A technology trailblazer in public sector IT
Aligning government objectives with a winning technology strategy
The Challenge
Transforming the city’s IT department and increasing agility while reducing costs.
Like many organizations in the public sector, The City of Ottawa faced the challenge of modernizing its information technology processes and systems. In the last decade, municipal operations have become more contingent on technological infrastructure and innovation than ever before.
“Digital transformation is being adopted more quickly by clients, and we’re facing demands for more new and innovative solutions—and in far less time than ever before,” says Lea Catana, Solution Project Manager. “This new reality challenges resources, skills and data knowledge within the corporation.”
Who we are
As one of Canada’s largest cities and the nation’s capital, the City of Ottawa has long been looked to as a leader in the public sector.
The City of Ottawa by the numbers
Home to 1M people
2 Official languages
What we're learning:
DevOps
Javascript
Powershell
Microsoft Power BI
React
Git
Azure
The Solution
Using Pluralsight to move key initiatives forward
The City’s Former CIO first introduced Pluralsight in 2017 as they began to transition from legacy applications to newer platforms and development stacks. Teams also embarked on an Office 365 deployment process and efforts to bolster cybersecurity skill sets and awareness. With access to Pluralsight’s technology skills platform, they were able to help entire teams develop skills across several new technologies instead of limiting access to only a few people per year.
“Pluralsight was a game changer for us. Gone were the days of an expensive course you could never schedule when needed. Pluralsight offered unlimited consumption to thousands of courses on demand,” says Chris Gagne, Coordinator, Database and Data Transformation Solutions. “Pluralsight simply accelerated our development and increased our exposure to new technology."
To align skill development to their objectives, the teams create Pluralsight channels around artificial intelligence, robotic process automation, cloud architecture, project management and more.
The key benefits of Pluralsight for The City of Ottawa
Organized learning
Pluralsight channels help city employees master new tech such as AI, cloud architecture and more.
Cost-effective + inclusive
Historically, only 3-4 members of each team received training each year. With Pluralsight, anyone can skill up.
Flexible
Staff can grow their skills whenever and wherever it suits them.
Success-boosting
The city has created a culture of ongoing learning that allows team members to take on new challenges and grow their roles.
Accelerating vital progress
“Pluralsight was a game-changer for us. Instead of training one or two [people] for the year, I could enable my entire team to develop skills across several new technologies within a few months of Pluralsight coming on. It accelerated our development and increased our exposure to new technology.
Chris Gagne, Coordinator, Database & Data Transformation Solutions
The Results
Providing constituents with secure, modern infrastructure by 2020
With Pluralsight, teams aren’t limited in their skill development. They have complete flexibility to develop skills based on needs and interests, which has helped create an environment of ongoing learning.
“Staff are encouraged to develop new skills to remain relevant, grow in their roles and take on new projects and challenges,” says Lea. “Pluralsight helps provide the skills for them to succeed.”
By 2020, The City aims to provide constituents with secure, modern, reliable experiences that are available anytime, anywhere and from any device.
“We are constantly looking to future-proof the support being offered to clients and residents,” says Lee Farrell, Manager of Frontline Services. “The ultimate goal is to improve services to residents.”
With Pluralsight helping Ottawa benchmark and improve its teams’ tech skills, The City is on track to meet its 2020 goals, and is heading into the future with agility and integrity.