*A note to readers: This is the third article in a series we are doing on EXCOM sub-committees. The first one was about the Safety and Security Sub-Committee, and the second about the Mental Health Sub-Committee. Maybe you have heard of these committees, maybe you haven’t, but they are making decisions that affect your work. That’s why we want to tell you more about them. As part of this process, we will be interviewing one co-chair from each committee about what exactly they are up to. We hope you find these informative and useful.
Innovation is an important aspect of human civilization and advancement. The work of individuals such as Thomas Edison or Alexander Graham Bell has laid the foundation upon which our modern technology is built.
Today, some innovators are able to leverage their work for tremendous capital gains, and are increasingly treated with a reverence usually reserved for professional athletes and celebrities. For proof, look no further than Elon Musk. The Tesla Motors and Space-X founder has been called the ‘real life Tony Stark’ in reference to the sarcastic savant and billionaire tech inventor played by Robert Downey Jr. in the Ironman franchise.
While government departments don’t exactly breed maverick CEOs with a penchant for rocket-science and off color one-liners, promoting innovation and overcoming resistance to change in the public service does often seem to require super-human capabilities.
Though bright costumes and capes are noticeably absent, CSC’s Effectiveness and Efficiency Sub-Committee, co-chaired by Anuradha (Anu) Marisetti, Regional Deputy Commissioner Pacific Region, and Liette Dumas-Sluyter, Assistant Commissioner Corporate Services, have taken on the task of encouraging innovation within the organization.
As Anu told us in a recent interview, “the mandate of this committee is to look at our internal services and processes and decide how we can improve them using technology, making it easier for people to do their work.”
Examples include everything from systems in use by frontline staff (electronic count boards) to pilot programs expanding upon the use of technology by parole officers (e.g. tablets). Anu’s group has been instrumental in helping employees implement their Headstarter initiatives across the country as well. And yes, the group has taken steps to address the giant pink elephant in every room across the country – CSC’s bandwidth and network issues.
“Our committee has raised the profile of the issues that our regions are facing with respect to bandwidth issues and not being able to get continuous access to networks in some remote locations,” she says. “We discussed it with Shared Services at the highest levels and are seeking their support to address these issues.”
This committee’s mandate of embracing innovation and technology at CSC will continue to evolve and expand. Employees can be confident that new ideas and initiatives will become easier and faster to implement. As Anu says: “Our focus now is innovation and how to foster it so that it’s not about single projects here and there every few years, but actually built into the DNA of our organization.”
The Efficiency and Effectiveness subcommittee consists of:
Regional Deputy Commissioner, Pacific - Anuradha Marisetti
Assistant Commissioner, Corporate Services - Liette Dumas-Sluyter
Assistant Commissioner, Communications and Engagement - Scott Harris
Senior Deputy Commissioner, Anne Kelly
Chief Information Officer (CIO) - Simon Bonk
A/Director General, Executive Secretariat - Nathalie Dufresne-Meek
Warden, Collins Bay Institution - Curtis Jackson
District Director, Prairie Region - Andrea Markowski