Shaping Pickering’s Digital Future

As Pickering’s population expands and our community evolves, so do the expectations of those we serve. Residents today want convenience, transparency, and real-time access to information. To keep pace, the City must continue to innovate, adopting modern tools and processes that allow us to deliver services more efficiently and proactively.

Cities everywhere are modernizing how they work so they can deliver faster, simpler, more secure services at lower cost.  

For Pickering, that means improving:

• Aging systems and manual processes that are slowing us down
• Cybersecurity and privacy obligations  
• Accessibility, inclusion, and transparency expectations to stay reliable, resilient, and resident-focused 

In effect, this transformation supports our shared vision of an inclusive, connected, caring, and prosperous city, helping us “Deliver on Good Governance – Customer Service Excellence.”

• Fewer manual steps and workarounds
• Faster access to the right information
• Clearer workflows and ownership
• Less duplication across departments
• More time for meaningful, resident-facing work

• Simpler, consistent services in one place
• 24-7 self-serve options and real-time status tracking
• Faster, more reliable responses
• Improved accessibility and security

Clear outcomes that staff and residents feel every day. Examples of how we will measure our success:

• Improved request turnaround times and first-contact resolution
• Fewer handoffs and identification of duplication across departments
• Feedback and satisfaction scores from residents and staff
• Resident use of online self-serve transactions  
• Stronger security posture and data retention policies

• Systems and Tools: a modern CRM (Customer Relationship Management), better document collaboration, and streamlined workflows
• Processes: fewer workarounds and clearer handoffs
• Information: a single, shared view of resident interactions across departments
• Attitude and mindset: adoption of critical behaviours to make the change successful. You will have more clarity, less rework, and better support to do the work that matters.

Our commitment to public service, privacy, accessibility, and respectful collaboration. Your professional judgment and community relationships remain essential.

No. The goal is to remove friction, not people. Technology will automate low-value steps so you can focus on problem solving, quality, and resident care.

Yes. Expect role-based training, quick reference guides, sandbox time, and floor support during go-lives. No one is expected to figure it out alone.

The transition to Microsoft Dynamics at the City of Pickering will not require employees to learn entirely new skills but rather to apply their existing knowledge in a modern, integrated system. Staff will continue performing familiar tasks such as data entry, reporting, and communication within a unified Microsoft 365 environment. The main focus will be on adapting to the new interface and workflows, improving efficiency through automation, and maintaining data accuracy. Overall, Dynamics will simplify processes and enhance collaboration without significantly changing the core skills employees already use in their daily work.

• Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM in phases starting 2026
• SharePoint for file collaboration and version control
• Pickering.ca refresh launched January 2025, with improved navigation and search
• Communications platform update under review to replace aging telephone and improve voice, chat, and meetings integration with Microsoft 365 
• Transition from Mitel Phone to Microsoft Teams Voice
  Note: Each rollout will include training, timelines, and change impacts.

Systems log activity for security, audit, and service quality. They are not designed to micromanage individuals. We follow applicable privacy laws, collective agreements, and City policies.

Some will be retired, others will integrate with new platforms. We will publish a decommission plan so teams understand dates, dependencies, and required actions well in advance.

This will change resident interaction by giving them more options to engage with the City and the ability to submit, track, and review requests at any time.

Shared data, common workflows, and clearer ownership remove duplication and guesswork. Expect fewer email chains and more coordinated responses.

You will be supported to learn and adopt the new tools. Performance continues to focus on your role objectives, with change adoption milestones tracked at the team and program level.

• Change fatigue and adoption risk – addressed with phased rollouts, champions, and just-in-time support
• Data quality risk – addressed with data standards, training, and stewardship
• Cyber and privacy risk – addressed with security controls, access management, and audits
• Capacity risk – addressed with realistic timelines and clear prioritization via technology governance 

Through the City’s Technology Governance Framework. Ideas go through a stage-gate (e.g. Idea, Business Case, Planning, Implementation, Monitor and Control and Launch) review that checks alignment with strategy, privacy, security, accessibility, cost, and integration. This avoids duplication and ensures value.

Yes, but loop in IT early. Even small projects often touch data, security, or resident experience. The governance process helps you move faster with fewer surprises.

Provisioning is based on role needs, security, and cost. Managers submit requests through standard channels. Details will be outlined for each rollout.

No. Workplace flexibility is set by corporate policy and your division leadership. New tools make collaboration easier in any location, but do not change eligibility.

We will publish a simple phase-level timeline so everyone understands what is coming next. Detailed dates may remain internal and flexible to reduce confusion and avoid rework.