CSPS Digital Academy/CSPS Digital Accelerator


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Overview Start your learning Specialized Learning Registration Spring 2021 Intake


Welcome

The CSPS Digital Accelerator is a transformative learning experience designed for product teams, including their leaders, who want to experiment with more collaborative, open, human-centred and iterative ways of defining problems and developing solutions in a modern government era. It combines hands-on workshops, peer learning, coaching and mentoring in support of teams as they explore real business problems and prototype and test solutions with users.


The CSPS Digital Accelerator builds on the success of the first two cohorts of the CSPS Digital Academy’s Premium program. Spring 2021 will be the first time we try this approach with teams, and we are excited to work with our partners to make this new approach a success.



Overview of the program

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Onboarding and Skill building

(2 weeks)

  • Team building
  • Skill sessions
  • Introduction to new tools

Design Discovery

(3 weeks)

  • Problem framing
  • Ideation
  • Design thinking and user research

Deeper Learning

(2 weeks)

  • Focused learning opportunities
  • Prototype planning
  • Preparation for first pitch

Prototyping

(3 weeks)

  • Developing and testing working prototypes with users



Aftercare

(3-6 months)

  • Products progress towards beta or production
  • Access to coaches and mentors
  • Access to continuous learning



Onboarding and Skill building (2 weeks)

  • Team building
  • Skill sessions
  • Introduction to new tools




Design Discovery (3 weeks)

  • Problem framing
  • Ideation
  • Design thinking and user research




Deeper Learning (2 weeks)

  • Focused learning opportunities
  • Prototype planning
  • Preparation for first pitch




Prototyping (3 weeks)

  • Developing and testing working prototypes with users




Aftercare (3-6 months)

  • Products progress towards beta or production
  • Access to coaches and mentors
  • Access to continuous learning





How to build your Accelerator team

Product Team

  • 5-10 people
  • Diverse & multidisciplinary
  • Should bring together:

Subject matter experts for the business line or program

Business analysts, designers, or product management

Solutions designers / developers (technical, service designers, policy makers, etc.)

  • Product teams work on their problems full time during the Accelerator and ideally stay together once it is over

Steering Team

  • 1 executive champion who participates part time in accelerator activities and fully supports the work of the product team
  • 2-4 other executive supporters who form a governance body and help support the work of the team through:

Approvals

Guidance

Unblocking

Feedback

Upward briefing

Funding

Partners (name TBD)

  • Enablers and partners who can support the product team in delivering their solution
  • Could include: corporate services, security, legal, policy, communications or other forms of expertise

Problems that are right for the Accelerator

Start your learning here

The Exploration phase is when teams are onboarded, and learners start preparing for the Discovery phase by completing the Digital Readiness Self-Assessment and engaging in self-directed and classroom learning focused on the five Government of Canada Digital Standards most closely aligned with the objectives of the CSPS Digital Accelerator.

To all prospective Spring 2021 Accelerator participants: Completing the Digital Readiness Assessment and addressing your knowledge gaps in relation to the Government of Canada Digital Standards is an integral part of your learning journey as you get ready to enter the Discovery phase. Make sure you complete the Digital Readiness Self-Assessment and give yourself time to explore the learning resources and take the Discover Digital learning modules.

Bridge your knowledge gaps

Once you’ve completed the Digital Readiness Self-Assessment, bridge your knowledge gaps by selecting the self-directed learning we have curated for you, based on your overall and Digital Standard-specific scores.


Discover Digital Series

The CSPS Digital Academy’s Discover series is a suite of foundational courses introducing new mindsets, skills and techniques to help public servants succeed in the digital era.

Like the Accelerator’s self-directed learning, the curriculum and topics are closely linked to the Government of Canada Digital Standards. Executives, managers and employees who have been selected to take part in the Accelerator will be registered in classroom offerings of either Discover Digital in Practice, Discover Digital for Managers or Discover Digital for Executives.

More details will be communicated in the confirmation email all participants will receive following registration (link to bookmarked Spring 2021 registration section). If there’s room, employees who won’t participate in the Accelerator will also be offered the opportunity to attend one of the Discover Digital modules. Available spaces will be distributed equally between the participating organizations.



Meet the Digital Accelerator team


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