Equity-centred design for government services

Governments across Canada are spending significant amounts of time and money to modernize their systems. They’re seeking to improve service delivery and, ultimately, to design and deploy services that meet people’s needs in a modern way.

But before hitting reset on these outdated systems, governments have an even more forward-thinking opportunity to build a more inclusive future by incorporating equity-centred design (ECD) into their modernization efforts. In ECD, historically underrepresented groups are invited into the design and decision-making process as collaborators. This enables a unique and valuable set of relationships and interactions, builds community, and de-risks modernization by ensuring that solutions meet a diverse array of human needs and contexts.

So, how can decision-makers seize the opportunity to incorporate ECD into their modernization efforts, today? Our latest report, Equity-centred design for government, explores the three guiding tenets of ECD:

1. Contextualizing the problem
2. Co-designing the solution(s)
3. Redefining impact
   

Embedding equity-centred design into modernization initiatives enables decision-making that facilitates reciprocal relationships, a stronger sense of belonging, and a more inclusive tomorrow. Download the report to learn more.