In a room in Kingston, Ont., with blinds drawn to better view visual presentations, about eight professionals work intently with one common purpose. Most of those present are wearing Canadian Forces combat uniforms. DMR Consulting director Dr. Pierrette Champoux guides the group but the discussion is very democratic, with all participants fully engaged. A writer takes detailed notes as words gradually fill three large whiteboards and poster-sized papers on the walls, reflecting the progress being made.

This is the second tiring day of the group's first two-day workshop. Two more such marathon sessions will occur over the next few months before they accomplish their goal: creating a quick response 'Lessons Learned Knowledge Warehouse' for the Canadian Department of National Defence. The LLKW allows military personnel to tap into lessons learned from prior experiences, enabling troops to respond faster to sometimes dangerous situations.

Fast forward two years to November 2, 2004, where hundreds of guests are gathered at the Weston Harbour Castle conference centre in Toronto for the 12th annual Canadian Information Productivity Awards (CIPA) gala, showcasing Canadian IT innovation. The moment arrives when the highest honour is announced. The recipient of the Diamond Award of Excellence is the Department of National Defence's Land Command & Information - the Canadian Army's CIO organization. What's more, Lt. Col. Jacques Hamel, the organization's director, is honoured as the CIPA 2004 and CIO Canada CIO of the Year.

Some of the people from that small room in Kingston, now in full-dress uniform, come to the CIPA stage to receive the honours. Joining them is Champoux, now with Fujitsu Consulting since DMR was renamed. Unfortunately Lt. Col. Hamel's duties as project manager of Intelligence Surveillance Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) do not allow him to join the group, but at that moment his influence is felt and respected. And rightly so, because it was Hamel's change management and user participation approaches that went a long way in ensuring the project's success.