With the introduction of its first three Code for Canada fellows, Ontario is trying to level up with a new tech project.
The initiative is the latest in a series of efforts over the past year to support digital change within government.
In March, Ontario named Hillary Hartley, the former deputy executive director of the U.S. government's digital office, to become the province's first chief digital officer.
In April, the province announced $700,000 in funding for Code for Canada, an organization modelled on Code for America in the U.S., an organization that aims to connect technology experts with government to solve problems.
Now, Toronto-based Code for Canada has hired six fellows who work within government — three federally, and three in Ontario.
In advance of their introduction and a panel talk at 129 Spadina Ave. at 10 a.m. Thursday, we asked, via e-mail, the Ontario fellows to describe their fancy job titles, what their Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development project will try to achieve, and to communicate in the true language of all tech workers, GIFs.
Christine Lee (product manager)
QP Briefing: How do you describe your job to someone who knows relatively little about computers or coding?
Lee: My role on the team as a product manager is twofold: first, it’s to define the ‘what’ and the ‘why’ of the product. Defining what we’re building ensures the right product gets built, and that it addresses real users’ needs. Second, in order to get the job done, it’s essential to get everyone involved in the project aligned on the very same what and why. Product managers connect the network of people from design, development, marketing, policy, and legal that are required to deploy a product.
Do you have a favourite civic tech project that has been done elsewhere? Why did it work?
GetCalFresh, developed by fellows at Code for America in California, is a great example of outcome-focused product development. I think a key element to its success was the wealth of user research and testing conducted throughout the project. It is inspirational because the product and program’s impact — helping residents access healthy food — continues to live on well beyond the fellowship term which is a personal goal of mine.
How would you describe your project and the kind of outcome you'd like to see?
We’re excited to be partnering with the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development (MAESD), which helps Ontarians access the education and training needed for the jobs of the future. Within MAESD, we’ll be focusing on developing solutions to help Ontarians better navigate their post-secondary career paths. Success, for me, will be when we hear stories from our users on how the product is impacting their life and making it easier for them to reach their personal development and educational goals.
What GIF best describes what you hope to do in this job?
Santiago Mendoza (software developer)
How do you describe your job to someone who knows relatively little about computers or coding?
Mendoza: I have experience working as a software developer for both startups and larger, well-established companies. As a developer, I get input from all stakeholders about a task they want to accomplish, and together we work out the requirements of the software needed to address that task. I develop prototypes, perform testing, work on demonstration or samples, and release updates or improvements as needed. I typically work in conjunction with other tech professionals, such as designers and project managers.
A field of computer science I am particularly interested in is machine learning, which, in a nutshell, is all about teaching computers how to learn like we humans do, by interpreting data from the world around us.
What's the role and potential of tech to improve government services?
Technology can facilitate many tasks. People are getting used to doing more and more things online, like shopping, making medical appointments, or transferring money. This allows them to accomplish much more in less time. So, why not make use of technology in the government too? I believe that embracing digital transformation trends can help governments not only improve citizen engagement and satisfaction, but it also has the added benefit of freeing up government resources to focus on other issues that matter to Canadians.
Do you have a favourite civic tech project that has been done elsewhere? Why did it work?
One of my favourite civic tech projects is Mapatón, developed in Mexico City. Having grown up in one of Mexico's largest cities, Monterrey, I know first-hand how chaotic public transit can be. Every day, 30,000 public buses transport more than 14 million citizens in Mexico City, but due to the complexity and continuous changes to the transportation system, neither citizens nor the government have accurate data on the trajectories of all buses. Designed as an app game for smartphones, "Mapatón" invited citizens to map the city’s bus routes from start to finish; users scored points for every route they travelled, and, as an incentive, the participants with the highest scores earned cash prizes. Mapatón was a successful crowdsourcing experiment to map the city's bus routes through civic collaboration and gamification.
What are some of the obstacles in introducing digital thinking within the government, and how are you addressing that?
The drive toward digital, user-centred government is rather new. As such, I believe one of the biggest obstacles will be tradition. Change is difficult, and some people will rather fall back to old habits than embrace it. And this is not only applicable to the government, I think, but also to other large organizations, which typically establish sets of rules that people learn to follow. Those rules are there for a reason, but sometimes they might hinder positive change. I believe people working in the government are people who want to do good, and as a Code for Canada fellow, I want to focus on the true intent of these rules, and the outcomes they’re designed to produce, rather than on the rules themselves.
What GIF best describes what you hope to do in this job?
Sophie Sengmany (user experience designer)
How do you describe your job to someone who knows relatively little about computers or coding?
Sengmany: I used to work in client services for a financial institution before transitioning into the tech industry as a user experience designer, and basically the purpose of the job is the same: listening and problem-solving. Before, I had to fix an issue with an existing product, where a user would contact me and complain because something didn’t work, but now as a UX Designer my role is to prevent that problem in the first place. My job is to create great experiences on digital devices, i.e., phones, tablets or websites. One part is user research, capturing all the pain points a user may encounter during that experience. The other part is designing and prototyping the best experience based on the results of that research. As a designer, I’m lucky to work in tech without having to code!
How would you describe your project and the kind of outcome you'd like to see?
We will be partnering with the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development to design digital tools that help learners — and the service providers who support them — navigate Ontario’s adult education system. It is an important project for me because I changed careers not so long ago from finance to design and finding information about career training is not only difficult but also crucial for decision-making. So, I wish to make an impact within the government by helping public servants employ user-centric design, while also delivering a tailored and useful tool for learners.
What are some of the obstacles in introducing digital thinking within the government, and how are you addressing that?
I think the challenge will be to introduce new methodologies, processes and a new mindset within the government. People are used to doing things a certain way, and it is always difficult to begin to work differently. I am a strong believer of “a picture is worth a thousand words,” so I’ll show by doing. Luckily, MAESD seems very enthusiastic to have us on board and they’re excited to try new things, so that’s a great start!
What GIF best describes what you hope to do in this job?
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