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The prominent role of information and communication technologies in public service delivery has raised many questions about how governments should manage their activities and design and implement public policies in the digital age. Digitalization entails a series of institutional, organizational, and operational impacts across all levels of government. However, our understanding of the relationship between digitalization and broader institutional elements, such as the multi-level dynamics of federal systems, still faces significant limitations. To fill this gap, the Centre on Governance at the University of Ottawa and the Forum of Federations with support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) are conducting research that explores the notions of digitalization and federalism. The research is based on the experiences of ten federations (Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, and the United States). Scheduled to take place at the University of Ottawa on April 27 and 28, 2023, the authors’ workshop will represent an important step for producing a book and advancing a new comparative research agenda that connects the two areas – digitalization and federalism – that, to date, have remained largely isolated from each other.

On April 27, an international panel discussion developed in partnership with the Canada School of Public Service will close the first day of activities with a panel of international experts bringing different perspectives on digital government in federations. The panellists will participate in an exchange followed by a Q&A session where practitioners, scholars, students, and the public will have the chance to discuss important issues to better understand how the digitalization agenda unfolds in federations.

Light meals and refreshments will be served.

Host:

• Eric Champagne, Associate Professor in Public Administration at the School of Political Studies and Director of the Centre on Governance at the University of Ottawa.

Welcoming Remarks:

• Guy Levesque, Associate Vice-President, Innovation, Partnerships and Entrepreneurship, University of Ottawa, and Chair of the Board of Directors, Kanata North Business Association.

• Rupak Chattopadhyay, President and CEO, Forum of Federations.

• Erica Vezeau, Director General, Digital Academy, Canada School of Public Service.

Expected Speakers:

• Sabine Kropp, Professor of German Politics at the Free University of Berlin.

• Jeannine Ritchot, Assistant Deputy Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs (Multilateral Relations).

• Mario Kölling: Assistant Professor of Political Science at UNED and Senior Researcher at Fundación Manuel Giménez Abad.

• Luis Claudio Kubota: Coordinator at the Institute for Applied Economic Research.

Moderator:

• Silvana Gomes, Ph.D. candidate in Public Administration, School of Political studies, and Doctoral researcher at the Centre on Governance, University of Ottawa.