Their use is inconsistent across the government and their value su b-optimized in the deci sion-making process and in da y-to-day operations. These data are often collected in ways-based on informal principles and practices-that make it difficult to share with other departments or Canadians. Today, individual departments and agencies generate and hold a vast, diverse and ev er-expanding array of data, including program, g eo-spatial, administrative, sensor and population data. But for this to occur-and for us to share data in a way that allows other governments, businesses, researchers and the n ot-for-profit sector to also extract value from data-we need to refresh our approach. The government has a responsibility to ensure its workforce has the skills and tools it needs to ethically leverage data to support the public good, while protecting the sensitive and personal data of Canadians.ĭata have the power to enable the government to make better decisions, design better programs and deliver more effective services. How the Government of Canada collects, manages and governs data-and how it accesses and shares data with other governments, sectors and Canadians-must change. A for ward-looking, open approach to data is an essential piece of public service renewal. Public service modernization efforts focus on a more transparent, collaborative, citiz en-centered and digitally enabled public service. Governments need to evolve rapidly to keep up.
Organizations are changing their business models, building new expertise and devising new ways of managing and unlocking the value of their data. The volume of data that governments, businesses and Canadians produce is growing exponentially, animated by digital technologies.