Redefining government services: Five minutes with Quebec’s digital communications director
This interview with Martin Boucher, director of government digital communications for the Government of Quebec, is part of a ‘Five minutes’ series featuring speakers from AccelerateGOV, taking place in Ottawa on 21 October.
Boucher will take part in a panel session on making government services accessible, frictionless and usable for all.
What are you most excited about sharing at this year’s AccelerateGOV conference?
I’m excited to share the story of Quebec.ca. Each time we migrate an ‘old’ website into Quebec.ca, we are, among other things, replacing non-accessible content with accessible content. The development plan for Quebec.ca has become the official web accessibility plan for the whole Quebec government.
I’m also excited to share how our user research is helping us adopt new practices and abandon old ones – that one is very hard. We found that web content and transactional services are inseparable and are both considered as services by citizens. We also found that citizens don’t ‘shop’ for services the way we pick food at a buffet. They rather adopt a ‘GPS driving itinerary’ behaviour. That changes the design approach and deeply rooted beliefs.
Read more: Government CIO discusses how Canada is making progress on digital transformation
What drew you to a career in the civil service?
I was a business owner in digital communications, and I was offered a job at a major university in Quebec City (Laval University). I discovered that working for a noble cause such as education and research was highly motivating.
What have you achieved in your career that you’re most proud of?
The successful delivery of the Quebec Government Digital Communication Transformation Strategy, and of course managing Quebec.ca during the pandemic.
What barriers or challenges have you overcome in your career?
Somehow, I was often involved in situations or projects that were deemed impossible or non-conventional. This included starting a business before working in an agency, publishing branding standards for a large and decentralised organisation (university), building an in-house web agency, delivering a successful government strategy, and teaching a master’s course without having completed a master’s degree.
What advice would you give someone starting out in the civil service?
Bring people together by focusing on demonstrated added value. Make decisions based on evidence and data rather than expertise or so-called authority. Do what you have to do and send it out to the universe. Achievements speak louder than gossip. Tell your story or someone else will.
Read more: Ensuring AI is inclusive: Five minutes with Canada’s first chief accessibility officer
Which country’s civil service or which government department or agency are you most inspired by and why?
GDS [the Government Digital Service] in the UK is a pioneer and the ultimate example. Quebec.ca strives to become the GOV.UK of North America. Their 10 design principles and their focus on research was fresh, eye-opening and very bold, especially the first principle that states: “Start with user needs” – with a little asterisk saying “not government needs”.
What attributes do you most value in people?
Integrity, empathy, openness.
Which three famous people, alive or dead, would you most like to invite to a dinner party?
David Letterman, Peter Gabriel and Christopher Lee.
Who is your hero?
King Theoden of Rohan
Boucher will be joined on the panel by Stephanie Cadieux, chief accessibility officer for the Government of Canada; Clara Morgan, director of the Office of Public Service Accessibility, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat; Dino Zuppa, acting CEO, Accessibility Standards Canada; and Jonathan Finch (invited), director, digital experience, Office of Management and Budget, United States.
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