Agenda

This year's FWD50 will be a bit different, spanning four days, as well as an Executive Cohort. We're combining the best of virtual and in-person with an all-online day on October 10 you'll hear from audiences around the world—and a global set of virtual attendees. It'll include keynote talks and digital workshops.

November 4-5, we'll return for two days of hybrid content, blending an in-person audience in Ottawa folks with tuning in worldwide. And we'll wrap up on November 6 with an in-person-only day of face-to-face interactions, mentoring, and workshops.

 

High Level 2024 Agenda En

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October 10

10:00 AM GMT-4

Inspiring & Interacting

Welcome to FWD50!

Join co-hosts Alistair Croll and Hillary Hartley as they kick off FWD50 2024! See More.
Co-founder & Chair
FWD50
Chief Executive Officer
U.S. Digital Response

10:15 AM GMT-4

Inspiring & Interacting

Accountability, recourse and exploits

Join The Unaccountability Machine author, Daniel Davies, as he explores the relationship between accountability and information. See More.

10:45 AM GMT-4

Inspiring & Interacting

In conversation with invisible rulers author, Renée DiResta

Join FWD50 Chair Alistair Croll as he welcomes Invisible Rulers author, Renée DiResta for a conversation on how the machinery that powered the Big Lie works to create bespoke realities revolutionizing politics, culture, and society. See More.
Co-founder & Chair
FWD50
Policy Lead
Data for Democracy

11:15 AM GMT-4

Networking

Networking break!

Now is your chance to meet some new faces and catch up with old friends. Click the "Networking" icon on the left-hand-side of your screen to join in! See More.

11:30 AM GMT-4

Inspiring & Interacting

Mission driven bureaucrats

How facade control and accountability undermines the public sector's ability to deliver. See More.
Associate Professor
Georgetown University McCourt School

11:50 AM GMT-4

Global Case Studies

Moving forward with data in LatAm, one city at a time

The stories of two cities. See More.
Principal Consultant
Public Digital
Director
Public Digital
Director of Technology Development
Government of Guadalajara, Jalisco, México
Center of Government Leader
Municipality of Maipú

12:25 PM GMT-4

Networking

Networking break

Now is your chance to meet some new faces and catch up with old friends. Click the "Networking" icon on the left-hand-side of your screen to join in! See More.

1:15 PM GMT-4

Procuring

A public procurement renaissance is overdue: time for action

Globally, procurement is a critical yet under-leveraged area of public policy, governance, transparency, and accountability. It's simultaneously one of the largest global marketplaces with an estimated US$ 13 trillion spent by governments each year, and "governments' number one corruption risk area because it’s where money, opacity, and discretion collide" (Gavin Hayman, Executive Director, Open Contracting Partnership). See More.
Partner
Curshaw Commercial
Learning & Doing

How to use AI to speed up your work in government

When it comes to AI, the question on most of our minds is: How can I use it to make mundane tasks quicker, save myself time and boost my productivity? See More.
Chief Partnerships Officer
Apolitical

1:45 PM GMT-4

Innovating

Case studies and public private partnerships

Details coming soon. See More.

2:15 PM GMT-4

Global Case Studies

Bridging the Policy-Service Gap for Digital-Ready Legislation

Digital public services are only as good as the policies enabling them. Yet, outdated legislative processes often hinder the seamless implementation of modern, citizen-centric digital services. Legislation and service design are still seen as two divisions, loosely intertwined at best. See More.
Service Designer
German federal DigitalService
Service Designer
German federal DigitalService

2:45 PM GMT-4

Networking

Networking break!

Now is your chance to meet some new faces and catch up with old friends. Click the "Networking" icon on the left-hand-side of your screen to join in! See More.

3:00 PM GMT-4

Global Case Studies

Global case studies

Details coming soon. See More.
Communications Lead, Health Emergencies
World Health Organization
Learning & Doing

How public servants learn

Everyone agrees that investing time in learning and development is critical for public servants. But there’s less clarity about how best to do it. See More.
Senior Manager: Policy & Insights
Apolitical
Learning Experience Design Lead
Canada School of Public Service (CSPS)
Director of Marketing and Communications
Apolitical

3:30 PM GMT-4

Procuring

Buying ideas: Procuring public sector innovation from a global perspective

Procurement amounted to 14.6% of Canada’s GDP in 2021; this is hundreds of billions of dollars, and a meaningful force that shapes our economy. See More.

4:00 PM GMT-4

Networking

Networking break!

Now is your chance to meet some new faces and catch up with old friends. Click the "Networking" icon on the left-hand-side of your screen to join in! See More.

4:15 PM GMT-4

Inspiring & Interacting

The human rights approach to government services

There’s a quiet revolution happening in government services. See More.
Co-Director and Professor
Human Technology Institute

4:35 PM GMT-4

Inspiring & Interacting

Closing keynote

Details coming soon. See More.
Deputy Minister, Chief Information Officer of Canada
Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS)

4:55 PM GMT-4

Inspiring & Interacting

We'll see you on November 4th!

That's a wrap on day 1 of FWD50 2024! Tune in to hear what's in store when we reconvene Nov 4-6! See More.
Chief Executive Officer
U.S. Digital Response
Co-founder & Chair
FWD50
In PersonVirtual

November 04

8:00 AM GMT-5

Networking

Doors Open

9:00 AM GMT-5

Inspiring & Interacting

Accountability and recourse: the challenges of building fair systems

In the last century, humanity has achieved remarkable progress through automation and mechanization. We've reduced global poverty, doubled human lifespan, and put the power of the internet into billions of pockets. Yet the journey from physical assembly lines to complex, worldwide information processes has created new challenges alongside its triumphs. See More.
Co-founder & Chair
FWD50

9:30 AM GMT-5

Inspiring & Interacting

Keynote with Estonia's minister of justice & digital affairs

Details coming soon. See More.

9:55 AM GMT-5

Delivering

Radical transformation - Why you can, even when everyone is telling you you can’t

Transforming services and organisations, starting small and learning, being led by users needs and making data driven decisions - that’s what so many of us want to be doing. But how often have you heard someone say “yeah that all sounds great in theory, but we can’t do that”? Anna Hirschfeld will talk about her experience of successfully delivering benefits modernisation in the UK in a truly radical way, and how the team overcame challenges everyone said they couldn't. See More.
Director
Public Digital

10:20 AM GMT-5

Inspiring & Interacting

Keynote

Details coming soon. See More.

10:45 AM GMT-5

Inspiring & Interacting

Whatever happened to transparency?

Transparency used to be a strong value of the civic technology movement, but if it isn’t dead, it’s at least resting. See More.
Product lead
Public Sector

11:10 AM GMT-5

Inspiring & Interacting

Ensuring responsible procurement of AI

Government spending on artificial intelligence (AI) has reached unprecedented levels. In fiscal year 2022, the United States government awarded over $2 billion in contracts to private companies that provide services that rely on AI, and total spending on AI has increased nearly 2.5 times since 2017. See More.
Director, Equity in Civic Technology
The Center for Democracy & Technology

11:35 AM GMT-5

Delivering

Delivering digital solutions together for Canada

One of the largest IT shared services organizations in the world, Shared Services Canada (SSC) provides modern, reliable and secure technology services that enable Government of Canada organizations to deliver services to Canadians. See More.
President
Shared Services Canada (SSC)

12:00 PM GMT-5

Networking

Break time!

It's time for a break! Take this opportunity to grab some food and catch up with, or meet your fellow attendees! See More.

1:30 PM GMT-5

Industry Innovations

Industry innovations

Details coming soon. See More.
Learning & Doing

No user left behind: Why good services are usable by everyone, equally

In this interactive session you will learn that there is no such thing as a ‘normal’ user and why designing digital services for everyone is about much more than accessibility. Discover how the services we deliver often present barriers to the people who need them and explore ways we can remove those barriers so that no user is left behind. See More.
Director
Public Digital

2:00 PM GMT-5

Global Case Studies

Abu Dhabi customer experience : Transforming one-stop-shops through collaborative CX spaces.

This talk will explore the pioneering CX Spaces Program initiated by Abu Dhabi, which focuses on creating forward-looking CX spaces. See More.
Customer Insight & Analytics Director - Customer Experience Sector
Department of Government Enablement, Abu Dhabi
President
Gov. Design Academy
Board Member
The International Foundation for Customer Experience in Government

2:30 PM GMT-5

Canadian Case Studies

From service to systems transformation: The Nova Scotia story

It is not easy to create and maintain progress in the digital government space – we have witnessed the emergence and disappearance of digital organizations and platforms when the political landscape shifts. See More.
Deputy Minister
Nova Scotia Department of Cyber Security and Digital Solutions

3:00 PM GMT-5

Networking

Time to network!

It's time for a break! Take this opportunity to catch up with, or meet your fellow attendees! For our online audience this is a chance to join our speed networking! See More.

3:30 PM GMT-5

Inspiring & Interacting

Participatory futures: By the people, for the people

In an increasingly polarized society, how might we dialogue and create a shared vision of the future together? See More.
Design Strategist, Futurist, and White House Presidential Innovation Fellow
Learning & Doing

What I wish my boss knew about digital

What does it take to be an effective public service leader in today’s digital world? How have your own experiences shaped what you see as the leadership gaps when it comes to understanding how the digital world works? What do you wish your boss knew about Digital? What do you wish you knew? See More.
CEO & Founder
Think Digital
Facilitator & Trainer
Think Digital
Associate
Think Digital

4:00 PM GMT-5

Procuring

Avoiding the headlines

The challenges with procurement and a better path forward. See More.
Executive Director, Product
Government of Alberta, Technology & Innovation

4:30 PM GMT-5

Global Case Studies

Lessons on digital leadership— How to fight Rorschoch language, digital myths, and legislative logjams

Digital policy is hard--and getting harder. The Internet, the Cloud, and Machine Learning affect almost everything governments (and each of us) do. But often agencies disagree about what we should (and should not) do with the power they provide. What happens when different agencies (or different constituencies) disagree? See More.
Senior Fellow, Asia Program
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

5:00 PM GMT-5

Networking

The Canadian radical how mixer

Following on from the release this year of The Radical How in the UK, the team at Public Digital have been working on framing the learnings and approach for the Canadian public sector. See More.

November 05

8:00 AM GMT-5

Networking

Doors Open

9:00 AM GMT-5

Inspiring & Interacting

Riding the hype cycle

Every five years, the technology industry goes through a Hype Cycle. See More.
Chief Executive Officer
U.S. Digital Response

9:30 AM GMT-5

Global Case Studies

Driving data cultures through ecosystem building

Maryland's Governor Wes Moore has been leading a “Data-Driven, Heart Led” transformation of the state, directing his State’s agencies to use data to make Maryland safer, more affordable, and more competitive. See More.
State Chief Data Officer
State of Maryland

9:55 AM GMT-5

Inspiring & Interacting

Can't we all just get along? Balancing competing interests in service delivery

In this talk, Cale will draw upon his experience in both the private and public sector working on enterprise/licensed products to share with attendees in similar spaces how to effectively balance competing interests among groups when their program is developing a service. See More.
Product Supervisor, Product Lead
Public Sector

10:20 AM GMT-5

Global Case Studies

The formula for creating trust in digital government

Estonia, along with several other Nordic countries, are consistently ranked as no1 in delivering digital public services to its citizen with high public approval and trust. See More.
Senior Vice President - Public Sector (Global)
Nortal

10:45 AM GMT-5

Delivering

When your software absolutely cannot fail

Software" is a broad category. The calculator on your phone operates very differently from global, complex systems like online maps, cloud computing, or malware defense. If the calculator stops working, or gives a wrong result, it's unlikely to spell disaster or cost lives; yet many modern systems are not only complex, but central civilization as we know it. See More.
Founder & CEO
Rise8

11:10 AM GMT-5

Global Case Studies

The state of the industry

Industry leaders sit down with FWD50 co-chair Alistair Croll for a discussion on the latest technologies, trends, and public-private initiatives. See More.

11:35 AM GMT-5

Inspiring & Interacting

Taking the right risks: How to be a digital government leader

When it comes to championing famously complicated digital transformation projects at the federal level, there are few incentives for public service leaders to do things differently. See More.
Director General, Grants and Contributions (G&Cs) Transformation
Global Affairs Canada
Executive Director
Code for Canada

12:00 PM GMT-5

Networking

Break time!

It's time for a break! Take this opportunity to grab some food and catch up with, or meet your fellow attendees! See More.

1:30 PM GMT-5

Industry Innovations

Building trust in public digital services

Building off his morning keynote, join Andres Raieste as he pulls together an incredible panel discussion looking at best practices in building trust in public digital services in Estonia and Canada. See More.
Senior Vice President - Public Sector (Global)
Nortal
Deputy Minister
Nova Scotia Department of Cyber Security and Digital Solutions
Associate professor (PhD)
University of Tartu
Learning & Doing

Fostering a culture of trust and psychological safety: The key to successful workplace transformation

In a political climate marked by polarization and low trust in government institutions, the role of public servants becomes even more crucial. This is where LA-BORA! gov steps in, a learning and innovation lab in the Brazilian government that harnesses the power of behavioral science to improve the employee experience. See More.
Ministry of Public Management and Innovation - Brazil.
Head of LA-BORA! GOV - Innovative Management Lab

2:00 PM GMT-5

Procuring

User-Centered Procurement: Transforming Tech Acquisitions for Better Outcomes

In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, user experience should be a driving force behind technology acquisitions. See More.
Founder and President
Paradigm Shift Consulting, LLC

2:30 PM GMT-5

Networking

Time to network!

It's time for a break! Take this opportunity to catch up with, or meet your fellow attendees! For our online audience this is a chance to join our speed networking! Just click on the "Networking" icon on the left hand side of your screen. See More.

3:00 PM GMT-5

Stage Takeover

Digital nation takeover: innovation's dirty secret: Just Do It

There's plenty written about cultivating an innovation mindset, building a culture of change, and becoming an Intrapreneur. But if you want to see real change, the answer's simple: Start. See More.
Managing Partner
Digital Nations
Learning & Doing

Unpacking digital dogma

Does Agile work… for all projects? …with a team that’s not used to working that way? See More.
Director
Canada School of Public Service (CSPS)

3:45 PM GMT-5

Stage Takeover

Public digital takeover: The radical how - Canadian edition

Last year, Public Digital wrote the Radical How, a guide for leaders who find themselves in environments that expect them to plan all aspects of delivery upfront but who know that this approach is the riskiest. See More.
Director of Digital Delivery
Public Digital

4:30 PM GMT-5

Inspiring & Interacting

Closing keynote

Details coming soon. See More.

4:55 PM GMT-5

Inspiring & Interacting

Wrapping up our online event and a glimpse at what Nov 6th has in store for those joining us in Ottawa!

That's a wrap on the hybrid portion of FWD50 but if you're joining us in person we have so much more in store for you! Find out what as Alistair and Hillary wrap up our stage. See More.
Chief Executive Officer
U.S. Digital Response
Co-founder & Chair
FWD50

5:00 PM GMT-5

Networking

The FWD50 US election viewing party!

On the night of one of the most consequential elections in modern memory, we'll take in all the perspectives—literally and politically from left to right—as we watch the results come in. See More.

November 06

10:00 AM GMT-5

Inspiring & Interacting

Welcome to FWD50's exclusively in-person day!

We're known for our unusual formats and out of the box thinking and we've brought that into the design of our first post-pandemic, fully in person day. Join your hosts, Hillary and Alistair as they explain what's in store. See More.

10:30 AM GMT-5

Networking

People bingo

Like bingo, but humans! We give you a card listing attributes, and you ask other attendees about themselves until you've got a full card. FWD50 swag for the first folks to complete their cards. See More.

11:15 AM GMT-5

Collaborating

Place your bets

This new format lays out the details of key issues in public sector modernization on a board, then asks you to place your bets the way a roulette player would lay tokens on a table. Visual voting by participants steers the conversation, creating a dynamic "heat map" of the topic. See More.
Inspiring & Interacting

Oxford debate: Government can't innovate

Is government's role to build, or to operate? It took the government to get us to the moon; today, we're dependent on industry to service space stations. See More.
Learning & Doing

Interactive workshop

Details coming soon See More.

12:15 PM GMT-5

Networking

Lunchtime!

It's time for a break! Take this opportunity to grab some food and catch up with, or meet your fellow attendees! See More.

1:30 PM GMT-5

Collaborating

Taboo topics

There's no such thing as a stupid question—but there are plenty of questions nobody asks, because they're taboo. See More.
Collaborating

Hive Mind

This interactive session puts our faculty in the hotseat. We crowdsource questions, upvote the best ones, and let the audience answer. Then some of FWD50's speakers riff on those responses as they scroll past across the screen. See More.
Learning & Doing

Red-teaming for the future: How well can your team defend against a cyber attack?

Cyber attacks are on the rise worldwide. The World Economic Forum estimates that the global cost of cybercrime will reach nearly $24 trillion by 2027. Just this year, Canada faced complicated and intelligent attacks on central infrastructure and local authorities which threatened the delivery of public services. See More.

2:30 PM GMT-5

Networking

Time to network!

It's time for a break! Take this opportunity to grab some food and catch up with, or meet your fellow attendees! See More.

3:00 PM GMT-5

Inspiring & Interacting

Oxford debate: Digital government is just government

Recent months have seen the dissolution of Digital Service departments in some jurisdictions, and larger departments absorbing others. Is the era of the standalone digital service department over? See More.
Learning & Doing

Transparency by design

This workshop provides an opportunity for two-way communication on what is (and what isn’t) working with our communications approach and engagement efforts on HR and Pay. It would create space on an issue that has not always been transparent: government transformation of HR and pay.  
 See More.
Senior Analyst, Transparency by Design
Human Capital Management, Public Services and Procurement Canada

4:00 PM GMT-5

Networking

Networking break

It's time for a break! Take this opportunity to grab some food and catch up with, or meet your fellow attendees! See More.

4:30 PM GMT-5

Collaborating

Speaking in absolutes

We know the government can't speak in absolutes but for the last 30 mins that's what we're going to do - no more platitudes See More.

5:00 PM GMT-5

Networking

Ottawa civic tech meetup: FWD50 crossover event!

Join members of the Ottawa Civic Tech community for a special edition of their monthly meetups open to all FWD50 participants! See More.

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