more human-centric approach to delivery.

Service design focuses on deeply understanding and addressing the unique needs of users, ensuring services are efficient, effective, and centered around the user experience. In our team, this includes a strong degree of research that simplifies even the most complex scenarios to develop user personas and client journey maps, while identifying problem gaps and possible solutions. In parallel, change management orchestrates a smooth transition from existing processes or solutions to freshly designed ones. This can include the development of feedback loops to inform readiness and response tactics such as communications, stakeholder engagements, training, resilience management and pilot programs.

When these methodologies intertwine seamlessly, they possess the potential to revolutionize how we advance service delivery for Canadians. This integration ultimately offers a promising avenue for a more citizen-centric, efficient, and adaptive public service.

How do we apply these disciplines in action?

Integrating service design means placing citizens at the core of service development. Take the time do this. Understand user needs, preferences, and pain points to tailor services and provide a seamless, personalized experience. This not only boosts citizen satisfaction but also fosters trust and engagement. To transition towards citizen-centric services in a smooth and efficient manner, apply change management. By managing resistance, providing adequate training, and building awareness, we can minimize disruptions during the transition and optimize the adoption of new solutions. What both disciplines do really well, however, is force us to be iterative. Continuous feedback loops and adaptability to evolving needs enable us to fine-tune services and respond effectively to changing circumstances, ensuring long-term success and relevance. We can’t develop services as a one-and-done, especially when the world around us is changing daily. Service design and change management remind us of that truth and encourage us to take an iterative approach to service delivery.

It’s a very exciting time for service delivery in government, but let’s make sure we take the time to apply these methods in order for us to make these services as client-centric as possible.

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Change management isn’t always an obvious approach

admin — Fri, 04 Aug 2023 16:52:00 +0000

We all know that change management is crucial, but here’s the catch—it isn’t always an obvious approach.

Change management isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution; it requires a thoughtful and research-driven strategy. To drive successful change, we must be willing to roll up our sleeves and dive deep into understanding the unique context and intricacies of each project. This requires meticulous research, data analysis, and keen observation to uncover the underlying drivers of change.

Working in this space, we must recognize that successful change requires a strategic, thoughtful approach. What works for one project might not necessarily work for another.

So, where do you begin?

The foundation of successful change management lies in building trust and fostering clear communication within the organization and project team. By involving stakeholders early on and throughout the process, we can create a shared vision and a sense of ownership, enhancing the likelihood of successful change adoption. If we can demonstrate our willingness to listen, learn, and modify our strategies based on stakeholder feedback, we also foster a sense of ownership and buy-in among those affected by the change. This collaborative approach strengthens trust and boosts the chances of successful change adoption.

Recognizing the importance of change readiness is equally vital. Assessing the organization’s readiness for change can provide valuable insights into potential obstacles and opportunities for growth. It allows us to identify areas that require special attention and tailor our strategies accordingly.

It’s important to also remember that change isn’t always smooth sailing. Resistance to change is a common human response, and it’s something we should expect. By proactively addressing resistance and engaging with stakeholders empathetically, we can gradually win their support and commitment.

As projects and people will vary, change management therefore must be both agile and adaptable. As change leaders, we must recognize that change isn’t a linear process; it’s a dynamic journey that requires continuous learning and adjustments. Being agile in change management allows us to respond swiftly to emerging challenges, seize unexpected opportunities, and align our approach with the evolving needs of our organization. It empowers us to stay ahead of the curve, making necessary course corrections to ensure that our change initiatives remain on track and deliver the desired outcomes.

So, while you may want to have a copy-paste approach to change management, and sometimes similarities in application will exist, it’s important to apply the nuances needed in order to tailor your approach to the project at hand.

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Leading transformation with change management and service design

admin — Wed, 31 May 2023 21:10:00 +0000

Over the past year, I’ve had the opportunity to work as the Director of Change Management and Service Design with Shared Services Canada ‘s Enterprise Transformation Directorate. A role I currently find myself in today. In this role, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing the transformative power these disciplines hold in leading human-centric approaches for change.

From leading initiatives that support the enterprise delivery of services, to launching the implementation of tools to improve internal processes, to supporting organizational restructures and more, each transformation has helped offer some valuable lessons that can help the broader public service:

1️⃣ Embrace a user-centric mindset: By placing citizens and their needs at the forefront, we can create public services that truly make a positive impact. Let’s design services that are intuitive, accessible, and tailored to meet the diverse needs of our communities.

2️⃣ Foster collaboration and co-creation: Change and innovation thrive in environments that encourage cross-functional collaboration. Let’s break down silos and work together across departments, agencies, and stakeholders to drive meaningful change in the public sector.

3️⃣ Continuously iterate and improve: Change management and service design teach us the value of constant iteration. Let’s be open to feedback, learn from failures, and iterate our services to ensure they are continuously evolving, improving, and staying relevant to citizens’ ever-changing needs.

4️⃣ Embrace a data-driven approach: Leveraging data and analytics can help us make informed decisions, identify pain points, and measure the impact of our interventions. Let’s use data to drive evidence-based decision-making and deliver more effective public services.

5️⃣ Cultivate a culture of innovation: Encourage a mindset that values experimentation, creativity, and risk-taking. Let’s foster an environment where public servants feel empowered to bring forward innovative ideas, knowing that their contributions are valued and supported.

Together, change management and service design can help revolutionize the way public services are delivered. By embracing these principles, we can create a brighter future where citizens receive exceptional, user-centric services that truly make a difference.

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The value behind your change management approach

admin — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 13:04:00 +0000

Stop leading change without a change management plan.

A change management plan is a structured approach to transitioning individuals, teams, and organizations from a current state to a desired future state.

It helps to:

Identify potential sources of resistance and develop strategies to minimize it.

Enhance communication by communicating the rationale for the change, its benefits, and the steps involved so that individuals affected by the change can better understand its importance and contribute to its success.

Improve planning by identifying potential roadblocks, develop contingency plans, and ensure that all stakeholders are adequately prepared.

Build trust and provides a voice to stakeholders to establish transparency, manage expectations, and provide a forum for stakeholders to express their concerns, ideas, and feedback. This can help ensure that their needs are taken into account.

Increase adoption by building buy-in from key stakeholders, ensuring that employees have the necessary skills and knowledge to implement the change, and providing ongoing support and resources.

Enable continuous improvement through ongoing feedback, evaluation and refinement (course corrections).

Reduce disruption caused by the change by identifying potential risks and developing mitigation strategies to manage them.

Improve ROI while aligning the change with the organization’s goals and objectives.

Sustain change by ensuring that the necessary resources, processes, and systems are in place to support the change. It also helps to monitor the change to ensure that it continues to deliver the expected benefits over time.

If change is the only constant then change management should equally be repeated alongside it.

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Change is hard. Change management is no easier.

admin — Sat, 28 Jan 2023 14:03:00 +0000

Change management can be difficult for several reasons. Change itself can be disruptive to people’s routines; create uncertainty and anxiety; lead to varying levels of resistance to change; and require new skills and ways of working, which can be challenging and time-consuming — to name a few.

There are several strategies that can help improve change management:

Communicate effectively: Clearly communicate the reasons for the change, the benefits it will bring, and how it will affect different stakeholders. Be transparent and involve employees in the process as much as possible.

Build buy-in: Involve key stakeholders in the planning and implementation of the change. This can help ensure that they understand and support the change, and can also help identify potential roadblocks.

Prepare and train employees: Provide employees with the necessary training and resources to help them adjust to the change. This can include training on new processes, systems or technologies, as well as tools to help them work through the transition.

Manage resistance: Anticipate and address potential resistance to the change. Identify the sources of resistance and address them directly.

Create a sense of urgency: Clearly define the need for change and the benefits it will bring. Communicate the potential risks of not changing and the opportunities that will be missed.

Have a clear plan: Create a clear and actionable plan for implementing the change. Identify the steps that need to be taken, the resources required, and the timelines for completion.

Measure and monitor progress: Continuously measure and monitor progress throughout the change process to ensure that it is on track and make adjustments as necessary.

Recognize and reward success: Celebrate the successes of the change and recognize the contributions of those who have helped make it happen.

Implementing these strategies can help make the change process smoother and more successful. It is important to remember that change management is not a one-time event, it requires continuous monitoring and adaptation.

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If you miss this initial step, your change management efforts will fail

admin — Thu, 26 Jan 2023 02:15:00 +0000

“It’s been said before, but it bears repeating: in order for change management on any scale to succeed, it must be perceived as an initiative that arises from a partnership with all stakeholders involved, sharing an understanding of the project’s outcomes. Change should not be handed down with the commandment to “make it happen.” When others don’t understand the purpose or urgency of the change, it can be met with bad attitudes, resentment, and conflict. That’s why alignment matters.“

The idea that change management will run a few activities during your project plan and your check mark of their involvement is therefore complete…. is very flawed. And yet, we see this integration of change management advisors all the time.

To know what actions change management should take, you have to engage with your stakeholders first. They have to be part of the group that helps identify their own needs and potential solutions to those needs. Assuming what they need and why runs the risk of wasting time on products or activities that will end up ignored, resisted or missing the mark entirely.

But even before you begin to explore the activities needed to improve the “how they will change” aspect of the project aka “the make it happen”, stakeholders need to know why. They also need to understand what is changing, what is the current state and planned future state, and who will it impact by when. This initial understanding can help build desire for people to change, they understand why the change is happening and the benefits it will have on their specific role and organization in order for the change to succeed. Then you can move into the make it happen phase, equipping with the knowledge and tools of how to change.

But if you rush and miss this initial step, and if when you get to rolling out activities you miss involving stakeholders in their development, you will likely face resistance and be required rl take a step back.

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Lessons learned from a year in change management

admin — Fri, 21 Oct 2022 14:44:00 +0000

It’s been a year since I took on leading the Organizational Change Management team at Shared Services Canada to:

rebuild the team
mature it’s service model
upskill employees in change management
continue to deliver change management as a service

A short post on how it’s going.

In building my team, I noticed that change management is still fairly new in governemnt with few working directly in “it”.

That said, many have navigated change and have the soft skills/potential to transition into this work – that’s how I’ve hired!

(Shout out to my amazing team )

Our team, unlike other change management shops in government delivers change management as a service – almost like a mini internal consulting firm. To offer improved consistency and experience, we’ve redefined what that service looks like (end-to-end, targeted, advisory) to support our clients.

Leading change is not a copy and paste exercise, but there are best practices, tools and steps that can be captured for consistency. That’s why I’m working on an internal playbook to support new team members in how we offer support to guide their questions, analysis and recommendations.

We then hope to translate this into an external playbook that can be used by clients to navigate change, with a supporting self-service portal of tools and templates. This way we can serve as more of an advisory role and promote embedded change management capacity in project teams.

One of my observations has been the placement of change management practitioners. Arguably, every project team should have change management resources embedded. As “consultants” we have to onboard to new files and teams regularly to offer support but if orgs built capacity directly in teams, the integration would be a lot better!

That’s why we’re working on upskilling employees in change management so at a minimum, a foundation of change management can be initiated in project teams where we then play a larger advisory role than delivery. To do so, we launched a joint human centred community of practice (with our sister shop in service design) to offer learning, coaching, and more in both fields!

In delivering change management as a service, it’s obvious in many instances that we’ve become the new buzzword in government (see ya agile). But when prioritized, resourced and arguably done right, change management can improve adoption and implementation of all the many changes underway.

I’m fortunate to work for an org that values the people side of change so that we can prepare, equip and support individuals to successfully adopt change and drive organizational success and outcomes forward. As we continue to modernize our services, change management will be key to this work.

If you’re interested in learning more about change management:
visit Canada School of Public Service for great initial courses
get certified with Prosci (a leading change management methodology)
dig deeper with Being First, Inc.
or reach out for an informal chat

Maybe this is where your career path takes you next!

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