Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The request for a proposal has gone out. When will it will close? I am interested now in the length of time. What kind of comprehensive review can you do for the whole government, from the 60th parallel to the Beaufort Delta, especially over the summer when a lot of people are not going to be around? Are they going to make use of the existing informatics strategic plan that is there, so they are not reinventing the wheel? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The plan was to have the request for proposal out by the end of March. I am not sure if it has gone out yet, but it will be going out very shortly. The intention is that during the month of June we would have the research done, the report written up in July and something available by August. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Since I have not seen the terms and conditions of the RFP, I would like some clarification. It is one thing to upgrade the systems we have and put in new computers and all that, but there are some broader systems issues in terms of we have too many systems, too many different systems, too many different, unconnected systems. And we also have health boards, divisional boards of education...are they going to be tied in?

I would like some clarification that we are not just going to be going around putting in a bunch of new computers. We are going to look from a structural point of view of the systems requirement of this government to have a 21st century information system. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, I think what we are doing is exactly what the Member is suggesting. Basically, the strategy will identify the current state of our information technology function. It will take a look at what the desired state should be. It will define a strategy for achieving this ideal state. It will also give us a bit of a strategy on dealing with the changing nature of information technology.

So it is more than just upgrading. It is really looking at our whole strategy and what do we need and how we will best get a system that enables us to keep up with the changing technology. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Could the Minister indicate how does the government intend to deal with the broader more fundamental issues related to systems development, which is the working relationship between departments and linking the programs? Making sure there are doorways between departments, so there is that interdepartmental cooperation. That there is compatibility, not only up and down and vertically through the organization but horizontally. And the ability to transfer information with the appropriate checks and balances and fire walls and all those other necessary mechanisms we need.

But how do you get the staff? If in fact you have a system that will work together and the staff does not, will there be any point to it?

Mr. Chairman, the strategy will help us to answer those kinds of questions in terms of how do we interface? How do we manage the systems? What kind of bandwidth do we need and so on. That is the major purpose of the strategy. Thank you.

I will restate this a little, to get further clarification. One of the concerns I have is that you have departments right now where it is very difficult, even in their social envelope, to get the Ministers in the same room to talk about issues, let alone to develop their departments and their programs so there are links where there are natural connections. And that as a government, there are a lot of areas where there should be connections but there are none, because we have stove pipe operations, where there has been no pressure or no requirement on managers and deputies to in fact make that big step.

It is all well and good to have a knowledge strategy for the mechanics and technical side, but what about the people side that is going to make that system work? How do you intend to tie that into this strategy? Thank you.

I will ask Mr. Voytilla to explain that piece. He may do better then I did.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In this RFP, is there going to be a requirement for the contractor to travel outside of Yellowknife to take a look at what is out there? Not just in regional centres, but in as many of the communities in the North as possible, to see the varying stages and levels of technological capabilities in the communities? Thank you.

Mr. Chairman, the answer is yes. The contractor will travel outside of Yellowknife to a representative selection of communities and centres. Those have not been identified as of yet. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Will this knowledge management strategy also look at the issue that has come up, I know it has come up with every department in the social envelope, and that is the capability of the digital communication network to handle the new technologies and complexity and bandwidth demands.

Will that $190,000 cover that particular key aspect of the technological systems? If we do not have the capability to carry information between our systems, then we are not much further ahead. Thank you.