Public Sector Chief Information Officer Council (PSCIOC)

The benefits of cross-jurisdictional cooperation in the deployment of information and communications technologies to support operational and program delivery functions of governments in Canada was formally recognized with the formation of the Association of Canadian Informatics in Government (ACIG) in 1976. During its early stages, the ACIG focus was to share information on best practices and solutions as a means of reducing costs while increasing effectiveness in the management of information technology within jurisdictions. In the 1990s, governments recognized IT as a strategic enabler for their program delivery priorities with the appointment of Chief Information Officers (CIOs) in many of the provinces, territories and the federal government. This led to an evolution from ACIG to the Public Sector Chief Information Officer Council (PSCIOC) in March 1998.

The PSCIOC focuses on pan-Canadian information technology and information management issues and is comprised of the Chief Information Officers of the federal/provincial/territorial governments and senior municipal IT representatives via the Municipal Information Systems Association (MISA).

The PSCIOC’s mission is to enable enhanced service to the Canadian public through collaboration across governments and to demonstrate leadership in the management of information technology. Current priorities focus on identity management, privacy, guidelines for information sharing across jurisdictions, procurement policies and good practices, emerging technologies and the evolution of the Chief Information Officer community in Canada and around the world.