Canadian Government Computers: Getting Arthritic
March 3, 2020
Government organizations are usually the last to upgrade their computer systems to anything resembling state of the art technology. Lack of new technology prevents the government organizations from implementing new, streamlined procedures and even catching bad actors who cheat the system. CBC explains that something much worse could happen with old government technology in the article: “Aging Government Computer Systems At Risk Of ‘Critical Failure,’ Trudeau Warned.”
One would expect Canada to be on top of its computer systems compared to the United States, but in many ways the country has just as many problems as its southern neighbor. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described that his country’s computer infrastructures are outdated and on the brink of collapsing. Many of the computer systems are almost sixty years old, but the technology can no longer be maintained.
The Canadian Press accessed documents through the Access to Information Act, but most of the obtained information was blacked out except lines like “to stabilize mission-critical systems.”
Outdated computer systems are not high on politicians’ priority list, but they are learning that their constituents are happier when government organizations work. One of Canada’s most notorious antiquated and very used computer system is the Employment and Social Development that manages insurance benefits for every citizen. Upgrades are in the budget, but they cost more than anticipated.
“The Liberals have already made multiple changes to the federal social safety net that required programming changes to old systems. The documents to Trudeau suggest the aged systems pose a problem for more changes the Liberals have promised.
“The complex array of existing programs and services means that future program changes, to continue providing Canadians with the programs and services they expect when interacting with their government, will need to account for pressures on legacy IT systems, which are facing rust-out and critical failure,” part of the briefing binder says.
“These aging platforms neither meet the desired digital interaction nor are capable of full automation, and thus are unable to deliver cost-savings through back-office functions.”
Upgrades are planned, but the projects are complex. Also funding is required to keep systems running that were not meant to be used for so long. Funding is pulled away from upgrades to keep the legacy systems running. Canada did not attempt to update its systems as long they worked.
There is not a need to panic yet, but the warning signs are starting to blink. Canada’s government tried to update some IT-related projects in the past but they did not do well. It is estimated that upgrading all of Canada’s systems will take a decade. The problem will be finding the money and the right people to handle the project. Once the decade is over and everything is upgraded, the Canadian government will have to start all over again because technology advances so quickly. At least there will be a better system to upgrade from.
Whitney Grace, March 3, 2020
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