Abstract
A mixed methods case study of the Government of Canada provides a lens through which the skills development and training and development challenges confronting the public sector in an era of digitization and smart technologies can be examined. Findings related to four key inter-related themes emerged from the analysis of survey and interview data: i) current skills sufficiencies will be challenged by coming demands; ii) digital transformation is recognized as critical, but requires significant cultural and organizational change; iii) employees are uncertain about the use of smart technologies; and iv) there is a demand for expanded training opportunities to address these challenges. These findings reflect the broader context, in particular the increasing importance of hybrid skill sets that transcend traditional boundaries between technical and non-technical functions and skills, and the need for more open and integrative venues for discussion of and training regarding digital initiatives.
Highlights
Governments around the world are seeking to leverage digital technologies and online platforms as a basis of service delivery improvement and innovation
The purpose of this article is to examine the skills development and training and development challenges confronting the public sector in an era of digitization
We developed a survey in partnership with Canadian Digital Service (CDS) and in consultation with key stakeholders1, addressing population demographics, training preferences and needs, and aspects of knowledge, use, and training demand for 30 digital disciplines defined through a process of stakeholder consultation, and broader research on digital competencies
Summary
Governments around the world are seeking to leverage digital technologies and online platforms as a basis of service delivery improvement and innovation. The emergence of digital government – defined by the OECD as ‘the use of digital technologies, as an integrated part of governments’ modernisation strategies, to create public value’, is closely intertwined with electronic service delivery – with service performance viewed as an important determinant of government efficiency and public trust (Roy, 2017). Within this broad perspective, digital and electronic government (used interchangeably in this article) have been porous concepts since their inception, with a myriad of definitional approaches attempting to capture the many facets of individual, organizational, and institutional reforms associated with technological change – and the advent of the Internet. For the WEF and likeminded scholarly undertakings, trust in government, enjoins PVM and Gov 2.0 within an open and participatory logic consistently emphasizing new forms of public engagement and more networked-based governance systems (Clark, 2019; Clarke, 2013; Mergel, 2015; Gasco, 2014; Roy, 2013)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
