Getting insights from data to improve government services

Data is one of the government’s most powerful assets for improving citizen experience of government. 

This webinar will bring together public servants from Canada and beyond to discuss how governments are working to develop and implement approaches that can better use data to inform – and improve – the delivery of services. 

In this session, we discussed how government organisations in Canada and around the world are developing data infrastructure that can be used to provide more actionable insights for public servants and more joined-up, personalised services for users.

This webinar shared insights on how to better join up data to reform to create more responsive public services. 

Join us to discuss:

• How government can make the most of data- and AI-driven decision-making – and the barriers to making this happen.
• How leaders in government can create an organisational culture where people feel empowered to use data and AI to augment their work
• How government organisations are looking to improve the skills of civil and public servants to interpret and use data and AI.

Panel

Kara Beckles, Executive Director, Privacy and Responsible Data, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

Kara Beckles is the Executive Director within the Privacy and Responsible Data Division at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS). As an active and experienced data leader in the Government of Canada, Kara has held various executive positions across the public service, including Chief Data Officer and Director General of Data and Information Services at the Privy Council Office (PCO), Director General of Data Integration in PCO’s Result and Delivery Unit, and Chief Economist at Agriculture and Agri-food Canada. She has also held various strategic, policy and analytical roles at Finance Canada, Treasury Board Secretariat, Statistics Canada, the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and PCO. Kara holds a Bachelor of Arts in economics and business from the University of Winnipeg and a Master of Arts in economics from Dalhousie University.

Nancy Porteous, Vice President, Oversight and Investigations, Public Service Commission, Canada

Nancy Porteous is Vice President of the Oversight and Investigations Sector at the Public Service Commission of Canada. Nancy previously held various executive positions at the Public Health Agency of Canada and Health Canada. Prior to joining the federal government over 20 years ago, Nancy worked for an applied social research consulting firm and in a number of different roles for the City of Ottawa.

Nancy is a Credentialed Evaluator and a Fellow of the Canadian Evaluation Society. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from McGill University and a Master of Science in Social Research Methods from the University of Surrey (England), where she studied as a Commonwealth Scholar.

Nadia Ahmad, Director General and Head of Evaluation, Knowledge and Evaluation Bureau, Global Affairs Canada

Nadia Ahmad is Director General, Knowledge and Evaluation at Global Affairs Canada. As Head of Evaluation, she leads the department’s use of evidence to strengthen policy and program effectiveness, efficiency, and relevance. She also oversees the Open Insights Hub, which connects the department with external expertise and delivers strategic analysis to inform a deeper understanding of the evolving global context. A former Chief Data Officer, Nadia brings an evidence‑informed approach to analysis and advice. With broad experience in international relations, she has worked across complex global environments and is known for fostering critical reflection and innovation. She is committed to inclusive leadership, including in her role as departmental Champion for Racialized Employees. Nadia holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto, a Juris Doctor from Michigan State University and a Master of Laws from the University of Ottawa.

Gabrielle FitzGerald, Senior Director, Analytics and Systems Division, Justice Canada

Gabrielle FitzGerald joined Justice Canada in late 2024 as Senior Director of Analytics and Systems Division.  She leads an innovative team of professionals responsible for the Legal case management systems, Data & Business Analytics, and Artificial Intelligence. Prior to joining the Justice, she was Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) Chief Data and Chief Risk Officer, leading their Information Management (IM) program, Data and Analytics Strategies, and Artificial Intelligence initiatives; responding to the science and regulatory data needs for food safety and animal & plant health. Before that, she led the implementation of Infrastructure Canada’s Data Strategy, including responsibility of Canada’s first ever national survey of public infrastructure and the department’s research contributions program. With over two decades of experience as a Canadian federal public servant, her expertise has helped to shape the delivery of Canada’s mineral statistics program; led to the design and implementation of anti-corruption legislation through the Extractive Sector Transparency Measures Act – Canada’s response to the G8 commitment on global transparency in the extractives sector; and chaired key data roles in Canada’s contribution to the international Kimberley Process – a regulatory regime put in place to deter the trade of conflict diamonds.  She holds a degree in Mathematics from the University of Waterloo and a specialization in computer science and combinatorics and optimization.

Webinar chair: Siobhan Benita, Moderator, Global Government Forum

Siobhan was a senior civil servant in the UK with more than 15 years’ Whitehall experience. She worked in many of major delivery departments, including Transport, Environment, Health and Local Government. She also had senior roles at the heart of government in the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury, including supporting the then Cabinet Secretary, Lord O’Donnell, to lead work on civil service reform and strategy. Siobhan left to run as an independent candidate in the Mayor of London election. She subsequently joined her alma mater, Warwick University, as Chief Strategy Officer of Warwick in London and Co-Director of the Warwick Policy Lab