project story
Federal Public Service Organization
Grant Program Redesign
A grant system, redesigned for what it's grown into.
When a Canadian federal government team set out to digitize an outdated grant application process, they didn’t start with tech. They started with people.
Facing mounting inefficiencies, inconsistent submissions, and a growing need to modernize, the team partnered with The Moment to map their current state, engage staff and applicants, and prototype a more effective, more scalable, but still very human-centred application experience.
The real challenge
This process wasn’t originally designed to be overly complicated. It was designed for proximity. Staff used to work down the hall from each other. Paper forms could be hand-delivered. Phone calls filled the gaps. But after COVID, everything changed.
Teams scrambled to adapt with PDFs, email attachments, and spreadsheets. It became slow, inconsistent, and hard to scale. And it wasn’t clear how to translate this patchwork into something truly digital.
Approach
This was a grounded, service design engagement. Our work focused on four key areas:
1) Understanding the full system
We mapped the current process in detail, surfacing duplications, bottlenecks, and information gaps. We interviewed both staff and applicants to understand their pain points and workarounds.
2) Creating better pathways
We co-designed clearer, more tailored application flows. These differentiated smaller, community-based grants from more complex projects like multimedia or digital initiatives.
3) Prototyping a real solution
We developed a new intake form using accessible digital tools and tested it with internal stakeholders. This helped the team visualize what a better experience could look like, and gave leadership something tangible to react to.
4) Translating design into implementation
We worked closely with the department’s IT teams to ensure the prototypes and design recommendations were actionable. By including IT early and often, we helped bridge the gap between user needs and technical feasibility.
This collaborative service design process laid the groundwork for a smoother implementation and helped avoid the common pitfalls of systems being built in isolation.
What changed
The new intake process and digital tools, now in use, closely reflects what we co-created. But the bigger shift was internal:
- Staff saw how their knowledge mattered, and that better processes could start with their input.
- The department gained confidence in prototyping as a way to align needs with technical feasibility.
- IT teams were engaged early, making design decisions more technically grounded and implementation more efficient.
- Leadership had everything they needed to create executive support for a significant development project by the IT team, supported by tangible outputs and strong cross-functional alignment.
What we learned
Digital transformation does not start with a platform. It starts with listening.
This project was a reminder that in government, the gap between legacy systems and new tools is rarely just technical. It is human. And when staff are not engaged, the systems meant to support them often fall short.
By beginning with empathy, co-creation, and tangible experiments, we helped bridge that gap. We laid the groundwork for a better future process.
Project Leads
Solving complex challenges doesn’t happen by accident, it takes the right mix of minds, skills, and perspectives. For every engagement, we assemble a team tailored to the needs of the work: one that spans service, experience, systems, and technology design.
Robert Hicks
Lead
Rob (he/him) thrives on meaningful collaboration, ensuring the right people are heard and their insights turn into actionable prototypes.
Karen Oikonen
Principal
Karen (she/her) believes that real change starts with deeply understanding people. A lifelong explorer and champion of the human experience, she is committed to creating inclusive, participatory engagement with diverse communities and thrives when exploring vulnerable topics.