The Longlist
Around 150 of you sent your ideas into the Public Service Data Challenge, and the judges long-listed the eight most promising for development by interdisciplinary, cross-departmental project teams: these ideas are outlined below.
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.
Language Competency Evaluation and Training Tool
Leveraging AI to enhance second-language training for public service employees, this tool provides real-time assessment, personalized feedback, and adaptive learning. By integrating databases from the Canada School of Public Service and using AI to generate customized practice questions, it allows employees to target their weaknesses efficiently. The AI tutor offers explanations and examples, reducing training costs and improving success rates on second-language evaluations.
Submitted by Ion-Mircea Ghinda at Global Affairs Canada
Digital Twins for Smarter Infrastructure Management
The creation of a Digital Twin of the Samuel De Champlain Bridge and highway corridor will be used to monitor structural health, traffic flow, and environmental impact using real-time data. By integrating AI-powered analytics with geospatial data, this virtual model will enhance decision-making, enable predictive maintenance, and improve emergency response planning. The initiative lays the groundwork for broader applications in federal infrastructure projects, fostering innovation and intergovernmental collaboration.
Submitted by Kate Burnett-Isaacs at Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada
Application Processing Tool to support Indigenous Children
A generative AI solution to streamline the intake and triaging of applications submitted under Jordan’s Principle, which ensure First Nations children receive essential services. The AI tool will extract and categorize key information from diverse document formats, reducing processing times and manual workload. By improving efficiency and compliance with Canadian Human Rights Tribunal mandates, this solution enhances support for Indigenous children while providing a scalable model for broader service delivery.
Submitted by Beni Vand at Indigenous Services Canada
“Tell-Us-Once” Approach for National Trade Corridors
This initiative introduces an AI-driven solution to simplify data-sharing across national trade corridors, reducing redundant submissions and improving interoperability between government platforms. By standardizing data formats and leveraging real-time validation, the system will enhance efficiency, lower administrative burdens for industry stakeholders, and provide government agencies with better-quality trade data. This project supports a more agile and resilient supply chain, strengthening Canada’s trade competitiveness.
Submitted by Erika-Kirsten Easton at Transport Canada
Financial Forecasting for Government Spending
Building on successful AI-driven forecasting models used at Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada, this tool aims to transform financial planning across federal departments. By automating and improving Grants and Contributions forecasting, the model enhances accuracy, reduces processing time by 66%, and minimizes budget lapses—potentially saving billions in taxpayer dollars. Scalable across departments, the tool modernizes financial decision-making, ensuring smarter and more efficient government spending
Submitted by Pierre Zwiller-Panicz at Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada
Enhanced Job Classification Evaluation in the Federal Public Service
The federal government’s classification system assesses job descriptions to determine salary levels, but the manual process is time intensive. This project proposes testing an AI chatbot trained on thousands of job descriptions and classification standards to support advisors in analyzing and summarizing job evaluations. The tool aims to improve efficiency while maintaining human oversight, potentially streamlining classification processes across government.
Submitted by Brianna Smrke at Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
Metadata and Meta-Tagging for Scientific Data Management
This initiative leverages AI to automate metadata creation and enhance meta-tagging, streamlining scientific data management and improving discoverability. AI will generate standardized metadata from research documents and datasets while refining search functionality through intelligent tagging, addressing gaps like incomplete location-based information. By reducing manual burden and ensuring datasets are properly catalogued, this approach enhances accessibility on platforms like the Open Science and Data Platform. Implementing AI-driven metadata solutions across departments will foster collaboration, reduce duplication, and maximize the value of government-funded research.
Submitted by Terence Hams and Mariia Stepaniuk at Natural Resources Canada
Risk and Requirements Advisor for Government Projects
This tool will enhance project planning by identifying potential risks and improving requirements management across government projects. By analyzing historical project data, AI will provide proactive risk assessments and mitigation strategies, while also improving requirements gathering through NLP-driven extraction and automated quality checks. This approach will reduce costly project delays, improve decision-making, and ensure more effective resource allocation. Standardizing risk and requirements management with AI-driven insights will lead to more successful project outcomes and better public service delivery.
Submitted by Nicolas Martinez and Brandon Ferguson at Public Services and Procurement Canada, and Hoda Khalil at Department of National Defence
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.