Information Management Vision and Implementation, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada

The Client
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) is responsible for two separate yet equally important mandates: Indian and Inuit Affairs and Northern Affairs. The department is responsible for administering over 50 statutes in total and its primary role is to support First Nations and Inuit in developing healthy, sustainable communities and in achieving their economic and social aspirations.

The Challenge
The Deputy Minister of INCAC, asked the Information Management Branch (IMB) to undertake a Strategic Technology & Information Review. IMB contracted KTA Consulting to conduct the review. The purpose of the review was to examine the way in which information management and information technology (IM/IT) support the business lines and needs of INAC

How KTA Helped
Through collaborative work with the IMB, which included activities like review of background of materials such as departmental business lines, initiatives and policies; interviews with members of the IM/IT Advisory Board; focus groups consisting of Front Line Staff and interviews with Senior Management to determine the current status and future goals of INAC IT; and analysis and recommendations for next steps toward realizing the IT vision, KTA was able to create a Strategic Technology & Information Review (STIR).

The STIR process had the following goals:

1. to perform a critical review of the current state of IT affairs;
2. to provide an assessment of future goals;
3. to identify the gaps which exist between the current state of INAC IM/IT and where INAC eventually wants to be, taking into account DIAND=s policy objectives; and
4. to assist DIAND in determining its IM/IT priorities.

Since the completion of the final report, involvement of aboriginal communities remains a crucial objective and discussions with the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) and other

Aboriginal organizations in Canada have been pursued in accordance with the recommendations made by KTA.