Amanda Bernardo, Director, Change Management and Service Design Enterprise Transformation, Government of Canada

1. How do you use change management and service design to improve citizens’ lives? Tell us about your role or organisation. 

In my role as Director, Change Management and Service Design, I use change management and service design to enhance how our department implements new technologies and services, ultimately improving government operations and in turn supporting Canadians in a way that is citizen-centric, efficient, and sustainable. 

Change management involves a structured approach to transitioning individuals, teams, and organisations from a current state to a desired future state. It ensures that the adoption of new technologies, policies, or programmes is smooth and that everyone affected is prepared, supported, and motivated to embrace the change.  

Change is everywhere, especially in today’s rapidly changing world and governments are being required to modernise and innovate more than ever - thus the need for transformation teams like mine that support this goal. Change management helps build adaptability and sustainability by addressing the human aspects of transitions, ensuring that employees and citizens can effectively engage with new systems and practices - whatever they may be. 

Service design, on the other hand, focuses on creating services that meet user needs by involving end-users (this can refer to both citizens and employees) directly in the design process. It emphasises a deep understanding of user experiences, identifying pain points, and designing solutions that are functional, accessible, and user-friendly. In government, service design allows us to create policies, technologies, and programmes that are tailored to the needs of those we serve, leading to better outcomes and greater satisfaction among citizens and employees alike.  

Together, change management and service design are essential to transformation, ensuring that new services, programmes, or technologies are not only implemented effectively but also achieve long-term success by centring on the needs of users and supporting sustainable adoption. 

When new programmes, policies, or technologies take these approaches in mind, the impact on the end user is evident - users adopt and engage with these new services or technologies smoothly and willingly. When users feel the service meets their needs and empowers them to achieve their goals with minimal friction, it shows our approach has successfully prioritised their experience and long-term engagement. Similarly, this impact can also be seen internally when employees readily embrace new tools or processes, leading to smoother workflows, increased productivity, and improved morale.  

2. How can transformation teams better integrate change management and service design into their organisations?  

Transformation teams can better integrate change management and service design by fostering a culture of collaboration and user-centred thinking across their organisation. This begins with involving end-users and stakeholders early in the design process, ensuring that their needs and concerns shape new services or technologies from the outset. Regularly gathering feedback through surveys, focus groups, or pilot programmes also helps teams refine solutions and address any resistance or pain points in real-time. This step cannot be rushed and needs to be better integrated into project timelines to ensure feedback is not only collected but able to inform an iterative delivery approach.  

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Additionally, establishing dedicated roles for change management and service design within project teams can help maintain focus on these areas, aligning project goals with the broader organisational vision. Providing training and resources to build these skills across your organisation can empower staff at all levels to support change effectively and embed a user-centric approach into every project. 

This past year I launched my Change Management Playbook that highlights how you can build a dedicated change management team in your organization. You can access this Playbook here for further inspiration: https://amandabernardo.ca/change-management-playbook/ 

3. What’s a tool or technique you’re excited to explore in 2025? 

Working on the people side of change, and the role this plays in transformation, as well as efforts to improve organisational culture, I am interested in emerging Employee Experience Platforms (EXPs). These platforms are designed to integrate various human resource (HR), communication, and feedback tools into a single ecosystem that enhances employee engagement, well-being, and performance.  

As organisations continue to prioritise people-centric cultures, EXPs can help leaders drive change by providing real-time insights into employee sentiment, facilitating personalised development opportunities, and fostering a more inclusive and collaborative workplace. These platforms not only support smoother transitions during periods of transformation but can also create a more connected and empowered workforce, helping organisations align their culture with evolving business goals and employee needs. 

4. Everybody’s talking about AI today – give us your hot take on AI and what it means for the public sector. 

I don’t think AI will replace jobs, but it will undoubtedly make our jobs easier and more efficient. In my team, we’ve used AI to assess large quantities of feedback, allowing us to quickly identify common themes that would traditionally take hours, if not days, to analyse manually. With AI conducting early passes of large datasets, we can extract actionable insights much faster, which ultimately enables us to move projects forward with greater speed and accuracy. 

From a Canadian public service perspective, AI has significant potential to enhance service delivery, improve decision-making, and increase operational efficiency. The Government of Canada’s strategy on AI emphasises the importance of adopting responsible, ethical AI while leveraging its power to create better outcomes for Canadians.  

Already, organisations like Shared Services Canada (SSC) are using AI in this way. At its recent Innovation Fair, SSC showcased how AI is being used to support, enable and guide SSC and Government of Canada partners and clients in achieving their AI goals. Combining AI and robotic process automation, intelligent automation was one example shared on how service delivery could be improved and employee workload reduced while boosting overall productivity at the same time.  

Elsewhere, we’re seeing how Public Services and Procurement Canada is using AI as part of one of the Government of Canada’s largest transformations, tackling its HR and pay system. The AI backlog team is leveraging the Agent Assist tool that will enable machines to tackle the backlog of pay transactions.  

These are just some examples of how the government is already using AI, but this potential can certainly be extended across the public service to continue to improve citizen-facing services, streamline policy analysis, or enhance internal operations. AI, when thoughtfully integrated, can amplify our ability to serve the public while allowing public servants to focus on higher-level problem-solving and creativity. 

5. What advice do you have for public sector innovators? 

My advice is to stay curious, embrace collaboration, and never lose sight of the purpose behind our work: to make a meaningful impact on the lives of Canadians. Innovation in government doesn’t always come easily; it requires resilience, openness to change, and a willingness to push through challenges that sometimes come with bureaucracy. Whether you’re new to the public service or a seasoned employee, remember that every role and every project offers opportunities to drive improvement, no matter how big or small. 

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For those early in their careers, don’t hesitate to bring fresh ideas forward and ask questions—even if it means challenging the status quo. Seasoned employees can lead by example, demonstrating the importance of mentoring, sharing knowledge, and creating space for new voices. And as leaders, it’s our responsibility to champion innovation by building supportive environments where risk-taking is encouraged, and teams feel empowered to try, learn, and adapt. 

Together, we can create a culture of continuous improvement and innovation across government, where everyone’s insights and efforts contribute to a public service that’s adaptable, responsive, and aligned with the evolving needs of the people we serve. Empowering innovation means fostering a community of passionate, purpose-driven public servants who believe in the positive changes we can make—together.

Given the talent I’ve seen firsthand across Canada, I am inspired for the future and the possibilities it holds.