The Longlist
Around 80 of you sent your ideas into the Public Service Data Challenge, and the judges long-listed the nine most promising for development by interdisciplinary, cross-departmental project teams: these ideas are outlined below. At the Semi-Final on 15 May, the judging panel selected four of these to move forward to the Final: for more information, see our Shortlist page.
Many thanks to everyone who submitted an idea: the quality of your proposals was very high, clearly demonstrating the expertise, inventiveness, enthusiasm and commitment of Canada’s federal workforce.
Below you can read short summaries of the long-listed ideas.
Create a real-time bed availability tool for the homeless
Pulling together data on the availability of beds for homeless people at a regional level, and matching individuals with suitable accommodation, this tool will help those in need find a place to stay. Addressing a growing humanitarian crisis, it will much improve the health and wellbeing of homeless individuals while ensuring that public and voluntary sector resources are used as efficiently as possible.
Use ‘process mining’ to streamline transactional services
Drawing on records tracking the operation of public sector transactional services, ‘process mining’ identifies bottlenecks, common errors and other weak points, enabling managers to re-engineer systems, apply new technologies and better target resources. Trialling on immigration or passport services, the program will hone the technique and demonstrate its benefits for public servants and citizens.
Build a one-stop-shop for public health information and research
Drawing on public health data held by research councils, academic bodies, charities and international organisations, this AI-assisted ‘knowledge translation platform’ will provide user-friendly, customizable and searchable access to a huge range of information and evidence – aiding research, policy-making and service delivery, and promoting collaboration across organisational and sectoral boundaries.
Create a geospatial tool to improve infrastructure development
Bringing local demographic, economic, environmental and built environment data together with information on existing and proposed infrastructure, ‘Infraspatial’ will improve public servants’ understanding of how new developments will impact local communities and economies. Using the interactive mapping tool ArcGIS Online, the tool will enable non-technical staff to realise the potential of geospatial data.
Develop ‘rules as code’ chatbots for use in public services
Generative AI has huge potential for use in chatbots, guiding citizens through public services and information – but its tendency to ‘hallucinate’ renders it unsuitable for many advisory functions. This project will explore how to address this problem using ‘rules as code’ or Symbolic AI, under which systems deploy Generative AI to understand a request but distribute only accurate, verified packages of information.
Deploy AI to better resolve First Nations’ historic grievances
The government has resolved more than 600 historic First Nation grievances, but lacks a single repository of past research and agreements – gathering material from scratch for each new negotiation. Applying AI to analyse and catalogue a comprehensive repository of past research and settlements, this project would reduce duplication, strengthen the evidence base, improve consistency and hasten the resolution of grievances.
Map air pollution data and other key indicators to improve policymaking
Providing better information for environmental assessors and policymakers, this map-based tool will bring together data on local air quality, demographics and wildfires, feeding in evidence on the health impacts of air pollutants. Enabling users to track pollutants and public risks, over time and at a local level, the platform will help inform decisions in fields such as planning, transport and environmental regulation.
Provide common data definitions and tools to aid analysis and collaboration
When comparing datasets, public servants lack a universal set of definitions and formats – even for core information such as departmental names and street addresses. Data owners and specialists would also benefit from access to a common set of table and graph tools, pulling in datasets in real time. This project will explore how best to improve the data management tools available to public servants across government.
Analyse existing data to better target energy efficiency spending
The Canadian government funds work to improve homes’ energy efficiency, involving the commissioning of energy audits, energy modelling for multi-unit residences, and the submission of invoices for improvement works. By combining these sets of information, managers could track the impact of spending on emissions, compare the value for money of different investments, and improve program design for the future.
Vanessa is a Senior Solutions Architect at NVIDIA, specializing in helping the Canadian ecosystem adopt AI platforms. She holds a master’s degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Toronto and has 14 years of hands-on experience in high performance computing. Her expertise is centered around the deployment of deep learning models for latency-critical applications, with a focus on optimizing software-hardware co-design to maximize performance and efficiency.
Kate is the new Director of Data Science at Infrastructure Canada. Graduating with a Master’s degree in Economics, Kate has over a dozen years in the public service, first at Statistics Canada where she developed a passion for analytical programming and innovation. Leveraging her experience in establishing enterprise-wide strategic adoption of R and Python, modernizing scalable and reproduceable data analytics, Kate joined Infrastructure Canada’s Data Science Team to lead the acceleration of the department’s data strategy and use of data science to better leverage data and analytics for decision making.
Dr. Ranjana Sharma is Natural Resources Canada’s Chief Scientist and serves as the department’s Chief Scientific Data Officer.
Erika-Kirsten Easton joined Transport Canada in August 2023 as the Director General of Service and Data Modernization and the Chief Data Officer.
Robert is responsible for advancing the department’s enterprise data and AI agenda. He has played a pivotal role in shaping and implementing a modern, integrated approach to data, digital, and artificial intelligence—delivering secure, scalable solutions that support Canada’s diplomatic, trade, and consular priorities. Known for his ability to drive complex transformation and align diverse stakeholders, Robert is a strong proponent of cross-government collaboration.
Nadia Ahmad is Director General of Data and Evaluation at Global Affairs Canada. In this capacity she serves as Chief Data Officer and Head of Evaluation for the department. Having held a number of executive positions, Nadia is committed to building and nurturing diverse and inclusive teams and contributing data-derived insights to inform decision-making and foster more impactful policies, programs and services. Nadia holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto, a Juris Doctor from Michigan State University and a Master of Laws from the University of Ottawa.
Mr. Dufour is Director General, Innovation Branch at the Department of Natural Resources Canada. He is responsible to advance a departmental strategy to support innovation in the natural resource sectors and provide policy guidance on development and deployment of clean technologies. He leads the Clean Growth Hub – a whole-of-government focal point, composed of 17 departments and agencies, focused on providing front-line support to clean technology companies to navigate federal programming and clean tech regulations. Mr. Dufour is also responsible to develop international partnerships and in advancing international collaboration in clean technology R&D and innovation. He leads the management of the department’s intellectual property portfolio and services. Finally, he is the Head of the NRCan Digital Accelerator, looking at the application of innovative digital technologies to enhance the Department’s ability to conduct research and analysis, and provide evidence-based policy advice supported by advanced analytical techniques.
Celio Oliveira is the Chief Data Officer at the Department of Finance Canada and a recognized authority in data, digital strategy, and ethical, human-centered AI governance. Named among the Global Top 100 Innovators in Data, Analytics and AI in 2025, he has also been a finalist for the Public Service Data Challenge and the U.S. Automation Awards. A Fellow at the Future Government Institute, he is regarded as one of Canada’s leading voices on evidence-based innovation in complex institutional settings.
Elise was appointed Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Chief Data Officer in the summer of 2021. She leads a small, passionate team of policy and IT professionals dedicated to both harnessing and unleashing the power of data to improve service delivery and support the sector’s sustainable growth. 
Ms. Loignon was appointed Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) in August 2016. As CIO, Ms. Loignon leads the Digital Strategy implementation and the Information Management (IM) and Information Technology (IT) initiatives and operations that enable the delivery of ECCC programs and services. Among her strategic objectives, Ms. Loignon is responsible for the delivery of modern IM/IT solutions and practices, for the implementation of the ECCC project management center of excellence and to position the IM/IT team to embrace challenges of the future. As ECCC’s designated official for cyber security, Ms. Loignon is responsible in providing leadership, coordination and oversight for departmental cybersecurity management activities.
Together with NRCan’s Chief Information Officer and Chief Science Advisor, Daniel works with data leaders across the department and the Government of Canada to help everyone continuously improve the use of data as a strategic asset for the achievement of Departmental priorities, including through the development and implementation of the Departmental data strategy. 
Jason Reid joined Natural Resources Canada on July 27, 2020. He has more than 25 years professional experience working within the Government of Canada (GC), the majority of which has been in fields of Information Management and Information Technology. He has held positions of increasing responsibility including being the Executive lead of two GC transformation projects. Jason was named to the EX cadre in 2007, he was awarded the Queens Golden Jubilee medal in 2002 and is a graduate of the Executive Leadership Development Program and the Career Assignment Program. He holds bachelor degree in Social Science with a concentration in Economics from University of Ottawa.
Joann Shields is an innovative leader with over 25 years in Information Management / Information Technology (IMIT) and Organizational Change across both the public and private sectors. 
Mélanie Robert is the Executive Director of Open Government at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS). She leads the Government of Canada’s efforts to open data and information and to increase accountability and citizen participation, and manages Canada’s Open Government and Open Data Portal (open.canada.ca) as well as the Online Access to Information Request Service.
Elizabeth is the Senior Director of Research and Experimentation in the Office of Chief Human Resources Officer, Treasury Board Secretariat, Government of Canada, where she is responsible for leading advancements in innovation to improve outcomes for people management initiatives across the Government of Canada. Before starting this role in March 2020, she was Senior Lead, Behavioural Science, at the Impact and Innovation Unit at the Privy Council Office, where she oversaw the application of behavioural science to public policy challenges. Prior to joining the Government of Canada, Elizabeth held several senior leadership positions, including leading the Behavioural Insights Unit in the Government of Ontario, where she was instrumental in creating and building Canada’s first behavioural science team in government. To date, Elizabeth has successfully completed trials dealing with public health, financial decision-making, regulatory compliance, digital adoption and modernization, and service delivery. She provides advice and guidance on the application of behavioural science to public policy, recently supporting the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as a member of the External Advisory Committee for Capacity Development. 
Vidya ShankarNarayan is the Assistant Deputy Minister, Information Systems Branch and CIO at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. She is a forward-thinking and creative leader implementing the Digital and Data strategy to advance the growth, sustainability and competitiveness of the agriculture and agri-food sector. She plays an active leadership role in championing innovation within the agriculture sector, the Government of Canada and with international associations such as the OECD.
James Van Loon is Health Canada’s Chief Data Officer and also serves as the department’s Chief Scientific Data Officer. He has a passion for innovating programs and delivery from the ground up in cooperation with partners across government, nationally, and internationally. Most recently, James led efforts of Health Canada, the Public Health Agency, Public Services and Procurement Canada, Statistics Canada and other partners to create a dynamic model of pan-Canadian supply and demand on Personal Protective Equipment. As a Director General on the COVID-19 Task Force, James was instrumental in leading the development of analytic tools for the Critical Drug Reserve, as well as the Testing and Vaccine Secretariats. With over 20 years of experience in developing and managing federal regulatory programs, James is recognized as an action-oriented leader who has advanced key files at Health Canada and Environment Canada.
Taki Sarantakis has been President of the Canada School of Public Service since July 2018, having previously served as Associate Secretary of the Treasury Board at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. Mr. Sarantakis spent most of his career at Infrastructure Canada, including as Assistant Deputy Minister of Policy and Communications.
André Loranger is an experienced senior public official, having worked at Statistics Canada for 26 years, leading large and complex statistical programs covering all aspects of the Canadian economy. He has previously served in various senior leadership positions in the Agency including Assistant Chief Statistician for Economic Statistics and Assistant Chief Statistician for Strategic Data Management, Methods and Analysis. In that capacity, Mr. Loranger was also Statistics Canada’s Chief Data Officer responsible for the overall stewardship of the organization’s information data holdings.
In March 2022, Stephen Burt was appointed Chief Data Officer for the Government of Canada, at the Treasury Board Secretariat. His mandate is to provide leadership across government on information and data governance and integration, privacy modernization, and data-enabled digital services and programs. He is also responsible for providing enterprise level guidance on instruments and performance linked to the digital agenda, in the fields of service, security and access to information.