For those of you not familiar with what I am referring to, the Government of Canada (Goc) Web Renewal Initiative aims to streamline the GoC’s web presence through a single central website, Canada.ca .
What exactly does that mean?
“Canada.ca features 15 user-centric themes based on the top information and tasks that visitors are looking for. The site is accessible and easy to use on any device. It offers a revamped and comprehensive media/news section with new features as well as an improved search function. Over a period of three years, approximately 1,500 individual websites will be brought together under Canada.ca to make it easier for Canadians to find information.” – Treasury Board Secretariat
Yes, you got that right, one portal website to serve as a starting point for all citizen needs that fall under federal jurisdiction. This is by no means a new concept. Here it is fully implemented elsewhere across various jurisdictions:
- Federal level (UK): https://www.gov.uk/
- Provincial level (Ontario): https://www.ontario.ca/page/government-ontario
- Municipal level (Calgary): http://www.calgary.ca/ (go to browse by topic)
Essentially the purpose here is to stop requiring Canadians to know what each department does, let alone the name of the department itself (especially in lieu of the constant name changes).
Instead, the aim is to shift the focus to the task they are trying to accomplish. In theory this is a great approach, however make no mistake, the work involved in the transition for the Government of Canada is tremendous and should not be underestimated.