Portfolio story · Transforming Building a web improvement team at IRCC

2023-2026

I created and led a pilot team dedicated to “evidence-based continuous improvement,” shaping not only IRCC’s digital content but also how the organization approaches web design and service delivery.

Context

IRCC’s web presence was large, fragmented, and often inconsistent.
No dedicated team existed to systematically improve content quality, user experience, or usability.
Leadership wanted to experiment with a new approach — and asked me to manage a pilot team with significant autonomy.
The mandate: improve IRCC’s web presence in ways that were measurable, sustainable, and user-centred.

My role

Created the vision and mandate for the team: evidence-based continuous improvement.
Defined processes for identifying issues, testing solutions, and measuring impact.
Recruited a multi-disciplinary team (content designers, UX specialists, researchers, analysts).
Built a team culture around collaboration, openness, and a strong service mindset.
Championed the use of research, design, and testing as core practices for government web work.
Oversaw projects ranging from quick content fixes to the design of major new tools.

Impact

Delivered dozens of improvements across IRCC’s web presence — from small content changes to flagship tools.
Improved task success rates and reduced user confusion across high-traffic pages.
Established new ways of working that proved so effective they are now being integrated into regular web teams.
Positioned the team as a trusted partner for policy, communications, and IT stakeholders.
Demonstrated that continuous improvement can scale in a complex, policy-heavy environment.

What I learned

Building a team isn’t just hiring — it’s creating a vision, culture, and credibility within the organization.
A pilot can drive change at scale if it delivers tangible results and models new ways of working.
Evidence-based practices resonate widely when they lead to clear improvements for users and for the organization.