The Exchange: Recent Episodes
Ari Hershberg
Public servants are seeking ways to better deliver services that meet citizen expectations in a complex, fast-changing world. The Exchange is a place to share ideas to better deliver services that meet citizens expectations, as well as learn from others doing this work around the world. Produced by collaborators within the BC Public Service
In this episode, Ari Hershberg interviews Lou Downe, Founder of the School of Good Services, about improving service delivery, and how you can reflect the practices in your work.
Go deeper into designing services that work
· We recommend Lou’s blog posts on why we need service literacy and Designers as the voice of the most excluded people
Please enjoy!
In this episode, your host, Ari Hershberg, sits down with Tom Loosemore, UK Government Digital Services Co-Founder. The conversation focuses on design systems and how they help us build services that cost less and work well.
Go deeper on design systems
- A presentation on design systems Tom gave at a design conference in New York last year: What everyone gets wrong about the GOV.UK Design System
- An in-depth post on internet-era ways of working
- An interview with Tom in Offscreen magazine which talks about the responsibilities those of us who design digital services have to exercise that power responsibly
- A write-up of some work Tom has led trying to understand how you might reinvent government for the internet era. Making government as a platform real
Please enjoy!
In this episode, your host, Ari Hershberg, sits down with Bahaa Harmouche, Director of Government Digital Experience at GDX. The conversation digs further into digital accessibility in the B.C. government. Bahaa and his team at GDX encourage and support teams to build accessibility into digital products from the start.
Go deeper into accessibility
Tool Kit:
- Get to know the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)
- Accessibility and Inclusion guides to support you with step-by-step instructions on how to do your work in a more inclusive way
Listen:
- Access and Ally - Bite-sized podcasts on how to make your websites and digital media accessible for everyone
Course:
- EDX is offering a free course on Introduction to Web Accessibility
- Deque University - Take the easier, faster path to digital accessibility
Please enjoy!
Welcome to the Exchange podcast: 'From Concept to Reality: How to Deliver and Lead Successful Services.' This is a continuation of the #DigitalBC Livestream, where we answer our audience's five top questions.
In this episode, your host, Ari Hershberg, sits down with UK's service improvement leader and specialist, [RC1] [AH2] Kate Tarling.
As an author and speaker with a rich background in enhancing big organization services, Kate dives into the evolution of public sector service delivery over the last decade, addresses whether service challenges are unique or universal across organizations, and reveals often unexpected aspects of developing superior services.
She also sheds light on the misunderstood world of governance in service organizations, offers strategies for better service delivery, and shares advice on avoiding common pitfalls in public service initiatives.
Please enjoy!
is there a word missing here? [RC1]
[AH2] Yes. Fixed.
Ever feel like you're drowning in communication noise and clutter? In episode 30 of The Exchange podcast, Ari Hershberg chats with guest Giles Turnbull, a communication expert from the UK.
Giles helps organizations communicate more like humans do and works with leaders, teams and individuals to plan better ways of communicating about work in progress.
A former member of the UK Government Digital Service's influential creative team, Giles has also worked with various UK government departments, local authorities, charities, non-profits, and international governments, including the United Nations and government teams in Switzerland, Estonia, Ireland, and California.
Join Ari Hershberg to learn more on The Exchange. You can connect at ari.hershberg@gov.bc.ca
In episode 29 of The Exchange podcast we're joined by Elle Waters, leader of accessibility support for Adobe's Digital Experience. Elle has over 15 years of experience teaching leadership and product teams the art of seamlessly integrating accessibility practices into their agile processes. She's deeply passionate about her work and her dedication to fostering inclusive digital experiences has made her a real trailblazer.
Elle sits down with Ari Hershberg to chat about the power of prioritizing accessibility from the start.
You can connect at ari.hershberg@gov.bc.ca
In Episode 28 of The Exchange podcast, we talk about developing policy in the open. What does it mean to work in the open? How can showing your work in progress actually improve the end result? Amy Kirtay and Annie Goodwin have some insights to share about their experience working in the open while developing the Digital Code of Practice for B.C.
Join Ari Hershberg to learn more on The Exchange. You can connect at ari.hershberg@gov.bc.ca
Host, Ari Hershberg, leads a captivating discussion with three individuals who played a role in shaping the Digital Plan. Joining him are Amy Kirtay, the Director of Digital Strategy; Sarah Poole, a Senior Policy Analyst; and Kirsten Anderson, a Policy Analyst.
Together, they delve into critical aspects of the plan, exploring topics such as the integration of Indigenous Peoples and consultation processes, compliance with digital accessibility and inclusion legislation, and the extensive impact of the Digital Plan on daily life. They also shed light on why it is essential for both public servants and citizens to be actively engaged in this significant development. This enlightening conversation is certain to pique your interest!
Links:
Digital.gov.bc.ca/policies-standards/digital-plan/
Digital.gov.bc.ca
Episode 26 of the Exchange Podcast continues the #DigitalBC Livestream disuccion about the new Gender and Sex Data Standard.
Ari Hershberg sits down with Gislene Guenard, Director, Data Management at BC Data Service, and Ray Larson, A/Director from the Social Sector of the BC Government, to chat about how ministries implemented the standard as part of their systems and services to build a more inclusive experience for all British Columbians.
I hope you enjoyed this episode on B.C.'s Gender and Sex Data Standard. You can connect with me at ari.hershberg@gov.bc.ca
In episode 25 of the Exchange podacast, Ari Hershberg chats with Peter Watkins from the Institute of Citizen-Centered Service about the challenges and successes of building secure government digital services.
They address unanswered questions from the February #DigitalBC Livestream and discuss the evolution towards a trusted digital ID system for citizens. It's a must-listen episode for all.
Did you miss the first part of the conversation? You can watch the livestream here.
I hope you enjoyed this episode on Ontario's Journey to Digital Governance. You can connect with me at ari.hershberg@gov.bc.ca
Welcome to episode 24 of the Exchange podcast.
Together, we will be discussing the DigitalBC Livestream Policy to Pixels - Is Design Stalled. We will explore how our jurisdiction compares to others, such as Gov.UK, regarding design maturity, acceptance, and organizational structure. We will also discuss tips for empowering designers within an agile team, strategies for supporting long-term thinking within sprints, and examples of finished good design products for the public.
We will also examine the role of Agile approach in breaking design stalls and the importance of learning across all disciplines as a foundation for making good service design decisions. Additionally, we will discuss strategies for communicating design benefits and ROI to senior leadership, moving beyond side-of-the-desk projects, and what to do when hitting a mental wall as a designer. So sit back, relax, and join us as we dive into the world of service design.
JP Fournier, Executive Director of the Digital Investment Office, continues the conversation from the #BCDigital Livestream with Rumon Carter on Fixing Digital Funding.
In this podcast, JP takes us further into the stories around his fast path from data jockey to fixer of government funding before he started working at the Digital Investment Office (DIO). We discuss what it's been like working at the DIO, JP's go-to reading in the government and more.
JP Fournier's suggested reading list
Core Policy and Procedures Manual
Public Sector Accounting Standards
Public Accounts
New South Wales Life Events Program
New South Wales Digital Restart Fund
Namita Sharma, formerly Senior Manager, Digital. Currently, the Senior Manager Digital Wallet program continues the conversation from the #BCDigital Livestream with Jillian Carruthers on Ontario's Journey to Digital Governance.
A few of the questions we discussed include, to the best of your knowledge, what are the biggest differences between Ontario and BC when it comes to digital governance, how did you manage the change management when it comes to data literacy?
Links:
- Digital First Assessments: a guiding light for product teams
- Standardizing rubrics to better evaluate digital services
I hope you enjoyed this episode on Ontario's Journey to Digital Governance. You can connect with me at ari.hershberg@gov.bc.ca
Director of Data Policy and Legislation Beth Collins, and Colleen Rice, Executive Director of Strategic Projects with the British Columbia public service, continues the conversation from the Livestream with Ari Hershberg on Data to help dismantle systemic racism.
The anti-racism data act is based on the input of more than 13,000 British Columbians. More than 90% of racialized people who provided feedback through community-led engagement sessions believed that collecting intersectional demographic data such as ethnic origin, ancestry, faith, ability and gender identity could bring positive change in B.C. and be a step toward building trust between government and Indigenous Peoples and racialized communities.
A few of the questions we discussed include What did you think this was going to be like before you started, what was it really like, and what is a story or comment from the engagements that stood out for you the most, especially in terms of its influence on the legislation development.
Links:
- New anti-racism data act will help fight systemic racism
- Eleven people selected to join B.C.’s new anti-racism data committee
I hope you enjoyed this episode Digital Talent in the Public Sector: Defining Success. You can connect with me at ari.hershberg@gov.bc.ca
Dorothy Eng, Executive Director for Code for Canada, Jonathan Craft, Policy Ready Co-Founder and Associate Professor at the University of Toronto and Jordan Samis, Senior Director Digital Delivery, with the British Columbia public service. continues the conversation from the Livestream with Ari Hershberg on Digital Talent in the Public Sector: Defining Success
As I shared on the webinar, attracting and retaining Digital Talent is a big challenge that has only grown through the experience of COVID-19. We had a passionate audience that openly shared their difficulties and problems with current hiuring, pay, and other areas they would like to see improved. We will be covering the top five questions.
In the fall we will continue the series by offering three more conversations:
- Around the role of private sector in public sector digital transformation
- Role of learning and development in building digital capacity in public institutions
- Growing and supporting digital communities to support this work
Link:
- Policy Ready Case Study Series
Hope you enjoyed this episode Digital Talent in the Public Sector: Defining Success. You can connect with me at ari.hershberg@gov.bc.ca,
Rumon Carter, Executive Lead, BC Parks Service Transformation, BC Parks and Recreation Sites & Trails Division continues the conversation from the #DigitalBC Livestream with CJ Ritchie on Reimaging the BC Parks Experience from the outside in.
Some of the questions we discuss include what operational results are your digital transformation efforts creating presently, how much consultation did you have with the public, and how do you balance expectations of digital service transformation priority vs service priority itself, and more
Link
-BC Parks Digital Service
Thanks for joining us for our seventeenth episode. I am talking with Marianne Bellotti, author of Kill it with Fire Manage Aging Computer Systems (and Future Proof Modern Ones) to continue the conversation from the #DigitalBC Livestream with Jillian Carruthers on Legacy Modernization Part 3
Topics discussed:
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Types of thinking required to approach designing future systems today that we will not have technical debt future generations to address/deal with
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Is it realistic for an enterprise to attempt to build and maintain core software capabilities (i.e. common components)
-What role do incentives play in how government structures its projects? The desire for certainty, the lack of openness to pivots etc
Links:
- Marianne Bellotti articles on Medium
Thanks for joining us for our sixteenth episode. I am talking with John Jordan, BC Digital Trust Service, and Executive Director for the Trust Over IP Foundation. John has been working at the vanguard of digital trust and identity for many years, bringing his experience from the federal government to BC in 2016. We are continuing the conversation from the #DigitalBC Livestream with Jillian Carruthers on Why Digital Trust and Identity should Matter to you.
Topics discussed:
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Addressing the risk of shifting from a trust model to a verification model.
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Production implementation we can learn from around verifiable credentials
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Potential connections between Digital Identity and IDs like vaccination passports
Links:
-
BC Digital Trust
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Connect with John Jordan at John.jordan@gov.bc.ca
Honey Dacanay, Executive Director, Benefits Delivery Modernization Employment and Social Development Canada to continue the conversation from the #DigitalBC Livestream with Jillian Carruthers on Legacy Modernization Part 2: Policy by Design.
Honey answers questions on the complexity of government and how to evolve tech approach or culture across ministries, using policy to keep up with the pace of citizen demands and technology direction repurposing legacy systems and more.
If you would like to go further, we have curated a few articles from Honey on Medium
- Enabling conditions, not just heroics
- Year-end reflections on digital government
- Asking the ultimate awkward question
Russell Treloar, Team Lead, Workplace Strategies and Planning, Real Properties Division and Jordan Samis, Director at the Exchange Lab continue the conversation from the #DigitalBC Livestream with CJ Ritchie on The New Exchange Lab. Building Community for the Modernized Workforce.
COVID-19 has changed how we all work. The Share Space and the Exchange Lab are leaders in the new way of working. Listen to Russell and Jordan's thoughts on how the new Exchange Lab and Share Space will effect culture in government, moon shot or audacious goals for the new Exchange Lab, how the spaces support service delivery for the people of BC and more.
Take a tour of the new Exchange Lab. 1 min
If you work for the BC Government, please check out this 360 link of the Langford Share Space
Dai Vaughan, co-founder of the UK Government Digital to continue the conversation from the #DigitalBC Livestream with Jillian Carruthers on Legacy Modernization Part 1: The Why. Some of the questions we discuss include funding teams rather than projects, overcoming risk aversion, teams that change policy and more.
If you would like to go deeper, check out this series by Dave Rogers on Toxic technology, it's causes and what to do
Nino Samson, Product Owner, Health Gateway, Ministry of Health team to continue the conversation from the #DigitalBC Livestream with Jillian Carruthers on Setting the conditions for digital at scale enhanced the Health Gateway teams velocity. How we enable the foundations for digital teams, ensuring that digital teams can be successful in the long run is crucial, and in this continuing conversation we are not talking about small tiny pieces. This is the Ministry of Health. This is a very big ministry in our organization, and how we drive agile change.
In this Exchange podcast, Matthew Hall and Jessica Wade continues the conversation from the #DigitalBC Livestream with Jaimie Boyd from July 6 on Leadership Attributes of a Product Owner.
Some of the questions we discuss include How do you build user centric products if you have that barrier of directly accessing your user group, defining value, what are the most difficult aspects of the job and more
Alex MacLennan, Assistant Deputy Minister, Enterprise Service Division continues the conversation from the #DigitalBC Livestream with CJ Ritchie on Digital Workplace. What does it mean?
Some of the questions we discuss include what do you believe will be different in the workplace of the future, suggestions for how to support those who are struggling to transition to this new world, accountability and trust in the workplace and more.
CJ Ritchie, Associate Deputy Minister and Government Chief Information Officer shares thoughts on her path to getting into Digital Government, key traits to be an effective leader and more on Women Leaders in tech.
About Join David Hume (Assistant Deputy Minister, Government Digital Experience), Ricardo Wagner (Accessibility Lead, Microsoft) and Ari Hershberg (Community of Practice Lead, Exchange Lab) as they discuss what it means to be accessible. They tackle topics like working with legacy tools and technologies, connectivity and cultural accountability. They also share how to cultivate a more accessible and inclusive approach and the tools you need to get started.
Resources
- Accessible government
- Accessibility and Inclusion Toolkit
- Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Overview
- Make content accessible to everyone with the Microsoft Accessibility Checker
This podcast was originally recorded in October 2020. Jillian Carruthers, now an Executive Director, Service Transformation for the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, shares her thoughts on How the Experience of getting results will change an organization in this installment of A Learner's Journey.
This is the second podcast of the two-part series on Face-to-Face with Racism. The first podcast featured Dea and Stephanie. Today I am connecting with Roland Best, Manager, Strategic Human Resources. The focus is on the global conversation about race and racism in the past year and the term white privilege. This is a 34-minute interview. Music by Roland Best PKA: E-RoL Beats
Zorin Samji, senior portfolio manager for the BC Services Card and Mikaela Bertucci, senior program developer for the Property Information Management System talk about working in a new way, what it was like to work in the lab and what it takes to build a strong team and an excellent product in the fourth segment on the Learners Journey: Diving In
We hope you are enjoying the podcast. Please connect to share what you would like to learn about. Drop me a line at Ari.Hershberg@gov.bc.ca with your thoughts.
Jake Morris, is the Senior Scrum Master for the Wildfire team at the Ministry of Environment shares thoughts on becoming a Scrum Master, and working on different teams in our third episode of a Learners Journey - Learning about Change.
Stephanie Peter, Indigenous Initiatives Lead and Dea De Jarisco, Digital Talent Lead connect after the Face-to-Face with Racism webinar and share stories from the aftermath and theme from the webinar in a conversation, a 30-minute interview. Music by Roland Best PKA: E-RoL Beats
Spencer Tickner, Executive Director & Chief Technology Officer at the Ministry of Education shares stories when he was the product owner for different teams Queen's Printer. Spencer explain Agile Methodologies in a way that make sense for government. I think he has a wonderful way of explaining what is now a common word in government that is logical and easy to grasp.
Host Ari Hershberg, Community Practice Lead talks to Todd Wilson, Director of Technology Solutions at the BCDevExchange about what it was like at the beginning of creating the BCDevExchange and the difficulties of introducing change in the government.