1. History of IT
1.1. In 1999, the government identified as a significant issue the deterioration or obsolescence of hardware and software that cannot be, or has not been, upgraded to meet its needs or deliver its services. In 2005, a Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (the Secretariat) study noted that the government under-invests in up-to-date hardware and software.
1.1.1. In 1999, the government identified as a significant issue the deterioration or obsolescence of hardware and software that cannot be, or has not been, upgraded to meet its needs or deliver its services. In 2005, a Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (the Secretariat) study noted that the government under-invests in up-to-date hardware and software.
2. Reliability
2.1. The federal government relies heavily on IT systems to deliver programs and services to Canadians. Even though these systems are functioning, many of them consist of legacy applications that are supported by old infrastructure and are at risk of breaking down.
2.1.1. A breakdown would have wide and severe consequences—at worst, the government could no longer conduct its business and deliver services to Canadians. Even applications that meet current business needs can be difficult and expensive to operate and may not be flexible enough to respond quickly to changes.
2.1.1.1. The renewal and modernization of IT systems does not happen overnight. It must be planned and budgeted for over the long term. The cost to renew and modernize IT systems are significant and can take many years to fund, and implementation can take five years or longer. Without sufficient and timely investments to modernize or replace aging systems, the ability of departments and agencies to serve Canadians is at risk.
2.2. Canadians expect the government to provide them with many services, such as processing personal income tax returns, issuing pension and benefit payments, and safeguarding personal information.
2.2.1. Information technology is now a vital part of service delivery for the government. Government business is supported by a vast array of information technology (IT) systems, some of which have been in use for several decades.
2.2.1.1. However, the term “aging IT systems” refers to more than just how old a system is in years. Many systems that are 10 years old or older were designed to be continuously upgraded. These systems are functioning and are likely to continue to do so for some time.
3. In the current world almost all functions of government are carried out using computer. Registration of persons is done using computers. Budgeting and forecasting is done using computers.
3.1. Duties
3.1.1. include in the plan a description of functions and services in the legislative branch and its agencies that would benefit from the application or improvement of information technology to provide better service to members of the legislature, legislative agencies, and the public
3.1.2. prioritize information technology initiatives, taking into consideration expected effectiveness, probable cost, and alignment with the enterprise architecture principles
3.1.3. approve and validate the branch enterprise architecture program that includes principles to maintain alignment with evolving business and technology needs
3.1.4. continuously review analyses of existing and alternate information systems to identify candidates for automation, modernization, enhancement, improvement, or integration with new applications to support evolving legislative branch needs or functions
3.1.5. adopt technology standards within the enterprise architecture program that are appropriate to the business needs and technical environment of the legislative branch and its agencies
3.1.6. consider information technology support of security, disaster recovery, and continuity of government
4. Uses
4.1. Like businesses, state and federal government offices use computers.employees must set up meetings and distribute various reports.various e-mail functions, payment distribution, record keeping and even coordinating mailings. Government offices that have computers usually have some type of email system in place. Emails enable government workers to compose, send or read emails from other workers and people outside the company.Some government agencies or offices might use computers to produce various direct-mail advertising campaigns. To keep track of tax payments, forms filed by individuals and corporations, people entering and leaving the country, and the status of government contracts. They also gather statistical information in such areas as society, education, the environment, commerce, and the economy. Computers have taken the place of sending agents and collecting documents, because the coordination and examination of information electronically is thousands of times faster and cheaper. Unfortunately, it also means that even more unnecessary or duplicate information is being collected and stored as well.
4.2. counting presidential votes, performing tax calculations, creating documents, running websites, organizing and cataloging census data and historical records, and more.
5. Costs
5.1. departments and agencies spend about $5 billion a year on IT
5.2. five of the government entities with the largest IT expenditures—the Canada Revenue Agency, Public Works and Government Services Canada, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and Citizenship and Immigration Canada
5.3. three major systems that deliver essential services to Canadians—the Employment Insurance Program, the Personal Income Tax and Benefits Return administration system, and the Standard Payment System. Audit work for this chapter was substantially completed on 30 November 2009.
5.3.1. The Employment Insurance Program processed more than 3.1 million claims and paid out over $16.3 billion to claimants in the 2008–09
5.3.2. The Personal Income Tax and Benefits Return administration system processed more than 27 million income tax and benefit returns that provided $166 billion of revenue and also distributed $17 billion in payments for benefits and credits in 2008–09
5.3.3. The Standard Payment System (SPS) is the principal system the government uses for issuing payments, including Old Age Security, Canada Pension Plan, and Employment Insurance benefits. It issued more than 250 million payments in 2008. In about 60 percent of cases, these payments are the only income or the main source of income for the people who are receiving them.
5.4. Although the Chief Information Officer Branch of the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat is aware that the aging of IT systems is an issue, it has not formally identified it as an area of importance for the government.
5.4.1. Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Public Works and Government Services Canada, and Human Resources and Skills Development Canada have taken some steps to manage the risks related to their aging IT systems, but much work remains to be done. The Canada Revenue Agency and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police are farther along. They have both identified the significant risks associated with their aging systems and completed a multi-year investment plan that defines and prioritizes ongoing and future work. Based on their preliminary estimates, they have determined that the costs involved are significant and that presently they lack sufficient resources to complete critical investments.