October 3 2019Gabe Sawhney (@gggg) - Fatima Khalid (@sugaroverflow)

Code for Canada

Code for Canada is a national nonprofit that helps governments and communities harness the power of digital.

We envision a more prosperous, sustainable, and equitable Canada, driven by improved policy and resident engagement, and enabled through civic technology and design.

The Fellowship

team of C4C fellows

10 months

government partner

● user research● prototype● test● repeat

● digital product or service

● learn by doing● build digital

capacity

The Fellowship“Working with the

fellows has inspired

us to embrace more

agile and user-

centered approaches

to the way we tackle

policy and program

challenges beyond

just the digital

solution.”

- Lisa Bifano,Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities

Code for Canada’s fellowship program embeds digital professionals inside of government, to:1) Deliver a new digital service, which addresses a

challenge2) Work in the open, sharing their tools and processes

with their government colleagues.

Fellows spend 10 months collaborating with government partners to design a digital service that work better for residents and staff.

Fellowship team“It’s a chance to use

your skills to make the

world around you

better. Not many

people get a chance to

do that in their

careers.”

- Evan Savage, 2019 Fellow

Product Manager

Software Developer

User Experience Designer

Fellows

Fellowship partners

Cohort 1: Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities2017-2018 Veterans Affairs Canada + Canadian Digital Service

Cohort 2: Transport Canada2018-2019 City of Toronto Transportation Services

Public Service Commission of Canada

Cohort 3: Public Services and Procurement Canada2019-2020 Public Health Agency of Canada

National Energy Board Canadian Energy RegulatorCity of Toronto Shelter, Support and Housing Administration

Cohort 4: Innovation, Science and Economic Development / Measurement Canada2020 Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Farming and Rural Affairs

Transport Canada (x2!)

Direct link to video

Direct link to video

Why a fellowship?

The program demonstrates what’s possible when the latest methods of user research and product design are applied to public sector challenges.

In addition to bringing digital tools and processes to bear on some of our country’s most pressing challenges, fellows build digital capacity in the public service.

The fellowship breaks down siloes between public servants, residents and industry, and contributes to increased trust and investment in government technology.

Why a fellowship?

The fellowship isn’t a training program, and it’s not a delivery program, but it is both.

Building digital capacity

Delivering a digital product/service

Fellowship impact

Veterans Affairs Canada:● Code for Canada fellows built a new benefits finder,

designed and tested in close consultation with veterans and case workers. It’s on the front page of veterans.gc.ca.

The City of Toronto’s Transportation Services big data team:● Code for Canada fellows built a tool which allows

operations staff to access traffic volume data 80% faster than manually interfacing with the legacy system.

Public Service Commission of Canada:● In the course of creating a new online testing platform,

Code for Canada fellows helped PSC adopt its first new technology stack in over a decade.

Fellowship impact

Veterans Affairs Canada:● Code for Canada fellows built a new benefits finder,

designed and tested in close consultation with veterans and case workers. It’s on the front page of veterans.gc.ca.

The City of Toronto’s Transportation Services big data team:● Code for Canada fellows built a tool which allows

operations staff to access traffic volume data 80% faster than manually interfacing with the legacy system.

Public Service Commission of Canada:● In the course of creating a new online testing platform,

Code for Canada fellows helped PSC adopt its first new technology stack in over a decade.

@sugaroverflow

LESSONS LEARNED GOING DIGITAL WITH DRONE SAFETY

Almost 1 in 5 Canadians either own a drone or have flown one.

New Pilots

New PilotsNew Risks

New PilotsNew RisksNew Rules

Build a digital tool to help recreational drone pilotsfly safely and legally.

Learning from Stakeholders

Talking to drone pilots

Becoming our users

How do I do what you want me to do?

1. Register your drone

2. Pass the Basic Exam

3. Survey the area

4. Go out and fly! This was the hardest part for our users!

Building & Testing

“I feel like I need education on the topic. Maybe these websites could be modified or a new one could be created that would help drone pilots check all these boxes.”

- recreational drone pilot

Drone. Companion AppAn educational tool to guide users through the site survey - an important part of the regulations.

We want to give them a sense of confidence and completion!

“...It’s kind of like you’re doing your history homework and trying to get information from as many resources as possible.”

- recreational drone pilot

“...I think if you wanted to fly in airspace, you’d need a flight plan, detailing where you’re flying when. But I don’t know how I would do that.”

- recreational drone pilot

“I feel like this is good enough for me but I don’t know if it is adequate for the regulation.”

- recreational drone pilot

Lessons Learned

Change is uncomfortable.

Embracenew ways of workingand new processes.

Our structures reinforce silos

Build interdisciplinary product teams

You already have champions.

Equip your people with tools, access, and trust.

Stop feeding the beast.

Share & celebrateyour stories

Thank you@sugaroverflow

Each project and context is different

● Scope of challenge

● Type of deliverable

● Type of capacity-building

● Governance model

● Staffing model

● Integration & sustainment

● Type of relationship/agreement

What we look for in partners

● A well-defined challenge, intended to have positive impact for residents and/or staff

● That most likely has a digital technology solution

● Where three fellows can deliver a deployment-ready prototype in 9 months

● By working closely with a partner team that's ready

● And that has leadership buy-in

Thanks!Gabe Sawhney (@gggg) - Fatima Khalid (@sugaroverflow)