Innovation Bootcamp - Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)
Methods & Outcomes
- Innovation Bootcamp curriculum
- Environmental scan
- Evaluation matrix design
- Train-the-trainer workshops
- Pitch coaching and feedback sessions
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Can innovation thrive in risk-averse environments?
Highlights
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) manages complex systems and services for millions of Canadians. To tap into the creativity of its 40,000+ employees, CRA sought to expand its internal innovation program. For its second year, the agency partnered with DFFRNT to develop a structured, scalable innovation curriculum and build internal capability.
DFFRNT designed and delivered a four-day Innovation Bootcamp that trained 50 employees to take ideas from concept to pitch. The program combined design thinking, human-centred methods, and innovation strategy. DFFRNT also trained a cohort of CRA staff to lead future sessions, ensuring the program could be sustained in-house.
The Client
CRA is a large federal agency responsible for tax collection and benefit delivery. With operations spread coast-to-coast, the agency wanted to encourage grassroots innovation from all departments, from IT to customer service. DFFRNT was engaged to help scale their innovation program and formalize a training pathway for promising employee ideas.
The Challenge
Government organizations are often process-driven, cautious, and unfamiliar with modern innovation methods. While CRA had project management and design talent, few employees had experience guiding ideas through the full innovation lifecycle, from ideation to prototype.
CRA needed a partner to build and deliver a curriculum that could teach employees how to develop user-informed, strategically aligned concepts, and to empower internal facilitators to carry that missio
"To a lot of people, innovation is brainstorming and ideas. But the real challenge is taking those ideas, aligning them to business needs, and making them real. That’s the process we brought to CRA."
The Solution
DFFRNT launched a three-pronged approach:
- Environmental Scan: DFFRNT analyzed innovation programs across the public sector to identify best practices and pitfalls.
- Innovation Bootcamp: A four-day course for selected employees covering design thinking, value propositions, stakeholder mapping, ideation, prototyping, and pitching.
- Train-the-Trainer Program: CRA employees were taught to deliver the Bootcamp themselves, using the curriculum, facilitation methods, and evaluation tools developed by DFFRNT.
Each participant left with a fully developed pitch deck, shaped through hands-on coaching. Ideas were assessed using a custom evaluation matrix aligned with CRA’s business and service goals.
The Outcome
CRA now has the internal capacity to run its innovation incubation program independently. The initial Bootcamp gave 50 employees the tools to turn raw ideas into actionable proposals. A second group of trained facilitators can now support future cohorts, evaluate pitches, and guide teams through early-stage innovation.
The program delivered measurable value: more informed pitches, stronger ideas, and a replicable framework to sustain innovation long-term.
Key Takeaways
- Government innovation requires structure, training, and cultural buy-in
- A strong curriculum can democratize innovation across departments
- Train-the-trainer models create lasting internal capability
- Evaluation tools help align creativity with institutional goals
- Pitch development brings clarity, focus, and executive readiness
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