British Columbia is at a defining moment in how it delivers public services. With the creation of Connected Services BC, the province is entering a critical phase in its modernization journey, and one that will shape how government balances fiscal pressure, citizen expectations, cybersecurity, service resilience, and operational efficiency for years to come. Citizens increasingly expect government services to be as intuitive, secure, and responsive as those offered by the private sector, while ministries are being asked to deliver greater value from existing investments.
The challenge now is not simply organizational restructuring. It is ensuring the province does not lose momentum on what is already working while building a more connected, evidence-based and efficient operating model across government. Structural change without disciplined execution risks creating additional complexity rather than reducing it. Over time, systems, workflows, and infrastructure have evolved within individual ministries to meet specific mandates, delivering important outcomes but also creating fragmentation across data, platforms, governance, and service delivery. The result can be duplicated processes, inconsistent user experiences, increased security complexity, and higher operating costs. The move toward Connected Services BC reflects a recognition that better integration of systems, trusted data foundations, cybersecurity practices, and service design can improve both citizen outcomes and operational performance.
Artificial intelligence and intelligent automation are becoming increasingly important accelerators in this transition. However, AI alone is not the transformation strategy. Its value depends on strong governance, interoperable systems, secure infrastructure, and high-quality data. Jurisdictions moving too quickly without these foundations risk introducing new inefficiencies, governance gaps, and public trust concerns rather than meaningful modernization.
Other jurisdictions offer useful lessons in how to approach this transition. The United Kingdom and Estonia are consistently recognized as global leaders in digital government in both the United Nations E-Government Development Index and OECD Digital Government Index. The UK’s Government Digital Service demonstrated the value of common platforms, shared standards, and user-centred design through GOV.UK, while Estonia’s secure digital identity and data-sharing framework enable citizens to access nearly all public services through a unified digital ecosystem.
Despite their different approaches, both jurisdictions demonstrate that successful modernization is not driven by technology alone. It requires strong governance, trusted digital foundations, interoperability, and a relentless focus on outcomes. Closer to home, Canada’s experience during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the rapid deployment of digital vaccine credentials, demonstrated both the potential and the remaining gaps in building more connected, citizen-centred digital services. The next phase for governments is moving beyond isolated digital projects toward enterprise-wide workflow optimization, integrated service delivery, and more intelligent operational models.
A consistent lesson from these examples is that structural change alone is not enough. Success depends on clear governance, sustained leadership, and a disciplined focus on delivery. Greater alignment can improve consistency and efficiency, but it must also preserve the flexibility ministries need to meet diverse program requirements. Jurisdictions that have succeeded have done so by modernizing legacy infrastructure, establishing strong accountability, and prioritizing high-impact services early to build momentum and public trust.
For British Columbia, modernization must also reflect the province’s broader priorities around Indigenous partnership and engagement, regional accessibility, and maintaining citizen trust in public institutions. Technology transformation is ultimately about enabling better outcomes for people and communities across the province, not simply digitizing existing processes.
For governments undertaking transformations at this scale, partnerships become increasingly important. The most effective models go beyond traditional procurement relationships and focus instead on long-term, outcome-based partnerships that combine technical expertise, operational continuity, and shared accountability for delivery.
This is where firms like CGI can play a meaningful role. We have supported governments and public-sector organizations globally in modernizing service delivery, from Finland’s national Studyinfo ecosystem, where previously separate procurements were consolidated into a single eight-year agreement supporting continuous development and reduced administrative burden, to U.S. state modernization programs such as Texas’ enterprise financial system replacement and New Jersey’s disaster recovery platform. In Canada, we have also supported VIA Rail Canada through a long-term partnership on its modernized, cloud-based reservation system, reinforcing the value of sustained partnerships in improving digital service delivery and operational continuity. What differentiates successful transformation efforts is not simply deploying new technologies, but ensuring governments can operationalize them at scale while maintaining continuity of critical services.
CGI’s long-term partnership model is designed around this reality, embedding technical expertise alongside public sector teams to support sustained execution, modernization, and continuous improvement rather than short-term project delivery alone.
The opportunity for British Columbia is significant. In the near term, success will be measured through tangible outcomes including faster and simpler access to services, more efficient workflows, improved security and governance, and better value from public investments. Over time, the broader opportunity is to build a more connected, resilient, and citizen-focused public sector capable of adapting to future demands while maintaining public trust.
British Columbia has an opportunity not only to modernize government operations, but to help define what responsible, trusted and outcomes-driven public sector transformation can look like in Canada. Achieving that vision will require strong partnerships, disciplined execution, and a continued focus on measurable results, ensuring modernization delivers lasting value for both government and citizens alike.
