The 311 Podcast

• S2:E8 Design at Scale with Savan Kong

  Transforming the Department of Defence with Savan Kong. Today my guest is Savan Kong. Savan has a unique resume and set of experiences. He was most recently the first ever Customer Experience Officer for the United States Department of Defense. One of the largest organizations of any kind in the world. When the CIO of the DOD tapped Savan to pioneer the new CXO role, Savan brought a design mindset to the job in every way. And in this episode, he's going to share his mindset and models for how to introduce design infrastructure into an organization as complex as the US DOD. I think you'll like his approach, and in the show notes, we'll be sure to spell out the model he lays out in the episode in great detail. Here's my conversation with Savan.---Guest information:Savan Kong LinkedIn---Savan's ModelSavan highlighted that design is an intentional act of problem-solving. He applied these principles to explore how the CXO office within the Department of Defense could leverage policy and strategy to enhance customer experience.While establishing the CXO office, Savan applied four key strategies in his model. Including specific steps in creating design infrastructure that embraces the problem solving nature of design thinking into the CXO infrastructure.Building Alliances: Identify key individuals to understand the organization and advance the CXO agenda.Identifying Leverage Points: Understand the organization's priorities, learn its culture, and identify key levers for initiative momentum.Defining Measurable Outcomes: Establish IT governance, update strategy for investment guidance, implement performance management (including OKRs), create a consistent intake structure for customer feedback, and build a user experience foundation.Developing a Robust Design Infrastructure: Ensure the infrastructure is authoritative (vetted, signed off, and documented),sustained (funded, adopted, and continuously improved), andscaled (impacts many, is agnostic, and normalizes expectations).Recorded in May, 2025This is a show about the people that make digital public service work. If you'd like to find out more, visit northern.co/311-podcast/ We're going to keep having conversations like this. If you've got ideas of guests we should speak to, send us an email to [email protected]. Northern LinkedIn

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• S2 E7 - The Future of Trust and Identity with Tim Bouma

   Today my guest is Tim Bouma. Tim is Canada's public sector digital identity expert. He's held key roles in the federal government for years and was a key player in the Pan-Canadian Trust Framework, which brought together regional and federal government players to define standards and best practices for digital identity.Tim now sits as a special advisor to Canada's Digital Governance Council, Conseil de Gouvernance Numérique, a member driven nonprofit working on responsible design, architecture, and management of digital technologies for the public service. Guest information:Tim Bouma, Special Advisor, Digital Governance Council LinkedInDigital Governance Council Website LinkedInPublic Sector Profile of the Pan-Canadian Trust Framework | Cadre de Confiance pancanadienThe 311 episode with guest and shared friend, Ashley Casovan, that recommended Paul look to Tim Bouma for Canadian expertise in the digital identity area: S1 E1 - Governing A.I. with Ashley Casovan, The 311 PodcastAdditional information on some of the technologies mentioned in the episode:Most Minimal Trust Framework, Tim Bouma’s NewsletterTrust Frameworks, The Digital ID and Authentication Council of Canada (DIACC)Frequently Asked Questions, The Digital ID and Authentication Council of Canada (DIACC)Your Guide to Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI), Identity.comDecentralized Identity: The Ultimate Guide 2025, Dock Labs Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), LivingInternet BGPPublic Key Encryption, Geeks for GeeksWhat is public key infrastructure?, IBM Self­-Sov­er­eign Ide­nt­ity: A New Appr­oach to Dig­ital Ide­nt­ity, DSR CorporationIssuer / Holder / Verifier Model, LUNA.COWhat is Blockchain Technology?, Amazon Web ServicesChaumian ecash, chaum.comNostr: A Simple Protocol for DecThis is a show about the people that make digital public service work. If you'd like to find out more, visit northern.co/311-podcast/ We're going to keep having conversations like this. If you've got ideas of guests we should speak to, send us an email to [email protected]. Northern LinkedIn

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• S2 E6 - Data and Discovery in the Arctic with Tom Henheffer

  Today, my guest is Tom Henheffer.  Tom is the CEO of the Arctic Research Foundation, a non profit organization that facilitates data collection in Canada's Arctic region.The Arctic Research Foundation is an essential ingredient in Canada's civil society, working alongside universities, government, indigenous communities, and industry to build our understanding of this critical global region through research and data collection.The work that Tom and the Arctic Research Foundation does is challenging in logistics, environment, and cultural context,  but it's essential and inspiring.The public sector involves those that work for and within government, but also the many para government organizations that work around and alongside formal government bodies.  Without the work of the Arctic Research Foundation, Canada would be limited in its ability to understand the future issues facing the Arctic, as well as limited in its ability to maintain claims of territorial sovereignty.-----Guest information:Tom Henheffer LinkedInFor more information about the Arctic Research Foundation check out our website Arcticresearchfoundation.ca and ArcticFocus.org (their publishing platform). You can also connect with ARF on LinkedIn.Resource Links:Wrecks of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror National Historic Site - Parks CanadaGjoa Haven - Travel NunavutWhat does Mukurtu mean?Tuktoyaktuk - Spectacular NWTExploring Canada's Arctic Jewel - Baffin Island & Iqaluit Canadian Polar Data Consortium (CPDC), previously CCADIArctic Eider Society  | SIKU - The Indigenous Knowledge AppAbout the Gwich’inQikiqtaaluk CorporationLocation Information Courtesy Wikipedia:Gjoa HavenQikiqtaaluk RegionKivalliq RegionBeaufort SeaUngava BayThis is a show about the people that make digital public service work. If you'd like to find out more, visit northern.co/311-podcast/ We're going to keep having conversations like this. If you've got ideas of guests we should speak to, send us an email to [email protected]. Northern LinkedIn

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• S2 E5 - From AI Venture Studio to GovLab with Nicole Janssen

  Nicole Janssen on Bridging AI Innovation and Government SolutionsNicole is co-CEO of one of Canada's AI powerhouse organizations, AltaML. She's a national business leader and one of our experts in AI. Her firm is also behind the Alberta government's innovative AI research lab, operating as an R&D hub for the big, complex problems that the government hopes AI can help address. If you're not from Canada, and maybe even if you are, you may not know that Canada is an AI pioneer. Some of the earliest technology that is powering this new digital economy was conceived of and developed in Canadian universities.Canada has always had a very strong bond between higher education, the public sector, and industry when it comes to innovation. AI has grown here in this collaborative ecosystem. If you're feeling left behind by the pace of change in artificial intelligence at the moment, then I think you'll find Nicole's overview and perspective helpful. She lays out what is happening in the AI industry and where things are going,  and she also has great advice for government organizations just trying to get a toehold.Resource Links:GuestNicole Janssen, Co-Founder & Co-CEO, AltaML - LinkedIn AltaML:  AltaML LinkedIn GovLabCanadian AI InstitutesEdmonton - AmiiMontreal - MilaToronto - Vector AI for Wildfire PredictionDigital Transformation at Scale (Book) - Amazon.ca | Indigo | KoboThis is a show about the people that make digital public service work. If you'd like to find out more, visit northern.co/311-podcast/ We're going to keep having conversations like this. If you've got ideas of guests we should speak to, send us an email to [email protected]. Northern LinkedIn

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• S2 E4 - Digital Government: a 2025 reality check with Vijay K Luthra

  What Digital Transformation for Government Means in 2025Today, my guest is Vijay Luthra. Vijay is the managing partner of CEVA Global in the UK, and he works to help government organizations in the UK and UAE to develop digital transformation strategies. Given the pace of change, particularly in the US, it's hard to say how long our conversation will remain relevant. It's hard to talk about the political side of government without taking sides, but we did our best to avoid thatVijay is, in his words, a former public servant and a recovering politician. He works in social enterprise and has deep expertise in healthcare and transformation. Today we decided to talk about what digital transformation for government means in the chaos that is early 2025.Resource Links:Vijay K Luthra LinkedInCEVA Global Website | LinkedInVUCA: volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity Harvard Busness Review | WikipediaThe National Programme for Information Technology ( NPfIT )Making IT work: harnessing the power of health information technology to improve care in EnglandThe UK's National Programme for IT: Why was it dismantled?Marshall McLuhanThe medium is the messageThe Medium is the Massage: An Inventory of Effects (1967) Marshall McLuhan & Quentin Fiore Amazon CA | IndigoDan Honig -  Mission Driven Bureaucrats | Amazon CADemis HassabisPress release: The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2024Recorded: Feb, 2025This is a show about the people that make digital public service work. If you'd like to find out more, visit northern.co/311-podcast/ We're going to keep having conversations like this. If you've got ideas of guests we should speak to, send us an email to [email protected]. Northern LinkedIn

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