TECHNATION Situation Report – May 29, 2020

May 29, 2020

TECHNATION selected to partner with Shared Services Canada (SSC) on Agile Procurement.  We recently received great news from the President of SSC, that they have agreed to partner with TECHNATION on several upcoming ‘pilot agile procurements’.   This new pilot program is meant to test our TECH2GOV Digital Marketplace and upcoming challenge based pilots.  This  past week started engagement with the SSC Agile procurement team and expect to be launching this pilot in three weeks.  If you haven’t registered on the T2G DM, you can do so here. 

We have an absolute flurry of upcoming events and board meetings!!  Scroll down to sign up for a number of our committee meetings and BIG events – especially our not-to-be-missed virtual AGM. Our keynote, Duncan Stewart, Director of TMT Research at Deloitte Canada, a globally recognized expert on the forecasting of consumer and enterprise technology, media and entertainment, telecommunications trends – will address some of the TMT Predictions 2020 Report. Register today! 

As we are all working to transition to recovery mode, and to keep your inboxes clutter free, we will transition back to sending out monthly Events Highlights and our Industry Insider Newsletter from this week forward. 

It has and continues to be an interesting time as the COVID-19 crisis continues to unfold. My thanks to all our members who have been engaged more than ever – we sincerely look forward to developing our new normal and exciting new programs in the weeks and months ahead.   

Angela Mondou 

President and CEO, TECHNATION 

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IG NEWS – INCREASE IN WAGE SUBSIDIES: Up to 75%!

As a COVID-19 measure, the Career Ready Program wage subsidy will increase from 50/70 per cent coverage to 75 per cent up to a maximum of $7,500.00. Rules around having net new student placements will also be relaxing. Funding for students this summer is still available – those who have already been approved may receive a top up (to 75%) under these conditions. More information to come next week. Program resources are available here. 

 Tech4Canada 

The Responsible Tech Council is a collaborative multi-sector council comprised of industry and government leaders, to identify critical technology challenges and establish action-oriented priorities that can be accomplished within a 12-18 months horizon. The next Council meeting, June 10; will focus on a COVID-19 call to action.  Watch for a Fall Symposium with thought leadership panels on this topic. 

 UPCOMING EVENTS 

June 4:  National Public Sector Business Committee meeting. (12:00-1:30 p.m.) The Committee brings together experts and leaders from provinces and territories across Canada to discuss their respective government’s ongoing work in digital transformation and economic development. Register here 

 June 11: CCIO Briefing- Recovery, Resilience and creating a bold new vision together (9:00 -11:00 a.m.) Virtual Briefing and Panel Discussion with: Dafna Carr – Corporate Chief Information Officer/Associate Deputy Minister, Ontario Ministry of Government and Consumer Services; Heidi Francis, Associate Deputy Minister, Ontario Shared Services, Ministry of Government and Consumer Services; John Roberts – Chief Information Security Officer – Cyber Security Division; and Renee Laforet – Chief Information Officer – Government Consumer Services I+IT Cluster. Register here 

 June 18: TN Virtual AGM: TECH Trends with a COVID 19 Lens with Keynote Speaker Duncan Stewart, Deloitte (5:15-6:30 p.m.)  Duncan Stewart, Director of TMT Research at Deloitte Canada, a globally recognized expert on the forecasting of consumer and enterprise technology, media and entertainment, telecommunications trends will be the keynote. Duncan will be speaking on a few topics of the TMT Predictions 2020 Report. Register here 

 June 29: Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Cybersecurity Best Practices. Virtual Live Event.  We welcome SME (members & non-members) to attend a virtual cybersecurity workshop to hear and contribute insight to  the challenges associated with leading a SME through cyber security risks + 3 break out sessions.   Upon completion, you will be provided the best practices from all three sessions to help guide your cybersecurity decisions and help improve your organizational cyber resilience. Register here 

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FEDERAL 

Earlier this week, TECHNATION hosted senior officials from Shared Services Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency on the rapid digital transformation undertaken to support COVID-19 relieve programs at our monthly Federal Public Sector Business Committee (PSBC) meeting. The recording of the meeting can be found here. For more info, contact Andrew Walker. 

 TECHNATION will be participating in the next step of Public Services and Procurement Canada’s Task-Based and Solutions-Based Informatics Professional Services (TBIPS/SBIPS) refresh project, which focuses on the taxonomy of the two programs. We’re seeking input members with perspective on the current classification system before the consultation workshop on Tuesday, June 2. For more info and to provide feedback, contact Andrew Walker. 

 In response to an ongoing research project undertaken by the House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology, TECHNATION is preparing a submission which articulates our recommendations for federal government support towards economic recovery. To participate in reviewing this submission, contact Andrew Walker to join the Federal PSBC emailing list.  

 PROVINCIAL 

On June 4, TECHNATION will host its second National PSBC meeting, at which officials from provincial and territorial governments across Canada will present on their government’s COVID-19 support programs, IT infrastructure and services posture, and more. We strongly encourage you to take part in this event. To see full list of speakers and to register, click here. 

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TECHNATION Health and its Advocacy Committee are currently developing positions on a range of privacy and security policy issues over the course of 2020, that are of concern to the vendor community, or areas where the vendor community can make substantial and meaningful contributions to the public debate. Documented advocacy issues, options and consensual recommendations addressed are being organized around five Framework themes: cyber security, data sovereignty, de-identification, secondary use and alignment with GDPR international standards. The consensus Framework will be applied for public engagement with health stakeholders across Canada. The management of privacy and security have become priorities for Canadian government and business leaders responsible for the protection of sensitive health data and critical health infrastructure. If your organization would like to join with us or receive more information on this initiative, contact Susan Anderson. 

 Aptum 

• Susan Bowen, CEO:  The Role Of The Data Centre In The Future Of Data Management (featured in Data Economy)  
• Alberto Da Anunciacao, CIO: shared some IT predictions with IT World Canada on how businesses will respond in the coming months because of the pandemic.  

• Blog: https://aptum.com/blog/its-critical-role-in-overcoming-new-challenges/.  

 City of Toronto 

• The City of Toronto has  lots information on its website related to economic support and recover for business. launched the AdviceTO program, a series of free weekly online networking and mentoring events for tech, retail, and female-led businesses. The online events encourage sharing, learning and growing with other entrepreneurs and leaders mitigating through COVID-19 

 Google 

• Google today announced they are ‘Helping 50,000 Canadian small businesses get online by 2021’. 

 IDC 

• May 6, 2020, 1:00 p.m. COVID-related webcast: COVID-19 Impact: What’s Next for the Canadian Tech Market? 

• Canadian COVID-19 IT Impact Dashboard. A free tool that helps businesses make sense of complex and multi-dimensional economic trends during the COVID-19 pandemic (produced in partnership with Rel8ed.to Analytics).  

 External Board Director Opportunities 

• Make A Change Canada is a national non-profit and charitable organization that provides employment and skills training to Canadians who face challenges to finding or maintaining employment in today’s labour market. They are looking for potential board members to join non-profit boards. For more information, contact jen@makeachangecanada.com 
• The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) manages the .CA top-level domain on behalf of all Canadians. A member-based organization, CIRA also develops and implements policies that support Canada’s internet community and represents the .CA registry internationally. They are now accepting applications from professionals with governance experience interested in joining CIRA’s Board of Directors. Deadline to submit – June 16.  Learn more or apply 

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