Testimonial

Beautiful wireframes and cloud computing may be all the rage, but no matter how striking and functional the product, the true test of an organisation’s commitment to building services that really work for users is its openness and commitment to work with them to do it.  It’s for this reason that we have been an enthusiastic partner of the Canadian Digital Service from its inception.

Our new citizenship service, delivered by CDS in partnership with IRCC, is a direct result of the team’s commitment to deliver the best product for the client while minimising operational impacts on government employees and working within the still limited constraints of legacy systems. Beyond easing the burden on users, who would previously have had to reach out by telephone and post, the service streamlines back-end office processes as well, and offers new opportunities for how the department serves 200,000 future citizens every year.

Without the expertise, guidance and leadership of CDS, we would not have been in the position to deliver the service on such a short timeframe and with as much success. And yet our partnership with CDS has yielded so much more than the online tool it set out to build.

The CDS model of working with departments to solve problems ensures knowledge transfer as well, meaning that the team’s agile approach to product management remains a lasting influence even after the product has been delivered. Ultimately, the real value in CDS is in the work that it does to change culture from within, and so we continue to benefit from CDS guidance as we take on increasingly complex problems and seek new paths.  Both in its commitment to product delivery and in its underlying role as an influencer and guide, CDS is a true game changer in the Government of Canada.