TORONTO – A unified vision of Canada’s digital future is crucial in the development of a national digital strategy, says a discussion paper issued by consulting firm Nordicity.
Towards a National Digital Strategy, released Thursday, calls on policymakers to shift their perception “to a more constructive, collaborative and holistic one”. Otherwise, it predicts, “solutions will continue to be piecemeal, and decisions will continue to be reactive and narrowly defined”.
“Canada can ill-afford to languish on its aging digital laurels”, said Nordicity senior partner Peter Lyman, in an announcement. “We have the opportunity to draw upon suggestions already made in other jurisdictions and improve upon them. We suggest the creation of a national digital panel that will report directly to a special cabinet committee over the course of 12 to 18 months in order to establish and implement a coherent digital strategy."
To identify what a national digital strategy should address, the paper grouped the issues in three parts:
1. An overarching societal need for digital literacy and skills in the modern world.
2. The need for a transformation of our support for the creation and distribution of cultural content.
3. The need for appropriate investment in our broadband and communications infrastructure to provide Canadians access to broadband services.
Lyman also said that in order for this process to be effective, it must be backed at the political level and by senior officials with clearly delineated tasks assigned to various departments and agencies.
