Civic Talk Sun, 08 Mar 2026 13:41:36 -0400 https://civictalk.buzzsprout.com en-ca © 2026 Civic Talk yes 179aae84-0598-5446-8b1a-17d954c3428d Anne Matthews and Dorin Greenwood episodic false Buzzsprout (https://www.buzzsprout.com) Anne Matthews and Dorin Greenwood https://storage.buzzsprout.com/ew55q4s78ue2abeh9wj90bicoh9e?.jpg Civic Talk Episode Nine: Zayna Khayat, Digital Health Futurist....and Sherpa (Part Two) Episode Nine: Zayna Khayat, Digital Health Futurist....and Sherpa (Part Two) Zayna Khayat, Health Futurist and Systems Thinker shares her vision for what patients should fight for in the future. In this wide ranging episode, she spotlights the best healthcare systems in the world and how we all need to be sherpas in these unsettling times. She doesn't hold back on what needs to happen for us to have the healthcare we deserve. 




]]> Zayna Khayat, Health Futurist and Systems Thinker shares her vision for what patients should fight for in the future. In this wide ranging episode, she spotlights the best healthcare systems in the world and how we all need to be sherpas in these unsettling times. She doesn't hold back on what needs to happen for us to have the healthcare we deserve. 




]]> Anne Matthews and Dorin Greenwood Buzzsprout-10006573 Thu, 03 Feb 2022 12:00:00 -0500 574 full false Episode Nine: Zayna Khayat, Digital Health Futurist (Part One) Episode Nine: Zayna Khayat, Digital Health Futurist (Part One) Zayna Khayat, Health Futurist and Systems Thinker shares her vision for what patients should fight for in the future. In this wide ranging episode, she spotlights the best health care systems in the world and how we all need to be sherpas in these unsettling times. She doesn't hold back on what needs to happen for us to experience the healthcare we deserve.

Zayna is VP of Business Development & Strategy with Teladoc Health in Canada.  She's led  teams re-thinking how health care is delivered  at MaRs Discovery District, and spent time in the trenches as Future Strategist at SE Health, one of Canada's largest home health and aging non-profits. She's also on faculty at the Rotman School of Management and Singularity University. 

]]> Zayna Khayat, Health Futurist and Systems Thinker shares her vision for what patients should fight for in the future. In this wide ranging episode, she spotlights the best health care systems in the world and how we all need to be sherpas in these unsettling times. She doesn't hold back on what needs to happen for us to experience the healthcare we deserve.

Zayna is VP of Business Development & Strategy with Teladoc Health in Canada.  She's led  teams re-thinking how health care is delivered  at MaRs Discovery District, and spent time in the trenches as Future Strategist at SE Health, one of Canada's largest home health and aging non-profits. She's also on faculty at the Rotman School of Management and Singularity University. 

]]> Anne Matthews and Dorin Greenwood Buzzsprout-9996453 Tue, 01 Feb 2022 23:00:00 -0500 880 1 9 full false Episode Eight: The millennial public servant: one on one with Anil Wasif Episode Eight: The millennial public servant: one on one with Anil Wasif Anil Wasif came to Canada from Bangladesh as a university student and now works in the Ontario Public Service. Like many young professional millennials, Anil has big ideas and big hopes for the future of government services and the impact millennials like him can have on government now--not twenty years from now.
But attracting and keeping young talent, he thinks, requires a new approach.


Resources from Anil:
A primer on Substack

Substacks:


Heated by Emily Atkin: https://heated.world/ (Climate Change)
Regs to Riches by Vass Bednar: https://www.regs2riches.com/ (Competition/Regulation Policy)
City Hall Watcher by Matt Elliot: https://graphicmatt.substack.com/ (Toronto City Hall Politics)


Stories with data:
Vox Videos: https://www.youtube.com/c/Vox
Johnny Harris: https://www.youtube.com/c/JohnnyHarrisvox 


Favourite Books: 

Breakout Nations by Ruchir Sharma
A Promised Land by Barack Obama 
]]> Anil Wasif came to Canada from Bangladesh as a university student and now works in the Ontario Public Service. Like many young professional millennials, Anil has big ideas and big hopes for the future of government services and the impact millennials like him can have on government now--not twenty years from now.
But attracting and keeping young talent, he thinks, requires a new approach.


Resources from Anil:
A primer on Substack

Substacks:


Heated by Emily Atkin: https://heated.world/ (Climate Change)
Regs to Riches by Vass Bednar: https://www.regs2riches.com/ (Competition/Regulation Policy)
City Hall Watcher by Matt Elliot: https://graphicmatt.substack.com/ (Toronto City Hall Politics)


Stories with data:
Vox Videos: https://www.youtube.com/c/Vox
Johnny Harris: https://www.youtube.com/c/JohnnyHarrisvox 


Favourite Books: 

Breakout Nations by Ruchir Sharma
A Promised Land by Barack Obama 
]]> Anne Matthews and Dorin Greenwood Buzzsprout-9709994 Mon, 13 Dec 2021 02:00:00 -0500 739 1 8 full false Episode Seven: A primer on user research with Katherine Benjamin Episode Seven: A primer on user research with Katherine Benjamin In this episode Katherine Benjamin, Deputy Chief Technology Officer for the City of New York, explains what user research is, how it works and how user researchers like her are bringing a new approach to government services. 
Here are a list of great resources Katherine shared with us if you're interested in learning more about user research and where it's happening in government:

User Research
Ontario Digital Service User Research Guide: https://www.ontario.ca/page/user-research-guide

Andrew Travers, Interviewing for research: https://trvrs.co/book

Stephanie Walter, Research Cheatsheet https://stephaniewalter.design/blog/a-cheatsheet-for-user-interview-and-follow-ups-questions/

Design - Service/experience
Dan Hill / Dark Matter and Trojan Horses: A Strategic Design Vocabulary: https://www.cityofsound.com/blog/2012/08/dark-matter.html https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Matter-Trojan-Horses-Vocabulary/dp/0992914639

User Journey Mapping vs. Service Blueprinting: https://blog.practicalservicedesign.com/the-difference-between-a-journey-map-and-a-service-blueprint-31a6e24c4a6c

Internet-era Ways of Working: https://public.digital/2018/10/12/internet-era-ways-of-working

Detecting Agile “BS,” by the Defence Innovation Board: https://media.defense.gov/2018/Oct/09/2002049591/-1/-1/0/DIB_DETECTING_AGILE_BS_2018.10.05.PDF

De-risking Guide by 18F: https://derisking-guide.18f.gov/

]]> In this episode Katherine Benjamin, Deputy Chief Technology Officer for the City of New York, explains what user research is, how it works and how user researchers like her are bringing a new approach to government services. 
Here are a list of great resources Katherine shared with us if you're interested in learning more about user research and where it's happening in government:

User Research
Ontario Digital Service User Research Guide: https://www.ontario.ca/page/user-research-guide

Andrew Travers, Interviewing for research: https://trvrs.co/book

Stephanie Walter, Research Cheatsheet https://stephaniewalter.design/blog/a-cheatsheet-for-user-interview-and-follow-ups-questions/

Design - Service/experience
Dan Hill / Dark Matter and Trojan Horses: A Strategic Design Vocabulary: https://www.cityofsound.com/blog/2012/08/dark-matter.html https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Matter-Trojan-Horses-Vocabulary/dp/0992914639

User Journey Mapping vs. Service Blueprinting: https://blog.practicalservicedesign.com/the-difference-between-a-journey-map-and-a-service-blueprint-31a6e24c4a6c

Internet-era Ways of Working: https://public.digital/2018/10/12/internet-era-ways-of-working

Detecting Agile “BS,” by the Defence Innovation Board: https://media.defense.gov/2018/Oct/09/2002049591/-1/-1/0/DIB_DETECTING_AGILE_BS_2018.10.05.PDF

De-risking Guide by 18F: https://derisking-guide.18f.gov/

]]> Anne Matthews and Dorin Greenwood Buzzsprout-9481442 Wed, 03 Nov 2021 00:00:00 -0400 669 full false Episode Six: The California Recall Episode Six: The California Recall Wow! It really is the Wild West in California politics! While there's a federal election happening north of the 49th parallel, there's another *very different kind of election* happening in the most populous state in America. The Governor is being recalled and that means he could get the boot from Office on September 14th. 
We talked to Ben Christopher who covers politics and government for CalMatters.org about what a recall is, why it's happening now, how it works and what it could mean for Governor Gavin Newsom.
Ben Christopher covers California politics and elections for CalMatters.org, a nonpartisan, nonprofit journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters.

]]> Wow! It really is the Wild West in California politics! While there's a federal election happening north of the 49th parallel, there's another *very different kind of election* happening in the most populous state in America. The Governor is being recalled and that means he could get the boot from Office on September 14th. 
We talked to Ben Christopher who covers politics and government for CalMatters.org about what a recall is, why it's happening now, how it works and what it could mean for Governor Gavin Newsom.
Ben Christopher covers California politics and elections for CalMatters.org, a nonpartisan, nonprofit journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters.

]]> Anne Matthews and Dorin Greenwood Buzzsprout-9169147 Thu, 09 Sep 2021 19:00:00 -0400 1063 full false Episode Five: COVID passports are here but should government be managing them? Episode Five: COVID passports are here but should government be managing them? Covid vaccine passports are coming to Ontario, other Canadian provinces, and jurisdictions around the world. Dorin and Anne discuss some of the issues that surround vaccine passports in other places around the globe.

]]> Covid vaccine passports are coming to Ontario, other Canadian provinces, and jurisdictions around the world. Dorin and Anne discuss some of the issues that surround vaccine passports in other places around the globe.

]]> Anne Matthews and Dorin Greenwood Buzzsprout-9130387 Thu, 02 Sep 2021 15:00:00 -0400 607 1 5 full false Episode 4: A conversation with Chief Digital Officer Natasha Clarke Episode 4: A conversation with Chief Digital Officer Natasha Clarke Anne gets the scoop from Nova Scotia's Chief Digital Officer, Natasha Clarke, on what it was like to navigate a new team through the pandemic right after she was appointed to the position.

]]> Anne gets the scoop from Nova Scotia's Chief Digital Officer, Natasha Clarke, on what it was like to navigate a new team through the pandemic right after she was appointed to the position.

]]> Anne Matthews and Dorin Greenwood Buzzsprout-8923796 Mon, 26 Jul 2021 23:00:00 -0400 705 full false Episode Three: Policy Whiplash Part 2 Episode Three: Policy Whiplash Part 2 We confess to finding the loopholes in the COVID 19 public health policies--something that is just a part of being human that public policy doesn't always consider.

]]> We confess to finding the loopholes in the COVID 19 public health policies--something that is just a part of being human that public policy doesn't always consider.

]]> Anne Matthews and Dorin Greenwood Buzzsprout-8887407 Mon, 26 Jul 2021 22:00:00 -0400 482 full false Episode Three: Policy Whiplash Part 1 Episode Three: Policy Whiplash Part 1 Will they go back to the classroom? Will they stay at home? When? How? What will class look like? In part one of our third episode we discuss our personal experiences with policy whiplash during the pandemic as it related to our kids' education.

]]> Will they go back to the classroom? Will they stay at home? When? How? What will class look like? In part one of our third episode we discuss our personal experiences with policy whiplash during the pandemic as it related to our kids' education.

]]> Anne Matthews and Dorin Greenwood Buzzsprout-8696247 Mon, 26 Jul 2021 22:00:00 -0400 697 full false Episode Two: Is "Government Innovation" an oxymoron? Episode Two: Is "Government Innovation" an oxymoron? Four clever public sector experts vent on the public service... the good, the bad and the ugly.

]]> Four clever public sector experts vent on the public service... the good, the bad and the ugly.

]]> Anne Matthews and Dorin Greenwood Buzzsprout-8467586 Mon, 26 Jul 2021 21:00:00 -0400 658 full false Episode One: Introducing Civic Talk Episode One: Introducing Civic Talk Meet Anne and Dorin in their experimental podcast about what's really happening in government. 

]]> Meet Anne and Dorin in their experimental podcast about what's really happening in government. 

]]> Anne Matthews and Dorin Greenwood Buzzsprout-8049634 Mon, 26 Jul 2021 20:00:00 -0400 525 1 1 trailer false